Yehoshua 20:8

8 And on the other side of the Yarden by Yericho eastward, they assigned Betzer in the midbar upon the plain out of the tribe of Reuven, and Ramot in Gil‘ad out of the tribe of Gad, and Golan in Bashan out of the tribe of Menasheh.

Yehoshua 20:8 Meaning and Commentary

Joshua 20:8

And on the other side Jordan by Jericho eastward
In the country possessed by the tribes of Reuben and Gad, and the half tribe of Manasseh:

they assigned Bezer in the wilderness, upon the plain, out of the
tribe of Reuben, and Ramoth in Gilead out of the tribe of Gad, and
Golan
in Bashan out of the tribe of Manasseh;
of these places, and the signification of their names, and of the application of them to Christ, the antitype of the cities of refuge, (See Gill on Deuteronomy 4:43). These last cities were not appointed now, they were appointed in the times of Moses, and severed by him, ( Deuteronomy 4:41 ) ; nor are they here said to be appointed, but to be assigned or "given" ^F3; they were now delivered up into the hands of the Levites for cities of refuge, for they were before severed for that use; they were not, according to the Jews ^F4, made use of as such, until the other three were appointed.

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FOOTNOTES:

F3 (wntn) "dederunt", Pagninus, Montanus, Junius & Tremellius, Piscator.
F4 Misn. Maccot, c. 2. sect. 4. Maimon. Hilchot Rotzeach, c. 8. sect. 2, 3.

Yehoshua 20:8 In-Context

6 And he shall dwell in that city, until he stand before HaEdah L’Mishpat, and until the Mot of the HaKohen HaGadol that shall be in those yamim; then shall the slayer return, and come unto his own city, and unto his own bais, unto the Ir from whence he fled.

7 And they appointed Kedesh in the Galil in Har Naphtali and Shechem in Har Ephrayim, and Kiryat Arba, which is Chevron, in Har Yehudah.

8 And on the other side of the Yarden by Yericho eastward, they assigned Betzer in the midbar upon the plain out of the tribe of Reuven, and Ramot in Gil‘ad out of the tribe of Gad, and Golan in Bashan out of the tribe of Menasheh.

9 These were the cities designated for kol Bnei Yisroel, and for the stranger that sojourneth among them, that whosoever killeth any nefesh unawares might flee there, and not die by the yad of the Go’el HaDahm, until he stood before HaEdah.