The Fallible · Synthetic · Study Bible
Forty-Eight Cities for the Levites
Joshua 21:1–45 — Forty-Eight Cities for the Levites. Each verse below carries the full apparatus: the Berean Standard Bible, the vocalized original (tap any word), and a parsed breakdown of every term transcribed from the interlinear. Synthesized commentary, canonical threads, and the reading of Christ gather at the end, over the whole unit.
1Now the family heads of the Levites approached Eleazar the priest, Joshua son of Nun, and the heads of the other tribes of Israel
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’ă·ḇō·wṯ rā·šê hal·wî·yim ’el- way·yig·gə·šū ’el·‘ā·zār hak·kō·hên wə·’el- yə·hō·wō·šu·a‘ bin- nūn wə·’el- rā·šê ’ă·ḇō·wṯ ham·maṭ·ṭō·wṯ liḇ·nê yiś·rā·’êl
Literal — word-for-word from the original
And-they-drew-near the-heads-of the-fathers of-the-Levites unto Eleazar the-priest and-unto Joshua son-of-Nun, and-unto the-heads-of the-fathers of-the-tribes of-the-sons-of Israel —
Where the English smooths the original
The whole land being distributed to the several tribes, but not yet actually possessed by them, and this being the proper season for their making such a claim, these principal Levites now come to the princes of the tribes, and remind them of the command of God respecting the cities to be assigned them.
As the Tabernacle was the outward and visible sign of the presence among the people of their invisible King, so the Levites were to be, among the other tribes of Israel, as the royal body-guard that waited exclusively on HimCambridge is quoting an earlier writer without naming him in the text as the brief carries it; the image of Levi as royal bodyguard is his gloss on Numbers 1:47-54, not a phrase from Joshua.
we cannot infer, as Calvin has done, that the Levites had been forgotten, till they came and asserted their claims.
2at Shiloh in the land of Canaan and said to them, “The LORD commanded through Moses that we be given cities in which to live, together with pasturelands for our livestock.”
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bə·ši·lōh bə·’e·reṣ kə·na·‘an lê·mōr way·ḏab·bə·rū ’ă·lê·hem Yah·weh ṣiw·wāh ḇə·yaḏ- mō·šeh lā·ṯeṯ- lā·nū ‘ā·rîm lā·šā·ḇeṯ ū·miḡ·rə·šê·hen liḇ·hem·tê·nū
Literal — word-for-word from the original
And-they-spoke unto-them at-Shiloh in-the-land-of Canaan, saying: “YHWH commanded by-the-hand-of Moses to-give to-us cities to-dwell-in, and-their-pasture-lands for-our-cattle.”
Where the English smooths the original
Observe: the maintenance of ministers is not an arbitrary thing, left purely to the good-will of the people.
They reminded them of the command of Jehovah respecting themselves, which is found in Numbers 35, and where directions had been given that 48 cities ( Numbers 35:6-7 ), with outlying suburbs of meadow-land for the pasturage of their flocks and herds, should be assigned them.
By Moses, by whose ministry God showed his power.
3So by the command of the LORD, the Israelites gave the Levites these cities and their pasturelands out of their own inheritance:
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’el- pî Yah·weh ’eṯ- ḇə·nê- yiś·rā·’êl way·yit·tə·nū lal·wî·yim hā·’êl·leh he·‘ā·rîm wə·’eṯ- miḡ·rə·šê·hen min·na·ḥă·lā·ṯām
Literal — word-for-word from the original
And-the-sons-of Israel gave to-the-Levites, out-of-their-inheritance, at the-mouth-of YHWH, these cities and their-pasture-lands.
Where the English smooths the original
that the Levites being dispersed among the several tribes, according to Jacob’s prediction, Genesis 49:7 , might more easily, and frequently, and effectually teach the Israelites God’s law and judgments
Four, he says, is the number of the world, and three the sign of God, and twelve of the combination of the two.Pulpit is relaying Bähr's symbolic arithmetic (4 × 12 = 48), not asserting it as the text's own claim; treat it as a suggestive reading, not a datum.
Probably they gave the Levites promiscuously such cities as God commanded, and the lot appropriated them to their several houses or families.
4The first lot came out for the Kohathite clans. The Levites who were descendants of Aaron the priest received thirteen cities by lot from the tribes of Judah, Simeon, and Benjamin.
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hag·gō·w·rāl way·yê·ṣê haq·qə·hā·ṯî lə·miš·pə·ḥōṯ min- hal·wî·yim liḇ·nê ’a·hă·rōn hak·kō·hên way·hî šə·lōš ‘eś·rêh ‘ā·rîm bag·gō·w·rāl mim·maṭ·ṭêh yə·hū·ḏāh ū·mim·maṭ·ṭêh haš·šim·‘ō·nî ū·mim·maṭ·ṭêh ḇin·yā·min
Literal — word-for-word from the original
And-the-lot went-out for-the-clans-of the-Kohathite; and-there-were for-the-sons-of Aaron the-priest, from the-Levites, from-the-tribe-of Judah and-from-the-tribe-of the-Simeonite and-from-the-tribe-of Benjamin, by-the-lot, thirteen cities.
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The order of the distribution—viz., (1) to priests, (2) to Kohathites, (3) to Gershonites, (4) to Merarites—is in strict agreement with the order of priority observed in the exodus.Ellicott's entry in the brief is capped; the surviving portion carries his camp-order argument and his city identifications, and the argument stands on Numbers 2-4 rather than on anything in Joshua 21.
This did not happen by chance; but God, according to His wonderful counsel, placed them just in that situation which He had determined to select for His own templeK&D is quoting Calvin here, and marks it so; the sentence is Calvin's, carried in Keil's text.
No special privileges belonged to his descendants. They merged in the undistinguished herd of the Levites generally.
Every tribe gave more or fewer cities according to the size of their inheritance, Nu 35:8.
5The remaining descendants of Kohath received ten cities by lot from the tribes of Ephraim, Dan, and the half-tribe of Manasseh.
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han·nō·w·ṯā·rîm wə·liḇ·nê qə·hāṯ ‘ā·śer ‘ā·rîm bag·gō·w·rāl mim·miš·pə·ḥōṯ maṭ·ṭêh- ’ep̄·ra·yim ḏān ū·mê·ḥă·ṣî maṭ·ṭêh ū·mim·maṭ·ṭêh- mə·naš·šeh
Literal — word-for-word from the original
And-for-the-sons-of Kohath, the-ones-left-over, from-the-clans-of the-tribe-of Ephraim and-from-the-tribe-of Dan and-from-half the-tribe-of Manasseh, by-lot, ten cities.
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The non-priestly Kohathites had been diminished by the destruction of Korah and his company Numbers 16
those who sprang from Moses, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel, and formed the non-priestly portion, shared ten cities in the land of Ephraim, Dan, and half Manasseh west of the Jordan.
Fewer than they gave out of the three former tribes, because their inheritance was less than the former.
6The descendants of Gershon received thirteen cities by lot from the tribes of Issachar, Asher, Naphtali, and the half-tribe of Manasseh in Bashan.
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Hebrew — tap a word ↓
wə·liḇ·nê ḡê·rə·šō·wn šə·lōš ‘eś·rêh ‘ā·rîm bag·gō·w·rāl mim·miš·pə·ḥō·wṯ maṭ·ṭêh- yiś·śā·š·ḵār ū·mim·maṭ·ṭêh- ’ā·šêr ū·mim·maṭ·ṭêh nap̄·tā·lî ū·mê·ḥă·ṣî maṭ·ṭêh mə·naš·šeh ḇab·bā·šān
Literal — word-for-word from the original
And-for-the-sons-of Gershon, from-the-clans-of the-tribe-of Issachar and-from-the-tribe-of Asher and-from-the-tribe-of Naphtali and-from-half the-tribe-of Manasseh in-Bashan, by-lot, thirteen cities.
