Yehoshua 20:7

7 And they appointed Kedesh in the Galil in Har Naphtali and Shechem in Har Ephrayim, and Kiryat Arba, which is Chevron, in Har Yehudah.

Yehoshua 20:7 Meaning and Commentary

Joshua 20:7

And they appointed Kedesh in Galilee in Mount Naphtali
Of which see ( Joshua 19:37 ) ; the appointment of this and the two cities following was made by the children of Israel at this time:

and Shechem in Mount Ephraim;
called Sichem, ( Genesis 12:6 ) ; and Shechem from a prince of that name that possessed it, ( Genesis 34:2 ) ; it fell to the lot of the tribe of Ephraim; its name in the New Testament is Sychar, ( John 4:5 ) ; and it is now called Neapolis, or Naplouse:

and Kirjatharba, which [is] Hebron, in the mountain of Judah;
it stood in the hill country of Judea, ( Luke 1:39 Luke 1:65 ) ; of which see ( Joshua 14:15 ) ( Joshua 15:54 ) . There seems to be a difficulty here, since this city was before given to Caleb, ( Joshua 14:13 Joshua 14:14 ) ; and yet afterwards given to the Levites, and appointed a city of refuge. The Jews reconcile this by observing, that the city and suburbs were given to the Levites, and fixed for a city of refuge; but the villages and fields, and country around it, and belonging to it, were given to Caleb, ( Joshua 21:12 ) ; and Abarbinel makes no doubt that the children of Judah gave something else to Caleb in lieu of it. As these cities of refuge were typical of Christ, as has been observed on ( Numbers 35:29 ) ; their names are applicable to him. "Kedesh" signifies "holy" or "holiness"; Christ is holy in both his natures, divine and human; and so abundantly qualified to be the Mediator, Saviour, and Redeemer; and is the fountain of holiness to his people, and is made sanctification to them, ( Psalms 16:10 ) ( Hebrews 7:26 ) ( 1 Corinthians 1:30 ) ; and "Shechem" signifies the "shoulder"; and not only the government of the church and people of God is on the shoulder of Christ, but all their sins have been laid upon him, and bore by him; and every particular soul in conversion, every lost sheep, is looked up by him, and taken up and brought home on his shoulder, ( Isaiah 9:6 ) ( 53:6 ) ( Luke 15:4 ) . "Hebron" signifies "fellowship"; in the effectual calling, the saints are called into fellowship with Christ, and their fellowship is with the Father, and his Son Jesus Christ; through him they have access to God, and communion with him now, and shall have uninterrupted communion with him to all eternity, ( 1 Corinthians 1:9 ) ( 1 John 1:3 ) ( Ephesians 2:18 ) ( John 17:24 ) .

Yehoshua 20:7 In-Context

5 And if the Go’el HaDahm pursue after him, then they shall not surrender the slayer up into his yad; because he struck his neighbor unwittingly, and not with malice against him beforetime.

6 And he shall dwell in that city, until he stand before HaEdah L’Mishpat, and until the Mot of the HaKohen HaGadol that shall be in those yamim; then shall the slayer return, and come unto his own city, and unto his own bais, unto the Ir from whence he fled.

7 And they appointed Kedesh in the Galil in Har Naphtali and Shechem in Har Ephrayim, and Kiryat Arba, which is Chevron, in Har Yehudah.

8 And on the other side of the Yarden by Yericho eastward, they assigned Betzer in the midbar upon the plain out of the tribe of Reuven, and Ramot in Gil‘ad out of the tribe of Gad, and Golan in Bashan out of the tribe of Menasheh.

9 These were the cities designated for kol Bnei Yisroel, and for the stranger that sojourneth among them, that whosoever killeth any nefesh unawares might flee there, and not die by the yad of the Go’el HaDahm, until he stood before HaEdah.