Verses 11-13 take up the case of murder.

Hates his neighbor: again neighbor stands here for “someone,” “another person,” or “a fellow-Israelite.” In certain languages hates his neighbor will be expressed as “considers someone his enemy” (see also Good News Translation).

Lies in wait … attacks … wounds him mortally so that he dies: this is a graphic description of a deliberate, premeditated, wilful act of murder.

Flees into one of these cities: see verse 5.

Quoted with permission from Bratcher, Robert G. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on Deuteronomy. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2000. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .