Joshua 21 Study Notes: Towns for the Levites
At Shiloh the Levite family heads ask for the towns God had ordered Moses to provide, and Israel gives forty-eight towns with grazing land, assigned to the Levite clans by lot. The chapter ends by declaring that the LORD had given Israel the land and rest promised to their ancestors and kept every good promise.
General
True or False: The Levites' towns came out of the inheritance the other tribes had already been allotted.
Answer: True
This is true. Obeying the LORD's command, the Israelites handed over towns and grazing lands to the Levites from their own inheritance (21:3). An inheritance here means the family land each tribe had received by lot. Moses had directed that every tribe contribute, larger tribes giving more towns and smaller tribes fewer (Numbers 35:7-8). The Levites had no tribal territory of their own, because the LORD provided for them through the tithe, the tenth of produce the people gave to Him (Numbers 18:24).
- Joshua 21:3 (BSB)“So by the command of the LORD, the Israelites gave the Levites these cities and their pasturelands out of their own inheritance:”By the LORD's command Israel gives the Levites towns and pasturelands from the tribes' own inheritance.
- Numbers 35:7-8 (BSB)“The total number of cities you give the Levites will be forty-eight, with their corresponding pasturelands. The cities that you apportion from the territory of the Israelites should be given to the Levites in proportion to the inheritance of each tribe: more from a larger tribe and less from a smaller one.””The towns were to come from all the tribes, more from larger tribes and fewer from smaller ones.
- Numbers 18:24 (BSB)“For I have given to the Levites as their inheritance the tithe that the Israelites present to the LORD as a contribution. That is why I told them that they would not receive an inheritance among the Israelites.””The Levites received the tithe as their inheritance instead of a share of land.
Theological
True or False: According to 21:3, the Israelites granted the Levites towns and pasturelands carved from their own tribal inheritances.
Answer: True
This is true. At the LORD's command the other tribes surrendered towns and pasturelands from their own allotments to the Levites (21:3). This followed the Mosaic instruction that each tribe give according to the size of its inheritance (Numbers 35:7-8). Levi held no territory because God had assigned the tithe as its inheritance (Numbers 18:24); the towns were dwelling places within the land of the remaining tribes, not a separate tribal domain.
- Joshua 21:3 (BSB)“So by the command of the LORD, the Israelites gave the Levites these cities and their pasturelands out of their own inheritance:”By the LORD's command Israel gives the Levites towns and pasturelands from the tribes' own inheritance.
- Numbers 35:7-8 (BSB)“The total number of cities you give the Levites will be forty-eight, with their corresponding pasturelands. The cities that you apportion from the territory of the Israelites should be given to the Levites in proportion to the inheritance of each tribe: more from a larger tribe and less from a smaller one.””The towns were to come from all the tribes, more from larger tribes and fewer from smaller ones.
- Numbers 18:24 (BSB)“For I have given to the Levites as their inheritance the tithe that the Israelites present to the LORD as a contribution. That is why I told them that they would not receive an inheritance among the Israelites.””The Levites received the tithe as their inheritance instead of a share of land.
General
How many towns did the Levites receive in all (21:41-42)?
Answer: Forty-eight, each with its pasturelands
The Levites received forty-eight towns in all, scattered among the other tribes' lands, and every one of them came with pasturelands of its own (21:41-42), open land for grazing their animals (Numbers 35:2-3). This was exactly the number Moses had specified (Numbers 35:7-8), so the list shows the command carried out in full. Twelve was the number of tribes, six the number of refuge cities among them, and thirty-one the number of kings listed in chapter 12.
- Joshua 21:41-42 (BSB)“For the Levites, then, there were forty-eight cities in all, together with their pasturelands, within the territory of the Israelites. Each of these cities had its own surrounding pasturelands; this was true for all the cities.”The Levites receive forty-eight cities in all, each with its surrounding pasturelands.
- Numbers 35:7-8 (BSB)“The total number of cities you give the Levites will be forty-eight, with their corresponding pasturelands. The cities that you apportion from the territory of the Israelites should be given to the Levites in proportion to the inheritance of each tribe: more from a larger tribe and less from a smaller one.””Moses had set the total at forty-eight cities with their pasturelands.
