Joshua Chapter 21 KJV
King James Version, Holy Bible
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.
Josh.21 (Old Testament)
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.
9 And they gave out of the tribe of the children of Judah, and out of the tribe of the children of Simeon, these cities which are here mentioned by name.
10 Which the children of Aaron, being of the families of the Kohathites, who were of the children of Levi, had: for theirs was the first lot.
11 And they gave them the city of Arba the father of Anak, which city is Hebron, in the hill country of Judah, with the suburbs thereof round about it.
12 But the fields of the city, and the villages thereof, gave they to Caleb the son of Jephunneh for his possession.
Josh.21 (Old Testament)
13 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,
14 And Jattir with her suburbs, and Eshtemoa with her suburbs,
15 And Holon with her suburbs, and Debir with her suburbs,
16 And Ain with her suburbs, and Juttah with her suburbs, and Bethshemesh with her suburbs; nine cities out of those two tribes.
17 And out of the tribe of Benjamin, Gibeon with her suburbs, Geba with her suburbs,
18 Anathoth with her suburbs, and Almon with her suburbs; four cities.
19 All the cities of the children of Aaron, the priests, were thirteen cities with their suburbs.
20 And the families of the children of Kohath, the Levites which remained of the children of Kohath, even they had the cities of their lot out of the tribe of Ephraim.
21 For they gave them Shechem with her suburbs in mount Ephraim, to be a city of refuge for the slayer; and Gezer with her suburbs,
22 And Kibzaim with her suburbs, and Bethhoron with her suburbs; four cities.
23 And out of the tribe of Dan, Eltekeh with her suburbs, Gibbethon with her suburbs,
24 Aijalon with her suburbs, Gathrimmon with her suburbs; four cities.
25 And out of the half tribe of Manasseh, Tanach with her suburbs, and Gathrimmon with her suburbs; two cities.
26 All the cities were ten with their suburbs for the families of the children of Kohath that remained.
27 And unto the children of Gershon, of the families of the Levites, out of the other half tribe of Manasseh they gave Golan in Bashan with her suburbs, to be a city of refuge for the slayer; and Beeshterah with her suburbs; two cities.
28 And out of the tribe of Issachar, Kishon with her suburbs, Dabareh with her suburbs,
29 Jarmuth with her suburbs, Engannim with her suburbs; four cities.
30 And out of the tribe of Asher, Mishal with her suburbs, Abdon with her suburbs,
31 Helkath with her suburbs, and Rehob with her suburbs; four cities.
32 And out of the tribe of Naphtali, Kedesh in Galilee with her suburbs, to be a city of refuge for the slayer; and Hammothdor with her suburbs, and Kartan with her suburbs; three cities.
33 All the cities of the Gershonites according to their families were thirteen cities with their suburbs.
34 And unto the families of the children of Merari, the rest of the Levites, out of the tribe of Zebulun, Jokneam with her suburbs, and Kartah with her suburbs,
35 Dimnah with her suburbs, Nahalal with her suburbs; four cities.
36 And out of the tribe of Reuben, Bezer with her suburbs, and Jahazah with her suburbs,
37 Kedemoth with her suburbs, and Mephaath with her suburbs; four cities.
38 And out of the tribe of Gad, Ramoth in Gilead with her suburbs, to be a city of refuge for the slayer; and Mahanaim with her suburbs,
39 Heshbon with her suburbs, Jazer with her suburbs; four cities in all.
40 So all the cities for the children of Merari by their families, which were remaining of the families of the Levites, were by their lot twelve cities.
41 All the cities of the Levites within the possession of the children of Israel were forty and eight cities with their suburbs.
42 These cities were every one with their suburbs round about them: thus were all these cities.
43 And the Lord gave unto Israel all the land which he sware to give unto their fathers; and they possessed it, and dwelt therein.
44 And the Lord gave them rest round about, according to all that he sware unto their fathers: and there stood not a man of all their enemies before them; the Lord delivered all their enemies into their hand.
