Joshua 21:1-7

1 Then the heads of the fathers of the Levites came near unto Eleazar the priest and unto Joshua, the son of Nun, and unto the heads of the fathers of the tribes of the sons of Israel;

2 and they spoke 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 beasts.

3 Then the sons of Israel gave unto the Levites out of their possessions, according to the word of the LORD, these cities and their suburbs.

4 And the lot came out for the families of the Kohathites; and the sons of Aaron the priest, who were of the Levites, had by lot out of the tribe of Judah and out of the tribe of Simeon and out of the tribe of Benjamin, thirteen cities.

5 And the rest of the sons 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.

6 And the sons of Gershon had by lot out of the families of the tribe of Issachar and out of the tribe of Asher and out of the tribe of Naphtali and out of the half tribe of Manasseh in Bashan, thirteen cities.

7 The sons of Merari by their families had out of the tribe of Reuben and out of the tribe of Gad and out of the tribe of Zebulun, twelve cities.

Joshua 21:1-7 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO JOSHUA 21

This chapter contains the address of the Levites to the court, to have the cities and suburbs given them according to the command of God by Moses, Jos 21:1,2; the grant of them by lot out of the several tribes, Jos 21:3-8; the particular cities out of the tribes of Judah and Simeon are mentioned by name, Jos 21:9-16; then those out of the tribe of Benjamin, Jos 21:17-19; next those out of the tribe of Ephraim, Jos 21:20-22; afterwards those out of the tribe of Dan, Jos 21:23-26; then those out of the half tribe of Manasseh, Jos 21:27; and out of the tribe of Issachar, Jos 21:28,29; and out of the tribe of Asher, Jos 21:30,31; and of Naphtali, Jos 21:32,33; and of Zebulun, Jos 21:34,35; and of Reuben, Jos 21:36,37; and of Gad, Jos 21:38-40; which in all made forty eight, Jos 21:41,42; and the chapter is concluded with observing, that God gave Israel all the land of Canaan, and rest in it, according to his promise, very faithfully and punctually, Jos 21:43-45.