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
And the border H1366 compassed H5437 from Baalah H1173 westward H3220 unto mount H2022 Seir, H8165 and passed H5674 along unto the side H3802 of mount H2022 Jearim, H3297 which is Chesalon, H3693 on the north side, H6828 and went down H3381 to Bethshemesh, H1053 and passed on H5674 to Timnah: H8553
And see, H7200 if it goeth up H5927 by the way H1870 of his own coast H1366 to Bethshemesh, H1053 then he hath done H6213 us this great H1419 evil: H7451 but if not, then we shall know H3045 that it is not his hand H3027 that smote H5060 us: it was a chance H4745 that happened to us. H1961
And the kine H6510 took the straight H3474 way H1870 to the way H1870 of Bethshemesh, H1053 and went along H1980 the highway, H4546 H259 lowing H1600 as they went, H1980 and turned not aside H5493 to the right hand H3225 or to the left; H8040 and the lords H5633 of the Philistines H6430 went H1980 after H310 them unto the border H1366 of Bethshemesh. H1053
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Joshua 21
Commentary on Joshua 21 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 21
It had been often said that the tribe of Levi should have "no inheritance with their brethren,' no particular part of the country assigned them, as the other tribes had, no, not the country about Shiloh, which one might have expected to be appropriated to them as the lands of the church; but, though they were not thus cast into a country by themselves, it appears, by the provision made for them in this chapter, that they were no losers, but the rest of the tribes were very much gainers, by their being dispersed. We have here,
Jos 21:1-8
Here is,
Jos 21:9-42
We have here a particular account of the cities which were given to the children of Levi out of the several tribes, not only to be occupied and inhabited by them, as tenants to the several tribes in which they lay-no, their interest in them was not dependent and precarious, but to be owned and possessed by them as lords and proprietors, and as having the same title to them that the rest of the tribes had to their cities or lands, as appears by the law which preserved the house in the Levites' cities from being alienated any longer than till the year of jubilee, Lev. 25:32, 33. Yet it is probable that the Levites having only the cities and suburbs, while the land about pertained to the tribes in which they lay, those of that tribe, for the convenience of occupying that land, might commonly rent houses of the Levites, as they could spare them in their cities, and so live among them as their tenants. Several things may be observed in this account, besides what was observed in the law concerning it, Num. 35.
Upon the whole, it appears that effectual care was taken that the Levites should live both comfortably and usefully: and those, whether ministers or others, for whom Providence has done well, must look upon themselves as obliged thereby to do good, and, according as their capacity and opportunity are, to serve their generation.
Jos 21:43-45
We have here the conclusion of this whole matter, the foregoing history summed up, and, to make it appear the more bright, compared with the promise of which it was the full accomplishment. God's word and his works mutually illustrate each other. The performance makes the promise appear very true and the promise makes the performance appear very kind.