Joshua 21:1-8

Joshua 21:1-8

[1] Then came near  the heads  of the fathers  of the Levites  unto Eleazar  the priest,  and unto Joshua  the son  of Nun,  and unto the heads  of the fathers  of the tribes  of the children  of Israel;  [2] And they spake  unto them at Shiloh  in the land  of Canaan,  saying,  The LORD  commanded  by the hand  of Moses  to give  us cities  to dwell in,  with the suburbs  thereof for our cattle.  [3] And the children  of Israel  gave  unto the Levites  out of their inheritance,  at the commandment  of the LORD,  these cities  and their suburbs.  [4] And the lot  came out  for the families  of the Kohathites:  and the children  of Aaron  the priest,  which were of the Levites,  had by lot  out of the tribe  of Judah,  and out of the tribe  of Simeon,  and out of the tribe  of Benjamin,  thirteen  cities.  [5] And the rest  of the children  of Kohath  had by lot  out of the families  of the tribe  of Ephraim,  and out of the tribe  of Dan,  and out of the half  tribe  of Manasseh,  ten  cities.  [6] 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.  [7] The children  of Merari  by their families  had out of the tribe  of Reuben,  and out of the tribe  of Gad,  and out of the tribe  of Zebulun,  twelve  cities.  [8] And the children  of Israel  gave  by lot  unto the Levites  these cities  with their suburbs,  as the LORD  commanded  by the hand  of Moses. 

What does Joshua 21:1-8 Mean?

Contextual Meaning

Probably the leaders identified the towns first and then assigned the various groups of Levites to particular cities by lot ( Joshua 21:3-4). The priests (Aaron"s descendants) received13cities within the tribal territories of Judah, Simeon, and Benjamin ( Joshua 21:4). The rest of the Kohathites-Aaron was a descendant of Kohath-obtained10 cities in Ephraim, Daniel , and western Manasseh ( Joshua 21:5). The Gershonites lived in13cities in Issachar, Asher, Naphtali, and eastern Manasseh ( Joshua 21:6). The Merarites inherited12cities in Reuben, Gad, and Zebulun ( Joshua 21:7). The names of these Levitical towns appear in the following verses ( Joshua 21:9-40).