- Numbers 35:2-3 (BSB)““Command the Israelites to give, from the inheritance they will possess, cities for the Levites to live in and pasturelands around the cities. The cities will be for them to live in, and the pasturelands will be for their herds, their flocks, and all their other livestock.”The pasturelands were for the Levites' herds, flocks, and other livestock.
Theological
What total does 21:41-42 give for the Levites' towns?
Answer: Forty-eight, each with its pasturelands
The summary in 21:41-42 totals forty-eight Levitical towns, each with its pasturelands, spread through Israel's land. The figure matches precisely the number prescribed through Moses (Numbers 35:7-8), and the pasturelands served the Levites' livestock as Numbers 35:2-3 had specified. The account thus records the faithful execution of the Mosaic command. The distractors confuse the total with the twelve tribes, the six refuge cities, or the thirty-one kings of chapter 12.
- Joshua 21:41-42 (BSB)“For the Levites, then, there were forty-eight cities in all, together with their pasturelands, within the territory of the Israelites. Each of these cities had its own surrounding pasturelands; this was true for all the cities.”The Levites receive forty-eight cities in all, each with its surrounding pasturelands.
- Numbers 35:7-8 (BSB)“The total number of cities you give the Levites will be forty-eight, with their corresponding pasturelands. The cities that you apportion from the territory of the Israelites should be given to the Levites in proportion to the inheritance of each tribe: more from a larger tribe and less from a smaller one.””Moses had set the total at forty-eight cities with their pasturelands.
- Numbers 35:2-3 (BSB)““Command the Israelites to give, from the inheritance they will possess, cities for the Levites to live in and pasturelands around the cities. The cities will be for them to live in, and the pasturelands will be for their herds, their flocks, and all their other livestock.”The pasturelands were for the Levites' herds, flocks, and other livestock.
General
How was Hebron shared between Aaron's descendants and Caleb (21:11-12)?
Answer: Priests got the town and pastures; Caleb kept fields and villages
Hebron had been given to Caleb as his inheritance because he followed the LORD wholeheartedly (14:13-14; 15:13). In chapter 21 the town itself, with the grazing land right around it, went to Aaron's priestly descendants, while the farmland and villages surrounding it remained Caleb's possession (21:11-12). Both grants stood side by side. Caleb did not lose his inheritance, the priests did not receive only fields, and the town was not left empty.
- Joshua 21:11-12 (BSB)“They gave them Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron), with its surrounding pasturelands, in the hill country of Judah. (Arba was the father of Anak.) But they had given the fields and villages around the city to Caleb son of Jephunneh as his possession.”Hebron and its pasturelands go to Aaron's descendants, but its fields and villages had gone to Caleb.
- Joshua 14:13-14 (BSB)“Then Joshua blessed Caleb son of Jephunneh and gave him Hebron as his inheritance. Therefore Hebron belongs to Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite as an inheritance to this day, because he wholly followed the LORD, the God of Israel.”Joshua had given Hebron to Caleb as his inheritance because he wholly followed the LORD.
- Joshua 15:13 (BSB)“According to the LORD’s command to him, Joshua gave Caleb son of Jephunneh a portion among the sons of Judah—Kiriath-arba, that is, Hebron. (Arba was the forefather of Anak.)”By the LORD's command, Joshua gave Caleb Kiriath-arba, that is, Hebron, among the sons of Judah.
Theological
What arrangement does 21:11-12 describe for Hebron?
Answer: Priests got the town and pastures; Caleb kept fields and villages
Hebron was Caleb's inheritance, granted at the LORD's command in reward for his wholehearted loyalty (14:13-14; 15:13). Chapter 21 harmonizes that grant with the Levitical provision: the town and its immediate pasturelands were assigned to the Aaronic priests, while the surrounding fields and villages remained Caleb's (21:11-12). Caleb's inheritance was honored, the priests received a dwelling town, and nothing in the text suggests the city stood empty.
- Joshua 21:11-12 (BSB)“They gave them Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron), with its surrounding pasturelands, in the hill country of Judah. (Arba was the father of Anak.) But they had given the fields and villages around the city to Caleb son of Jephunneh as his possession.”Hebron and its pasturelands go to Aaron's descendants, but its fields and villages had gone to Caleb.
