Numbers 35:1-8
500 yards <0520 0505> [thousand cubits.]
The Septuagint reads [dischilious pecheis] "two thousand cubits," as in the following verse; but this reading is not acknowledged by any other ancient version, except the Coptic, nor by any of the MSS. collated by Kennicott and De Rossi. Various modes have been proposed for reconciling the accounts in these two verses, which appear in general to require full as much explanation as the text itself. The explanation of Maimonides is the only one that is intelligible, and appears perfectly satisfactory. "The suburbs," says he, "of the cities are expressed in the law to be 3,000 cubits on every side, from the wall of the city and outwards. The first 1,000 cubits are the suburbs; and the 2,000, which they measured without the suburbs, were for fields and vineyards." The whole therefore, of the city, suburbs, fields, and vineyards, may be represented by the following diagram:-- ÚÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ¿ ³ Fields and vineyards. ³ ³ ÚÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ¿ ³ ³ ³ Suburbs. ³ ³ ³ ³ ÚÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ¿ ³ ³ ³ ³ ³ City. ³ ³ ³ ³ ³ ÀÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÙ ³ ³ ³ ³ 1,000 Cubits ³ ³ ³ ÀÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÙ ³ ³ 2,000 Cubits ³ ÀÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÙ
towns ............ six towns ... refuge ................... towns <05892 04733 08337> [six cities for refuge.]
give ................... someone ....... give <05414> [to them ye shall add. Heb. above them ye shall give.]
possession <0272> [possession.]
larger <07227 04592> [from them.]
allocated <05157> [he inheriteth. Heb. they inherit.]
Joshua 21:3-8
Levites <03881> [unto the Levites.]
descendants <01121> [the children.]
tribes <04294> [the tribe.]
These tribes furnished more habitation to the Levites, in proportion, than any of the other tribes, because they possessed a more extensive inheritance, agreeably to what Moses had commanded (Nu 35:8.) It is worthy of remark, that the principal part of this tribe, whose business was to minister at the sanctuary, which sanctuary was afterwards established at Jerusalem, had their appointment nearest to that city; so that they were always within reach of the sacred work which God had appointed them.
lot <01486> [by lot.]
Lord <03068> [as the Lord.]
