Joshua 21:5-15

5 The rest of the Kohathites received by lot ten cities from the families of the tribes of Ephraim, Dan, and the half-tribe of Manasseh.

6 The Gershonites received by lot thirteen cities from the families of the tribes of Issachar, Asher, Naphtali, and the half-tribe of Manasseh in Bashan.

7 The families of the Merarites received twelve towns from the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and Zebulun.

8 So the People of Israel gave these cities with their pastures to the Levites just as God had ordered through Moses, that is, by lot.

9 They assigned from the tribes of Judah, Simeon, and Benjamin the following towns, here named individually

10 (these were for the descendants of Aaron who were from the families of the Kohathite branch of Levi because the first lot fell to them):

11 Kiriath Arba (Arba was the ancestor of Anak), that is, Hebron, in the hills of Judah, with access to the pastures around it.

12 The fields of the city and its open lands they had already given to Caleb son of Jephunneh as his possession.

13 To the descendants of Aaron the priest they gave Hebron (the asylum-city for the unconvicted killers), Libnah,

14 Jattir, Eshtemoa

15 , Holon, Debir

Joshua 21:5-15 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.