Joshua 21:3

3 And the children of Israel gave unto the Levites out of their inheritance, at the commandment of the LORD, these cities and their suburbs:

Joshua 21:3 Meaning and Commentary

Joshua 21:3

And the children of Israel gave unto the Levites out of their
inheritance
Knowing full well there was such a command, made no objection to their motion, but freely gave them cities out of the portion of inheritance allotted to them; this they did

at the commandment of the Lord, and in obedience to it, even gave
these cities and suburbs;
after mentioned: this was done by the tribes themselves; as there were a certain number fixed by the commandment of God, they agreed among themselves how many and what cities should be given out of each tribe; and then lots were cast for them by Joshua, what and which cities should be appropriated to their several divisions, as the Kohathites that sprang from Aaron, and the rest of them that did not, and the Gershonites and Merarites, as follows.

Joshua 21:3 In-Context

1 Then came near the heads of the fathers of the Levites unto Eleazar the priest, and unto Joshua the son of Nun, and unto the heads of the fathers of the tribes of the children 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 cattle."

3 And the children of Israel gave unto the Levites out of their inheritance, at the commandment of the LORD, these cities and their suburbs:

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

5 And the rest of the children of Kohath had by lot from the families of the tribe of Ephraim, and from the tribe of Dan, and from the halftribe of Manasseh ten cities.