Joshua 21:12-22

12 But the fields of the city and its villages they gave to Caleb the son of Jephunneh as his possession.

13 So ¹to the sons of Aaron the priest they gave ²Hebron, the city of refuge for the manslayer, with its pasture lands, and ³Libnah with its pasture lands,

14 and ⁴Jattir with its pasture lands and ⁵Eshtemoa with its pasture lands,

15 and Holon with its pasture lands and ⁶Debir with its pasture lands,

16 and Ain with its pasture lands and ⁷Juttah with its pasture lands and ⁸Beth-shemesh with its pasture lands; nine cities from these two tribes.

17 From the tribe of Benjamin, ⁹Gibeon with its pasture lands, ¹⁰Geba with its pasture lands,

18 Anathoth with its pasture lands and Almon with its pasture lands; four cities.

19 All the cities of the sons of Aaron, the priests, were thirteen * cities with their pasture lands.

20 Then the cities from the tribe of Ephraim were allotted to the ¹¹families of the sons of Kohath, the Levites, even to the rest of the sons of Kohath.

21 They gave them ¹²Shechem, the city of refuge for the manslayer, with its pasture lands, in the hill country of Ephraim, and Gezer with its pasture lands,

22 and Kibzaim with its pasture lands and Beth-horon with its pasture lands; four cities.

Joshua 21:12-22 Meaning and Commentary

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.

Cross References

• 1. 1 Chronicles 6:57
• 2. Joshua 15:54
• 3. Joshua 15:42
• 4. Joshua 15:48
• 5. Joshua 15:50
• 6. Joshua 15:49
• 7. Joshua 15:55
• 8. Joshua 15:10
• 9. Joshua 18:25
• 10. Joshua 18:24
• 11. 1 Chronicles 6:66
• 12. Joshua 20:7

Footnotes

• [a] In 1 Chr 6:58, "Hilen"
• [b] In 1 Chr 6:59, "Ashan"
• [c] In 1 Chr 6:60, "Allemeth"