Numbers 35:2-5
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
Joshua 21:20-42
Shechem <07927> [Shechem.]
Gezer <01507> [Gezer.]
Beth Horon <01032> [Beth-horon.]
Eltekeh <0514> [Eltekeh.]
Gibbethon <01405> [Gibbethon.]
Probably the Gabatha mentioned by Eusebius and Jerome, as situated in the south of Judah, 12 miles from Eleutheropolis, where the prophet Habakkuk's sepulchre was shown.
Aijalon <0357> [Aijalon.]
[Ajalon.]
Gath Rimmon <01667> [Gathrimmon.]
Gathrimmon is said by Jerome to be a great town 10 miles from Diospolis, or Lydda, towards Eleutheropolis.
Aner and Bileam are mentioned in Chronicles, instead of Tanach and Gath-rimmon. (1 Ch 6:70.) Either the cities had at this time different names, or afterwards their names were changed; or the Levites, being by some means dispossessed of the cities first assigned them, received others from their brethren. A careful examination of the marginal references will discover other variations of this kind, which may be accounted for in the same manner.
Taanach <08590> [Tanach.]
<01121> [And unto.]
Golan <01474> [Golan.]
Beeshtarah <01203> [Beesh-terah.]
It is very probable that Beesh-terah is a contraction of {baith ashtaroth,} "the house of Ashtaroth," and the same as Ashtaroth, which is the reading in 1 Ch 6:71.
Daberath <01705> [Dabareh.]
Jarmuth <03412> [Jarmuth.]
This seems to be the same city with Remeth, Jos 10:19, 21, and Ramoth, 1 Ch 6:73, mentioned with Engannim.
Mishal <04861> [Mishal.]
[Misheal.]
[Mashal.]
Rehob <07340> [Rehob.]
See the note on Nu 13:21.
Kedesh <06943> [Kedesh.]
Hammoth Dor <02576> [Hammoth-dor.]
Supposed by many to be the same as Tiberias; so called from the hot-baths, as the word {Chammoth} may denote, in its vicinity.
[Hammath. Kartan.]
Supposed to be the same as Kirjathaim.
clans <04940> [And unto.]
Jokneam <03362> [Jokneam.]
Dimnah <01829> [Dimnah.]
This and the following verse are wholly omitted by the Masora, and many Hebrew Bibles which are esteemed very highly; though, without them, neither the twelve cities of the Merarites in particular (ver. 40,) nor the forty-eight Levitical cities in general (ver. 41), nor the six cities of refuge, can be made up. But these two verses, are thus absolutely necessary for the truth and consistency of this chapter, are happily preserved in no less than 149 MSS. collated by Dr. Kennicott, and upwards of 40 collated by De Rossi.
Bezer <01221> [Bezer.]
Jahaz <03096> [Jahazah.]
[Jahzah.]
Ramoth <07433> [Ramoth.]
Mahanaim <04266> [Mahanaim.]
Heshbon <02809> [Heshbon.]
Jazer <03270> [Jazer.]
[Jaazer.]
within <08432> [within.]
forty-eight <0705> [forty.]
At the last census, the tribe of Levi amounted only to 23,000 (Nu 36:62); and it is thought by some that forty-eight cities was too great a proportion for this tribe. But it should be considered, that cities in ancient times were little more than villages.
Joshua 21:1
leaders ................... leaders <07218> [the heads.]
Eleazar <0499> [Eleazar.]
Joshua 6:1
shut tightly <05462> [was straitly. Heb. did shut up, and was shut up.]
because <06440> [because.]