- Joshua 14:13-14 (BSB)“Then Joshua blessed Caleb son of Jephunneh and gave him Hebron as his inheritance. Therefore Hebron belongs to Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite as an inheritance to this day, because he wholly followed the LORD, the God of Israel.”Joshua had given Hebron to Caleb as his inheritance because he wholly followed the LORD.
- Joshua 15:13 (BSB)“According to the LORD’s command to him, Joshua gave Caleb son of Jephunneh a portion among the sons of Judah—Kiriath-arba, that is, Hebron. (Arba was the forefather of Anak.)”By the LORD's command, Joshua gave Caleb Kiriath-arba, that is, Hebron, among the sons of Judah.
General
According to 21:43-44, what had the LORD done for Israel?
Answer: Given them the land promised on oath to their ancestors, and peace
The chapter closes by declaring that the LORD handed Israel the whole land He had promised on oath to their forefathers; they took it over and lived there, and He gave them rest, meaning peace and security, from enemies all around (21:43-44). This fulfilled His word to Abram centuries earlier (Genesis 12:7) and His promise to Joshua that no one would stand against him (1:5). Yet Hebrews explains that this rest was not God's final rest: had Joshua brought the people that ultimate rest, then God would not afterward have mentioned another day, and so a Sabbath rest still remains for God's people (Hebrews 4:8-9). The verse does not say every Canaanite was gone, name borders reaching to the Nile, or postpone the gift.
- Joshua 21:43-44 (BSB)“Thus the LORD gave Israel all the land He had sworn to give their fathers, and they took possession of it and settled in it. And the LORD gave them rest on every side, just as He had sworn to their fathers. None of their enemies could stand against them, for the LORD delivered all their enemies into their hand.”The LORD gives Israel the land sworn to the fathers, they settle in it, and He gives them rest.
- Genesis 12:7 (BSB)“Then the LORD appeared to Abram and said, “I will give this land to your offspring.” So Abram built an altar there to the LORD, who had appeared to him.”The LORD had promised Abram that He would give this land to his offspring.
- Joshua 1:5 (BSB)“No one shall stand against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so will I be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you.”God had promised Joshua that no one would stand against him all his life.
- Hebrews 4:8-9 (BSB)“For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken later about another day. There remains, then, a Sabbath rest for the people of God.”If Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken later of another day; a Sabbath rest remains.
Theological
What does 21:43-44 declare the LORD had accomplished for Israel?
Answer: Given them the land promised on oath to their ancestors, and peace
Verses 43-44 announce the fulfillment of the patriarchal promise: the LORD granted Israel the land sworn to the fathers (Genesis 12:7), Israel possessed and settled it, and God granted rest on all sides, no enemy withstanding them, as He had told Joshua (1:5). Hebrews 4:8-9 shows that this rest, real as it was, pointed beyond itself; had Joshua given the final rest, then God would not afterward have mentioned another day, so a Sabbath rest still awaits God's people. The verses do not claim that every Canaanite had been expelled, describe Nile-to-Assyria borders, or defer the gift to a later generation.
- Joshua 21:43-44 (BSB)“Thus the LORD gave Israel all the land He had sworn to give their fathers, and they took possession of it and settled in it. And the LORD gave them rest on every side, just as He had sworn to their fathers. None of their enemies could stand against them, for the LORD delivered all their enemies into their hand.”The LORD gives Israel the land sworn to the fathers, they settle in it, and He gives them rest.
- Genesis 12:7 (BSB)“Then the LORD appeared to Abram and said, “I will give this land to your offspring.” So Abram built an altar there to the LORD, who had appeared to him.”The LORD had promised Abram that He would give this land to his offspring.
- Joshua 1:5 (BSB)“No one shall stand against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so will I be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you.”God had promised Joshua that no one would stand against him all his life.
- Hebrews 4:8-9 (BSB)“For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken later about another day. There remains, then, a Sabbath rest for the people of God.”If Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken later of another day; a Sabbath rest remains.
General
Why does the book say the Levites received towns among the tribes instead of a territory of their own?
Answer: The LORD Himself and His priesthood were their inheritance
The Levites received towns from the other tribes (21:3) because they had no land inheritance of their own. The book had already explained why: the LORD Himself was their inheritance (13:33), and so was the work of serving as His priests (18:7). Moses had said the same (Deuteronomy 10:9). Their portion was not a stretch of farmland but their closeness to God and their service to Him. The text says nothing of their share going to the Gibeonites, a preference for city life, or land reserved across the Jordan in the east.