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The eldest of the three sons of Levi during the march through the wilderness had been stationed behind the Tabernacle, on the west side
These were Levites who descended from Gershon, the eldest son of Levi, and had their cities by lot assigned them in tribes at a greater distance
The Gershonites received thirteen towns from Issachar, Asher, Naphtali, and half Manasseh in Bashan.
7And the descendants of Merari received twelve cities from the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and Zebulun.
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liḇ·nê mə·rā·rî šə·têm ‘eś·rêh ‘ā·rîm lə·miš·pə·ḥō·ṯām mim·maṭ·ṭêh rə·’ū·ḇên ū·mim·maṭ·ṭêh- ḡāḏ ū·mim·maṭ·ṭêh zə·ḇū·lun
Literal — word-for-word from the original
For-the-sons-of Merari by-their-clans, from-the-tribe-of Reuben and-from-the-tribe-of Gad and-from-the-tribe-of Zebulun, twelve cities.
Where the English smooths the original
that the Levites were not the sole possessors of these towns, but simply received the number of dwelling-houses which they actually required, with meadow land for their cattle in the suburbs of the towns, whilst the rest of the space still belonged to the different tribesK&D is answering Maurer's charge that the list is a late fabrication; the point that the Levites received only the houses they needed is his argument, and Cambridge and Pulpit both adopt it.
They had been entrusted with the heavier portions of the Tabernacle furniture, such as the boards, pillars, and bars
The descendants of Merari, the third son of Levi: had out of the tribe of Reuben, and out of the tribe of Gad; which were both on the other side Jordan: and out of the tribe of Zebulun, twelve cities; in all forty eight, as the Lord commanded
8So the Israelites allotted to the Levites these cities, together with their pasturelands, as the LORD had commanded through Moses.
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ḇə·nê- yiś·rā·’êl way·yit·tə·nū bag·gō·w·rāl lal·wî·yim ’eṯ- hā·’êl·leh wə·’eṯ- he·‘ā·rîm miḡ·rə·šê·hen ka·’ă·šer Yah·weh ṣiw·wāh bə·yaḏ- mō·šeh
Literal — word-for-word from the original
And-the-sons-of Israel gave to-the-Levites these cities and their-pasture-lands by-the-lot, as YHWH had-commanded by-the-hand-of Moses.
Where the English smooths the original
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.Henry's note covers 21:1-8 as a block; the gospel application is his own extension from 1 Corinthians 9:14, not a claim about Joshua's text.
these cities did not lie all together, and so could not be described by their coasts; but in the several tribes, and intermixed with their cities; which fulfilled Jacob's prophecy, that they should be divided and scattered in Israel, Genesis 49:7
9From the tribes of Judah and Simeon, they designated these cities by name
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mim·maṭ·ṭêh bə·nê yə·hū·ḏāh ū·mim·maṭ·ṭêh bə·nê šim·‘ō·wn ’êṯ way·yit·tə·nū hā·’êl·leh ’ă·šer- yiq·rā ’eṯ·hen he·‘ā·rîm bə·šêm
Literal — word-for-word from the original
And-they-gave from-the-tribe-of the-sons-of Judah and-from-the-tribe-of the-sons-of Simeon these cities, which one-calls them by-name.
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The list now given divides itself into two parts: ( a ) The nine cities which the sons of Aaron received in the country of Simeon and Judah
It was overruled by the unerring providence of the Divine Lawgiver that the cities of the priests lay within the territories of Judah and Benjamin. This was a provision, the admirable wisdom and propriety of which were fully manifested on the schism that took place in the reign of Rehoboam.JFB's note is written over 21:9-42 as a block; the appeal to Rehoboam's schism (1 Kings 12) is his historical argument, not a statement of Joshua's text.
These are mentioned together, because the cities of Simeon lay within Judah’s portion.
10to the descendants of Aaron from the Kohathite clans of the Levites, because the first lot fell to them:
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way·hî liḇ·nê ’a·hă·rōn haq·qə·hā·ṯî mim·miš·pə·ḥō·wṯ mib·bə·nê lê·wî kî rî·šō·nāh hag·gō·w·rāl hā·yāh lā·hem
Literal — word-for-word from the original
And-it-was for-the-sons-of Aaron, from-the-clans-of the-Kohathite from-the-sons-of Levi — for to-them was the-lot, the-first.
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For Aaron came from Kohath, and therefore the priests office remained in that family.
for being of the line of Aaron, and priests, they had the honour and privilege to have the first lot drawn for them
Thus, as Calvin remarks, God so overruled it that the priestly families were placed upon the spot which He had determined before hand to choose as the site of His temple.Barnes is reporting Calvin; the providential reading of the priests' geography is Calvin's, and Barnes, K&D and Pulpit all repeat it.
11They gave them Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron), with its surrounding pasturelands, in the hill country of Judah. (Arba was the father of Anak.)
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way·yit·tə·nū lā·hem ’eṯ- qir·yaṯ ’ar·ba‘ hî ḥeḇ·rō·wn sə·ḇî·ḇō·ṯe·hā miḡ·rā·še·hā bə·har yə·hū·ḏāh wə·’eṯ- ’ă·ḇî hā·‘ă·nō·wq
Literal — word-for-word from the original
And-they-gave to-them Kiriath-Arba — he the-father-of the-Anak — she is Hebron, in-the-hill-country-of Judah, and her-pasture-land round-about-her.
Where the English smooths the original
Anak, according to Kimchi, is not the name of a man, but a general name, comprehending the Anakims, a race of giants, among whom Arba was the chief and principal man, a prince and ruler over them
In the tribe of Judah the priests received Kirjath-arba, or Hebron, with the necessary pasturage round about the town (see Numbers 35:2 ), whilst the field of the town with the villages belonging to it remained in the hands of Caleb and his family as their possession
mountain, the title which is consistently applied to the highlands of Palestine in the Bible
12But they had given the fields and villages around the city to Caleb son of Jephunneh as his possession.
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wə·’eṯ- nā·ṯə·nū śə·ḏêh ḥă·ṣê·re·hā hā·‘îr wə·’eṯ- lə·ḵā·lêḇ ben- yə·p̄un·neh ba·’ă·ḥuz·zā·ṯōw
Literal — word-for-word from the original
And the-field-of the-city and her-villages they-had-given to-Caleb son-of-Jephunneh as-his-holding.
Where the English smooths the original
It would make the rest of the Israelites more cheerfully resign part of their possessions to the Levites, considering that even Caleb did so, though his possession had been long before promised
Keil contends that the Levites only received as many houses within the city as they needed, and that the rest belonged to Caleb.Pulpit is summarising Keil and then weighing Bähr against him; he calls the combined view “the most probable explanation,” which is a judgment, not a datum.
of Hebron and its villages, i.e. the arable land had been already assigned to Caleb
13So to the descendants of Aaron the priest they gave these cities, together with their pasturelands: Hebron, a city of refuge for the manslayer, Libnah,
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wə·liḇ·nê ’a·hă·rōn hak·kō·hên nā·ṯə·nū ’eṯ- wə·’eṯ- miḡ·rā·še·hā ḥeḇ·rō·wn ‘îr miq·laṭ hā·rō·ṣê·aḥ ’eṯ- wə·’eṯ- liḇ·nāh wə·’eṯ- miḡ·rā·še·hā
Literal — word-for-word from the original
And-to-the-sons-of Aaron the-priest they-gave the-city-of-refuge-of the-slayer — Hebron and her-pasture-land — and Libnah and her-pasture-land;
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The translation in our version obscures the meaning, which is clearly that the cities of refuge were first fixed on, and then assigned to the Levites.
to be a city of refuge for the slayer; that had slain a person unawares, and without design
That is, the priest of the family of the Kohathites, of whom Aaron was chief.
