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 spake 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, [which were] of the Levites, 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.
5 And the rest of the children of Kohath [had] by lot out of the families of the tribe of Ephraim, and out of the tribe of Dan, and out of the half tribe of Manasseh, ten cities.
6 And the children of Gershon [had] by lot out of the families of the tribe of Issachar, and out of the tribe of Asher, and out of the tribe of Naphtali, and out of the half tribe of Manasseh in Bashan, thirteen cities.
7 The children of Merari by their families [had] out of the tribe of Reuben, and out of the tribe of Gad, and out of 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 out of the tribe of the children of Judah, and out of 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 out of those two tribes.
17 And out of 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 which remained of the children of Kohath, even they had the cities of their lot out of 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 out of 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 out of the half tribe 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 that remained.
27 And unto the children of Gershon, of the families of the Levites, out of the [other] half tribe 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 out of the tribe of Issachar, Kishon with her suburbs, Dabareh with her suburbs,
29 Jarmuth with her suburbs, Engannim with her suburbs; four cities.
30 And out of 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 out of 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, out of 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 out of 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 out of 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, which 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 sware 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 sware 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 ought of any good thing which the LORD had spoken unto the house of Israel; all came to pass.
Overview of Joshua Chapter 21
Joshua Chapter 21 focuses on the allocation of cities to the Levites, the priestly tribe of Israel, as part of the broader distribution of land among the tribes following their conquest of Canaan. This chapter highlights the importance of the Levites in Israelite society and their unique role in spiritual leadership and service to God.
Key Themes
- Provision for the Levites: The chapter emphasizes God’s provision for the Levites, who were not given a territorial inheritance like the other tribes but were instead given cities to dwell in.
- Fulfillment of Promises: The allocation of cities to the Levites demonstrates the fulfillment of God’s promises to the Israelites regarding their settlement in the land.
- Importance of Worship: The cities assigned to the Levites served as centers for worship and the teaching of God’s laws, underscoring the importance of maintaining a relationship with God.
Structure of the Chapter
- Request for Cities (Verses 1-3):
The chapter begins with the leaders of the Levites approaching Joshua and the other tribal leaders to request cities for their inheritance. They remind them of God’s command regarding the Levites and their need for cities and pasturelands.
- Allocation of Cities (Verses 4-42):
God instructs Joshua to assign specific cities from the territories of the other tribes to the Levites. The chapter lists the cities allocated to the different Levitical families:
- From the tribe of Judah: Cities such as Hebron and Libnah.
- From the tribe of Simeon: Cities like Jattir and Shamir.
- From the tribe of Benjamin: Cities including Gibeon and Anathoth.
- From the tribe of Ephraim: Cities such as Shechem and Gazer.
- From the tribe of Dan: Cities like Eltekeh and Gibbethon.
- From the half-tribe of Manasseh: Cities including Golan in Bashan and Ashtaroth.
- Conclusion and Assurance (Verses 43-45):
The chapter concludes by affirming that God fulfilled His promises to the Israelites, giving them the land He had sworn to their ancestors. It emphasizes that not one of the good promises made by God failed to come to pass.
Theological Implications
- God’s Faithfulness: The chapter serves as a reminder of God’s faithfulness to His covenant people, illustrating that He keeps His promises across generations.
- Role of the Church: The Levites’ cities can be seen as a precursor to the church’s role in providing spiritual guidance and community support.
- Holiness and Separation: The Levites were set apart for God’s service, which reflects the call for holiness among God’s people today.
Conclusion
Joshua Chapter 21 is a significant passage that highlights the importance of the Levites in Israel’s spiritual life and the fulfillment of God’s promises. It serves as a reminder of God’s provision and faithfulness, encouraging believers to recognize their unique roles within the community of faith.
