Joshua 21:6-16

6 The children of Gershon had by lot out of the families of the tribe of Yissakhar, and out of the tribe of Asher, and out of the tribe of Naftali, and out of the half-tribe of Menashsheh in Bashan, thirteen cities.

7 The children of Merari according to their families had out of the tribe of Re'uven, and out of the tribe of Gad, and out of the tribe of Zevulun, twelve cities.

8 The children of Yisra'el gave by lot to the Levites these cities with their suburbs, as the LORD commanded by Moshe.

9 They gave out of the tribe of the children of Yehudah, and out of the tribe of the children of Shim`on, these cities which are [here] mentioned by name:

10 and they were for the children of Aharon, of the families of the Kehati, who were of the children of Levi; for theirs was the first lot.

11 They gave them Kiryat-Arba, [which Arba was] the father of `Anak (the same is Hevron), in the hill-country of Yehudah, with the suburbs of it round about it.

12 But the fields of the city, and the villages of it, gave they to Kalev the son of Yefunneh for his possession.

13 To the children of Aharon the Kohen they gave Hevron with its suburbs, the city of refuge for the manslayer, and Livna with its suburbs,

14 and Yattir with its suburbs, and Eshtemoa with its suburbs,

15 and Holon with its suburbs, and Devir with its suburbs,

16 and `Ayin with its suburbs, and Yuttah with its suburbs, [and] Beit-Shemesh with its suburbs; nine cities out of those two tribes.

Joshua 21:6-16 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.