Chapter 21

1 Eight and forty cities given by lot, out of the other tribes, unto the Levites. 43 God gave the land, and rest unto the Israelites, according to his promise.

1. Heads of the fathers. Chief persons descended from the three branches of the tribe of Levi, that is, from the family of Gershon, Kohath, and Merari, the three sons of Levi.

Levites. This tribe waited to receive its share until all the other tribes had received their inheritance. The delay until the land was divided was necessary so that the Levites might be scattered in Israel, receiving cities from the various tribes. Their request was not arbitrary, for the God of Israel had commanded that the Levites should be well provided for (Num. 35:1, 2).

In like manner God has made arrangements that the ministry of the Christian church shall be adequately supported. “Even so hath the Lord ordained that they which preach the gospel should live of the gospel” (1 Cor. 9:14). God perpetuated the system of tithes and offerings for the support of those who today carry forward His work.

Eleazar. He is mentioned first in the list of those to whom the Levites came with their request. God had instructed Joshua to seek counsel from the priest (Num. 27:21), who, in turn, would receive counsel from God. Thus the direct representative of God stood first. The whole history of this period shows how closely Joshua worked together with the priest. Unfortunately, at times Joshua too erred from this plan as in the case of the Gibeonites (Joshua 9).

2. Suburbs. From the Hebrew root garash, which means “to drive,” “to chase.” Followed by the expression “for our cattle,” the word indicates an area where the cattle could be driven, in other words, “pastureland” adjacent to the city (see on ch. 14:4).

3. Children of Israel gave. The Levites’ petition was apparently cheerfully granted. Each tribe gave cities according to the extent and value of its inheritance, for God had directed (Num. 35:8) that the tribe that had many cities should give many and the tribe that had few should give few. The method tested the generosity of the people. By the cities that were given it would seem that at least a large number of them were among the best in the land.

In the distribution the people bore in mind God’s plan that the Levites were to be scattered in Israel in every part of the land. In this way the Levites were to be in the midst of the people to instruct them in the ways of the Lord both by word and by example, and thus be a restraint to Israel against idolatry.

4. The lot came. It is probable that when the 48 cities were designated by the various tribes, they were divided into 4 lots. Then it was determined to which of the four families of the tribe of Levi these portions would be assigned. Kohath, in this instance, was considered as two families, namely, the Kohathites in the line of Aaron, who were priests, and the remainder who were not priests. The family of Aaron, from which came the priests, had for its share the 13 cities that were given by the tribes of Judah, Simeon, and Benjamin. God, in wisdom, planned that the cities that fell to the priests were those that lay next to Jerusalem, because that was to be, in the process of time, the Holy City, where the Temple would be and where the services of the priests would be needed.

The order in which distribution was made was similar to the order of march in the wilderness. The priests, with Moses and Aaron, who pitched on the east by the entrance of the tabernacle came first; the Kohathites were on the south, and in march carried the sacred vessels; the Gershonites were on the west, and followed the Kohathites carrying the curtains and various fabrics of the tent and tabernacle; the Merarites were pitched on the north, and in line of march came last, carrying the bars and boards.

From the instruction given in Lev. 25:32–34, as well as the record of Biblical history, it is evident that these cities were not exclusively inhabited by the Levites. In view of the purpose of the distribution of the Levites, this would hardly be God’s plan. God intended the Levites to be in the midst of Israel and not to be isolated from the people whom they were to instruct and guide. Hence the cities of the Levites were also inhabited by Israelites from other tribes. Gibeah of Benjamin, here given to the Levites (Joshua 21:17), was also peopled by the Benjamites, as appears from the history of the Levite whose wife was so horribly abused by them (Judges 19). Saul dwelt there also. David and his court spent years at Hebron, another city of the Levites. The Levites probably were merely given the right to as many houses as they needed for living quarters in these cities. If they should sell, which they seemingly had a right to do (Lev. 25:32–34), they would perpetually have the right to redeem the property. The rest of the dwellings were occupied by the members of the tribe to which the country belonged. Outside the city was the pastureland for their cattle, extending up to 2,000 cu. beyond the city limits. This land was theirs for use but not for selling. It was permanently considered the Lord’s property.

There is record later of priests and Levites living in other cities, as for instance in Nob (1 Sam. 21:1). Evidently, in the course of time, there was a modification of the original plan.

Thirteen cities. This may seem like a large number for the children of Aaron, but it must be borne in mind that these cities were probably not inhabited exclusively by the priests, and that all the cities enumerated were not as yet taken from the Canaanites.

5. Children of Kohath. That is, those that were not of the family of Aaron. These were given cities in the tribes of Ephraim, Dan, and Manasseh. The territory of these tribes was near the territory of the tribes in which the family of Aaron had received its inheritance. Thus the Kohathites were not far separated from one another.

6. Children of Gershon. Gershon was the eldest son of Levi (Ex. 6:16; Num. 3:17), but the inheritance of the children of Kohath was assigned first, likely because the priests were descended from Kohath. The Gershonites received 13 cities; the Kohathites, more in number, received 23.

7. Children of Merari. Merari was the youngest son of Levi and was the last to receive his cities. His descendants were the smallest in number, so he received only 12 cities, 8 of these being east of the Jordan.

8. Gave by lot. Interestingly, in the Hebrew and the LXX the word translated “by lot” comes at the end of the sentence, and from position gives the appearance that it modifies the verb “commanded.” This, quite evidently, is not its intended function, however, and the KJV has properly adjusted its position so as to make it modify “gave.” The idea is that the Lord commanded Moses that disposition of the cities should be by lot.