45 There failed not ought of any good thing which the Lord had spoken unto the house of Israel; all came to pass.
| Hebrew Word + Transliteration | Verse + Snippet | Meaning | Scholarly Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| רֵאשִׁים — reshiyim | Verse 1 — “The heads of the fathers of the Levites…” | “Heads,” chiefs, leaders. | Reshiyim (“heads/leaders”) identifies clan representatives (“leaders”). It stresses hierarchical order in Levitical governance. The term underscores the formal structure behind priestly land assignments. — Carl Friedrich Keil, Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament |
| נָתַן — natan | Verse 2 — “…the LORD commanded to give us cities…” | “To give,” grant. | Natan (“to give”) frames the Levitical cities as divine allocations (“give”). It reinforces that Levitical provision derives from God, not mere tribal generosity. The word situates priestly rights within covenant command. — Wilhelm Gesenius, Hebrew and Chaldee Lexicon of the Old Testament |
| עָרֵי מִקְלָט — arei miqlat | Verse 13 — “Cities of refuge…” | “Refuge cities,” asylum centers. | Arei Miqlat (“cities of refuge”) signals judicial sanctuaries (“refuge cities”). It integrates mercy and justice in Israel’s legal system. The term highlights God’s provision for the vulnerable. — Franz Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament |
| מִגְרָשׁ — migrash | Verse 12 — “…fields of the city and its outlands…” | “Pastureland,” open space. | Migrash (“pastureland”) denotes Levitical grazing spaces (“pastureland”). It ensures economic sustainability for priestly families. The term blends spiritual service with practical livelihood. — Carl Friedrich Keil, Commentary |
| גּוֹרָל — goral | Verse 4 — “…the lot came out…” | “Lot,” divine decision. | Goral (“lot”) affirms God’s sovereign choice (“lot”). It prevents partiality in priestly city distribution. The term reinforces divine governance over tribal affairs. — Wilhelm Gesenius, Lexicon |
| מַטֶּה — matteh | Verse 4 — “…the tribe of Judah…” | “Tribe,” staff, branch. | Matteh (“tribe”) reflects extended kinship identity (“tribe”). It organizes Levitical settlements within tribal territories. The term preserves Israel’s federal structure. — Franz Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary |
| חֶסֶד — chesed | Verse 44 — “…He gave them rest round about…” | “Lovingkindness,” covenant mercy. | Chesed (“lovingkindness”) embodies covenantal favor (“mercy”). It reveals God’s faithfulness in granting rest. The word emphasizes fulfillment of divine promise. — Wilhelm Gesenius, Hebrew and Chaldee Lexicon |
| שָׁקַט — shaqat | Verse 44 — “…and the LORD gave them rest…” | “To rest,” be quiet. | Shaqat (“to rest”) signifies peace after struggle (“rest”). It marks completion of major conquests. The term captures fulfillment of Joshua’s mission. — Carl Friedrich Keil, Keil & Delitzsch Commentary |
| נָפַל — nafal | Verse 45 — “Not one thing failed…” | “To fall,” fail. | Nafal (“to fall/fail”) stresses divine reliability (“fail”). It certifies perfect fulfillment of God’s word to Israel. The term deepens trust in covenant stability. — Franz Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary |
| דָּבָר — davar | Verse 45 — “…of all that the LORD had spoken…” | “Word,” decree. | Davar (“word/decree”) refers to authoritative divine speech (“word”). It elevates Scripture as the governing authority over Israel’s history. The term highlights God’s unbreakable promises. — Wilhelm Gesenius, Lexicon |
Biblical Scholars On This Chapter:
| Scholar | Work | View on Chapter 21 |
|---|---|---|
| Franz Delitzsch (University of Leipzig, Germany, 1813–1890) | Biblischer Commentar über das Alte Testament | The allocation of cities to the Levites emphasizes religious order and continuity of priestly duties. |
| Charles Foster Kent (Yale University, United States, 1867–1925) | The Bible and Modern Scholarship | Kent highlights the ethical and social function of the Levites’ inheritance within Israel. |
| William Robertson Smith (University of Aberdeen, United Kingdom, 1846–1894) | The Old Testament in the Jewish Church | The chapter illustrates the balance between religious service and communal structure. |
| Hugo Gressmann (University of Leipzig, Germany, 1864–1935) | Die Eschatologie der israelitischen Propheten | Gressmann stresses the integration of sacred duties with the practical needs of the nation. |
| Samuel Cox (University of London, United Kingdom, 1826–1893) | The Pentateuch | Levite cities reflect both historical fact and moral instruction in covenantal governance. |
Chapter 21
Verse: "The Lord gave them rest on every side, just as he had sworn to their ancestors. Not one of their enemies withstood them; the Lord gave all their enemies into their hands." (Joshua 21:44)
Lesson: God is faithful to keep His promises. He provided rest and victory to the Israelites, just as He promised their ancestors.
Conclusion: We can trust in God's faithfulness to keep His promises to us. He is always working for our good, even when we may not see it.
Prayer Points: Thank God for His faithfulness to keep His promises. Ask Him to help us trust in Him, even when we may not see the way ahead.
