Joshua 21:1-42
New English Translation
Levitical Cities
21 The tribal leaders of the Levites went before Eleazar the priest and Joshua son of Nun and the Israelite tribal leaders 2 in Shiloh in the land of Canaan and said, “The Lord told Moses to assign us cities in which to live along with the grazing areas for our cattle.” 3 So the Israelites assigned these cities and their grazing areas to the Levites from their own holdings, as the Lord had instructed.
4 The first lot belonged to[a] the Kohathite clans. The Levites who were descendants of Aaron the priest were allotted thirteen cities from the tribes of Judah, Simeon, and Benjamin. 5 The rest of Kohath’s descendants were allotted ten cities from the clans of the tribe of Ephraim, and from the tribe of Dan and the half-tribe of Manasseh. 6 Gershon’s descendants were allotted thirteen cities from the clans of the tribe of Issachar, and from the tribes of Asher and Naphtali and the half-tribe of Manasseh in Bashan. 7 Merari’s descendants by their clans were allotted twelve cities from the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and Zebulun. 8 So the Israelites assigned to the Levites by lot these cities and their grazing areas, as the Lord had instructed Moses.
9 They assigned from the tribes of Judah and Simeon the cities listed below. 10 (They were assigned to the Kohathite clans of the Levites who were descendants of Aaron,[b] for the first lot fell to them.) 11 They assigned them Kiriath Arba (Arba was the father of Anak), that is, Hebron, in the hill country of Judah, along with its surrounding grazing areas. 12 (Now the city’s fields and surrounding towns they had assigned to Caleb son of Jephunneh as his property.) 13 So to the descendants of Aaron the priest they assigned Hebron (a city of refuge for one who committed manslaughter), Libnah, 14 Jattir, Eshtemoa, 15 Holon, Debir, 16 Ain, Juttah, and Beth Shemesh, along with the grazing areas of each—a total of nine cities taken from these two tribes. 17 From the tribe of Benjamin they assigned[c] Gibeon, Geba, 18 Anathoth, and Almon, along with the grazing areas of each—a total of four cities. 19 The priests descended from Aaron received thirteen cities and their grazing areas.
20 The rest of the Kohathite clans of the Levites were allotted cities from the tribe of Ephraim. 21 They assigned them Shechem (a city of refuge for one who committed manslaughter) in the hill country of Ephraim, Gezer, 22 Kibzaim, and Beth Horon, along with the grazing areas of each—a total of four cities. 23 From the tribe of Dan they assigned Eltekeh, Gibbethon, 24 Aijalon, and Gath Rimmon, along with the grazing areas of each—a total of four cities. 25 From the half-tribe of Manasseh they assigned Taanach and Gath Rimmon,[d] along with the grazing areas of each—a total of two cities. 26 The rest of the Kohathite clans received ten cities and their grazing areas.
27 They assigned to the Gershonite clans of the Levites the following cities:[e] from the half-tribe of Manasseh: Golan in Bashan (a city of refuge for one who committed manslaughter) and Beeshtarah, along with the grazing areas of each—a total of two cities; 28 from the tribe of Issachar: Kishon, Daberath, 29 Jarmuth, and En Gannim, along with the grazing areas of each—a total of four cities; 30 from the tribe of Asher: Mishal, Abdon, 31 Helkath, and Rehob, along with the grazing areas of each—a total of four cities; 32 from the tribe of Naphtali: Kedesh in Galilee (a city of refuge for one who committed manslaughter), Hammoth Dor, and Kartan, along with the grazing areas of each—a total of three cities. 33 The Gershonite clans received thirteen cities and their grazing areas.
34 They assigned to the Merarite clans (the remaining Levites) the following cities: from the tribe of Zebulun: Jokneam, Kartah, 35 Dimnah, and Nahalal, along with the grazing areas of each—a total of four cities; 36 [f] from the tribe of Reuben: Bezer, Jahaz, 37 Kedemoth, and Mephaath, along with the grazing areas of each—a total of four cities; 38 from the tribe of Gad: Ramoth in Gilead (a city of refuge for one who committed manslaughter), Mahanaim, 39 Heshbon, and Jazer, along with the grazing areas of each—a total of four cities. 40 The Merarite clans (the remaining Levites) were allotted twelve cities.
41 The Levites received within the land owned by the Israelites[g] forty-eight cities in all and their grazing areas. 42 Each of these cities had grazing areas around it; they were alike in this regard.[h]
Read full chapterFootnotes
- Joshua 21:4 tn Heb “came out for.”
- Joshua 21:10 tn Heb “and it belonged to the sons of Aaron, from the Kohathite clans, from the sons of Levi.”
- Joshua 21:17 tn The words “they assigned” are supplied for clarification (also in vv. 23, 25).
- Joshua 21:25 tn The name “Gath Rimmon” is problematic here, for it appears in the preceding list of Danite cities. The LXX reads Iebatha (Ιεβαθα); 1 Chr 6:55 HT (6:70 ET) reads Bilʿam (בִּלְעָם). Most modern translations retain the name “Gath Rimmon,” however.
- Joshua 21:27 tn The words “they assigned” and “the following cities” are supplied for clarification (also in v. 34).
- Joshua 21:36 tc 21:36-37 are accidentally omitted from a number of significant Hebrew mss. They are, however, found in some Hebrew mss, the LXX and Vulgate.
- Joshua 21:41 tn Heb “in the midst of the possession of the sons of Israel.”
- Joshua 21:42 tn Heb “these cities were city [by] city, and its grazing areas [were] around it; so [it was] for all these cities.”
Joshua 21:1-42
American Standard Version
21 Then came near the heads of fathers’ houses of the Levites unto Eleazar the priest, and unto Joshua the son of Nun, and unto the heads of fathers’ houses of the tribes of the children of Israel; 2 and they spake unto them at Shiloh in the land of Canaan, saying, Jehovah commanded by Moses to give us cities to dwell in, with the [a]suburbs thereof for our cattle. 3 And the children of Israel gave unto the Levites out of their inheritance, according to the commandment of Jehovah, these cities with their suburbs.
4 And 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 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 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 And the children of Israel gave by lot unto the Levites these cities with their suburbs, as Jehovah commanded by 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 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 And they gave them Kiriath-arba, which Arba was the father of [b]Anak (the same 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.
13 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, 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 And 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 And 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 And 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 And 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 And 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 And unto 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 And 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 And 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 And out of the tribe of Naphtali, Kedesh in Galilee with its suburbs, the city of refuge for the manslayer, and Hammoth-dor 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 And unto 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 And 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 And 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 and eight cities with their suburbs. 42 These cities were every one with their suburbs round about them: thus it was with all these cities.
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- Joshua 21:2 Or, pasture lands
- Joshua 21:11 Hebrew Anok.
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