14Jattir, Eshtemoa,
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wə·’eṯ- yat·tir wə·’eṯ- miḡ·rā·še·hā wə·’eṯ- ’eš·tə·mō·a‘ wə·’eṯ- miḡ·rā·še·hā
Literal — word-for-word from the original
and Jattir and her-pasture-land, and Eshtemoa and her-pasture-land;
Where the English smooths the original
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.Henry's note runs over 21:9-42; this is his reading of what the dispersal did to the Levites themselves, and it is an inference, not a statement of the text.
They also received Libnah in the lowland (see Joshua 15:42 ; Joshua 10:29 ); Jattir ( Joshua 15:48 ), Eshtemoah ( Joshua 15:50 ), Holon ( Joshua 15:51 ), and Debir ( Joshua 15:15 , Joshua 15:49 ; Joshua 10:38 ) on the mountains of Judah
15Holon, Debir,
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wə·’eṯ- ḥō·lōn wə·’eṯ- miḡ·rā·še·hā wə·’eṯ- də·ḇir wə·’eṯ- miḡ·rā·še·hā
Literal — word-for-word from the original
and Holon and her-pasture-land, and Debir and her-pasture-land;
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the names of the places being changed by length of time, and upon special occasions, as was frequent among the JewsPoole adds a rabbinic tradition after this — that some listed towns were still in Canaanite hands and substitutes were put in their place; he reports it without endorsing it, and no other voice in this brief repeats it.
16Ain, Juttah, and Beth-shemesh—nine cities from these two tribes, together with their pasturelands.
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wə·’eṯ- ‘a·yin wə·’eṯ- miḡ·rā·še·hā wə·’eṯ- yuṭ·ṭāh wə·’eṯ- miḡ·rā·še·hā ’eṯ- bêṯ še·meš tê·ša‘ ‘ā·rîm mê·’êṯ hā·’êl·leh šə·nê haš·šə·ḇā·ṭîm wə·’eṯ- miḡ·rā·še·hā
Literal — word-for-word from the original
and Ain and her-pasture-land, and Juttah and her-pasture-land, Beth-shemesh and her-pasture-land: nine cities from-with these two tribes.
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Ain and Gibeon, and some others here named, are not named 1 Chronicles 6:59 . Either they were destroyed in some of those invasions wherewith their land was grievously wasted before that time, or they appear there under other names.
If the view taken above of Ain (see note on Joshua 15:32, and Joshua 19:7 ) be correct, Ashen is the true reading here.“Ashen” is Pulpit's own spelling of Ashan; the point is the same textual correction K&D makes from 1 Chronicles 6:44.
in it formerly was a temple dedicated to the sun, from whence it had its name
17And from the tribe of Benjamin they gave them Gibeon, Geba,
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ū·mim·maṭ·ṭêh ḇin·yā·min ’eṯ- giḇ·‘ō·wn wə·’eṯ- miḡ·rā·še·hā ’eṯ- ge·ḇa‘ wə·’eṯ- miḡ·rā·še·hā
Literal — word-for-word from the original
And-from-the-tribe-of Benjamin: Gibeon and her-pasture-land, Geba and her-pasture-land;
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The suburbs were a thousand cubits from the wall of the cities round about, Nu 35:4.Geneva gives a thousand cubits from Numbers 35:4; Numbers 35:5 measures two thousand, and Benson and Gill both cite the larger figure. The two verses are read together in the tradition as inner and outer limits; the discrepancy is in the sources, not introduced here.
In the tribe of Benjamin they received Gibeon (see Joshua 9:3 ), Geba ( Joshua 18:24 ), also Anathoth and Almon, which are missing in the list of the towns of Benjamin
18Anathoth, and Almon—four cities, together with their pasturelands.
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’eṯ- ‘ă·nā·ṯō·wṯ wə·’eṯ- miḡ·rā·še·hā wə·’eṯ- ‘al·mō·wn ’ar·ba‘ ‘ā·rîm wə·’eṯ- miḡ·rā·še·hā
Literal — word-for-word from the original
Anathoth and her-pasture-land, and Almon and her-pasture-land: four cities.
Where the English smooths the original
lay on or near the great road from the north to Jerusalem. Its modern name is Anâta , on a broad ridge 1¼ hours N.N.E. of the Holy City, ( a ) Hither Abiathar was banished by Solomon, after the failure of his attempt to raise Adonijah to the throne
The birthplace of Jeremiah, where we find that Anathoth was still a priestly city ( Joshua 1:1 ). No doubt it was for this reason that it was chosen ( 1 Kings 2:26 ) as the place of Abiathar's banishment.Pulpit's citation “( Joshua 1:1 )” is a printing slip in the source for Jeremiah 1:1; the reference intended is plainly Jeremiah's.
19In all, thirteen cities, together with their pasturelands, were given to the priests, the descendants of Aaron.
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kāl- šə·lōš- ‘eś·rêh ‘ā·rîm ‘ā·rê ū·miḡ·rə·šê·hen hak·kō·hă·nîm ḇə·nê- ’a·hă·rōn
Literal — word-for-word from the original
All the-cities of-the-sons-of Aaron, the-priests: thirteen cities and their-pasture-lands.
Where the English smooths the original
Those of the Kohathites that came from him: were thirteen cities with their suburbs; and just so many are mentioned by name
20The remaining Kohathite clans of the Levites were allotted these cities: From the tribe of Ephraim
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han·nō·w·ṯā·rîm mib·bə·nê qə·hāṯ ū·lə·miš·pə·ḥō·wṯ qə·hāṯ bə·nê- hal·wî·yim ḡō·w·rā·lām way·hî ‘ā·rê mim·maṭ·ṭêh ’ep̄·rā·yim
Literal — word-for-word from the original
And-for-the-clans-of the-sons-of Kohath, the-Levites, the-ones-left-over of-the-sons-of Kohath — and-the-cities-of their-lot were from-the-tribe-of Ephraim.
Where the English smooths the original
Over and above those who were priests.
these are the children of Moses, as Jarchi says, and those that descended from Kohath in the lines of Izhar, Hebron, and UzzielThe identification of the remaining Kohathites with the line of Moses is Jarchi's (Rashi's), reported by Gill; K&D reaches the same result from Exodus 6:18-20 independently.
21they were given Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim (a city of refuge for the manslayer), Gezer,
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Hebrew — tap a word ↓
way·yit·tə·nū lā·hem ’eṯ- šə·ḵem wə·’eṯ- bə·har ’ep̄·rā·yim ‘îr miq·laṭ hā·rō·ṣê·aḥ ’eṯ- miḡ·rā·še·hā wə·’eṯ- ge·zer wə·’eṯ- miḡ·rā·še·hā
Literal — word-for-word from the original
And-they-gave to-them the-city-of-refuge-of the-slayer, Shechem, in-the-hill-country-of Ephraim, and her-pasture-land; and Gezer and her-pasture-land;
Where the English smooths the original
This order is observed in every case but one, which is explained in the note on ver. 36.
which being on a mountain, was the more conspicuous, and the fitter for this purpose, as was Hebron in the hill country of Judea
Hebron and Shechem were the two cities of refuge under the Kohathites.
22Kibzaim, and Beth-horon—four cities, together with their pasturelands.
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wə·’eṯ- qiḇ·ṣa·yim wə·’eṯ- miḡ·rā·še·hā wə·’eṯ- bêṯ ḥō·w·rōn ’ar·ba‘ ‘ā·rîm wə·’eṯ- miḡ·rā·še·hā
Literal — word-for-word from the original
and Kibzaim and her-pasture-land, and Beth-horon and her-pasture-land: four cities.