- Joshua 21:3 (BSB)“So by the command of the LORD, the Israelites gave the Levites these cities and their pasturelands out of their own inheritance:”The Levites receive towns from the other tribes rather than a territory of their own.
- Joshua 13:33 (BSB)“To the tribe of Levi, however, Moses had given no inheritance. The LORD, the God of Israel, is their inheritance, just as He had promised them.”The LORD, the God of Israel, is the Levites' inheritance, as He had promised.
- Joshua 18:7 (BSB)“The Levites, however, have no portion among you, because their inheritance is the priesthood of the LORD. And Gad, Reuben, and half the tribe of Manasseh have already received the inheritance that Moses the servant of the LORD gave them beyond the Jordan to the east.””The Levites have no portion because their inheritance is the priesthood of the LORD.
- Deuteronomy 10:9 (BSB)“That is why Levi has no portion or inheritance among his brothers; the LORD is his inheritance, as the LORD your God promised him.”Levi has no portion among his brothers; the LORD is his inheritance.
Theological
What reason does the book give for Levi's receiving towns rather than a territorial allotment (21:3)?
Answer: The LORD Himself and His priesthood were their inheritance
Levi's towns came from the allotments of the remaining tribes (21:3) because Levi was given no territory. The book states the reason more than once: Israel's God is Himself their inheritance (13:33), and serving as the LORD's priests is their portion (18:7), echoing Deuteronomy 10:9. Levi's inheritance was God Himself and His service, a privilege rather than a deprivation. The text says nothing of a share handed to the Gibeonites, a preference for city life, or a reserved Transjordan holding.
- Joshua 21:3 (BSB)“So by the command of the LORD, the Israelites gave the Levites these cities and their pasturelands out of their own inheritance:”The Levites receive towns from the other tribes rather than a territory of their own.
- Joshua 13:33 (BSB)“To the tribe of Levi, however, Moses had given no inheritance. The LORD, the God of Israel, is their inheritance, just as He had promised them.”The LORD, the God of Israel, is the Levites' inheritance, as He had promised.
- Joshua 18:7 (BSB)“The Levites, however, have no portion among you, because their inheritance is the priesthood of the LORD. And Gad, Reuben, and half the tribe of Manasseh have already received the inheritance that Moses the servant of the LORD gave them beyond the Jordan to the east.””The Levites have no portion because their inheritance is the priesthood of the LORD.
- Deuteronomy 10:9 (BSB)“That is why Levi has no portion or inheritance among his brothers; the LORD is his inheritance, as the LORD your God promised him.”Levi has no portion among his brothers; the LORD is his inheritance.
General
How were the Levites' towns assigned among the Levite clans (21:4-8)?
Answer: By lot, starting with the Kohathite clans
The towns were assigned by lot, the same way the tribes' land had been divided (21:4-8; Numbers 26:55). Casting lots was a way of letting God make the decision rather than people, and Scripture says every decision of the lot comes from the LORD (Proverbs 16:33). The clans of Kohath were drawn first, beginning with the priests descended from Aaron, and then the clans of Gershon and Merari received theirs; these were the three sons of Levi whose families made up the tribe (Numbers 3:17). The text does not say Joshua chose, the elders voted, or the largest clan went first.
- Joshua 21:4 (BSB)“The first lot came out for the Kohathite clans. The Levites who were descendants of Aaron the priest received thirteen cities by lot from the tribes of Judah, Simeon, and Benjamin.”The first lot comes out for the Kohathites, and Aaron's descendants receive thirteen towns.
- Numbers 26:55 (BSB)“Indeed, the land must be divided by lot; they shall receive their inheritance according to the names of the tribes of their fathers.”The LORD had commanded that the land be divided by lot.
- Proverbs 16:33 (BSB)“The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the LORD.”Though the lot is cast by people, its every decision comes from the LORD.
- Numbers 3:17 (BSB)“These were the sons of Levi by name: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.”Gershon, Kohath, and Merari were the three sons of Levi, the heads of the Levite clans.
Theological
By what means were the Levitical towns distributed among the clans of Levi (21:4-8)?
