13 Thus they gave to the children of Aaron the priest Hebron with her suburbs, to be a city of refuge for the slayer; and Libnah with her suburbs,
14 And Jattir with her suburbs, and Eshtemoa with her suburbs,
15 And Holon with her suburbs, and Debir with her suburbs,
16 And Ain with her suburbs, and Juttah with her suburbs, and Bethshemesh with her suburbs; nine cities out of those two tribes.
17 And out of the tribe of Benjamin, Gibeon with her suburbs, Geba with her suburbs,
18 Anathoth with her suburbs, and Almon with her suburbs; four cities.
19 All the cities of the children of Aaron, the priests, were thirteen cities with their suburbs.
13 Thus they gave H5414 to the children H1121 of Aaron H175 the priest H3548 Hebron H2275 with her suburbs, H4054 to be a city H5892 of refuge H4733 for the slayer; H7523 and Libnah H3841 with her suburbs, H4054
14 And Jattir H3492 with her suburbs, H4054 and Eshtemoa H851 with her suburbs, H4054
15 And Holon H2473 with her suburbs, H4054 and Debir H1688 with her suburbs, H4054
16 And Ain H5871 with her suburbs, H4054 and Juttah H3194 with her suburbs, H4054 and Bethshemesh H1053 with her suburbs; H4054 nine H8672 cities H5892 out of those two H8147 tribes. H7626
17 And out of the tribe H4294 of Benjamin, H1144 Gibeon H1391 with her suburbs, H4054 Geba H1387 with her suburbs, H4054
18 Anathoth H6068 with her suburbs, H4054 and Almon H5960 with her suburbs; H4054 four H702 cities. H5892
19 All the cities H5892 of the children H1121 of Aaron, H175 the priests, H3548 were thirteen H7969 H6240 cities H5892 with their suburbs. H4054
13 And unto the children of Aaron the priest they gave Hebron with its suburbs, the city of refuge for the manslayer, and Libnah with its suburbs,
14 and Jattir with its suburbs, and Eshtemoa with its suburbs,
15 and Holon with its suburbs, and Debir with its suburbs,
16 and Ain with its suburbs, and Juttah with its suburbs, `and' Beth-shemesh with its suburbs; nine cities out of those two tribes.
17 And out of the tribe of Benjamin, Gibeon with its suburbs, Geba with its suburbs,
18 Anathoth with its suburbs, and Almon with its suburbs; four cities.
19 All the cities of the children of Aaron, the priests, were thirteen cities with their suburbs.
13 And to the sons of Aaron the priest they have given the city of refuge `for' the man-slayer, Hebron and its suburbs, and Libnah and its suburbs,
14 and Jattir and its suburbs, and Eshtemoa and its suburbs,
15 and Holon and its suburbs, and Debir and its suburbs,
16 and Ain and its suburbs, and Juttah and its suburbs, Beth-Shemesh and its suburbs; nine cities out of these two tribes.
17 And out of the tribe of Benjamin, Gibeon and its suburbs, Geba and its suburbs,
18 Anathoth and its suburbs, and Almon and its suburbs -- four cities;
19 all the cities of the sons of Aaron the priests, `are' thirteen cities and their suburbs.
13 And they gave to the children of Aaron the priest the city of refuge for the slayer, Hebron and its suburbs; and Libnah and its suburbs,
14 and Jattir and its suburbs, and Eshtemoa and its suburbs,
15 and Holon and its suburbs, and Debir and its suburbs,
16 and Ain and its suburbs, and Juttah and its suburbs, [and] Beth-shemesh and its suburbs: nine cities out of those two tribes;
17 and out of the tribe of Benjamin: Gibeon and its suburbs, Geba and its suburbs,
18 Anathoth and its suburbs, and Almon and its suburbs; four cities.
19 All the cities of the children of Aaron, the priests, were thirteen cities and their suburbs.
13 To the children of Aaron the priest they gave Hebron with its suburbs, the city of refuge for the manslayer, and Libnah with its suburbs,
14 and Jattir with its suburbs, and Eshtemoa with its suburbs,
15 and Holon with its suburbs, and Debir with its suburbs,
16 and Ain with its suburbs, and Juttah with its suburbs, [and] Beth-shemesh with its suburbs; nine cities out of those two tribes.