Where the English smooths the original
Which seems to, be the same with Jokneam, 1 Chronicles 6:68 ; of it we read nowhere elseThe comma in “seems to, be” is a printing fault in the source text and is reproduced verbatim, as the resolver copies exactly.
for which we find Jockmeam in 1 Chronicles 6:68 , possibly a different name for the same place, which has not yet been discovered
23From the tribe of Dan they were given Elteke, Gibbethon,
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Hebrew — tap a word ↓
ū·mim·maṭ·ṭêh- ḏān ’eṯ- ’el·tə·qê wə·’eṯ- miḡ·rā·še·hā ’eṯ- gib·bə·ṯō·wn wə·’eṯ- miḡ·rā·še·hā
Literal — word-for-word from the original
And-from-the-tribe-of Dan: Elteke and her-pasture-land, Gibbethon and her-pasture-land;
Where the English smooths the original
From Dan they received Elthekeh and Gibbethon ( Joshua 19:44 ), Ajalon and Gath-rimmon
24Aijalon, and Gath-rimmon—four cities, together with their pasturelands.
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’eṯ- ’ay·yā·lō·wn wə·’eṯ- miḡ·rā·še·hā ’eṯ- gaṯ- rim·mō·wn ’ar·ba‘ ‘ā·rîm wə·’eṯ- miḡ·rā·še·hā
Literal — word-for-word from the original
Aijalon and her-pasture-land, Gath-rimmon and her-pasture-land: four cities.
Where the English smooths the original
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.
25And from the half-tribe of Manasseh they were given Taanach and Gath-rimmon—two cities, together with their pasturelands.
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ū·mim·ma·ḥă·ṣîṯ maṭ·ṭêh mə·naš·šeh ’eṯ- ta‘·naḵ wə·’eṯ- miḡ·rā·še·hā wə·’eṯ- gaṯ- rim·mō·wn šə·tā·yim ‘ā·rîm wə·’eṯ- miḡ·rā·še·hā
Literal — word-for-word from the original
And-from-the-half-part-of the-tribe-of Manasseh: Taanach and her-pasture-land, and Gath-rimmon and her-pasture-land: two cities.
Where the English smooths the original
There is a blunder also here, where Gath-rimmon has crept in by the mistake of a copyist from the last verse. The true reading is preserved in 1 Chronicles 6:70
and for Gath-rimmon in 1 Chronicles 6:70 , Bileam is given, and probably correctly; Gath-rimmon having apparently been repeated inadvertently from the preceding verse.
26In all, ten cities, together with their pasturelands, were given to the rest of the Kohathite clans.
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kāl- ‘e·śer ‘ā·rîm ū·miḡ·rə·šê·hen han·nō·w·ṯā·rîm qə·hāṯ lə·miš·pə·ḥō·wṯ bə·nê-
Literal — word-for-word from the original
All the-cities ten and-their-pasture-lands, for-the-clans-of the-sons-of Kohath, the-ones-left-over.
Where the English smooths the original
27This is what the Levite clans of the Gershonites were given: From the half-tribe of Manasseh they were given Golan in Bashan, a city of refuge for the manslayer, and Beeshterah—two cities, together with their pasturelands.
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hal·wî·yim mim·miš·pə·ḥōṯ wə·liḇ·nê ḡê·rə·šō·wn mê·ḥă·ṣî maṭ·ṭêh mə·naš·šeh ’eṯ- gå̄·lōn bab·bā·šān ‘îr miq·laṭ hā·rō·ṣê·aḥ ’eṯ- miḡ·rā·še·hā wə·’eṯ- wə·’eṯ- bə·‘eš·tə·rāh šə·tā·yim ‘ā·rîm wə·’eṯ- miḡ·rā·še·hā
Literal — word-for-word from the original
And-for-the-sons-of Gershon, of-the-clans-of the-Levites: from-the-half-of the-tribe-of Manasseh, the-city-of-refuge-of the-slayer, Golan in-Bashan and her-pasture-land, and Beeshterah and her-pasture-land: two cities.
Where the English smooths the original
Here seems to have been formerly a temple dedicated to the goddess Astarte; for Beeshterah is a compound of "Beth" and "Ashterah", or Astarte; that is, the house or temple of Astarte, but now become a city of the Levites
The name is a contraction of Beth-Ashterah ("house of Ashterah") and the city is undoubtedly the Ashtaroth or Astaroth of Og
Golan and Kedesh were the cities of refuge under the Gershonites.
28From the tribe of Issachar they were given Kishion, Daberath,
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ū·mim·maṭ·ṭêh yiś·śā·š·ḵār ’eṯ- qiš·yō·wn wə·’eṯ- miḡ·rā·še·hā ’eṯ- dā·ḇə·raṯ wə·’eṯ- miḡ·rā·še·hā
Literal — word-for-word from the original
And-from-the-tribe-of Issachar: Kishion and her-pasture-land, Daberath and her-pasture-land;
Where the English smooths the original
From whence the river Kishon probably had its name, or the city from thatGill's derivation of the river's name from the town (or the town's from the river) is offered as a guess; no other voice in this brief repeats it.
From Issachar they received four towns: Kishon ( Joshua 19:20 ), Dabrath ( Joshua 19:12 ), Jarmuth equals Remeth
29Jarmuth, and En-gannim—four cities, together with their pasturelands.
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’eṯ- yar·mūṯ wə·’eṯ- miḡ·rā·še·hā ’eṯ- ‘ên gan·nîm ’ar·ba‘ ‘ā·rîm wə·’eṯ- miḡ·rā·še·hā
Literal — word-for-word from the original
Jarmuth and her-pasture-land, En-gannim and her-pasture-land: four cities.
Where the English smooths the original
30From the tribe of Asher they were given Mishal, Abdon,
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ū·mim·maṭ·ṭêh ’ā·šêr ’eṯ- miš·’āl wə·’eṯ- miḡ·rā·še·hā ’eṯ- ‘aḇ·dō·wn wə·’eṯ- miḡ·rā·še·hā
Literal — word-for-word from the original
And-from-the-tribe-of Asher: Mishal and her-pasture-land, Abdon and her-pasture-land;
Where the English smooths the original
The same with Misheal, Joshua 19:26 ; called Mashal, 1 Chronicles 6:74 , Abdon with her suburbs; not mentioned among the cities of Asher
From Asher they received four towns: Mishal or Masal ( Joshua 19:26 ; cf. 1 Chronicles 6:74 ), Abdon ( Joshua 19:28 ), Helkath ( Joshua 19:25 , called Hukok in 1 Chronicles 6:75 , probably a copyist's error
31Helkath, and Rehob—four cities, together with their pasturelands.
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’eṯ- ḥel·qāṯ wə·’eṯ- miḡ·rā·še·hā wə·’eṯ- rə·ḥōḇ ’ar·ba‘ ‘ā·rîm wə·’eṯ- miḡ·rā·še·hā
Literal — word-for-word from the original
Helkath and her-pasture-land, and Rehob and her-pasture-land: four cities.
Where the English smooths the original
See Gill on Joshua 19:25 ; the same with Hukok in 1 Chronicles 6:75
Yet, blessed be God, we have the gospel more diffused amongst us.Henry's closing line on 21:9-42 compares the reach of the Levitical system with the reach of the gospel; it is his application, not a claim about this verse.
32And from the tribe of Naphtali they were given Kedesh in Galilee (a city of refuge for the manslayer), Hammoth-dor, and Kartan—three cities, together with their pasturelands.
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ū·mim·maṭ·ṭêh nap̄·tā·lî ’eṯ- qe·ḏeš bag·gā·lîl wə·’eṯ- ‘îr miq·laṭ hā·rō·ṣê·aḥ ’eṯ- miḡ·rā·še·hā wə·’eṯ- ḥam·mōṯ dōr wə·’eṯ- miḡ·rā·še·hā wə·’eṯ- qar·tān šā·lōš ‘ā·rîm wə·’eṯ- miḡ·rā·še·hā
Literal — word-for-word from the original
And-from-the-tribe-of Naphtali: the-city-of-refuge-of the-slayer, Kedesh in-Galilee and her-pasture-land, and Hammoth-dor and her-pasture-land, and Kartan and her-pasture-land: three cities.
