Joshua 21:6
in Joshua 21The descendants of Gershon received thirteen cities by lot from the tribes of Issachar, Asher, Naphtali, and the half-tribe of Manasseh in Bashan.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And the children of Gershon had by lot out of the families of the tribe of Issachar, and out of the tribe of Asher, and out of the tribe of Naphtali, and out of the half-tribe of Manasseh in Bashan, thirteen cities.
KJV
And the children of Gershon had by lot out of the families of the tribe of Issachar, and out of the tribe of Asher, and out of the tribe of Naphtali, and out of the half tribe of Manasseh in Bashan, thirteen cities.
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This verse in Joshua 21
Commentary
6 notes on this verseThis site's exposition
The first lot came out for the Kohathite clans
on Joshua 21:4-8
Four lots fall and the counts run thirteen, ten, thirteen and twelve, filling the forty-eight cities of Numbers 35:7 exactly. Aaron's sons draw first, into Judah, Simeon and Benjamin, so the priesthood is settled around Jerusalem. Numbers 35:8 had ruled that large tribes give many cities and small tribes few.
This site's exposition
The descendants of Gershon received
Gershon's clan carried the curtains and coverings of the tabernacle, according to Numbers 4:25, and Numbers 7:7 gave them two carts and four oxen. Their towns lie in the north, from the Jezreel plain to Galilee. Bashan had been Og's kingdom, taken at Numbers 21:33-35.
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 Gershon had by lot out of the families of the tribe of Issachar,.... 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, not only out of Issachar, but out of the tribe of Asher, and out of the tribe of Naphtali, and out of the half tribe of Manasseh in Bashan; which was the other half of the tribe beyond Jordan: thirteen cities; as many as were given out of the tribes of Judah, Simeon, and Benjamin.
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
The first lot was drawn by the Kohathites; and the first of theirs again by the priests, to whom thirteen cities were granted, and ten to the rest of the Kohathites (Jos 21:5); thirteen to the Gershonites (Jos 21:6), and twelve to the Merarites (Jos 21:7).
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
On the verses either side of this one
And the remaining descendants of Kehos. They were the descendants of Moshe, the descendants of Yitzhar, Chevron and Uzziel. 1 Shemos:18.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 7 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
17 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְלִבְנֵ֣י | velivnei | and [belonged] to [the] descendants of | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| גֵרְשׁ֗וֹן | gereshon | Gershon | H1648 → | |
| מִמִּשְׁפְּח֣וֹת | mimishpechot | from [the] clans of | H4940 → | 303 times |
| מַטֵּֽה־ | mateh- | [the] tribe of | H4294 → | 252 times |
| יִשָּׂשכָ֣ר | yisoshkhar | Issachar | H3485 → | 43 times |
| וּמִמַּטֵּֽה־ | umimateh- | and from [the] tribe of | H4294 → | 252 times |
| אָ֠שֵׁר | ʾasher | Asher | H836 → | 43 times |
| וּמִמַּטֵּ֨ה | umimateh | and from [the] tribe of | H4294 → | 252 times |
| נַפְתָּלִ֜י | naftali | Naphtali | H5321 → | 51 times |
| וּ֠מֵחֲצִי | umechatzi | and from [the] half of | H2677 → | 125 times |
| מַטֵּ֨ה | mateh | [the] tribe of | H4294 → | 252 times |
| מְנַשֶּׁ֤ה | menasheh | Manasseh | H4519 → | 146 times |
| בַבָּשָׁן֙ | vabashan | in <the> Bashan | H1316 → | 60 times |
| בַּגּוֹרָ֔ל | bagoral | by the lot | H1486 → | 78 times |
| עָרִ֖ים | ʾarim | cities | H5892 → | 1090 times |
| שְׁלֹ֥שׁ | shelosh | thir- | H7969 → | 432 times |
| עֶשְׂרֵֽה׃ ס | ʾesreh | teen | H6240 → | 338 times |
וְלִבְנֵ֣יand [belonged] to [the] descendants of
velivneiH1121 →4930 times
גֵרְשׁ֗וֹןGershon
gereshonH1648 →
מִמִּשְׁפְּח֣וֹתfrom [the] clans of
mimishpechotH4940 →303 times
מַטֵּֽה־[the] tribe of
mateh-H4294 →252 times
יִשָּׂשכָ֣רIssachar
yisoshkharH3485 →43 times
וּמִמַּטֵּֽה־and from [the] tribe of
umimateh-H4294 →252 times
אָ֠שֵׁרAsher
ʾasherH836 →43 times
וּמִמַּטֵּ֨הand from [the] tribe of
umimatehH4294 →252 times
נַפְתָּלִ֜יNaphtali
naftaliH5321 →51 times
וּ֠מֵחֲצִיand from [the] half of
umechatziH2677 →125 times
מַטֵּ֨ה[the] tribe of
matehH4294 →252 times
מְנַשֶּׁ֤הManasseh
menashehH4519 →146 times
בַבָּשָׁן֙in <the> Bashan
vabashanH1316 →60 times
בַּגּוֹרָ֔לby the lot
bagoralH1486 →78 times
עָרִ֖יםcities
ʾarimH5892 →1090 times
שְׁלֹ֥שׁthir-
sheloshH7969 →432 times
עֶשְׂרֵֽה׃ סteen
ʾesrehH6240 →338 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
3 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
1 Chronicles 6:62The Gershomites, according to their clans, were allotted thirteen cities from the tribes of Issachar, Asher, Naphtali, and Manasseh in Bashan.
it leads to
- Joshua 21:27–33
This 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…
- 1 Chronicles 6:71–76
The Gershomites received the following: From the clan of the half-tribe of Manasseh they were given Golan in Bashan and also Ashtaroth, together with their pasturelands.
- Exodus 2:22
And she gave birth to a son, and Moses named him Gershom, saying, “I have become a foreigner in a foreign land.”
- Joshua 21:27–33
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies11
About Joshua
Who and where
2 names in this verse with a page on the site.
- PersonLate monarchyManassehJudah's longest-reigning and worst king, who filled Jerusalem with innocent blood; the book names his apostasy as the cause of 586…
- PlaceEast of the Sea of Galilee, north of GileadBashanThe fertile tableland east of the Sea of Galilee, the kingdom of Og and the giant clans, taken by Israel before the Jordan crossin…
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; 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: The Pentateuch; Keil and Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament: Joshua, Judges, Ruth; Origen of Alexandria, HOMILIES ON JOSHUA 25.4 and Origen of Alexandria, HOMILIES ON JOSHUA 25.1.