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Joshua 21:1

in Joshua 21

Now the family heads of the Levites approached Eleazar the priest, Joshua son of Nun, and the heads of the other tribes of Israel

BSB

The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾

ASV

Then came near the heads of fathers’ houses of the Levites unto Eleazar the priest, and unto Joshua the son of Nun, and unto the heads of fathers’ houses of the tribes of the children of Israel;

KJV

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;

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This verse in Joshua 21

Commentary

4 notes on this verse
A list of the Levitical cities, varying in some particulars from that given in this chapter, is also, given in 1 Chr. 6:54-81.

This site's exposition

Then came near the heads

on Joshua 21:1-3

The Levites are the one tribe that has to come and ask, because Numbers 18:20 and Joshua 13:33 left them with the Lord himself as their inheritance and no ground of their own. What they claim is a standing order given through Moses at Numbers 35:2, and they claim it at Shiloh where the tabernacle stood. The suburbs of verse 2 are pasture land, measured in Numbers 35:4 at a thousand cubits from the wall and in Numbers 35:5 at two thousand cubits on each side, and readers have taken the two figures either as an inner belt inside an outer square or as two separate measurements of the same grant.

The record, by era

The Reformation1 voice

A commentator

John Calvin

1509–1564

Commentaries (1554)

For no cities of refuge were appointed before they had been assigned to the Levites. To this may be added what was formerly said, that Joshua and Eleazar had made an end of dividing the land. Now, the land was not truly divided till the habitation of the Levites was fixed.
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice

A commentator

Matthew Henry

1662–1714

Commentary on the Whole Bible (1710)

on Joshua 21:1-2

And it is probable that they had an eye to the situation of them, taking care they should be so dispersed as that no part of the country should be too far distant from a Levites' city. They gave them at the commandment of the Lord, that is, with an eye to the command and in obedience to it, which was it that sanctified the grant.

The words behind it

17 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.

  • וַֽיִּגְּשׁ֗וּand they approached

    vaiyigeshuH5066 →125 times

  • רָאשֵׁי֙[the] leaders of

    rasheiH7218 →599 times

  • אֲב֣וֹת[the] fathers of

    ʾavotH1 →1212 times

  • הַלְוִיִּ֔םthe Levites

    halviyimH3881 →291 times

  • אֶל־to

    ʾel-H413 →5510 times

  • אֶלְעָזָר֙Eleazar

    ʾelazarH499 →72 times

  • הַכֹּהֵ֔ןthe priest

    hakohenH3548 →750 times

  • וְאֶל־and to

    veel-H413 →5510 times

  • יְהוֹשֻׁ֖עַJoshua

    yehoshua'H3091 →218 times

  • בִּן־[the] son of

    bin-H1121 →4930 times

  • נ֑וּןNun

    nunH5126 →30 times

  • וְאֶל־and to

    veel-H413 →5510 times

  • רָאשֵׁ֛י[the] leaders of

    rasheiH7218 →599 times

  • אֲב֥וֹת[the] fathers of

    ʾavotH1 →1212 times

  • הַמַּטּ֖וֹתthe tribes

    hamatotH4294 →252 times

  • לִבְנֵ֥יof [the] people of

    livneiH1121 →4930 times

  • יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃Israel

    yisraelH3478 →2507 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.

Joshua 14:1Now these are the portions that the Israelites inherited in the land of Canaan, as distributed by Eleazar the priest, Joshua son of Nun, and the heads of the families of the tribes of Israel.4 worksJoshua 17:4They approached Eleazar the priest, Joshua son of Nun, and the leaders, and said, “The LORD commanded Moses to give us an inheritance among our brothers.” So Joshua gave them an inheritance among their father’s brothers, in keeping with the command of the LORD.3 worksJoshua 19:51These are the inheritances that Eleazar the priest, Joshua son of Nun, and the heads of the families distributed by lot to the tribes of Israel at Shiloh before the LORD at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. So they finished dividing up the land.3 worksExodus 6:25Aaron’s son Eleazar married one of the daughters of Putiel, and she bore him Phinehas. These were the heads of the Levite families by their clans.2 worksExodus 6:14These were the heads of their fathers’ houses: The sons of Reuben, the firstborn of Israel, were Hanoch and Pallu, Hezron and Carmi. These were the clans of Reuben.2 worksNumbers 34:17–29“These are the names of the men who are to assign the land as an inheritance for you: Eleazar the priest and Joshua son of Nun.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

    Joshua 19:51

    These are the inheritances that Eleazar the priest, Joshua son of Nun, and the heads of the families distributed by lot to the tribes of Israel at Shiloh before the LORD at the entrance…

    it leads to

    • Joshua 14:1

      Now these are the portions that the Israelites inherited in the land of Canaan, as distributed by Eleazar the priest, Joshua son of Nun, and the heads of the families of the tribes of…

      Reached by 2 separate paths from here.

    • Joshua 18:10

      And Joshua cast lots for them in the presence of the LORD at Shiloh, where he distributed the land to the Israelites according to their divisions.

    • Joshua 18:1

      Then the whole congregation of Israel assembled at Shiloh and set up the Tent of Meeting there. And though the land was subdued before them,

  • Through

    Joshua 14:1

    Now these are the portions that the Israelites inherited in the land of Canaan, as distributed by Eleazar the priest, Joshua son of Nun, and the heads of the families of the tribes of…

    it leads to

    • Numbers 34:17–29

      “These are the names of the men who are to assign the land as an inheritance for you: Eleazar the priest and Joshua son of Nun.

      Reached by 2 separate paths from here.

  • Through

    Exodus 6:25

    Aaron’s son Eleazar married one of the daughters of Putiel, and she bore him Phinehas. These were the heads of the Levite families by their clans.

    it leads to

    • Joshua 24:33

      Eleazar son of Aaron also died, and they buried him at Gibeah, which had been given to his son Phinehas in the hill country of Ephraim.

  • Through

    Exodus 6:14

    These were the heads of their fathers’ houses: The sons of Reuben, the firstborn of Israel, were Hanoch and Pallu, Hezron and Carmi. These were the clans of Reuben.

    it leads to

    • Genesis 46:9

      The sons of Reuben: Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi.

    • 1 Chronicles 5:3

      The sons of Reuben, the firstborn of Israel: Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi.

    • Numbers 26:5–7

      Reuben was the firstborn of Israel. These were the descendants of Reuben: The Hanochite clan from Hanoch, the Palluite clan from Pallu,

Where this verse is studied

On this page

Studies3

On this verse

On this chapter

About Joshua

The Walls of Jericho Fall Down, Gustave Doré, 1866. Public domain.
The Walls of Jericho Fall Down, Gustave Doré, 1866. Public domain.
Joshua: the study guide →Read Joshua 21 →

This page draws on Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Albert Barnes, Notes on the Old Testament; John Calvin, Commentaries; Keil and Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament: Joshua, Judges, Ruth and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.

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