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Joshua Chapter 21 (WEB)

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Joshua 21 – The Levites' Cities and Israel's Rest
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1 Then came near the heads of fathers' [houses] of the Levites to Eleazar the priest, and to Joshua the son of Nun, and to the heads of fathers' [houses] of the tribes of the children of Israel;

2 and they spoke to them at Shiloh in the land of Canaan, saying, Yahweh commanded Moses to give us cities to dwell in, with the suburbs of it for our cattle.

3 The children of Israel gave to the Levites out of their inheritance, according to the commandment of Yahweh, these cities with their suburbs.

4 The lot came out for the families of the Kohathites: and the children of Aaron the priest, who were of the Levites, had by lot out of the tribe of Judah, and out of the tribe of the Simeonites, and out of the tribe of Benjamin, thirteen cities.

5 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 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 according to 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 The children of Israel gave by lot to the Levites these cities with their suburbs, as Yahweh commanded by Moses.

9 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 and they were for the children of Aaron, of the families of the Kohathites, who were of the children of Levi; for theirs was the first lot.

11 They gave them Kiriath Arba, [which Arba was] the father of Anak (the same is Hebron), in the hill-country of Judah, with the suburbs of it round about it.

12 But the fields of the city, and the villages of it, gave they to Caleb the son of Jephunneh for his possession.

13 To the children of Aaron the priest they gave Hebron with its suburbs, the city of refuge for the manslayer, and Libnah with its suburbs,

14 and Jattir with its suburbs, and Eshtemoa with its suburbs,

15 and Holon with its suburbs, and Debir with its suburbs,

16 and Ain with its suburbs, and Juttah with its suburbs, [and] Beth-shemesh with its suburbs; nine cities out of those two tribes.

17 Out of the tribe of Benjamin, Gibeon with its suburbs, Geba with its suburbs,

18 Anathoth with its suburbs, and Almon with its suburbs; four cities.

19 All the cities of the children of Aaron, the priests, were thirteen cities with their suburbs.

20 The families of the children of Kohath, the Levites, even the rest of the children of Kohath, they had the cities of their lot out of the tribe of Ephraim.

21 They gave them Shechem with its suburbs in the hill-country of Ephraim, the city of refuge for the manslayer, and Gezer with its suburbs,

22 and Kibzaim with its suburbs, and Beth Horon with its suburbs; four cities.

23 Out of the tribe of Dan, Elteke with its suburbs, Gibbethon with its suburbs,

24 Aijalon with its suburbs, Gath-rimmon with its suburbs; four cities.

25 Out of the half-tribe of Manasseh, Taanach with its suburbs, and Gath-rimmon with its suburbs; two cities.

26 All the cities of the families of the rest of the children of Kohath were ten with their suburbs.

27 To the children of Gershon, of the families of the Levites, out of the half-tribe of Manasseh [they gave] Golan in Bashan with its suburbs, the city of refuge for the manslayer, and Be-eshterah with its suburbs; two cities.

28 Out of the tribe of Issachar, Kishion with its suburbs, Daberath with its suburbs,

29 Jarmuth with its suburbs, En Gannim with its suburbs; four cities.

30 Out of the tribe of Asher, Mishal with its suburbs, Abdon with its suburbs,

31 Helkath with its suburbs, and Rehob with its suburbs; four cities.

32 Out of the tribe of Naphtali, Kedesh in Galilee with its suburbs, the city of refuge for the manslayer, and Hammothdor with its suburbs, and Kartan with its suburbs; three cities.

33 All the cities of the Gershonites according to their families were thirteen cities with their suburbs.

34 To the families of the children of Merari, the rest of the Levites, out of the tribe of Zebulun, Jokneam with its suburbs, and Kartah with its suburbs,

35 Dimnah with its suburbs, Nahalal with its suburbs; four cities.

36 Out of the tribe of Reuben, Bezer with its suburbs, and Jahaz with its suburbs,

37 Kedemoth with its suburbs, and Mephaath with its suburbs; four cities.

38 Out of the tribe of Gad, Ramoth in Gilead with its suburbs, the city of refuge for the manslayer, and Mahanaim with its suburbs,

39 Heshbon with its suburbs, Jazer with its suburbs; four cities in all.

40 All [these were] the cities of the children of Merari according to their families, even the rest of the families of the Levites; and their lot was twelve cities.

41 All the cities of the Levites in the midst of the possession of the children of Israel were forty-eight cities with their suburbs.

42 These cities were every one with their suburbs round about them: thus it was with all these cities.

43 So Yahweh gave to Israel all the land which he swore to give to their fathers; and they possessed it, and lived therein.

44 Yahweh gave them rest round about, according to all that he swore to their fathers: and there stood not a man of all their enemies before them; Yahweh delivered all their enemies into their hand.

45 There failed not anything of any good thing which Yahweh had spoken to the house of Israel; all came to pass.

Frequently Asked Questions

What happens in Joshua chapter 21?
The Levites receive forty-eight cities with surrounding pastureland from the other tribes, including the cities of refuge, fulfilling what the LORD had commanded through Moses.
How many cities did the Levites receive in total in Joshua 21?
Verse 41 totals forty-eight cities with their suburbs, distributed among the Levite family groups - the Kohathites, Gershonites, and Merarites - from territory across the other tribes.
What does Joshua 21:45 mean that 'there failed not ought of any good thing'?
It states that every promise the LORD made to Israel's ancestors was fulfilled without exception, a summary statement of God's faithfulness echoed later in 1 Kings 8:56.

Today's Verse

Son of man, put forth a riddle, and speak a parable unto the house of Israel;

Ezekiel 17:2 | ASV

Verse Of The Day

The chapter closes with a sweeping statement that the LORD gave Israel rest and that not one good promise failed, a summary recalled again in 1 Kings 8:56. The eastern tribes head home in Joshua 22.