Joshua 21:3
in Joshua 21So by the command of the LORD, the Israelites gave the Levites these cities and their pasturelands out of their own inheritance:
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And the children of Israel gave unto the Levites out of their inheritance, according to the commandment of Jehovah, these cities with their suburbs.
KJV
And the children of Israel gave unto the Levites out of their inheritance, at the commandment of the Lord, these cities and their suburbs.
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This verse in Joshua 21
Commentary
7 notes on this verseThis site's exposition
the family heads of the Levites approached
on Joshua 21:1-3
The Levites are the one tribe that must come and ask, because Joshua 13:33 left them the LORD as their inheritance, and they claim the order of Numbers 35:2 at Shiloh. Numbers 35:4 measures the pasturelands at a thousand cubits from the wall and 35:5 at two thousand on each side. Readers take these as an inner belt within an outer square or as two measurements of one grant.
This site's exposition
out of their own inheritance
Each tribe hands over towns from its own lot, so every Levite home stood on ground another tribe had received first. The Levites' food came the same way, for Numbers 18:21 gives them all the tithes in Israel for their service at the Tent of Meeting. The tribe without land lived on the gifts of the rest.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers2 voices
Who will explain the diverse sites of the encampments, how this distribution must be retained in the resurrection for each priestly or levitical order of the saints, so that, just as the apostle says, nothing is done haphazardly in the resurrection, but everyone comes "in his own order, Christ first, then those who belong to Christ who have believed in his coming, when he will hand the kingdom over to our God and Father, when he will subject to him every principality and power"?On that occasion, without doubt, there will be some such observances of encampments and priestly distributions and ranks and signals of trumpets.
It was fitting that there be a drawing of lots even regarding the suburbs and cities so that perhaps the renowned division among the Levites might not seem perhaps indiscriminate and accidental. Therefore, the distribution by lot that took place among the sons of Israel was characterized by reason, by which someone was considered worthy of the first lot, and someone else the second, as we have already previously examined to the extent we were able.
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
And the children of Israel gave unto the Levites out of their inheritance,....
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
It was assigned in the same place and manner, and by the same commissioners as the other allotments. While the people, knowing the important duties they were to perform, are described (Jos 21:3) as readily conceding this "peculiar" to them, it had most probably been specified and reserved for their use while the distribution of the land was in progress.
And the children of Israel gave unto the Levites - They cheerfully obeyed the Divine command, and cities for habitations were appointed to them out of the different tribes by lot, that it might as fully appear that God designed them their habitations, as he designed the others their inheritances.
The words behind it
13 Hebrew wordsEvery 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.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיִּתְּנ֨וּ | vaiyitenu | and they gave | H5414 → | 2011 times |
| בְנֵי־ | venei- | [the] people of | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| יִשְׂרָאֵ֧ל | yisrael | Israel | H3478 → | 2507 times |
| לַלְוִיִּ֛ם | lalviyim | to the Levites | H3881 → | 291 times |
| מִנַּחֲלָתָ֖ם | minachalatam | some of inheritance their | H5159 → | 222 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| פִּ֣י | pi | [the] mouth of | H6310 → | 498 times |
| יְהוָ֑ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| הֶעָרִ֥ים | hearim | the cities | H5892 → | 1090 times |
| הָאֵ֖לֶּה | haeleh | <the> these | H428 → | 746 times |
| וְאֶת־ | veet | and <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| מִגְרְשֵׁיהֶֽן׃ | migresheihen | pasture lands their | H4054 → | 119 times |
וַיִּתְּנ֨וּand they gave
vaiyitenuH5414 →2011 times
בְנֵי־[the] people of
venei-H1121 →4930 times
יִשְׂרָאֵ֧לIsrael
yisraelH3478 →2507 times
לַלְוִיִּ֛םto the Levites
lalviyimH3881 →291 times
מִנַּחֲלָתָ֖םsome of inheritance their
minachalatamH5159 →222 times
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
פִּ֣י[the] mouth of
piH6310 →498 times
יְהוָ֑הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
הֶעָרִ֥יםthe cities
hearimH5892 →1090 times
הָאֵ֖לֶּה<the> these
haelehH428 →746 times
וְאֶת־and <obj.>
veetH853 →10935 times
מִגְרְשֵׁיהֶֽן׃pasture lands their
migresheihenH4054 →119 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
5 stopsEach 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 49:7Cursed be their anger, for it is strong, and their wrath, for it is cruel! I will disperse them in Jacob and scatter them in Israel.
it leads to
- Joshua 19:1–9
The second lot came out for the clans of the tribe of Simeon:
- 1 Chronicles 6:65
They assigned by lot the cities named above from the tribes of Judah, Simeon, and Benjamin.
- 1 Chronicles 4:24–31
The descendants of Simeon: Nemuel, Jamin, Jarib, Zerah, and Shaul.
- 2 Samuel 13:15
Then Amnon hated Tamar with such intensity that his hatred was greater than the love he previously had. “Get up!” he said to her. “Be gone!”
- 2 Samuel 13:22–28
And Absalom never said a word to Amnon, either good or bad, because he hated Amnon for disgracing his sister Tamar.
- Joshua 19:1–9
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies3
On this verse
On this chapter
About Joshua
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes on the Old Testament; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Keil and Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament: Joshua, Judges, Ruth; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Origen of Alexandria, HOMILIES ON JOSHUA 25.4 and Origen of Alexandria, HOMILIES ON JOSHUA 25.1.