Answer: By lot, starting with the Kohathite clans
As with the tribal allotments (Numbers 26:55), the Levitical towns were distributed by lot (21:4-8). The lot left the decision in the LORD's hands, since its every outcome is from Him (Proverbs 16:33). The Kohathites were drawn first, with the Aaronic priests receiving their towns first, followed by the remaining Kohathites, the Gershonites, and the Merarites, the clans descended from Levi's three sons (Numbers 3:17). Neither Joshua's preference, an elders' vote, nor clan size determined the order.
- Joshua 21:4 (BSB)“The first lot came out for the Kohathite clans. The Levites who were descendants of Aaron the priest received thirteen cities by lot from the tribes of Judah, Simeon, and Benjamin.”The first lot comes out for the Kohathites, and Aaron's descendants receive thirteen towns.
- Numbers 26:55 (BSB)“Indeed, the land must be divided by lot; they shall receive their inheritance according to the names of the tribes of their fathers.”The LORD had commanded that the land be divided by lot.
- Proverbs 16:33 (BSB)“The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the LORD.”Though the lot is cast by people, its every decision comes from the LORD.
- Numbers 3:17 (BSB)“These were the sons of Levi by name: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.”Gershon, Kohath, and Merari were the three sons of Levi, the heads of the Levite clans.
General
When the Levite family heads came to Eleazar and Joshua at Shiloh, what did they give as the basis for their request (21:1-2)?
Answer: The LORD had ordered it earlier through Moses
The Levites were the tribe set apart to serve at God's sanctuary. After the tribes' land had been divided at Shiloh by the priest Eleazar, Joshua, and the tribal leaders (19:51), the leaders of the Levite families came to Eleazar, Joshua, and the tribal leaders and asked for towns to live in, with grazing land for their animals. Their request rested on the LORD's own command given through Moses (21:1-2), which had told Israel to provide exactly this (Numbers 35:2-3); the book had already noted that Levi would receive towns and pasturelands rather than a share of land (Joshua 14:3-4). They did not appeal to a promise from Joshua, to their military record, or to an offer from Caleb.
- Joshua 21:1-2 (BSB)“Now the family heads of the Levites approached Eleazar the priest, Joshua son of Nun, and the heads of the other tribes of Israel at Shiloh in the land of Canaan and said to them, “The LORD commanded through Moses that we be given cities in which to live, together with pasturelands for our livestock.””The Levite family heads come to Eleazar, Joshua, and the tribal heads at Shiloh with their request.
- Numbers 35:2-3 (BSB)““Command the Israelites to give, from the inheritance they will possess, cities for the Levites to live in and pasturelands around the cities. The cities will be for them to live in, and the pasturelands will be for their herds, their flocks, and all their other livestock.”The LORD had told Moses to have Israel give the Levites towns to live in and pasturelands for their animals.
- Joshua 14:3-4 (BSB)“For Moses had given the inheritance east of the Jordan to the other two and a half tribes. But he granted no inheritance among them to the Levites. The descendants of Joseph became two tribes, Manasseh and Ephraim. And no portion of the land was given to the Levites, except for cities in which to live, along with pasturelands for their flocks and herds.”Levi received no portion of land except towns to live in with pasturelands for their herds.
- Joshua 19:51 (BSB)“These are the inheritances that Eleazar the priest, Joshua son of Nun, and the heads of the families distributed by lot to the tribes of Israel at Shiloh before the LORD at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. So they finished dividing up the land.”Eleazar, Joshua, and the family heads had just finished distributing the land at Shiloh.
Theological
On what ground did the Levite family leaders base their request at Shiloh (21:1-2)?
Answer: The LORD had ordered it earlier through Moses
With the allotment to the tribes complete at Shiloh (19:51), the Levitical family heads approached Eleazar, Joshua, and the tribal heads and asked for towns and pasturelands. They grounded the request not in merit or in any promise of Joshua but in the LORD's prior command through Moses (21:1-2; Numbers 35:2-3), which had already defined Levi's share as towns with pasturelands rather than a territory (Joshua 14:3-4). The Levites simply asked Israel to carry out what God had ordained.
