Joshua 21

1 Eight and forty 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.

the heads.

19:51; Ex 6:14,25

Eleazar.

14:1; 17:4; Nu 34:17-29

Shiloh.

18:1

The Lord.

Nu 35:2-8; Eze 48:9-18; Mt 10:10; Ga 6:6; 1Ti 5:17,18

unto the Levites.

Ge 49:7; De 33:8-10; 1Ch 6:54-81

the children.

8-19; 24:33; 1Ch 6:54-60

the tribe.These tribes furnished more habitation to the Levites, in proportion, than any of the other tribes, because they possessed a more extensive inheritance, agreeably to what Moses had commanded (Nu 35:8.) It is worthy of remark, that the principal part of this tribe, whose business was to minister at the sanctuary, which sanctuary was afterwards established at Jerusalem, had their appointment nearest to that city; so that they were always within reach of the sacred work which God had appointed them.

20-26; Ge 46:11; Ex 6:16-25; Nu 3:27; 1Ch 6:18,19,61,66-70

27-33; Ex 6:16,17; Nu 3:21,22; 1Ch 6:62,71-76

34-40; Ex 6:19; Nu 3:20; 1Ch 6:63,77-81

by lot.

3; 18:6; Nu 33:54; 35:3; Pr 16:33; 18:18

as the Lord.

Nu 32:2

these cities.

13-18; 1Ch 6:65

mentioned. Heb. called.

4; Ex 6:18,20-26; Nu 3:2-4,19,27; 4:2

And they.

1Ch 6:55

the city of Arba. or, Kirjath-arba.

15:13,14,54; Ge 23:2; 35:27; Jud 1:10

is Hebron.

2Sa 2:1-3; 5:1-5; 15:7

in the hill.

20:7-9; Lu 1:39

14:13-15; 1Ch 6:55-57

they gave.

1Ch 6:56

Hebron.

15:54

a city.

20:7; Nu 35:6

Libnah.

10:29; 15:42; 1Ch 6:57; Isa 37:8

Jattir.Jattir or Jether, according to Eusebius, was situated in the district of Daroma, or the southern part of Judah, 20 miles (south) from Eleutheropolis, towards the city of Malatha.

15:48; 1Sa 30:27,28

Eshtemoa.Eusebius says Eshtemoa, or Esthema, was a great city in the south of Judah, and in the district of Eleutheropolis, north of that city.

15:50

Eshtemoh.

Holon.

15:51; 1Ch 6:58

Hilen. Debir.

12:13; 15:49

Ain.

15:42; 1Ch 6:59

Ashan. Juttah.Eusebius says Juttah was a great town 18 miles south from Eleutheropolis.

15:55

Beth-shemesh.

15:10; 1Sa 6:9,12; 1Ch 6:59

Gibeon.

9:3; 18:25; 1Ch 6:60

Geba.

18:24

Gaba.

Anathoth.Anathoth was situated about three miles northward from Jerusalem according to Eusebius and Jerome (in Jer ch. 1:20;) or twenty furlongs, according to Josephus. Ant. I. viii. c. 10.

1Ki 2:26; Isa 10:30; Jer 1:1

Almon.

1Ch 6:60

Alemeth.

19

5; 1Ch 6:66

Shechem.

20:7; Ge 33:19; Jud 9:1; 1Ki 12:1

Gezer.

16:10; 1Ki 9:15-17; 1Ch 6:67

Beth-horon.

16:3,5; 18:13,14; 1Ch 6:68

Eltekeh.

19:44,45

Gibbethon.Probably the Gabatha mentioned by Eusebius and Jerome, as situated in the south of Judah, 12 miles from Eleutheropolis, where the prophet Habakkuk's sepulchre was shown.

Aijalon.

10:12; 19:42

Ajalon.

