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Joshua 21:2

in Joshua 21

at 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.”

BSB

The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾

ASV

and they spake unto them at Shiloh in the land of Canaan, saying, Jehovah commanded by Moses to give us cities to dwell in, with the suburbs thereof for our cattle.

KJV

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.

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This verse in Joshua 21

Commentary

7 notes on this verse

A commentator

Matthew Henry

1662–1714

Commentary on the Whole Bible (1710)

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.

This 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. Numbers 35:4 measures the pasturelands at a thousand cubits from the wall and 35:5 at two thousand on each side.

This site's exposition

commanded through Moses that we

The Levites make their claim after the tribes' lots had closed at Joshua 19:51 and the refuge cities were set in chapter 20. Their towns had to come out of land already assigned. Numbers 35:3 gives the pasturelands to their herds, their flocks and all their other livestock.

The record, by era

The Church Fathers2 voices

A commentator

Origen of Alexandria

HOMILIES ON JOSHUA 25.4 · Written before 253.

proposed

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.

A commentator

Origen of Alexandria

HOMILIES ON JOSHUA 25.1 · Written before 253.

proposed

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 they spake unto them at Shiloh in the land of Canaan,.... Where the tabernacle was fixed, at or near which the above persons met to cast lots for the division of the land to the seven tribes that had not received their inheritance: saying, the Lord commanded by the hand of Moses to give us cities to dwell in, with the suburbs thereof for our cattle; this command is extant in Num 35:2.

The Nineteenth Century1 voice

A commentator

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown

1802–1910

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.

The words behind it

16 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.

  • וַיְדַבְּר֨וּand they spoke

    vaydaberuH1696 →1141 times

  • אֲלֵיהֶ֜םto them

    ʾaleihemH413 →5510 times

  • בְּשִׁלֹ֗הat Shiloh

    beshilohH7887 →32 times

  • בְּאֶ֤רֶץin [the] land of

    beeretzH776 →2504 times

  • כְּנַ֙עַן֙Canaan

    kenaanH3667 →94 times

  • לֵאמֹ֔ר<to> saying

    lemorH559 →5305 times

  • יְהוָה֙Yahweh

    yahwehH3068 →6520 times

  • צִוָּ֣הhe commanded

    tzivahH6680 →494 times

  • בְיַד־by [the] hand of

    veyad-H3027 →1618 times

  • מֹשֶׁ֔הMoses

    moshehH4872 →765 times

  • לָֽתֶת־to give

    latet-H5414 →2011 times

  • לָ֥נוּto <the> us

    lanu

  • עָרִ֖יםcities

    ʾarimH5892 →1090 times

  • לָשָׁ֑בֶתto dwell in

    lashavetH3427 →1079 times

  • וּמִגְרְשֵׁיהֶ֖ןand pasture lands their

    umigresheihenH4054 →119 times

  • לִבְהֶמְתֵּֽנוּ׃for livestock our

    livhemtenuH929 →190 times

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

Related verses

7 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 18:1Then the whole congregation of Israel assembled at Shiloh and set up the Tent of Meeting there. And though the land was subdued before them,5 worksNumbers 35:2–8“Command the Israelites to give, from the inheritance they will possess, cities for the Levites to live in and pasturelands around the cities.3 worksJoshua 14:5So the Israelites did as the LORD had commanded Moses, and they divided the land.3 worksMatthew 10:10Take no bag for the road, or second tunic, or sandals, or staff; for the worker is worthy of his provisions.2 worksEzekiel 48:9–18The special portion you set apart to the LORD shall be 25,000 cubits long and 10,000 cubits wide.2 works1 Timothy 5:17–18Elders who lead effectively are worthy of double honor, especially those who work hard at preaching and teaching.2 works
The other 1 cross-references, with their words ▾
Galatians 6:6Nevertheless, the one who receives instruction in the word must share in all good things with his instructor.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 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,

    it leads to

    • 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…

    • 1 Samuel 1:3

      Year after year Elkanah would go up from his city to worship and sacrifice to the LORD of Hosts at Shiloh, where Eli’s two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, were priests to the LORD.

    • Jeremiah 26:6

      then I will make this house like Shiloh, and I will make this city an object of cursing among all the nations of the earth.’”

  • Through

    Matthew 10:10

    Take no bag for the road, or second tunic, or sandals, or staff; for the worker is worthy of his provisions.

    it leads to

    • 1 Timothy 5:17–18

      Elders who lead effectively are worthy of double honor, especially those who work hard at preaching and teaching.

    • Luke 10:7–12

      Stay at the same house, eating and drinking whatever you are offered. For the worker is worthy of his wages. Do not move around from house to house.

    • 1 Corinthians 9:4–14

      Have we no right to food and to drink?

    • Galatians 6:6–7

      Nevertheless, the one who receives instruction in the word must share in all good things with his instructor.

    • Luke 3:11

      John replied, “Whoever has two tunics should share with him who has none, and whoever has food should do the same.”

Where this verse is studied

About Joshua

Joshua Commanding the Sun to Stand Still upon Gibeon, John Martin, 1816, National Gallery of Art. Public domain.
Joshua Commanding the Sun to Stand Still upon Gibeon, John Martin, 1816, National Gallery of Art. Public domain.
Joshua: the study guide →Read Joshua 21 →

This page draws on 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.

Read on in Joshua 21 →