- Joshua 21:1-2 (BSB)“Now the family heads of the Levites approached Eleazar the priest, Joshua son of Nun, and the heads of the other tribes of Israel at Shiloh in the land of Canaan and said to them, “The LORD commanded through Moses that we be given cities in which to live, together with pasturelands for our livestock.””The Levite family heads come to Eleazar, Joshua, and the tribal heads at Shiloh with their request.
- Numbers 35:2-3 (BSB)““Command the Israelites to give, from the inheritance they will possess, cities for the Levites to live in and pasturelands around the cities. The cities will be for them to live in, and the pasturelands will be for their herds, their flocks, and all their other livestock.”The LORD had told Moses to have Israel give the Levites towns to live in and pasturelands for their animals.
- Joshua 14:3-4 (BSB)“For Moses had given the inheritance east of the Jordan to the other two and a half tribes. But he granted no inheritance among them to the Levites. The descendants of Joseph became two tribes, Manasseh and Ephraim. And no portion of the land was given to the Levites, except for cities in which to live, along with pasturelands for their flocks and herds.”Levi received no portion of land except towns to live in with pasturelands for their herds.
- Joshua 19:51 (BSB)“These are the inheritances that Eleazar the priest, Joshua son of Nun, and the heads of the families distributed by lot to the tribes of Israel at Shiloh before the LORD at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. So they finished dividing up the land.”Eleazar, Joshua, and the family heads had just finished distributing the land at Shiloh.
General
True or False: The chapter closes by saying that every good thing the LORD had promised Israel had come true, with none failing.
Answer: True
This is true. The chapter ends by stating that not a single good thing the LORD had promised Israel had failed; all of them came to pass (21:45), and Joshua says the same at the end of his life (23:14). The book also records that much land was still to be possessed (13:1) and that tribes failed to drive out all the inhabitants (17:12-13). Both are true as the text gives them: God gave what He promised and the land lay open before Israel, while the tribes' full possession remained incomplete through their own failure to drive out the people living there. Joshua later promises that the LORD will still drive those nations out before them (23:5). God's faithfulness was complete; Israel's follow-through was not.
- Joshua 21:45 (BSB)“Not one of all the LORD’s good promises to the house of Israel had failed; everything was fulfilled.”Not one of the LORD's good promises to Israel had failed; everything was fulfilled.
- Joshua 23:14 (BSB)“Now behold, today I am going the way of all the earth, and you know with all your heart and soul that not one of the good promises the LORD your God made to you has failed. Everything was fulfilled for you; not one promise has failed.”Near death, Joshua repeats that not one of God's good promises has failed.
- Joshua 13:1 (BSB)“Now Joshua was old and well along in years, and the LORD said to him, “You are old and well along in years, but very much of the land remains to be possessed.”Earlier the LORD told Joshua that very much of the land still remained to be possessed.
- Joshua 17:12-13 (BSB)“But the descendants of Manasseh were unable to occupy these cities, because the Canaanites were determined to stay in this land. However, when the Israelites grew stronger, they put the Canaanites to forced labor; but they failed to drive them out completely.”Manasseh failed to drive out the Canaanites completely, putting them to forced labor instead.
- Joshua 23:5 (BSB)“The LORD your God will push them out of your way and drive them out before you, so that you can take possession of their land, as the LORD your God promised you.”Joshua promises that the LORD will still push the remaining nations out before Israel.
Theological
True or False: According to 21:45, every good promise the LORD had made to Israel was fulfilled, and none fell short.
Answer: True
This is true. Verse 45 affirms the complete faithfulness of God to His word, a claim Joshua repeats in 23:14. The same book records land still to be possessed (13:1) and peoples the tribes did not expel (17:12-13). The text holds these together without strain: the LORD gave what He swore and set the land open before Israel, while the tribes' full possession remained incomplete through their failure to drive out the inhabitants, and 23:5 promises that the LORD will yet drive them out. The incompleteness belongs to Israel's obedience, not to God's promise.
- Joshua 21:45 (BSB)“Not one of all the LORD’s good promises to the house of Israel had failed; everything was fulfilled.”Not one of the LORD's good promises to Israel had failed; everything was fulfilled.
- Joshua 23:14 (BSB)“Now behold, today I am going the way of all the earth, and you know with all your heart and soul that not one of the good promises the LORD your God made to you has failed. Everything was fulfilled for you; not one promise has failed.”Near death, Joshua repeats that not one of God's good promises has failed.
