Joshua 21:19

Translations

Modern

In all, thirteen cities, together with their pasturelands, were given to the priests, the descendants of Aaron.

Traditional

All the cities of the children of Aaron, the priests, were thirteen cities with their suburbs.

Literal

All the cities of the sons of Aaron, the priests, were thirteen cities and their pasturelands.

Latin

Omnes simul civitates filiorum Aaron sacerdotis, tredecim, cum suburbanis suis.

Original

Hebrew

English

In all, thirteen cities, together with their pasturelands, were given to the priests, the descendants of Aaron.

Notes

Joshua 21:9–42

The descendants of Aaron received thirteen cities, the rest of the Kohathite clan received ten, the descendants of Gershon received thirteen, and the Merari clan received twelve. There were a total of forty-eight Levitical cities. Each tribe had four Levitical cities, except Judah had eight, Simeon had one, and Naphtali had three. Six of the Levitical cities were also cities of refuge (20:7–8).

Joshua 20:1–21:45

Before they fully divided the land, Joshua had to establish six cities of refuge and assign cities in which the Levites would live.

Joshua 13:1–21:45

As he had promised, God brought Israel into the land. Joshua then focused on dividing the land among Israel's tribes.
The tribal allowances made the covenant of the Israelites with God real. It showed the fulfillment of God's promise to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Since God owned the land, giving it to the tribes was a gift. God gave them the land to live in and guided its distribution.
In these lists of tribal allowances, the author describes some borders in great detail, allowing them to be mapped. With others, they are less plainly defined.

Theme notes and profiles

Joshua Inheriting the Land