Joshua 20 Study Notes

20:7 Three cities of refuge were originally envisioned west of the Jordan River (Nm 35:9-15). Perhaps the size of the population led Joshua and the leadership to appoint six cities and name them here. They were located across the land so that a person was never far from such a place of refuge.

20:8 These cities of refuge located east of the Jordan River had been designated and named by Moses (Dt 4:41-43).

The lot was an article cast to decipher God’s will, since God revealed it to Israel that way (Pr 16:33). Other nations also had the practice (Jnh 1:7). The lot was usually used for public decision-making, and various techniques for casting existed. Lots could settle disputes (Pr 18:18) or assign goods and services. The lot selected arrangements for priestly duties (1Ch 24:5), responsibilities for providing altar firewood (Neh 10:34), and a goat on the Day of Atonement (Lv 16:8-10). Victors cast the lot to divide war spoils (Ob 11), so it figured prominently when Joshua distributed tribal lands and assigned Levitical cities (Jos 18-19; 21:4-40). The high priest used special lots, the Urim and Thummim, to learn God’s will (Ex 28:30). Goral may indicate the allotment or object allotted (Jos 15:1; 21:20). It figuratively indicates one’s lot (Pr 1:14; Is 17:14) or allotted inheritance (Dn 12:13) in life.