Where the English smooths the original
the same with Hammon, 1 Chronicles 6:76 ; and with Hammath, Joshua 19:35 ; and is thought by some to be Tiberias, so called from the hot baths in or near itThe identification of Hammoth-dor with Tiberias is one Gill reports as held “by some”; he does not assert it, and no other voice in this brief supports it.
Kartan is not mentioned among the towns of Naphtali in Joshua 19:33 .; according to Knobel it may possibly be Katanah, a place with ruins to the north-east of Safed
33In all, thirteen cities, together with their pasturelands, were given to the Gershonite clans.
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kāl- šə·lōš- ‘eś·rêh ‘îr ‘ā·rê ū·miḡ·rə·šê·hen hag·gê·rə·šun·nî lə·miš·pə·ḥō·ṯām
Literal — word-for-word from the original
All the-cities of-the-Gershonite by-their-clans: thirteen city and-their-pasture-lands.
Where the English smooths the original
34This is what the Merarite clan (the rest of the Levites) were given: From the tribe of Zebulun they were given Jokneam, Kartah,
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mə·rā·rî ū·lə·miš·pə·ḥō·wṯ bə·nê- han·nō·w·ṯā·rîm mê·’êṯ hal·wî·yim maṭ·ṭêh zə·ḇū·lun ’eṯ- yā·qə·nə·‘ām wə·’eṯ- miḡ·rā·še·hā ’eṯ- qar·tāh wə·’eṯ- miḡ·rā·še·hā
Literal — word-for-word from the original
And-for-the-clans-of the-sons-of Merari, the-ones-left-over of the-Levites: from-the-tribe-of Zebulun, Jokneam and her-pasture-land, Kartah and her-pasture-land;
Where the English smooths the original
They are here called the rest, because they are last numbered, and Merari was the younger brother, Ge 46:11.
were assigned twelve cities, viz., ( a ) Four in Zebulun , ( b ) Four in Reuben , ( c ) Four in Gad . Jokneam ] See Joshua 19:11 ; Kartah and Dimnah unknown.
Some of these places are not found in the list of Zebulonite cities in Joshua 19:10-16 . The text is considered corrupt.Barnes's verdict is about the Zebulonite names in vv. 34-35 only; K&D disputes it, holding the Hebrew sound and the Chronicles parallel defective instead.
35Dimnah, and Nahalal—four cities, together with their pasturelands.
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’eṯ- dim·nāh wə·’eṯ- miḡ·rā·še·hā ’eṯ- na·hă·lāl ’ar·ba‘ ‘ā·rîm wə·’eṯ- miḡ·rā·še·hā
Literal — word-for-word from the original
Dimnah and her-pasture-land, Nahalal and her-pasture-land: four cities.
Where the English smooths the original
36From the tribe of Reuben they were given Bezer, Jahaz,
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ū·mim·maṭ·ṭêh rə·’ū·ḇên ’eṯ- be·ṣer wə·’eṯ- miḡ·rā·še·hā wə·’eṯ- yah·ṣāh wə·’eṯ- miḡ·rā·še·hā
Literal — word-for-word from the original
And-from-the-tribe-of Reuben: Bezer and her-pasture-land, and Jahaz and her-pasture-land;
Where the English smooths the original
This verse and the succeeding have the Masoretic note appended that they are not found in the Masora or true tradition. Kimchi therefore rejects them. But they are found in the LXX. and the rest of the ancient versions, and they are necessary to make up the number of forty-eight cities.
R. Jacob ben Chajim has omitted Joshua 21:36 and Joshua 21:37 from his Rabbinical Bible of the year 1525 as spurious, upon the authority of Kimchi and the larger Masora; but upon insufficient grounds
Bezer, a city of refuge, as it is called Joshua 20:8 , and therefore needless to be here repeated.
37Kedemoth, and Mephaath—four cities, together with their pasturelands.
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’eṯ- qə·ḏê·mō·wṯ wə·’eṯ- miḡ·rā·še·hā wə·’eṯ- mê·p̄ā·‘aṯ ’ar·ba‘ ‘ā·rîm wə·’eṯ- miḡ·rā·še·hā
Literal — word-for-word from the original
Kedemoth and her-pasture-land, and Mephaath and her-pasture-land: four cities.
Where the English smooths the original
are absolutely necessary to be retained, since without them there would be but eight cities for the Merarites, whereas they are expressly said to be twelve, Joshua 21:40
38And from the tribe of Gad they were given Ramoth in Gilead, a city of refuge for the manslayer, Mahanaim,
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ū·mim·maṭ·ṭêh- ḡāḏ ’eṯ- rā·mōṯ bag·gil·‘āḏ wə·’eṯ- ‘îr miq·laṭ hā·rō·ṣê·aḥ ’eṯ- miḡ·rā·še·hā wə·’eṯ- ma·ḥă·na·yim wə·’eṯ- miḡ·rā·še·hā
Literal — word-for-word from the original
And-from-the-tribe-of Gad: the-city-of-refuge-of the-slayer, Ramoth in-Gilead and her-pasture-land, and Mahanaim and her-pasture-land;
Where the English smooths the original
Perhaps the unquestionable entente cordiale between David and the sacerdotal party may have determined him to fix on this as his refuge when fleeing from AbsalomPulpit offers this as a conjecture about David's motive (“perhaps”), and it should be weighed as one; the geography beyond Jordan is sufficient explanation on its own.
here it was the angels met Jacob, which gave rise to the name of the place, Genesis 32:1
39Heshbon, and Jazer—four cities in all, together with their pasturelands.
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’eṯ- ḥeš·bō·wn wə·’eṯ- miḡ·rā·še·hā ’eṯ- ya‘·zêr ’ar·ba‘ ‘ā·rîm kāl- wə·’eṯ- miḡ·rā·še·hā
Literal — word-for-word from the original
Heshbon and her-pasture-land, Jazer and her-pasture-land: all the-cities four.
Where the English smooths the original
Which was formerly the royal city of Sihon king of the Amorites, and was first given to and rebuilt by the Reubenites, but was upon the border of the tribe of Gad
From Gad they received four towns: Ramoth in Gilead, and Mahanaim (see at Joshua 13:26 ), Heshbon ( Joshua 13:17 ) and Jaezer
40In all, twelve cities were allotted to the clans of Merari, the remaining Levite clans.
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kāl- he·‘ā·rîm šə·têm ‘eś·rêh ‘ā·rîm way·hî gō·w·rā·lām lə·miš·pə·ḥō·ṯām mə·rā·rî liḇ·nê han·nō·w·ṯā·rîm hal·wî·yim mim·miš·pə·ḥō·wṯ
Literal — word-for-word from the original
All the-cities for-the-sons-of Merari by-their-clans, the-ones-left-over of-the-clans-of the-Levites — and-their-lot was twelve cities.
Where the English smooths the original
41For the Levites, then, there were forty-eight cities in all, together with their pasturelands, within the territory of the Israelites.
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hal·wî·yim ’ar·bā·‘îm ū·šə·mō·neh ‘ā·rê kōl ū·miḡ·rə·šê·hen bə·ṯō·wḵ ’ă·ḥuz·zaṯ bə·nê- yiś·rā·’êl ‘ā·rîm
Literal — word-for-word from the original
All the-cities-of the-Levites in-the-midst-of the-holding-of the-sons-of Israel: forty and-eight cities and-their-pasture-lands.
Where the English smooths the original
and it is a demonstration that Moses was divinely inspired to make such an appointment, before it could be known whether, without straitening the other tribes, they could part with so many cities to the Levites.
But it must be borne in mind that the list given here contains the names of every Levitical city (see on [204]1Ch 6:39-66); whereas only those cities of the other tribes are mentioned which lay on the frontier or along the boundary line.
