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Joshua 21:3
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Cities of the Levites

1 Then the heads of the fathers’ houses of the aLevites came near to bEleazar the priest, to Joshua the son of Nun, and to the heads of the fathers’ houses of the tribes of the children of Israel.  
2 And they spoke to them at aShiloh in the land of Canaan, saying, b“The Lord commanded through Moses to give us cities to dwell in, with their common-lands for our livestock.”  
3 So the children of Israel gave to the Levites from their inheritance, at the commandment of the Lord, these cities and their common-lands:
4 Now the lot came out for the families of the Kohathites. And athe children of Aaron the priest, who were of the Levites, bhad thirteen cities by lot from the tribe of Judah, from the tribe of Simeon, and from the tribe of Benjamin.  
5 aThe rest of the children of Kohath had ten cities by lot from the families of the tribe of Ephraim, from the tribe of Dan, and from the half-tribe of Manasseh.  
6 And athe children of Gershon had thirteen cities by lot from the families of the tribe of Issachar, from the tribe of Asher, from the tribe of Naphtali, and from the half-tribe of Manasseh in Bashan.  
7 aThe children of Merari according to their families had twelve cities from the tribe of Reuben, from the tribe of Gad, and from the tribe of Zebulun.  
8 aAnd the children of Israel gave these cities with their common-lands by lot to the Levites, bas the Lord had commanded by the hand of Moses.  
9 So they gave from the tribe of the children of Judah and from the tribe of the children of Simeon these cities which are designated by name,  
10 which were for the children of Aaron, one of the families of the Kohathites, who were of the children of Levi; for the lot was theirs first.
Commentaries:
John Wesley's Notes
<< Joshua 21:2   Joshua 21:4 >>


Joshua 21:3

The children of Israel gave - Probably they gave the Levites promiscuously such cities as God commanded, and the lot appropriated them to their several houses or families. Out of their inheritance - That is, out of their several possessions; that the burden might be equally divided; and, that the Levites being dispersed among the several tribes, according to Jacob's prediction, Genesis 49:7, might more easily, and effectually teach the Israelites God's law and judgments, which they were engaged to do, Deuteronomy 33:10, and that the people might upon all occasions resort to them, and enquire the meaning of the law at their mouths. And suburbs - Not only the use, but the absolute dominion of them, as is manifest both from Joshua 21:11-12, where a distinction is made between the city and suburbs of Hebron, and the fields and villages thereof; (the former given to the Levites, the latter to Caleb;) and from the return of these cities in the Jubilee, unto the Levites as to their proper owners, Leviticus 25:33-34.


 
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