17 Out of the tribe of Benjamin, Gibeon with its suburbs, Geba with its suburbs,
18 Anathoth with its suburbs, and Almon with its suburbs; four cities.
19 All the cities of the children of Aaron, the priests, were thirteen cities with their suburbs.
13 And to the children of Aaron the priest they gave Hebron with its grass-lands, the town where the taker of life might be safe, and Libnah with its grass-lands;
14 And Jattir with its grass-lands, and Eshtemoa with its grass-lands;
15 And Holon with its grass-lands, and Debir with its grass-lands;
16 And Ain, and Juttah, and Beth-shemesh, with their grass-lands; nine towns from those two tribes.
17 And from the tribe of Benjamin they gave Gibeon and Geba with their grass-lands;
18 Anathoth and Almon with their grass-lands, four towns.
19 Thirteen towns with their grass-lands were given to the children of Aaron, the priests.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Joshua 21
Commentary on Joshua 21 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 21
Jos 21:1-8. Eight and Forty Cities Given by Lot Out of the Other Tribes unto the Levites.
1-3. Then came near the heads of the fathers of the Levites—The most venerable and distinguished members of the three Levitical families, on behalf of their tribe, applied for the special provision that had been promised them to be now awarded (see on Nu 35:2). Their inheritance lay within the territory of every tribe. It was assigned in the same place and manner, and by the same commissioners as the other allotments. While the people, knowing the important duties they were to perform, are described (Jos 21:3) as readily conceding this "peculiar" to them, it had most probably been specified and reserved for their use while the distribution of the land was in progress.
4-8. the lot came out for the families of the Kohathites—The Levites were divided into Kohathites, Gershonites, and Merarites. Among the former the family of Aaron were exclusively appointed to the priesthood, and all the rest were ranked in the common order of Levites. The first lot was drawn by the Kohathites; and the first of theirs again by the priests, to whom thirteen cities were granted, and ten to the rest of the Kohathites (Jos 21:5); thirteen to the Gershonites (Jos 21:6), and twelve to the Merarites (Jos 21:7).
Jos 21:9-42. The Cities of the Priests.
9-40. they gave … these cities which are here mentioned by name—It was overruled by the unerring providence of the Divine Lawgiver that the cities of the priests lay within the territories of Judah and Benjamin. This was a provision, the admirable wisdom and propriety of which were fully manifested on the schism that took place in the reign of Rehoboam.
41. All the cities of the Levites within the possession of the children of Israel were forty and eight cities with their suburbs—This may appear too great a proportion compared with those of the other tribes. But it must be borne in mind that the list given here contains the names of every Levitical city (see on 1Ch 6:39-66); whereas only those cities of the other tribes are mentioned which lay on the frontier or along the boundary line. Besides, the Levites were not the exclusive inhabitants of those forty-eight cities; for there must have been also a considerable number of people kept there to cultivate the glebe lands and tend the cattle. Still further, the Levitical cities had nothing but "their suburbs round about them" [Jos 21:42]; whereas the other cities in Israel possessed a group of independent villages (see Jos 17:1-19:51).
Jos 21:43-45. God Gave Them Rest.
43-45. the Lord gave unto Israel all the land which he sware to give unto their fathers—This is a general winding up of the history from the thirteenth chapter, which narrates the occupation of the land by the Israelites. All the promises made, whether to the people or to Joshua (Jos 1:5), had been, or were in the course of being fulfilled; and the recorded experience of the Israelites (Jos 21:45), is a ground of hope and confidence to the people of God in every age, that all other promises made to the Church will, in due time, be accomplished.