The Meaning of Joshua 21:13 Explained

Joshua 21:13

KJV: Thus they gave to the children of Aaron the priest Hebron with her suburbs, to be a city of refuge for the slayer; and Libnah with her suburbs,

YLT: And to the sons of Aaron the priest they have given the city of refuge for the man-slayer, Hebron and its suburbs, and Libnah and its suburbs,

Darby: And they gave to the children of Aaron the priest the city of refuge for the slayer, Hebron and its suburbs; and Libnah and its suburbs,

ASV: And unto the children of Aaron the priest they gave Hebron with its suburbs, the city of refuge for the manslayer, and Libnah with its suburbs,

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Thus they gave  to the children  of Aaron  the priest  Hebron  with her suburbs,  [to be] a city  of refuge  for the slayer;  and Libnah  with her suburbs, 

What does Joshua 21:13 Mean?

Chapter Summary: Joshua 21

1  Forty-eight cities given by lot, out of the other tribes unto the Levites
43  God gives the land, and rest unto the Israelites, according to his promise

What do the individual words in Joshua 21:13 mean?

Thus to the sons of Aaron the priest they gave - a city of refuge for the slayer Hebron and with its common-land and Libnah its common-land
וְלִבְנֵ֣י ׀ אַהֲרֹ֣ן הַכֹּהֵ֗ן נָֽתְנוּ֙ אֶת־ עִיר֙ מִקְלַ֣ט הָרֹצֵ֔חַ חֶבְר֖וֹן וְאֶת־ מִגְרָשֶׁ֑הָ וְאֶת־ לִבְנָ֖ה מִגְרָשֶֽׁהָ

וְלִבְנֵ֣י ׀  Thus  to  the  sons 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l, Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
אַהֲרֹ֣ן  of  Aaron 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אַהֲרֹון  
Sense: brother of Moses, a Levite and the first high priest.
הַכֹּהֵ֗ן  the  priest 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: כֹּהֵן  
Sense: priest, principal officer or chief ruler.
נָֽתְנוּ֙  they  gave 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: יָתַן 
Sense: to give, put, set.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
עִיר֙  a  city 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: עִיר 
Sense: excitement, anguish.
מִקְלַ֣ט  of  refuge  for 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: מִקְלָט  
Sense: refuge, asylum.
הָרֹצֵ֔חַ  the  slayer 
Parse: Article, Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: רָצַח  
Sense: to murder, slay, kill.
חֶבְר֖וֹן  Hebron 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: חֶבְרֹון 
Sense: a city in south Judah approx 20 south of Jerusalem and approx 20 miles (30 km) north of Beersheba and near where Abraham built an altar.
וְאֶת־  and  with 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
מִגְרָשֶׁ֑הָ  its  common-land 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, third person feminine singular
Root: מִגְרָשׁ 
Sense: common, common land, open land, suburb.
לִבְנָ֖ה  Libnah 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: לִבְנָה  
Sense: a royal city of the Canaanites in the southwest captured by Joshua; allocated to Judah and made a Levitical city; site unknown.
מִגְרָשֶֽׁהָ  its  common-land 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, third person feminine singular
Root: מִגְרָשׁ 
Sense: common, common land, open land, suburb.