Keraia
Joshua 21

Joshua 21:3

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

Translations

Modern
So by the command of the LORD, the Israelites gave the Levites these cities and their pasturelands out of their own inheritance:
Traditional
And the children of Israel gave unto the Levites out of their inheritance, at the commandment of the Lord, these cities and their suburbs.
Literal
And the sons of Israel gave to the Levites from their inheritance at the mouth of YHWH these cities and their pasturelands.
Latin
Dederuntque filii Israël de possessionibus suis juxta imperium Domini, civitates et suburbana earum.

Interlinear

Hebrew
English
So by the command of the LORD, the Israelites gave the Levites these cities and their pasturelands out of their own inheritance:

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

Israel: Patriarch, son of Isaac, father of twelve tribes Levi: Son of Jacob; progenitor of the Levites

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

Cities: Sometimes had Suburbs Priest: Benefits of Provided with Cities and Suburbs