Jos 21:1-40 - Commentary

Commentary

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Text -- Joshua 21:1-40 (NET)

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Context

Levitical Cities

21:1 The tribal leaders of the Levites went before Eleazar the priest and Joshua son of Nun and the Israelite tribal leaders 21:2 in Shiloh in the land of Canaan and said, “The Lord told Moses to assign us cities in which to live along with the grazing areas for our cattle.” 21:3 So the Israelites assigned these cities and their grazing areas to the Levites from their own holdings, as the Lord had instructed. 21:4 The first lot belonged to the Kohathite clans. The Levites who were descendants of Aaron the priest were allotted thirteen cities from the tribes of Judah, Simeon, and Benjamin. 21:5 The rest of Kohath’s descendants were allotted ten cities from the clans of the tribe of Ephraim, and from the tribe of Dan and the half-tribe of Manasseh. 21:6 Gershon’s descendants were allotted thirteen cities from the clans of the tribe of Issachar, and from the tribes of Asher and Naphtali and the half-tribe of Manasseh in Bashan. 21:7 Merari’s descendants by their clans were allotted twelve cities from the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and Zebulun. 21:8 So the Israelites assigned to the Levites by lot these cities and their grazing areas, as the Lord had instructed Moses. 21:9 They assigned from the tribes of Judah and Simeon the cities listed below. 21:10 They were assigned to the Kohathite clans of the Levites who were descendants of Aaron, for the first lot belonged to them. 21:11 They assigned them Kiriath Arba (Arba was the father of Anak), that is, Hebron, in the hill country of Judah, along with its surrounding grazing areas. 21:12 (Now the city’s fields and surrounding towns they had assigned to Caleb son of Jephunneh as his property.) 21:13 So to the descendants of Aaron the priest they assigned Hebron (a city of refuge for one who committed manslaughter), Libnah, 21:14 Jattir, Eshtemoa, 21:15 Holon, Debir, 21:16 Ain, Juttah, and Beth Shemesh, along with the grazing areas of each– a total of nine cities taken from these two tribes. 21:17 From the tribe of Benjamin they assigned Gibeon, Geba, 21:18 Anathoth, and Almon, along with the grazing areas of each– a total of four cities. 21:19 The priests descended from Aaron received thirteen cities and their grazing areas. 21:20 The rest of the Kohathite clans of the Levites were allotted cities from the tribe of Ephraim. 21:21 They assigned them Shechem (a city of refuge for one who committed manslaughter) in the hill country of Ephraim, Gezer, 21:22 Kibzaim, and Beth Horon, along with the grazing areas of each– a total of four cities. 21:23 From the tribe of Dan they assigned Eltekeh, Gibbethon, 21:24 Aijalon, and Gath Rimmon, along with the grazing areas of each– a total of four cities. 21:25 From the half-tribe of Manasseh they assigned Taanach and Gath Rimmon, along with the grazing areas of each– a total of two cities. 21:26 The rest of the Kohathite clans received ten cities and their grazing areas. 21:27 They assigned to the Gershonite clans of the Levites the following cities: from the half-tribe of Manasseh: Golan in Bashan (a city of refuge for one who committed manslaughter) and Beeshtarah, along with the grazing areas of each– a total of two cities; 21:28 from the tribe of Issachar: Kishon, Daberath, 21:29 Jarmuth, and En Gannim, along with the grazing areas of each– a total of four cities; 21:30 from the tribe of Asher: Mishal, Abdon, 21:31 Helkath, and Rehob, along with the grazing areas of each– a total of four cities; 21:32 from the tribe of Naphtali: Kedesh in Galilee (a city of refuge for one who committed manslaughter), Hammoth Dor, and Kartan, along with the grazing areas of each– a total of three cities. 21:33 The Gershonite clans received thirteen cities and their grazing areas. 21:34 They assigned to the Merarite clans (the remaining Levites) the following cities: from the tribe of Zebulun: Jokneam, Kartah, 21:35 Dimnah, and Nahalal, along with the grazing areas of each– a total of four cities; 21:36 from the tribe of Reuben: Bezer, Jahaz, 21:37 Kedemoth, and Mephaath, along with the grazing areas of each– a total of four cities; 21:38 from the tribe of Gad: Ramoth in Gilead (a city of refuge for one who committed manslaughter), Mahanaim, 21:39 Heshbon, and Jazer, along with the grazing areas of each– a total of four cities. 21:40 The Merarite clans (the remaining Levites) were allotted twelve cities.

