Joshua 21

1 And the heads of the families of the sons of Levi drew near to Eleazar the priest, and to Joshua the of Naue, and to the heads of families of the tribes of Israel.
2 And they spoke to them in Selo in the land of Chanaan, saying, The Lord gave commandment by Moses to give us cities to dwell in, and the country round about for our cattle.
3 So the children of Israel gave to the Levites in their inheritance by the command of the Lord the cities and the country round.
4 And the lot came out for the children of Caath; and the sons of Aaron, the priests the Levites, had by lot thirteen cities out of the tribe of Juda, and out of the tribe of Symeon, and out of the tribe of Benjamin.
5 And to the sons of Caath that were left were lot ten cities, out of the tribe of Ephraim, and out of the tribe of Dan, and out of the half tribe of Manasse.
6 And the sons of Gedson had thirteen cities, out of the tribe of Issachar, and out of the tribe of Aser, and out of the tribe of Nephthali, and out of the half tribe of Manasse in Basan.
7 And the sons of Merari according to their families had by lot twelve cities, out of the tribe of Ruben, and out of the tribe of Gad, and out of the tribe of Zabulon.
8 And the children of Israel gave to the Levites the cities and their suburbs, as the Lord commanded Moses, by lot.
9 And the tribe of the children of Juda, and the tribe of the children of Symeon, and of the tribe of the children of Benjamin gave these cities, and they were assigned
10 to the sons of Aaron of the family of Caath of the sons of Levi, for the lot fell to these.
11 And they gave to them Cariatharboc the metropolis of the sons of Enac; this is Chebron in the mountain of Juda, and the suburbs round it.
12 But the lands of the city, and its villages Joshua gave to the sons of Chaleb the son of Jephonne for a possession.
13 And to the sons of Aaron he gave the city of refuge for the slayer, Chebron, and the suburbs belonging to it; and Lemna and the suburbs belonging to it;
14 and Aelom and its suburbs; and Tema and its suburbs;
15 and Gella and its suburbs; and Dabir and its suburbs;
16 and Asa and its suburbs; and Tany and its suburbs; and Baethsamys and its suburbs: nine cities from these two tribes.
17 And from the tribe of Benjamin, Gabaon and its suburbs; and Gatheth and its suburbs;
18 and Anathoth and its suburbs; and Gamala and its suburbs; four cities.
19 All the cities of the sons of Aaron the priests, thirteen.
20 And to the families, the sons of Caath the Levites, that were left of the sons of Caath, there was their priests' city,
21 out of the tribe of Ephraim; and they gave them the slayer's city of refuge, Sychem, and its suburbs, and Gazara and its appendages, and its suburbs;
22 and Baethoron and its suburbs: four cities:
23 and the tribe of Dan, Helcothaim and its suburbs; and Gethedan and its suburbs:
24 and Aelon and its suburbs; and Getheremmon and its suburbs: four cities.
25 And out of the half tribe of Manasse, Tanach and its suburbs; and Jebatha and its suburbs; two cities.
26 In all ten cities, and the suburbs of each belonging to them, to the families of the sons of Caath that remained.
27 And to the sons of Gedson the Levites out of the other half tribe of Manasse cities set apart for the slayers, Gaulon in the country of Basan, and its suburbs; and Bosora and its suburbs; two cities.
28 And out of the tribe of Issachar, Kison and its suburbs; and Debba and its suburbs;
29 and Remmath and its suburbs; and the well of Letters, and its suburbs; four cities.
30 And out of the tribe of Aser, Basella and its suburbs; and Dabbon and its suburbs;
31 and Chelcat and its suburbs; and Raab and its suburbs; four cities.
32 And of the tribe of Nephthali, the city set apart for the slayer, Cades in Galilee, and its suburbs; and Nemmath, and its suburbs; and Themmon and its suburbs; three cities.
33 All the cities of Gedson according to their families thirteen cities.
34 And to the family of the sons of Merari the Levites that remained, out of the tribe of Zabulon, Maan and its suburbs; and Cades and its suburbs,
35 and Sella and its suburbs: three cities.
36 And beyond Jordan over against Jericho, out of the tribe of Ruben, the city of refuge for the slayer, Bosor in the wilderness; Miso and its suburbs; and Jazer and its suburbs; and Decmon and its suburbs; and Mapha and its suburbs; four cities.
37 And out of the tribe of Gad the city of refuge for the slayer, both Ramoth in Galaad, and its suburbs; Camin and its suburbs; and Esbon and its suburbs; and Jazer and its suburbs: the cities four in all.
38 All cities to the sons of Merari according to the families of them that were left out of the tribe of Levi; and their limits were the twelve cities.
39 All the cities of the Levites in the midst of the possession of the children of Israel, forty-eight cities,
40 and their suburbs round about these cities: a city and the suburbs round about the city to all these cities: and Joshua ceased dividing the land by their borders: and the children of Israel gave a portion to Joshua because of the commandment of the Lord: they gave him the city which he asked: they gave him Thamnasachar in mount Ephraim; and Joshua built the city, and dwelt in it: and Joshua took the knives of stone, wherewith he circumcised the children of Israel that were born in the desert by the way, and put them in Thamnasachar.
41 So the Lord gave to Israel all the land which he sware to give to their fathers: and they inherited it, and dwelt in it.
42 And the Lord gave them rest round about, as he sware to their fathers: not one of all their enemies maintained his ground against them; the Lord delivered all their enemies into their hands.
43 There failed not one of the good things which the Lord spoke to the children 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 9

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.

Joshua 21 Commentaries

The Brenton translation of the Septuagint is in the public domain.