Keraia
Joshua 21

Joshua 21:2

Forty-Eight Cities for the Levites · Joshua 21:1–45
Read Joshua 21

Translations

Modern
…at Shiloh in the land of Canaan and said to them, “The LORD commanded through Moses that we be given cities in which to live, together with pasturelands for our livestock.”
Traditional
And they spake unto them at Shiloh in the land of Canaan, saying, The Lord commanded by the hand of Moses to give us cities to dwell in, with the suburbs thereof for our cattle.
Literal
And they spoke to them at Shiloh in the land of Canaan, saying, “YHWH commanded by the hand of Moses to give to us cities to dwell in, with their pasturelands for our livestock.”
Latin
…locutique sunt ad eos in Silo terræ Chanaan, atque dixerunt: Dominus præcepit per manum Moysi, ut darentur nobis urbes ad habitandum, et suburbana earum ad alenda jumenta.

Interlinear

Hebrew
English
…at Shiloh in the land of Canaan and said to them, “The LORD commanded through Moses that we be given cities in which to live, together with pasturelands for our livestock.”

Notes

Joshua 21:2–3

The Lord commanded Moses, as recorded in Numbers 35:1–7. One priestly duty was to teach God's law to Israel (see study note on 1:8). The Levites could do this better by living in all the areas of the tribes.

Joshua 21:1–8

Israel's leaders assigned towns to the tribe of Levi by casting lots (see study note on 7:16–18).

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

Parallels

Numbers 35:1–8 1 Chronicles 6:54–81

People

Moses: Prophet who led Israel out of Egypt

Places

Canaan: Ancient region; descendants of Ham; promised to Abraham's descendants Shiloh: Israelite sanctuary and assembly point during the judges' period

Glossary

Gershon, Gershonites Joshua (Person) Joshua, Book of Judges, Book of Kohath, Kohathites Levitical Cities Priests and Levites Shiloh Tribe of Dan Tribe of Levi

Topics

Petition: Israel Priest: Benefits of Provided with Cities and Suburbs Shiloh: City of Ephraim, North of Beth-El: Seat of Government During the Time of Joshua