Joshua 21:4

4 egressaque est sors in familiam Caath filiorum Aaron sacerdotis de tribubus Iuda et Symeon et Beniamin civitates tredecim

Joshua 21:4 Meaning and Commentary

Joshua 21:4

And the lot came out for the family of the Kohathites
The first lot that was drawn out of the pot or urn was for the descendants of Kohath, a son of Levi:

and the children of Aaron the priest, [which were] of the Levites;
who descended from Amram, the eldest son of Kohath, and these were not only Levites, but priests: these

had by lot out of the tribe of Judah, and out of the tribe of Simeon,
and out of the tribe of Benjamin, thirteen cities;
which are after mentioned by name; and as these were priests, whose business was to serve in the temple, and at the altar, the cities assigned them by the lot, were, by the wise disposal of divine Providence, ordered them out of those tribes which lay nearest to Jerusalem; the place God had chosen to put his name in, where the temple would be built, and the altars erected for sacrifices and incense.

Joshua 21:4 In-Context

2 locutique sunt ad eos in Silo terrae Chanaan atque dixerunt Dominus praecepit per manum Mosi ut darentur nobis urbes ad habitandum et suburbana earum ad alenda iumenta
3 dederuntque filii Israhel de possessionibus suis iuxta imperium Domini civitates et suburbana earum
4 egressaque est sors in familiam Caath filiorum Aaron sacerdotis de tribubus Iuda et Symeon et Beniamin civitates tredecim
5 et reliquis filiorum Caath id est Levitis qui superflui erant de tribubus Ephraim et Dan et dimidia tribu Manasse civitates decem
6 porro filiis Gerson egressa est sors ut acciperent de tribubus Isachar et Aser et Nepthalim dimidiaque tribu Manasse in Basan civitates numero tredecim
The Latin Vulgate is in the public domain.