1Ch 6:69

Gathrimmon.Gathrimmon is said by Jerome to be a great town 10 miles from Diospolis, or Lydda, towards Eleutheropolis.
Aner and Bileam are mentioned in Chronicles, instead of Tanach and Gath-rimmon. (1 Ch 6:70.) Either the cities had at this time different names, or afterwards their names were changed; or the Levites, being by some means dispossessed of the cities first assigned them, received others from their brethren. A careful examination of the marginal references will discover other variations of this kind, which may be accounted for in the same manner.

Tanach.

17:11; Jud 5:19

26

And unto.

6

Golan.

20:8; De 1:4; 4:43; 1Ch 6:71

Beesh-terah.It is very probable that Beesh-terah is a contraction of {baith ashtaroth,} "the house of Ashtaroth," and the same as Ashtaroth, which is the reading in 1 Ch 6:71.

Dabareh.

19:12; 1Ch 6:72,73

Jarmuth.This seems to be the same city with Remeth, Jos 10:19, 21, and Ramoth, 1 Ch 6:73, mentioned with Engannim.

10:3,23; 12:11

Mishal.

19:25-28

Misheal.

1Ch 6:74,75

Mashal.

Rehob.See the note on Nu 13:21.

Jud 1:31; 18:21; 1Ch 6:75

Kedesh.

19:37; 20:7; 1Ch 6:76

Hammoth-dor.Supposed by many to be the same as Tiberias; so called from the hot-baths, as the word {Chammoth} may denote, in its vicinity.

19:35

Hammath. Kartan.Supposed to be the same as Kirjathaim.

1Ch 6:76

33

And unto.

7; 1Ch 6:77

Jokneam.

12:22; 19:11,15

Dimnah.This and the following verse are wholly omitted by the Masora, and many Hebrew Bibles which are esteemed very highly; though, without them, neither the twelve cities of the Merarites in particular (ver. 40,) nor the forty-eight Levitical cities in general (ver. 41), nor the six cities of refuge, can be made up. But these two verses, are thus absolutely necessary for the truth and consistency of this chapter, are happily preserved in no less than 149 MSS. collated by Dr. Kennicott, and upwards of 40 collated by De Rossi.

35

Bezer.

20:8; De 4:43; 1Ch 6:78,79

Jahazah.

13:18; Nu 21:23; 1Ch 6:78

Jahzah.

37

Ramoth.

20:8; 1Ki 22:3; 1Ch 6:80

Mahanaim.

Ge 32:2; 2Sa 17:24; 19:32

Heshbon.

13:17,21; Nu 21:26-30; 32:37; 1Ch 6:81

Jazer.

Nu 32:1,3,35

Jaazer.

Isa 16:8,9; Jer 48:32

40

within.

Ge 49:7; Nu 35:1-8; De 33:10

forty.At the last census, the tribe of Levi amounted only to 23,000 (Nu 36:62); and it is thought by some that forty-eight cities was too great a proportion for this tribe. But it should be considered, that cities in ancient times were little more than villages.

42

Ge 12:7; 13:15; 15:13-21; 26:3,4; 28:4,13,14; Ex 3:8; 23:27-31

Ps 44:3; 106:42-45

1:15; 11:23; 22:4,9; De 7:22-24; 31:3-5; Heb 4:9

23:14,15; Nu 23:19; 1Ki 8:56; 1Co 1:9; 1Th 5:24; Tit 1:2; Heb 6:18

1 Chronicles 6:54-81

A.M. 2561. B.C. 1443. these are.

Nu 35:1-8; Jos 21:3-8

castles.

Ge 25:16

of the families.

Jos 21:4,5

Hebron.

Jos 14:13; 15:13; 21:11-13; Jud 1:20

56

the city of refuge.

Nu 35:13-15; Jos 20:7-9

Libnah.

Jos 10:29; 15:42; 21:13,14

Jattir.

4:17; Jos 15:48

Hilen.

This variation simply arises from the introduction of a [Yôwd]{yood}, and a change of the vowel points; Holon being written [Chôlôwn ,] and Hilen [Chîyn .]