God was pleased to deal liberally with his ministers, partly to put honour upon those whom he foresaw many would be prone to despise
Thus according to Jacob's prophecy they were scattered throughout the country, which God used so that his people might be instructed in the true religion by them.
42Each of these cities had its own surrounding pasturelands; this was true for all the cities.
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he·‘ā·rîm ‘îr hā·’êl·leh ‘îr tih·ye·nāh sə·ḇî·ḇō·ṯe·hā ū·miḡ·rā·še·hā kên lə·ḵāl hā·’êl·leh he·‘ā·rîm
Literal — word-for-word from the original
These cities shall-be, city city, and-her-pasture-lands round-about-her — so for-all these cities.
Where the English smooths the original
city by city, and their cattle drives surrounding them, thus was it with all these cities.
But God intended that an ample provision should be made for his ministers, to put honour on those whom he foresaw many would despise; and that, being free from outward cares and distractions, they might more entirely and fervently devote themselves to the service of God.
43Thus the LORD gave Israel all the land He had sworn to give their fathers, and they took possession of it and settled in it.
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Yah·weh way·yit·tên lə·yiś·rā·’êl ’eṯ- kāl- hā·’ā·reṣ ’ă·šer niš·ba‘ lā·ṯêṯ la·’ă·ḇō·w·ṯām way·yi·rā·šū·hā way·yê·šə·ḇū ḇāh
Literal — word-for-word from the original
And-YHWH gave to-Israel all the-land which he-swore to-give to-their-fathers; and-they-took-possession-of-it and-they-dwelt in-it.
Where the English smooths the original
These three verses are the trophy reared on the battlefield, like the lion of Marathon, which the Greeks set on its sacred soil. But the only name inscribed on this monument is Jehovah’s.Maclaren's exposition in the brief is capped and covers 21:43-22:9; these lines open it, and his argument that God is the only conqueror named is developed from the whole passage, not this verse alone.
God had fulfilled all His part of the covenant. It was no part of His purpose that the native population should be annihilated suddenly Deuteronomy 7:22 ; but they were delivered into the hand of Israel
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.
By the distribution of the land amongst the tribes, the promise which Joshua had received after the death of Moses ( Joshua 1:2 ) had been fulfilled, as also that which centuries before he had made to Abraham the ancestor of the Elect Nation
44And the LORD gave them rest on every side, just as He had sworn to their fathers. None of their enemies could stand against them, for the LORD delivered all their enemies into their hand.
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Yah·weh way·yā·naḥ lā·hem mis·sā·ḇîḇ kə·ḵōl ’ă·šer- niš·ba‘ la·’ă·ḇō·w·ṯām wə·lō- ’îš ’ō·yə·ḇê·hem ’êṯ kāl- ‘ā·maḏ bip̄·nê·hem Yah·weh nā·ṯan mik·kāl ’ō·yə·ḇê·hem bə·yā·ḏām
Literal — word-for-word from the original
And-YHWH gave-them-rest from-round-about, according-to-all that he-swore to-their-fathers; and-not stood a-man of-all their-enemies before-them; all their-enemies YHWH gave into-their-hand.
Where the English smooths the original
The student of Scripture will not fail to recall the passage in the Epistle to the Hebrews ( Joshua 4:8 ) in which reference is made to this passage, and especially to the LXX. version of it. The word signifies rather rest from wandering than rest from toil
For even though the Canaanites were not all exterminated, yet those who remained did not venture upon an attack on the Israelites so long as they remained loyal and steadfast to their invisible King
Namely, all the remaining days of Joshua; for afterward it was otherwise with them.
Clearly, therefore, the land was subdued and their home at peace, since no one disturbed them, or attempted anything against themThis sentence is Calvin's, quoted inside K&D's footnote; K&D marks it as such, and it is Calvin's answer to the objection that Israel's peace was not real.
45Not one of all the LORD’s good promises to the house of Israel had failed; everything was fulfilled.
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lō- mik·kōl had·dā·ḇār Yah·weh haṭ·ṭō·wḇ ’ă·šer- dā·ḇār dib·ber ’el- bêṯ yiś·rā·’êl nā·p̄al hak·kōl bā
Literal — word-for-word from the original
Not fell a-word from-all the-good word which YHWH spoke unto the-house-of Israel — the-whole came.
Where the English smooths the original
Notwithstanding the fact that many a tract of country still remained in the hands of the Canaanites, the promise that the land of Canaan should be given to the house of Israel for a possession had been fulfilled; for God had not promised the immediate and total destruction of the Canaanites, but only their gradual extermination
Such an acknowledgment as this, here subscribed by Joshua, in the name of all Israel, we afterward find made by Solomon; and all Israel did, in effect, say amen to it
so all that God promises to his spiritual Israel, with respect to their present comfort or everlasting happiness, all is exactly fulfilled, all his promises in Christ are yea and amen.Gill's closing clause is an allusion to 2 Corinthians 1:20; the application to the church is his, drawn from the verse rather than stated in it.
The verse-by-verse work is done. What follows gathers the whole unit. All three layers below are machine-generated (⚙). Weigh them; they have no authority.
AI synthesis — woven from the public-domain voices above and the original text; generated and fallible.
The chapter opens with a verb of approach: וַֽיִּגְּשׁ֗וּ (nâgash, H5066), the tribe whose office is nearness coming near to ask for ground to stand on. Benson explains the timing — “the whole land being distributed to the several tribes, but not yet actually possessed by them, and this being the proper season for their making such a claim.” Pulpit and K&D both take up Calvin's suggestion that Levi had simply been forgotten and both reject it: K&D writes that “we cannot infer, as Calvin has done, that the Levites had been forgotten, till they came and asserted their claims,” and Pulpit adds the structural reason, that the Levitical cities lay inside other men's borders and so could not be assigned until those borders existed. What the Levites plead is a single Piel perfect, צִוָּ֣ה (tsâvâh, H6680), “He commanded,” by the hand of Moses. Henry reduces the whole petition to that: “They build their claim upon a very good foundation; not their own merits or services, but the Divine precept.” Israel's answer in v. 3 is measured אֶל־פִּ֣י יְהוָ֑ה, at the mouth of YHWH, and taken מִנַּחֲלָתָ֖ם, out of their own inheritance — Poole notes that the cost was spread deliberately, “that the burden and loss might be equally divided.”
Four times in five verses the text says גּוֹרָל (gôwrâl, H1486) — properly a pebble. Pulpit reads the mechanism as a guard against grievance: “Thus solemnly placed in His hands, the division would not afterwards become the occasion of jealousy or dispute.” Cambridge supplies the likely procedure, that the cities to be surrendered were settled in advance and the lot decided only which branch of Levi received which. Ellicott sees the resulting order — priests, Kohathites, Gershonites, Merarites — as “in strict agreement with the order of priority observed in the exodus,” the camp of Numbers 2 reproduced in the land. And every commentator in this brief stops at the same fact: the priests' thirteen all fall in Judah, Simeon and Benjamin. Barnes: “God so overruled it that the priestly families were placed upon the spot which He had determined before hand to choose as the site of His temple.” K&D quotes Calvin to the same end — “This did not happen by chance; but God, according to His wonderful counsel, placed them just in that situation which He had determined to select for His own temple.” JFB presses it forward into later history: the arrangement's “admirable wisdom and propriety … were fully manifested on the schism that took place in the reign of Rehoboam.” ⚙ The narrator reports only a stone leaving an urn. The interpretation is entirely the commentators'; the text is content to leave providence unnamed.
