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1 Chronicles 6:54

in 1 Chronicles 6

Now these were the territories assigned to the descendants of Aaron from the Kohathite clan for their settlements, because the first lot fell to them:

BSB

The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾

ASV

Now these are their dwelling-places according to their encampments in their borders: to the sons of Aaron, of the families of the Kohathites (for theirs was the first lot),

KJV

Now these are their dwelling places throughout their castles in their coasts, of the sons of Aaron, of the families of the Kohathites: for theirs was the lot.

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This verse in 1 Chronicles 6

Commentary

6 notes on this verse

A commentator

Adam Clarke

1762–1832

Commentary on the Bible · Written before 1832.

Theirs was the lot - All the tribes and families obtained their respective inheritances by lot, but to the sons of Aaron was the first lot; and so the Syriac and Arabic have understood this place. The first lot, says Jarchi, fell to Judah, that they might give to the priests and the Levites the cities marked below. See an account of the possessions of the priests and Levites, Jos 20:1-9, 21.

This site's exposition

for theirs was the lot

on 1 Chronicles 6:54-60

The priests receive Hebron first, a city of refuge already bound to Caleb's conquest in Joshua, its fields kept for Caleb's own family while the town and its suburbs went to Aaron's sons. Twelve more towns across Judah, Simeon and Benjamin round out the priests' thirteen cities, a roster Gill sets beside Joshua 21 and finds matching with only a few names spelled differently.

The record, by era

The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices

A commentator

Matthew Henry

1662–1714

Commentary on the Whole Bible (1710)

proposed

17 And these be the names of the sons of Gershom; 18 And the sons of Kohath were, Amram, and Izhar, and Hebron, and Uzziel. And these are the families of the Levites according to their fathers.

quarantine:scripture (2026-07-29) — scripture-overlap:100%@v17-19

Now these are their dwelling places,.... The dwelling places of the priests and Levites, assigned and given to them in the several tribes of Israel; and the account of them agrees with that in Jos 21:1 with some few variations of names of places, which have been there observed: see the notes there; only in 1Ch 6:57 two cities are omitted, Juttah and Gibeon, through want of care in transcribing, since they are said to be "thirteen", as they should be, whereas eleven only are mentioned.

A commentator

Matthew Henry

1662–1714

Commentary on the Whole Bible (1710)

proposed

This account is much the same with that which we had, Josh. xxi. We need not be critical in comparing them (what good will it do us?) nor will it do any hurt to the credit of the holy scripture if the names of some of the places be not spelt just the same here as they were there. We know it is common for cities to have several names.

The Nineteenth Century1 voice

Their’s was the lot - i. e. “the first lot.” The Kohathites had the first lot among the Levitical families, as being the family whereto the high priesthood was attached (compare Jos 21:10).

The words behind it

12 Hebrew words

Every Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.

  • וְאֵ֙לֶּה֙and these

    veelehH428 →746 times

  • מוֹשְׁבוֹתָ֔ם[were] dwelling places their

    moshevotamH4186 →44 times

  • לְטִירוֹתָ֖םto encampments their

    letirotamH2918 →

  • בִּגְבוּלָ֑םin territory their

    bigvulamH1366 →240 times

  • לִבְנֵ֤יto [the] descendants of

    livneiH1121 →4930 times

  • אַהֲרֹן֙Aaron

    ʾaharonH175 →347 times

  • לְמִשְׁפַּחַ֣תto [the] clan of

    lemishpachatH4940 →303 times

  • הַקְּהָתִ֔יthe Kohathite[s]

    hakehatiH6956 →15 times

  • כִּ֥יfor

    kiH3588 →4482 times

  • לָהֶ֖םto them

    lahem

  • הָיָ֥הit belonged

    hayahH1961 →3559 times

  • הַגּוֹרָֽל׃the lot

    hagoralH1486 →78 times

A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.

Related verses

6 in all, six open

The number beside each verse is how many compiled reference works tie it to this one. The strongest six stand open.

Genesis 25:16These were the sons of Ishmael, and these were their names by their villages and encampments—twelve princes of their tribes.3 worksJoshua 21:3–8So by the command of the LORD, the Israelites gave the Levites these cities and their pasturelands out of their own inheritance:2 worksJoshua 21:10to the descendants of Aaron from the Kohathite clans of the Levites, because the first lot fell to them:2 worksNumbers 31:10Then they burned all the cities where the Midianites had lived, as well as all their encampments,2 worksNumbers 35:1–8Again the LORD spoke to Moses on the plains of Moab by the Jordan across from Jericho:2 works2 Chronicles 31:19As for the priests, the descendants of Aaron, who lived on the farmlands around each of their cities or in any other city, men were designated by name to distribute a portion to every male among the priests and to every Levite listed by the genealogies.2 works

The walk

8 stops

Each card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.

  • Through

    Genesis 25:16

    These were the sons of Ishmael, and these were their names by their villages and encampments—twelve princes of their tribes.

    it leads to

    • Genesis 17:20

      As for Ishmael, I have heard you, and I will surely bless him; I will make him fruitful and multiply him greatly. He will become the father of twelve rulers, and I will make…

    • Genesis 17:23

      On that very day Abraham took his son Ishmael and all those born in his household or purchased with his money—every male among the members of Abraham’s household—and he circumcised them, just as God…

  • Through

    Joshua 21:10

    to the descendants of Aaron from the Kohathite clans of the Levites, because the first lot fell to them:

    it leads to

    • Joshua 21:4

      The 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.

    • Numbers 3:27

      From Kohath came the clans of the Amramites, the Izharites, the Hebronites, and the Uzzielites; these were the clans of the Kohathites.

    • Numbers 4:2

      “Take a census of the Kohathites among the Levites by their clans and families,

    • Numbers 3:2–4

      These are the names of the sons of Aaron: Nadab the firstborn, then Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.

    • Exodus 6:18

      The sons of Kohath were Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel. Kohath lived 133 years.

  • Through

    Numbers 31:10

    Then they burned all the cities where the Midianites had lived, as well as all their encampments,

    it leads to

    • Joshua 6:24

      Then the Israelites burned up the city and everything in it. However, they put the silver and gold and articles of bronze and iron into the treasury of the LORD’s house.

About 1 Chronicles

Cedars Are Cut Down for the Jerusalem Temple, Gustave Doré, 1866. Public domain.
Cedars Are Cut Down for the Jerusalem Temple, Gustave Doré, 1866. Public domain.
1 Chronicles: the study guide →Read 1 Chronicles 6 →

This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.

Read on in 1 Chronicles 6 →