Joshua 20:8

8 and beyond the Jordan, [at] Jericho eastward, they have given Bezer in the wilderness, in the plain, out of the tribe of Reuben, and Ramoth in Gilead out of the tribe of Gad, and Golan in Bashan out of the tribe of Manasseh.

Joshua 20:8 Meaning and Commentary

Joshua 20:8

And on the other side Jordan by Jericho eastward
In the country possessed by the tribes of Reuben and Gad, and the half tribe of Manasseh:

they assigned Bezer in the wilderness, upon the plain, out of the
tribe of Reuben, and Ramoth in Gilead out of the tribe of Gad, and
Golan
in Bashan out of the tribe of Manasseh;
of these places, and the signification of their names, and of the application of them to Christ, the antitype of the cities of refuge, (See Gill on Deuteronomy 4:43). These last cities were not appointed now, they were appointed in the times of Moses, and severed by him, ( Deuteronomy 4:41 ) ; nor are they here said to be appointed, but to be assigned or "given" ^F3; they were now delivered up into the hands of the Levites for cities of refuge, for they were before severed for that use; they were not, according to the Jews ^F4, made use of as such, until the other three were appointed.

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FOOTNOTES:

F3 (wntn) "dederunt", Pagninus, Montanus, Junius & Tremellius, Piscator.
F4 Misn. Maccot, c. 2. sect. 4. Maimon. Hilchot Rotzeach, c. 8. sect. 2, 3.

Joshua 20:8 In-Context

6 and he hath dwelt in that city till his standing before the company for judgment, till the death of the chief priest who is in those days -- then doth the man-slayer turn back and hath come unto his city, and unto his house, unto the city whence he fled.'

7 And they sanctify Kedesh in Galilee, in the hill-country of Naphtali, and Shechem in the hill-country of Ephraim, and Kirjath-Arba (it [is] Hebron), in the hill-country of Judah;

8 and beyond the Jordan, [at] Jericho eastward, they have given Bezer in the wilderness, in the plain, out of the tribe of Reuben, and Ramoth in Gilead out of the tribe of Gad, and Golan in Bashan out of the tribe of Manasseh.

9 These have been cities of meeting for all the sons of Israel, and for a sojourner who is sojourning in their midst, for the fleeing thither of any one smiting life inadvertently, and he doth not die by the hand of the redeemer of blood till his standing before the company.