The long roll is a catalogue with two intrusions. The first is Hebron (vv. 11-12): the city and its מִגְרָשׁ go to the priests, but שְׂדֵ֥ה הָעִ֖יר, the field of the city, and its villages stay with Caleb. Poole says this single case is printed “as one eminent instance, to show that it was so in all the rest of the cities here named,” and Benson adds the pastoral motive — if Caleb, whose claim was oldest and personally granted, gave up the town, the rest of Israel could hardly object. Cambridge and Pulpit both follow Keil's inference that the Levites received only as many houses as they needed. The second intrusion is the refuge formula, עִיר֙ מִקְלַ֣ט הָרֹצֵ֔חַ, “city of refuge of the slayer,” dropped in at Hebron, Shechem, Golan, Kedesh and Ramoth (vv. 13, 21, 27, 32, 38) — Geneva tracks which Levitical family holds each pair. Against that, the apparatus is openly ragged: Barnes and K&D both catalogue the divergences from 1 Chronicles 6:54-81, K&D counting six names missing there; Pulpit calls Gath-rimmon at v. 25 a copyist's blunder repeated from v. 24; and vv. 36-37 were struck from Jacob ben Chajim's Rabbinical Bible of 1525 on the authority of Kimchi and the larger Masora, which Pulpit, Gill and K&D all judge an error, since without them Merari has eight cities and the text says twelve.
Maclaren calls vv. 43-45 “the trophy reared on the battlefield, like the lion of Marathon,” and notes what is not on it: “the only name inscribed on this monument is Jehovah's.” Three verbs carry it. וַיִּתֵּ֤ן, He gave (the same nâthan the tribes have been using for forty verses, now with God as subject). וַיָּ֨נַח (nûwach, H5117, Hiphil), He caused to rest — Pulpit notes the LXX's κατέπαυσεν and sends the reader to Hebrews 4:8. And לֹֽא־נָפַ֣ל, not one word fell. Barnes states the tension plainly: Israel had not in fact possessed every allotted city, yet “God had fulfilled all His part of the covenant,” since the gradual dispossession was His own stated plan (Deuteronomy 7:22). Henry names the other half of the ledger: “The after-prevalence of the Canaanites was the effect of Israel's slothfulness.” K&D quotes Calvin's version of the same distinction — “nothing but their own cowardice prevented them from enjoying the blessings of God in all their fulness.”
⚙ Read on its own terms, Joshua 21 is the chapter where the book's arithmetic stops being about land. Every other allotment chapter draws borders; this one counts dots. Forty-eight walled points and their rings of common grazing, belonging to the one tribe told it would have no נַחֲלָה at all — and the mechanism by which that tribe ends up inside every other tribe's territory is not a concession but the fulfilment of a curse. Jacob said Levi would be divided in Jacob and scattered in Israel (Genesis 49:7), and Cambridge, Pulpit, Poole, Gill and Geneva all see the same inversion: the scattering happens exactly as spoken, and turns out to be the shape of the blessing. A tribe with no country cannot be defended; a tribe in every country cannot be avoided. Then note how the chapter ends. The summary of vv. 43-45 is placed immediately after a list of towns, several of which Israel does not yet hold and some of which (Gezer, on Gill's note at v. 21) are still Canaanite. The narrator knows this. He writes “not one word fell” anyway. ⚙ My reading is that the verb נָפַ֣ל is chosen with care: a word can only fall if the speaker fails, and the speaker has not. The unfinished conquest is therefore not a broken promise but an unclaimed one, and the book will spend its last three chapters saying exactly that to Israel's face. Offered to be tested: this is the tool's reading, and the reader should weigh it against Barnes, who grounds the same conclusion on Deuteronomy 7:22 rather than on the verb.
The tribe that was given no land was given every land — not a portion to hold, but a people to keep. (Not a verse: a synthesis line, fallible, offered to be tested.)
AI-generated connections. Each carries a verification badge with a recorded basis; contested links are flagged.
1 Chronicles 6:54-81 sets out the identical institution with the identical formula: tribe, city, מִגְרָשׁ. The Verifier computes the overlap for a dozen verses of that passage, the shared lexeme in every case being migrâsh (H4054), doubled or tripled per verse, with maṭṭeh (H4294) and, at 6:57, ʼAhărôwn (H175). K&D judges the Chronicler to have “inserted an ancient document that was altogether independent of the book before us,” and counts what is missing there: Juttah, Gibeon, Eltekeh, Gibbethon, Jokneam and Nahalal. Barnes notes the divergence more briefly. Some Chronicles readings are plainly better — Ashan for Ain, Bileam for Gath-rimmon — which is why this thread runs both ways as a text-critical control rather than as a one-directional citation.
1 Chronicles 6:57 · 1 Chronicles 6:69 · 1 Chronicles 6:72
basis: Verifier: shared Hebrew lexemes H4054 migrâsh (in 69 vv) recurring two to three times per verse across twelve verses of 1 Chronicles 6:57-6:80, plus H4294 maṭṭeh (in 205 vv) and H175 ʼAhărôwn (in 328 vv) at 6:57. The migrâsh frequency alone is moderate, not rare, and would only carry a structural tier; the verbal tier is claimed on the further ground that the two passages share the same set of rare toponyms city by city — K&D collates them name for name and can say exactly which six are missing. It is a verbal parallel between two Hebrew recensions of one list, NOT a quotation of one by the other, and K&D holds the Chronicles list to be an independent ancient document
The Danite cities given to the remaining Kohathites at v. 23 are drawn straight from the Danite allotment of Joshua 19:44, and the link is as hard as a verbal link in this book gets: אֶלְתְּקֵ֖א (H514) stands in only two verses in the whole canon, and גִּבְּת֖וֹן (H1405) in five. K&D simply cross-refers the pair. ⚙ The narrative consequence is worth naming: Dan will shortly fail to hold its coastal lot (Joshua 19:47), so two of the rarest names on this list are cities the donor tribe could not keep.
Joshua 19:44
basis: Verifier: shared rare Hebrew lexemes H514 ʼEltᵉqêʼ (in 2 vv) and H1405 Gibbᵉthôwn (in 5 vv) — the rarity of both toponyms makes the verbal identification certain; it is a shared name-set, not a quotation
Three towns on this list reappear together in Jeremiah's oracle against Moab: חֹלֹן (H2473, three verses in all), יַ֖הְצָה (H3096, nine), מֵיפָ֖עַת (H4158, four). The Verifier confirms all three as shared lexemes and all three are rare. Pulpit, at v. 36, notices the same loss from the other end: “this city, with Heshbon and Jazer and Mephaath, fell into the hands of the Moabites in later times, a sad indication of religious declension.” ⚙ The pastureland granted to a priest in Joshua 21 is, centuries later, addressed as Moabite ground under judgment — a comment on custody, not on the validity of the grant.
Jeremiah 48:21
basis: Verifier: shared rare Hebrew lexemes H2473 Chôlôwn (in 3 vv), H3096 Yahats (in 9 vv), H4158 Môwphaʻath (in 4 vv) — three rare toponyms co-occurring; the theological inference about declension is Pulpit's, and the connection to Moabite possession is historical, not a quotation
Joshua 20 fixes the asylum towns; Joshua 21 hands all six of them to Levites and adds forty-two more. K&D states the dependence exactly: “the Lord had given commandment through Moses in Numbers 35:6, that they were to give to the Levites the six cities of refuge, and forty-two cities besides, i.e., forty-eight cities in all,” and therefore the order of the two chapters is correct against Calvin's complaint that they are transposed — a point Pulpit makes independently at v. 2. The phrase עִיר֙ מִקְלַ֣ט הָרֹצֵ֔חַ recurs at vv. 13, 21, 27, 32 and 38, with Bezer at v. 36 the sole omission, which Poole explains as needless repetition and the LXX supplies.