Jos 15:51; 21:15

Holon. Debir.

Jos 10:3,38; 12:13; 15:49

Ashan.It is probable that either Ain, in Joshua, is a mistake for Ashan, or that it was called by both names.

4:32; Jos 15:42; 21:16

Ain. Beth-shemesh.

Jos 15:10; 21:16; 1Sa 6:12-19; Jer 43:13

Geba.

8:6; Jos 18:24; 21:17; 1Sa 13:3

Alemeth..

Jos 21:18

Almon. Anathoth.

1Ki 2:26; Isa 10:30; Jer 1:1; 11:23; 37:12

thirteen cities.Here there are only eleven enumerated; but two more are added in the book of Joshua, Juttah and Gibeon, which make thirteen. None of the versions give the full number of names, though they all give the whole sum of thirteen; and it is probable that these two cities had been destroyed and lay in ruins when this book was written, and hence were not enumerated.

And unto.

1,2,18,33

left.

66; Jos 21:4,5,20-26

Gershom.

71-76; Ex 2:22; Jos 21:27-33

Merari.

77-81; Ge 46:11; Nu 3:20; Jos 21:7,34-40

the children.

Jos 21:41,42

with their.

Nu 35:2-5

these cities.

57-60

61

Shechem.

Ge 33:18; 35:4; Jos 20:7; 21:21

Gezer.

Jos 12:12; 16:3,10; 21:21; 1Ki 9:16

Jokmeam.

Jos 21:22

Kibzaim. Beth-horon.

Jos 10:11; 16:5; 1Sa 13:18

Aijalon.

Jos 10:12

Ajalon.

Jos 21:24

Gath-rimmon.

Jos 21:24,25

Aner.Aner is probably another name of Tanach, which was a city of the half tribe of Manasseh, west of Jordan; and Eusebius, Jerome, and Procopius of Gaza, say that it was in their time a considerable place, three miles from Legio.

Jos 21:25

Tanach, Gath-rimmon. Bileam.. Ibleam is here called Bileam, by a transposition of letters common to all languages. It is evident, however, that many of these cities or their names have been changed since the time of Joshua; but, as it has been well observed, Salop and Shrewsbury, Sarum and Salisbury, are as different names as any in these catalogues; yet those who live in their vicinity are not at all confused by them. Some cities also are here mentioned as belonging to Ephraim, which in Joshua are spoken of as cities of Dan; but various changes in such matters would occur in a course of ages.

Jos 17:11

Ibleam.

Golan.

De 4:43; Jos 20:8; 21:27

Ashtaroth.

De 1:4; Jos 9:10; 21:27

Beesh-terah.

Kedesh.

Jos 19:37; 21:32; Jud 4:9

Daberath.

Jos 21:28,29

Kishon, Daberah, Jarmuth, En-gannim.

73

Mashal.

Jos 19:26; 21:30

Mishal.

Hukok.

Jos 21:31

Helkath.

Kedesh.

Jos 12:22; 19:37; 20:7; 21:32; Jud 4:6

Kadesh-naphtali. Hammon.

Jos 21:32

Hammoth-dor, Kartan.

Rimmon.

Jos 21:34,35

Jokneam, Kartah, Dimnah, Nahalal.

Tabor.Probably the city on the summit of Tabor, mentioned by Polybius and Josephus, the remains of which still exist.

Bezer.

De 4:41-43; Jos 20:8; 21:36

Jahzah.

Jos 21:36,37

Jahazah.

79

Ramoth.

73; Jos 21:38,39; 1Ki 22:3-28; 2Ki 9:1

Mahanaim.

Ge 32:2; Jos 21:38; 2Sa 17:24,27; 19:32

Heshbon.

Nu 21:25; 32:37; De 2:24; Jos 13:26; Ne 9:22; So 7:4

Jazer.

Nu 32:1,3; Jos 13:25; 21:39
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