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Joshua 21

Joshua 21:27

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

Translations

Modern
This is what the Levite clans of the Gershonites were given: From the half-tribe of Manasseh they were given Golan in Bashan, a city of refuge for the manslayer, and Beeshterah—two cities, together with their pasturelands.
Traditional
And unto the children of Gershon, of the families of the Levites, out of the other half tribe of Manasseh they gave Golan in Bashan with her suburbs, to be a city of refuge for the slayer; and Beesh–terah with her suburbs; two cities.
Literal
And to the sons of Gershon, of the clans of the Levites: From the half-tribe of Manasseh a city of refuge for the manslayer, Golan in Bashan and its pasturelands, and Beeshterah and its pasturelands—two cities.
Latin
Filiis quoque Gerson Levitici generis dedit de dimidia tribu Manasse confugii civitates, Gaulon in Basan, et Bosram, cum suburbanis suis, civitates duas.

Interlinear

Hebrew
English
This is what the Levite clans of the Gershonites were given: From the half-tribe of Manasseh they were given Golan in Bashan, a city of refuge for the manslayer, and Beeshterah—two cities, together with their pasturelands.

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 The Cities of Refuge

Parallels

Numbers 35:1–8 1 Chronicles 6:54–81

People

Gershon: Firstborn son of Levi; head of the Gershonite Levites Levi: Son of Jacob; progenitor of the Levites Manasseh: Firstborn son of Joseph, blessed by Jacob

Places

Ashtaroth: A city of Og, king of Bashan Bashan: Region east of the Jordan, known for its fertility Golan: A city of refuge in Bashan, allotted to Manasseh

Glossary

Asher (Tribe) Be-Eshterah Gaulanitis Golan Joshua (Person) Joshua, Book of Judges, Book of Kohath, Kohathites Levitical Cities Merari, Merarite Priests and Levites Shiloh Tribe of Dan Tribe of Levi

Topics

Beesh-Terah: A Levitical City Golan: A Levitical City Levites: Assigned To, by Families