Joshua 20:8 · Numbers 35:6
basis: Verifier: shared lexeme H4294 maṭṭeh (in 205 vv, three occurrences) at Joshua 20:8 — a COMMON word that cannot itself carry a verbal claim; the real link is the shared institution and the explicit legal dependence on Numbers 35:6, recorded by K&D and Pulpit. Tiered structural, not verbal, on that ground
Genesis 49:7 sentences Levi to be divided in Jacob and scattered in Israel. Five of the twelve voices in this brief read Joshua 21 as that sentence executed: Cambridge (“the curse was with them turned into a blessing”), Pulpit (“The prophecy which threatened (Genesis 49:7) to ‘scatter them in Israel’ was to be fulfilled for the benefit of the whole people”), Poole and Benson (dispersal so that they “might more easily and effectually teach the Israelites God's law and judgments”), Gill (“which fulfilled Jacob's prophecy”), and Geneva at v. 41 (“thus according to Jacob's prophecy they were scattered throughout the country”). ⚙ The chapter itself never cites Genesis 49. The link is an interpretation five commentators share, and it is offered here as theirs.
Genesis 49:7 · Deuteronomy 33:10
basis: No Verifier lexeme computation was offered for this pair, so no shared-Strong's basis is claimed. The recorded basis is the explicit, converging citation of Genesis 49:7 by Cambridge, Pulpit, Poole, Benson, Gill and Geneva, together with the teaching-office of Deuteronomy 33:10 cited by Poole and Benson
Verse 44 uses וַיָּ֨נַח (nûwach, H5117, Hiphil), “and He gave them rest,” fulfilling Deuteronomy 12:9-10 (K&D). Pulpit records the Greek: “LXX. κατέπαυσεν. The student of Scripture will not fail to recall the passage in the Epistle to the Hebrews (4:8) in which reference is made to this passage, and especially to the LXX. version of it.” Hebrews 4:8 argues that if Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken later of another day. ⚙ This is a cross-Testament link and cannot rest on shared Strong's numbers, since one text is Hebrew and the other Greek; the connective tissue is the Septuagint vocabulary Pulpit points to and the argument Hebrews builds on it. Note that Hebrews does not deny Joshua 21:44 — it grants it, and calls it insufficient.
Hebrews 4:8 · Deuteronomy 12:10
basis: Cross-Testament (Greek↔Hebrew): shared Strong's numbers are impossible in principle, so no verbal tier is claimed. Basis is the LXX rendering κατέπαυσεν of H5117 nûwach at Joshua 21:44, recorded by Pulpit, and the explicit argument of Hebrews 4:8 about Joshua's rest
AI-generated reading; weigh it against the text.
Five times this chapter stops its list to say עִיר֙ מִקְלַ֣ט הָרֹצֵ֔חַ — city of asylum (miqlâṭ, H4733, “a receptacle”) of the slayer (râtsach, H7523, “to dash in pieces”). The structural fact is that the man with blood on his hands runs to a town full of priests, and lives there until the death of the high priest releases him (Numbers 35:25). Gill, at v. 13, holds to the plain legal sense: refuge for one “that had slain a person unawares, and without design.” ⚙ Christian reading from at least the patristic period has taken the refuge cities as a figure of Christ, the fleeing sinner's asylum, with Hebrews 6:18 (“fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us”) as the New Testament anchor, and the death of the high priest as the release. That reading is ancient and widely held; it is honest to record that none of the twelve voices in this unit make the move — Geneva, Gill and Pulpit all stay at the juridical level, and the typology is supplied here.
Hebrews 6:18 · Numbers 35:25
Every commentator in this brief notices the placement. Barnes: “God so overruled it that the priestly families were placed upon the spot which He had determined before hand to choose as the site of His temple.” Ellicott: with the single exception of Ain in Simeon, “all the priestly cities are so arranged as to fall ultimately within the kingdom of Judah.” JFB reads it forward to Rehoboam's schism, when that placement kept the priesthood on the Davidic side. ⚙ The synthesis offered here is one step further and is novel, not received: the Aaronic priesthood is quartered in Judah's ground but can never be of Judah's blood, since priesthood is by descent from Aaron. Hebrews 7:14 turns on exactly that boundary — “it is evident that our Lord sprang out of Judah, of which tribe Moses spake nothing concerning priesthood.” Joshua 21 puts the priests inside Judah's land while the Law keeps them outside Judah's line; Hebrews announces a priest who is inside both, and therefore not after the order of Aaron at all. This is a reading built on Ellicott's and Barnes's geography, not asserted by them.
Hebrews 7:14 · Hebrews 7:11
Verse 45 is the book's verdict on God's speech: לֹֽא־נָפַ֣ל דָּבָ֔ר, not a word fell, of all the good word YHWH spoke to the house of Israel; הַכֹּ֖ל בָּֽא, the whole came. Benson records Israel's own countersigning of this centuries later: “Such an acknowledgment as this, here subscribed by Joshua, in the name of all Israel, we afterward find made by Solomon,” at 1 Kings 8:56. Gill carries it into the New Testament explicitly: “so all that God promises to his spiritual Israel … all is exactly fulfilled, all his promises in Christ are yea and amen.” JFB says the same in colder prose, that Israel's recorded experience “is a ground of hope and confidence to the people of God in every age.” ⚙ The line of reading is therefore not invented here: it runs from the verb nâphal, through Solomon's benediction, to 2 Corinthians 1:20, where every promise of God is Yes in Christ, and the Amen is said through Him.
2 Corinthians 1:20 · 1 Kings 8:56
The biblical text is the Berean Standard Bible (BSB), public domain (CC0). Hebrew/Greek text, transliteration, morphology and Strong’s are transcribed from the Berean interlinear (CC0) + Strong’s lexicons (PD); the literal renderings, divergence notes, word notes and all synthesis are this tool’s own work (⚙) — fallible; verify them.
Named voices, quoted verbatim from public-domain works:
Text. This unit has more textual roughness than any other chapter of Joshua, and the sources in the brief disagree openly. (1) Verses 36-37 are absent from R. Jacob ben Chajim's Rabbinical Bible of 1525, omitted on the authority of Kimchi and the larger Masora; Pulpit, Gill and K&D all defend them, since the ancient versions carry them and without them Merari has eight cities where v. 40 says twelve. K&D attributes the loss to homoioteleuton — a scribe's eye jumping from the אַרְבַּע of v. 35 to that of v. 37. (2) Gath-rimmon at v. 25 is almost certainly a dittograph from v. 24; 1 Chronicles 6:70 reads Bileam (Ibleam), and Barnes, Pulpit and K&D agree. (3) Ain (v. 16) should probably be read Ashan with 1 Chronicles 6:59, so K&D and Pulpit. (4) Kartan (v. 32) is a contraction for Kirjathaim; Beeshterah (v. 27) is Beth-Ashterah, Og's Ashtaroth. (5) Barnes records that the LXX adds a passage after v. 42 about Joshua's inheritance and the burial of the flint knives at Timnath-serah, and judges the second half “a Jewish legend of early date”; Pulpit is more willing to treat it as authentic and lost from the Hebrew. Nothing in this synthesis depends on it.
Sources. Twelve public-domain voices are present for this unit and all twelve are used. Several (Henry, Barnes, JFB) comment on whole blocks rather than single verses, so the same entry stands under many verse headings in the brief; where a block-entry is quoted, a different span has been anchored each time and no excerpt is stitched. Ellicott's and Maclaren's entries are capped in the brief; both are quoted only from the portion actually supplied, and Maclaren's cited sentences come from the opening of his exposition of 21:43-22:9.
What is uncertain. The interlinear word indices in this brief follow the English gloss order, not Hebrew word order; the “literal” lines here restore the Hebrew clause order, and where the two diverge the note keys still refer to the brief's indices. The identification of most of the forty-eight sites is modern conjecture (Ellicott's Arabic equivalents, Knobel's Katanah for Kartan) and is reported, not endorsed. Finally, no Verifier basis exists in this brief for the Genesis 49:7 link or the Hebrews 4:8 link; both are tiered on commentary and on the LXX, and neither is claimed as verbal.
✦ = human, public-domain source, quoted and named. ⚙ = machine synthesis, to be verified. Flagged cross-references are left visible on purpose — the verifier working in the open. “Search the Scriptures daily, whether those things were so.” (Acts 17:11)