Joshua 21

1 Then came near the heads of the fathers of the Levites unto Eleazar the priest, and unto Joshua the son of Nun, and unto the heads of the fathers of the tribes of the children of Israel.

2 And they spoke unto them at Shiloh in the land of Canaan, saying, "The LORD commanded by the hand of Moses to give us cities to dwell in, with the suburbs thereof for our cattle."

3 And the children of Israel gave unto the Levites out of their inheritance, at the commandment of the LORD, these cities and their suburbs:

4 And the lot came out for the families of the Kohathites. And the children of Aaron the priest, who were of the Levites, had by lot from the tribe of Judah, and from the tribe of Simeon, and from the tribe of Benjamin thirteen cities.

5 And the rest of the children of Kohath had by lot from the families of the tribe of Ephraim, and from the tribe of Dan, and from the halftribe of Manasseh ten cities.

6 And the children of Gershon had by lot from the families of the tribe of Issachar, and from the tribe of Asher, and from the tribe of Naphtali, and from the halftribe of Manasseh in Bashan thirteen cities.

7 The children of Merari by their families had from the tribe of Reuben, and from the tribe of Gad, and from the tribe of Zebulun twelve cities.

8 And the children of Israel gave by lot unto the Levites these cities with their suburbs, as the LORD commanded by the hand of Moses.

9 And they gave from the tribe of the children of Judah, and from the tribe of the children of Simeon these cities which are here mentioned by name,

10 which the children of Aaron, being of the families of the Kohathites, who were of the children of Levi, had, for theirs was the first lot.

11 And they gave them the city of Arba (the father of Anak), which city is Hebron, in the hill country of Judah, with the suburbs thereof round about it.

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

13 Thus they gave to the children of Aaron, the priest, Hebron with her suburbs to be a city of refuge for the slayer, and Libnah with her suburbs,

14 and Jattir with her suburbs, and Eshtemoa with her suburbs,

15 and Holon with her suburbs, and Debir with her suburbs,

16 and Ain with her suburbs, and Juttah with her suburbs, and Bethshemesh with her suburbs: nine cities from those two tribes.

17 And from the tribe of Benjamin, Gibeon with her suburbs, Geba with her suburbs,

18 Anathoth with her suburbs, and Almon with her suburbs: four cities.

19 All the cities of the children of Aaron, the priests, were thirteen cities with their suburbs.

20 And the families of the children of Kohath, the Levites who remained of the children of Kohath, even they had the cities of their lot from the tribe of Ephraim.

21 For they gave them Shechem with her suburbs in Mount Ephraim to be a city of refuge for the slayer, and Gezer with her suburbs,

22 and Kibzaim with her suburbs, and Bethhoron with her suburbs: four cities.

23 And from the tribe of Dan, Eltekeh with her suburbs, Gibbethon with her suburbs,

24 Aijalon with her suburbs, Gathrimmon with her suburbs: four cities.

25 And from the halftribe of Manasseh, Tanach with her suburbs, and Gathrimmon with her suburbs: two cities.

26 All the cities were ten with their suburbs for the families of the children of Kohath who remained.

27 And unto the children of Gershon, of the families of the Levites, from the other halftribe of Manasseh they gave Golan in Bashan with her suburbs to be a city of refuge for the slayer; and Beeshterah with her suburbs: two cities.

28 And from the tribe of Issachar, Kishion with her suburbs, Daberath with her suburbs,

29 Jarmuth with her suburbs, Engannim with her suburbs: four cities.

30 And from the tribe of Asher, Mishal with her suburbs, Abdon with her suburbs,

31 Helkath with her suburbs, and Rehob with her suburbs: four cities.

32 And from the tribe of Naphtali, Kedesh in Galilee with her suburbs to be a city of refuge for the slayer, and Hammothdor with her suburbs, and Kartan with her suburbs: three cities.

33 All the cities of the Gershonites according to their families were thirteen cities with their suburbs.

34 And unto the families of the children of Merari, the rest of the Levites, from the tribe of Zebulun, Jokneam with her suburbs, and Kartah with her suburbs,

35 Dimnah with her suburbs, Nahalal with her suburbs: four cities.

36 And from the tribe of Reuben, Bezer with her suburbs, and Jahazah with her suburbs,

37 Kedemoth with her suburbs, and Mephaath with her suburbs: four cities.

38 And from the tribe of Gad, Ramoth in Gilead with her suburbs to be a city of refuge for the slayer, and Mahanaim with her suburbs,

39 Heshbon with her suburbs, Jazer with her suburbs: four cities in all.

40 So all the cities for the children of Merari by their families, who were remaining of the families of the Levites, were by their lot twelve cities.

41 All the cities of the Levites within the possession of the children of Israel were forty and eight cities with their suburbs.

42 These cities were every one with their suburbs round about them; thus were all these cities.

43 And the LORD gave unto Israel all the land which He swore to give unto their fathers; and they possessed it and dwelt therein.

44 And the LORD gave them rest round about, according to all that He swore unto their fathers. And there stood not a man of all their enemies before them; the LORD delivered all their enemies into their hand.

45 There failed not aught of any good thing which the LORD had spoken unto the house of Israel. All came to pass.

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Joshua 21 Commentary

Chapter 21

Cities for the Levites. (1-8) The cities allotted to the Levites. (9-42) God gave the land and rest to the Israelites, according to his promise. (43-45)

Verses 1-8 The Levites waited till the other tribes were provided for, before they preferred their claim to Joshua. They build their claim upon a very good foundation; not their own merits or services, but the Divine precept. The maintenance of ministers is not a thing left merely to the will of the people, that they may let them starve if they please; they which preach the gospel should live by the gospel, and should live comfortably.

Verses 9-42 By mixing the Levites with the other tribes, they were made to see that the eyes of all Israel were upon them, and therefore it was their concern to walk so that their ministry might not be blamed. Every tribe had its share of Levites' cities. Thus did God graciously provide for keeping up religion among them, and that they might have the word in all parts of the land. Yet, blessed be God, we have the gospel more diffused amongst us.

Verses 43-45 God promised to give to the seed of Abraham the land of Canaan for a possession, and now they possessed it, and dwelt therein. And the promise of the heavenly Canaan is as sure to all God's spiritual Israel; for it is the promise of Him that cannot lie. There stood not a man before them. The after-prevalence of the Canaanites was the effect of Israel's slothfulness, and the punishment of their sinful inclination to the idolatries and abominations of the heathen whom they harboured and indulged. There failed not aught of any good thing, which the Lord had spoken to the house of Israel. In due season all his promises will be accomplished; then will his people acknowledge that the Lord has exceeded their largest expectations, and made them more than conquerors, and brought them to their desired rest.

Taken from Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible (Concise)

Chapter Summary

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.