9. Of Judah, and … of Simeon. It is interesting to notice that, with the exception of Ain (v. 16), all the priestly cities were so arranged as to fall ultimately within the kingdom of Judah (1 Kings 12), of which the capital was Jerusalem, the city the Lord had chosen out of all the tribes of Israel to put His name there. Though the Levites of the northern kingdom left their cities and their suburbs in the time of Jeroboam’s rebellion (2 Chron. 11:14), and came over to Judah, the fact that all the priests, with the insignificant exception noted in the foregoing, were already settled there, represented a great advantage.

These cities. The catalog of the Levitical cities is given in this chapter, and, with some variations and omissions, in 1 Chron. 6:54–81. Many years had elapsed and some of the cities were probably called by different names. Some adjustments may also have been made in the interval, owing to changing political situations.

11. Arba. See on ch. 14:15.

12. Fields. Literally, “field.” This evidently refers to the country that lay beyond the 2,000 cu. expressed in Num. 35:5. The directions were apparently not specific for Hebron alone, but merely an example of the general rule with regard to all the cities.

13. Libnah. See on ch. 10:29.

15. Debir. See on ch. 10:38.

16. Beth-shemesh. See on ch. 15:10.

17. Gibeon. See on ch. 9:3.

Geba. See on ch. 18:24.

18. Anathoth. Famous later as the birthplace of Jeremiah (Jer. 1:1; 11:21). The modern name of the site is RaЖs elРKharruЖbeh, which is 1 1/4 mi. (2 km.) northeast from Mt. Scopus, Jerusalem, and a little southeast of Gibeah. In Jeremiah’s day it was still a priestly city (Jer. 1:1). It was also the home of Abiathar and the place to which he was banished for participation in the revolt of Adonijah (1 Kings 2:26).

21. Shechem. See on ch. 20:7.

Gezer. See on ch. 10:33.

22. Beth-horon. See on ch. 10:10.

23. Gibbethon. See on ch. 19:44.

24. Aijalon. See on chs. 10:12 and 19:42.

25. Tanach. See on chs. 12:21 and 17:11.

29. Jarmuth. See on ch. 10:3.

En-gannim. See on ch. 19:21.

32. Kedesh. See on chs. 12:22 and 19:37.

34. Jokneam. See on chs. 12:22 and 19:11.

35. Nahalal. See on ch. 19:15.

36. Bezer. See on ch. 20:8.

38. Ramoth. See on ch. 20:8.

Mahanaim. See on ch. 13:26.

39. Heshbon. The capital of Sihon, the king of the Amorites who fought the Israelites as they came up east of the Dead Sea from Egypt and lost his kingdom to them. The name survives in Tell HesbaЖn, about 15 1/4 mi. (25.5 km.) east-northeast of the mouth of the Jordan River, and 12 3/4 mi. (20.5 km.) southwest of Rabbath-ammon (Amman).

Jazer. See on ch. 13:25.

41. Forty and eight cities. In the census of Israel recorded in Num. 26:62 the tribe of Levi is numbered at 23,000. It has been thought that proportionately they received more than any other tribe. However, it should be remembered that all the cities of the other tribes were probably not named in the lists under each tribe, whereas the Levites were restricted to these 48 cities and a few hundred acres of pastureland around each. The rest had large territories belonging to their cities.

It has been suggested that each of the four divisions of the house of Levi became a bond to cement 3 of the 12 tribes together. In the case of the Gershonites the two sides of Jordan are bound together, two on the west of Jordan united to one on the east. The Merarites were used to connect two tribes on the east of Jordan with one tribe on the west, and the southeast of the Israelitish territory with the north. Thus they were all knit together that they might grow up together in God. The Levites were divided in Israel, but in their division they became a bond of union, bringing the tribes of Israel together and joining all of them to their God.

When not engaged in performing the religious duties which were apportioned among them, the Levites were the teachers of the young; the readers, transcribers, and expounders of the law; the annalists and chroniclers who preserved the memory of great events and distinguished personages. They were to bring religion into everyday life, mutually helping one another and their neighbors to realize the unseen, and to attain God’s standard.

42. These cities. Following v. 42, and before v. 43, the LXX adds the following: “And Joshua ceased dividing the land by their borders: and the children of Israel gave a portion to Joshua because of the commandment of the Lord: they gave him the city which he asked: they gave him Thamnasachar in mount Ephraim; and Joshua built the city, and dwelt in it: and Joshua took the knives of stone, wherewith he circumcised the children of Israel that were born in the desert by the way, and put them in Thamnasachar.”

43. All the land. The declaration of this verse may seem like a contradiction, since Israel did not possess all the land until the time of David and Solomon, and even then it is doubtful that it included all that God originally intended that they should possess. However, the statement merely says “the Lord gave unto Israel all the land.” The gift was theirs despite the presence of the Canaanites in a part of the territory. It was in the plan of God not to drive these inhabitants out all at once, but only little by little (Ex. 23:30), to prevent the beasts and brambles from taking over until Israel, in process of time, should become numerous enough to occupy these areas.

44. Rest round about. The Hebrew reads, “rest from round about,” that is, from the surrounding nations. However, God had in mind more than mere physical rest from warfare. The settlement in Canaan was preliminary to a great missionary program that God was planning to accomplish through Israel. Such a program could be carried forward only by individuals who in their own lives were representatives of that plan. The writer of the book of Hebrews was referring to the attainment of this spiritual objective in the soul and the accomplishment of the missionary objective in the world when he said, “For if Jesus [Joshua] had given them rest, then would he not afterward have spoken of another day” (Heb. 4:8). When Israel miserably failed to fulfill her high destiny and enter into her “rest,” God called upon the Christian church to fulfill the divine purpose. Therefore we should “fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should come short of it” (Heb. 4:1).