Joshua 21

1 Then the chief fathers of the Levites drew near to Eleazar the priest, and to Joshua the son of Nun, and to the chief fathers of the tribes of the children of Israel;

2 and they spoke to them at Shiloh in the land of Canaan, saying, Jehovah commanded through Moses to give us cities to dwell in, and their suburbs for our cattle.

3 And the children of Israel gave to the Levites out of their inheritance, according to the word of Jehovah, these cities and their suburbs.

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

5 And the children of Kohath that remained 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 children 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 children of Merari according to their families had by lot out of the tribe of Reuben, and out of the tribe of Gad, and out of the tribe of Zebulun, twelve cities.

8 And the children of Israel gave by lot to the Levites these cities and their suburbs, as Jehovah commanded through Moses.

9 And they gave out of the tribe of the children of Judah, and out of the tribe of the children of Simeon, these cities which were mentioned by name,

10 and which the children of Aaron, of the families of the Kohathites, of the children of Levi had (for theirs was the first lot);

11 and they gave them Kirjath-Arba, [which Arba was] the father of Anak, that is, Hebron, in the mountain of Judah, with its suburbs round about it.

12 But the fields of the city and the hamlets thereof gave they to Caleb the son of Jephunneh for his possession.

13 And they gave to the children of Aaron the priest the city of refuge for the slayer, Hebron and its suburbs; and Libnah and its suburbs,

14 and Jattir and its suburbs, and Eshtemoa and its suburbs,

15 and Holon and its suburbs, and Debir and its suburbs,

16 and Ain and its suburbs, and Juttah and its suburbs, [and] Beth-shemesh and its suburbs: nine cities out of those two tribes;

17 and out of the tribe of Benjamin: Gibeon and its suburbs, Geba and its suburbs,

18 Anathoth and its suburbs, and Almon and its suburbs; four cities.

19 All the cities of the children of Aaron, the priests, were thirteen cities and their suburbs.

20 And to the families of the children of Kohath, the Levites that remained of the children of Kohath, [they gave cities]. And the cities of their lot were out of the tribe of Ephraim,

21 and they gave them the city of refuge for the slayer, Shechem and its suburbs in mount Ephraim; and Gezer and its suburbs,

22 and Kibzaim and its suburbs, and Beth-horon and its suburbs: four cities;

23 and out of the tribe of Dan, Eltekeh and its suburbs, Gibbethon and its suburbs,

24 Ajalon and its suburbs, Gath-Rimmon and its suburbs: four cities;

25 and out of half the tribe of Manasseh, Taanach and its suburbs and Gath-Rimmon and its suburbs: two cities.

26 All the cities were ten and their suburbs, for the families of the children of Kohath that remained.

27 And to the children of Gershon, of the families of the Levites, out of half the tribe of Manasseh, [they gave] the city of refuge for the slayer, Golan in Bashan and its suburbs; and Beeshterah and its suburbs: two cities;

28 and out of the tribe of Issachar, Kishion and its suburbs, Dabrath and its suburbs,

29 Jarmuth and its suburbs, En-gannim and its suburbs: four cities;

30 and out of the tribe of Asher, Mishal and its suburbs, Abdon and its suburbs,

31 Helkath and its suburbs, and Rehob and its suburbs: four cities;

32 and out of the tribe of Naphtali, the city of refuge for the slayer, Kedesh in Galilee, and its suburbs; and Hammoth-Dor and its suburbs, and Kartan and its suburbs: three cities.

33 All the cities of the Gershonites according to their families were thirteen cities and their suburbs.

34 And to the families of the children of Merari, that remained of the Levites, [they gave] out of the tribe of Zebulun, Jokneam and its suburbs, Kartah and its suburbs,

35 Dimnah and its suburbs, Nahalal and its suburbs: four cities;

36 and out of the tribe of Reuben, Bezer and its suburbs, and Jahzah and its suburbs,

37 Kedemoth and its suburbs, and Mephaath and its suburbs: four cities;

38 and out of the tribe of Gad, the city of refuge for the slayer, Ramoth in Gilead and its suburbs; and Mahanaim and its suburbs,

39 Heshbon and its suburbs, Jaazer and its suburbs: four cities in all.

40 [These were] all the cities of the children of Merari according to their families, which remained of the families of the Levites, and their lot was twelve cities.

41 All the cities of the Levites within the possession of the children of Israel were forty-eight cities and their suburbs.

42 Each one of these cities had its suburbs round about it: thus were all these cities.

43 And Jehovah gave to Israel all the land which he swore to give unto their fathers; and they took possession of it, and dwelt in it.

44 And Jehovah gave them rest round about, according to all that he had sworn unto their fathers; and there stood not a man of all their enemies before them: Jehovah gave all their enemies into their hand.

45 There failed nothing of all the good things that Jehovah had spoken to the house of Israel: all came to pass.

Joshua 21 Commentary

Chapter 21

Cities for the Levites. (1-8) The cities allotted to the Levites. (9-42) God gave the land and rest to the Israelites, according to his promise. (43-45)

Verses 1-8 The Levites waited till the other tribes were provided for, before they preferred their claim to Joshua. They build their claim upon a very good foundation; not their own merits or services, but the Divine precept. The maintenance of ministers is not a thing left merely to the will of the people, that they may let them starve if they please; they which preach the gospel should live by the gospel, and should live comfortably.

Verses 9-42 By mixing the Levites with the other tribes, they were made to see that the eyes of all Israel were upon them, and therefore it was their concern to walk so that their ministry might not be blamed. Every tribe had its share of Levites' cities. Thus did God graciously provide for keeping up religion among them, and that they might have the word in all parts of the land. Yet, blessed be God, we have the gospel more diffused amongst us.

Verses 43-45 God promised to give to the seed of Abraham the land of Canaan for a possession, and now they possessed it, and dwelt therein. And the promise of the heavenly Canaan is as sure to all God's spiritual Israel; for it is the promise of Him that cannot lie. There stood not a man before them. The after-prevalence of the Canaanites was the effect of Israel's slothfulness, and the punishment of their sinful inclination to the idolatries and abominations of the heathen whom they harboured and indulged. There failed not aught of any good thing, which the Lord had spoken to the house of Israel. In due season all his promises will be accomplished; then will his people acknowledge that the Lord has exceeded their largest expectations, and made them more than conquerors, and brought them to their desired rest.

Footnotes

• [a]. Or 'amongst the hills of:' see however ver. 21.
• [b]. Or 'all the good works.'

Chapter Summary

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.