In 21:1-9 we have the judgment of one who murdered a man, the slain one being found in the field in the good land.
The elders of the cities were to go out and measure the distance to the cities that surrounded the slain man (vv. 1-2). By doing this they would determine which city was closest to the one who had been slain. Since this was a local matter, it was done not by the priests but by the elders.
The elders of the city that was nearest the slain man were to take a heifer of the herd which had not been worked and had not drawn the yoke, and bring the heifer down to a river valley that flowed continuously and break the neck of the heifer there (vv. 3-4).
The priests, the sons of Levi, were to draw near, and by their word every dispute and every assault was to be settled (v. 5).
All the elders of the nearest city were to wash their hands over the broken heifer (v. 6). Then they were to say, "Our hands have not shed this blood, nor have our eyes seen it done. Cover Your people Israel, whom You have ransomed, O Jehovah, and do not set the guilt of innocent blood in the midst of Your people Israel" (vv. 7-8a). The Hebrew word translated "cover" here is kipper. Literally, this word means cover over, be propitious to. After the elders had washed their hands and spoken these words, the guilt of the blood would be covered from them (v. 8b).
The conclusion of the matter was that the guilt of the innocent blood would be utterly removed from the midst of Israel, when they did what was right in the sight of Jehovah (v. 9).