- Joshua 13:1 (BSB)“Now Joshua was old and well along in years, and the LORD said to him, “You are old and well along in years, but very much of the land remains to be possessed.”Earlier the LORD told Joshua that very much of the land still remained to be possessed.
- Joshua 17:12-13 (BSB)“But the descendants of Manasseh were unable to occupy these cities, because the Canaanites were determined to stay in this land. However, when the Israelites grew stronger, they put the Canaanites to forced labor; but they failed to drive them out completely.”Manasseh failed to drive out the Canaanites completely, putting them to forced labor instead.
- Joshua 23:5 (BSB)“The LORD your God will push them out of your way and drive them out before you, so that you can take possession of their land, as the LORD your God promised you.”Joshua promises that the LORD will still push the remaining nations out before Israel.
General
True or False: The cities of refuge named in chapter 20 were among the Levites' towns.
Answer: True
This is true. The cities of refuge were the six towns where someone who had killed a person by accident could find safety (20:7-8). In chapter 21 those same towns appear in the Levites' lists: Hebron (21:13) and Shechem (21:21) are each marked as a refuge city, as are Golan, Kedesh, and Ramoth, and Bezer is included as well. This fulfilled the instruction that six of the Levites' towns serve as places of refuge, with forty-two more besides (Numbers 35:6). The refuge cities were in the care of the tribe set apart to serve God.
- Joshua 21:13 (BSB)“So to the descendants of Aaron the priest they gave these cities, together with their pasturelands: Hebron, a city of refuge for the manslayer, Libnah,”Hebron, given to the priests, is identified as a city of refuge.
- Joshua 21:21 (BSB)“they were given Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim (a city of refuge for the manslayer), Gezer,”Shechem, given to the other Kohathites, is likewise a city of refuge.
- Numbers 35:6 (BSB)“Six of the cities you give the Levites are to be appointed as cities of refuge, to which a manslayer may flee. In addition to these, give the Levites forty-two other cities.”Six of the Levites' cities were to be appointed as cities of refuge, with forty-two others besides.
- Joshua 20:7-8 (BSB)“So they set apart Kedesh in Galilee in the hill country of Naphtali, Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim, and Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron) in the hill country of Judah. And beyond the Jordan, east of Jericho, they designated Bezer on the wilderness plateau from the tribe of Reuben, Ramoth in Gilead from the tribe of Gad, and Golan in Bashan from the tribe of Manasseh.”The six refuge cities named in chapter 20 include Hebron, Shechem, Kedesh, Golan, Ramoth, and Bezer.
Theological
True or False: Chapter 21 shows that the six refuge cities of chapter 20 were included among the Levitical towns.
Answer: True
This is true. The refuge cities designated in 20:7-8 reappear in the Levitical allotment: Hebron (21:13) and Shechem (21:21) are expressly labeled refuge cities, Golan, Kedesh, and Ramoth carry the same label, and Bezer appears among the Merarite towns. This carries out Numbers 35:6, which made six of the forty-eight Levitical towns cities of refuge. The refuge cities were thus Levite towns.
- Joshua 21:13 (BSB)“So to the descendants of Aaron the priest they gave these cities, together with their pasturelands: Hebron, a city of refuge for the manslayer, Libnah,”Hebron, given to the priests, is identified as a city of refuge.
- Joshua 21:21 (BSB)“they were given Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim (a city of refuge for the manslayer), Gezer,”Shechem, given to the other Kohathites, is likewise a city of refuge.
- Numbers 35:6 (BSB)“Six of the cities you give the Levites are to be appointed as cities of refuge, to which a manslayer may flee. In addition to these, give the Levites forty-two other cities.”Six of the Levites' cities were to be appointed as cities of refuge, with forty-two others besides.
- Joshua 20:7-8 (BSB)“So they set apart Kedesh in Galilee in the hill country of Naphtali, Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim, and Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron) in the hill country of Judah. And beyond the Jordan, east of Jericho, they designated Bezer on the wilderness plateau from the tribe of Reuben, Ramoth in Gilead from the tribe of Gad, and Golan in Bashan from the tribe of Manasseh.”The six refuge cities named in chapter 20 include Hebron, Shechem, Kedesh, Golan, Ramoth, and Bezer.