Joshua 21:27

27 ¹To the sons of Gershon, one of the families of the Levites, from the half-tribe * of Manasseh, they gave Golan in Bashan, the city of refuge for the manslayer, with its pasture lands, and Be-eshterah with its pasture lands; two cities.

Joshua 21:27 Meaning and Commentary

Joshua 21:27

And unto the children of Gershon, of the families of the
Levites
The descendants of the second son of Levi: out of the [other] half tribe of Manasseh;
that which was settled beyond Jordan: [they gave] Golan in Bashan, with her suburbs, [to be] a city of
refuge for the slayer;
see ( Joshua 20:8 ) ; this is the third city of refuge mentioned: and Beeshterah with her suburbs;
called Ashtaroth, ( 1 Chronicles 6:71 ) ; which had been the royal city of Og, king of Bashan, where he had his palace, ( Deuteronomy 1:4 ) . Here seems to have been formerly a temple dedicated to the goddess Astarte; for Beeshterah is a compound of "Beth" and "Ashterah", or Astarte; that is, the house or temple of Astarte, but now become a city of the Levites: two cities;
two more having been before given out of the other half tribe.

Joshua 21:27 In-Context

25 From the half-tribe of Manasseh, they allotted Taanach with its pasture lands and Gath-rimmon with its pasture lands; two cities.

26 All the cities with their pasture lands for the families of the rest of the sons of Kohath were ten.

27 To the sons of Gershon, one of the families of the Levites, from the half-tribe of Manasseh, they gave Golan in Bashan, the city of refuge for the manslayer, with its pasture lands, and Be-eshterah with its pasture lands; two cities.

28 From the tribe of Issachar, they gave Kishion with its pasture lands, Daberath with its pasture lands,

29 Jarmuth with its pasture lands, En-gannim with its pasture lands; four cities.

Cross References

• 1. 1 Chronicles 6:71