Keraia
Joshua 21

Joshua 21:5

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

Translations

Modern
The remaining descendants of Kohath received ten cities by lot from the tribes of Ephraim, Dan, and the half-tribe of Manasseh.
Traditional
And the rest of the children of Kohath had by lot out of the families of the tribe of Ephraim, and out of the tribe of Dan, and out of the half tribe of Manasseh, ten cities.
Literal
…and for the sons of Kohath remaining, out of the clans of the tribe of Ephraim, and from the tribe of Dan, and from the half-tribe of Manasseh, by lot ten cities;
Latin
…et reliquis filiorum Caath, id est Levitis, qui superfuerant, de tribubus Ephraim, et Dan, et dimidia tribu Manasse, civitates decem.

Original

Hebrew
English
The remaining descendants of Kohath received ten cities by lot from the tribes of Ephraim, Dan, and the half-tribe of Manasseh.

Notes

Joshua 21:5

The rest of the descendants of Kohath received cities in the central hill country, north of Jerusalem.

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

Ephraim: Second son of Joseph, and a tribe of Israel Kohath: Son of Levi; Levite clan ancestor Manasseh: Firstborn son of Joseph, blessed by Jacob

Places

Dan: Israelite tribe; city in northern Israel; originally called Laish/Leshem

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

Levites: Assigned To, by Families