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Names, People and Places, Dictionary Themes and Topics

Names, People and Places:

· Aaron a son of Amram; brother of Moses,son of Amram (Kohath Levi); patriarch of Israel's priests,the clan or priestly line founded by Aaron

· Abdon a town of Asher east. of Achzib, given to the Gershonite Levites,a man who was the eleventh judge of Israel,the son of Shashak of Benjamin,son of Je-Iel of Gibeon in Benjamin; great uncle to King Saul,son (descendent) of Micah/Micaiah in King Josiah's time

· Aijalon a town 19 km WNW of Jerusalem,a town in the land of Zebulun some 90 km north of Jerusalem

· Ain a place marking part of the north-eastern boarder of Israel,a town of Simeon in the western foothills of Judah

· Almon a town of Benjamin 2 km NE of Anathoth (OS)

· Anak the forefather of the Anakim people

· Anathoth a town of Benjamin 10 km NE of Jerusalem, given to the priests,son of Becher, a Benjamite,an Israelite chief who signed the covenant to obey God's law

· Arba a man who was reputed to be the greatest man among the Anakim

· Asher a tribe of Israel that came from Asher; son of Jacob and Zilpah,the man; son of Jacob and Zilpah,a tribe of Israel or its land

· Bashan a region east of Lake Galilee between Mt. Hermon and Wadi Yarmuk

· Beeshterah a town of Manasseh given to the Gershonites

· Benjamin the tribe of Benjamin of Israel

· Beth-horon "twin" towns (Upper & Lower) in the foothills of Ephraim

· Beth-Horon "twin" towns (Upper & Lower) in the foothills of Ephraim

· Beth-Shemesh a town marking the northern boarder of Judah (YC),a town of Issachar in lower Galilee by the boarder of Naphtali,a town of Naphtali in upper Galilee perhaps 25 km west of Hazor

· Beth-shemesh a town marking the northern boarder of Judah (YC),a town of Issachar in lower Galilee by the boarder of Naphtali,a town of Naphtali in upper Galilee perhaps 25 km west of Hazor

· Bezer a city of refuge in Reuben, given to the Merarites,son of Zophah of Asher

· Caleb son of Hezron son of Perez son of Judah

· Canaan the region ofeast Mediterranean coastal land from Arvad (modern Lebanon) south to Gaza,the coast land from Mt. Carmel north to the Orontes River

· Daberath a town of Issachar given to the Gershonites

· Dan residents of the town of Dan; members of the tribe of Dan,the tribe of Dan as a whole; the descendants of Dan in Israel

· Debir the Amorite king of Eglon,a town of Judah 14 km SW of Hebron,a border town of Judah, about 16 km east of Jerusalem,a northern border town of Gad, about 80 km NE of Jerusalem

· Dimnah a town of Zebulun, 26 km ESE of Acco & 20 km west of Tiberias

· Eleazar a son of Eliud; the father of Matthan; an ancestor of Jesus.,a chief priest; son of Aaron,son of Abinadab; caretaker of the Ark at Kiriath-Jearim,son of Dodo the Ahohite; one of David's military elite,son of Mahli the Levite,a priest who participated in the dedication of the wall,a priest under Ezra; son of Phinehas,a layman of the Parosh clan who put away his heathen wife

· Elteke a town of the original territory of Dan given to the Kohathites

· En-Gannim a town in the western foothills of Judah,a town of Issachar given to the Gershonites

· En-gannim a town in the western foothills of Judah,a town of Issachar given to the Gershonites

· Ephraim the tribe of Ephraim as a whole,the northern kingdom of Israel

· Eshtemoa a town of Judah 15 km south. of Hebron, given to the Kohathites,a man of Judah; son of Ishbah of Ezrah and of Hodiah

· Gad the tribe of Israel descended from Gad, the son of Jacob,the man; the son of Jacob and Zilpah,the tribe of Gad in Israel,a prophet and long time advisor to King David

· Galilee the region of Palestine north of Sameria and west of the upper Jordan River,a region west of Lake Galilee and north of the Jezreel Valley

· more...

Table of Contents

Verse Notes / Footnotes NET Notes

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Commentary -- Verse Notes / Footnotes

NET Notes: Jos 21:4 Heb “came out for.”

NET Notes: Jos 21:10 Heb “and it belonged to the sons of Aaron, from the Kohathite clans, from the sons of Levi.”

NET Notes: Jos 21:17 The words “they assigned” are supplied for clarification (also in vv. 23, 25).

NET Notes: Jos 21:25 The name “Gath Rimmon” is problematic here, for it appears in the preceding list of Danite cities. The LXX reads “Iebatha”; 1 ...

NET Notes: Jos 21:27 The words “they assigned” and “the following cities” are supplied for clarification (also in v. 34).

NET Notes: Jos 21:36 21:36-37 are accidentally omitted from a number of significant Hebrew mss. They are, however, found in some Hebrew mss, the LXX and Vulgate.

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