Joshua Chapter 21
Cities in the land of Canaan, numbering a total of forty eight including the six cities of refuge, were given to the Levites.
This was according to the command of the LORD to Moses in the plains of Moab by the Jordan across from Jericho, by which He said, “Command the children of Israel that they give the Levites cities to dwell in from the inheritance of their possession, common-land around the cities. They shall have the cities to dwell in; and their common-land shall be for their cattle, for their herds, and for all their animals. The common-land of the cities which you will give the Levites shall extend from the wall of the city outward a thousand cubits all around. And you shall measure outside the city on the east side two thousand cubits, on the south side two thousand
cubits, on the west side two thousand cubits, and on the north side two thousand cubits. The city shall be in the middle. This land shall belong to them as common-land for the cities.” (Num. 35:2-5)
“Now among the cities which you will give to the Levites you shall appoint six cities of refuge, to which a manslayer may flee. And to these you shall add forty-two cities. So all the cities you will give to the Levites shall be forth-eight; these you shall give with their common-land. And the cities which you will give shall be from the possession of the children of Israel; from the larger tribe you shall give many, from the smaller you shall give
some of its cities to the Levites, in proportion to the inheritance that each receives.” (Num.35:6-8)
The heads of the fathers’ houses of the Levites came near to Eleazar the priest, to Joshua the son of Nun, and to the heads of the fathers’ houses of the tribes of the children of Israelites. And they spoke to them at Shiloh in the land of Canaan, saying, “The LORD commanded through Moses to give us cities to dwell in, with their common-lands for our livestock.” So the children of Israel gave to the Levites from their inheritance, at the
commandment of the LORD, these cities and their common-lands (21:1-3).
The families of the Kohathites and the children of Aaron the priest had thirteen cities by lot from the tribe of Judah, from the tribe of Simeon, and from the tribe of Benjamin. The rest of Kohathites had ten cities by lot from the families of the tribe of Ephraim, from the tribe of Dan, and from the half-tribe of Manasseh (21:4-5).
The children of Gershon had thirteen cities by lot from the families of the tribe of Issachar, from the tribe of Asher, from the tribe of Naphtali, and from the half-tribe of Manasseh in Bashan (21:6).
The children of Merari according to their families had twelve cities from the tribe of Reuben, from the tribe of Gad, and from the tribe of Zebulun. (21:7)
And the children of Israel gave these cities with their common-lands by lot to the Levites, as the LORD had commanded by the hand of Moses (21:8).
They gave from the tribe of the children of Judah and from the tribe of the children of Simeon these cities designated by name, which were for the children of Aaron. They gave Kirjath Arba which is Hebron in the mountains of Judah, with the common-lands surrounding it, to one of the families of the Kohathites of the children of Levi, who had the first priority to the lot. But the fields of the city and its villages they gave to Caleb the son
of Jephunneh as his possession (21:9-12).
To the children of Aaron the priest they gave Hebron with its common-land. Hebron was a city of refuge located to the west of the Jordan (21:13).
From the tribe of Judah and the tribe of Simeon, they gave nine cities. From the tribe of Benjamin they gave thirteen cities with their common-lands. From the tribe of Ephraim, they gave the cities of Shechem, Gezer, Kibzaim, Beth Horon, with their common-lands to the children of Kohath, the Levites and the rest of the children of Kohath. From the tribe of Dan, they gave the cities of Eltekeh, Gibbethon, Aijalon and Gath Rimmon.
From the half-tribe of Manasseh, they gave Tanach and Gath Rimmon with their common–lands. These ten cities were for the rest of the families of the children of Kohath.
Altogether forty-eight cities were given to the Levites. Thirteen cities with their common-lands were given to the Gershonites according to their families, and twelve cities with their common-lands to the families of the children of Merari, thirteen cities with their common-lands to the children of Kohathites who were priests, and ten cities with the common-lands to the rest of the Kohathites.
So the LORD gave to Israel all the land which He had sworn to give to their fathers, and they took possession of it and dwelt in it. The LORD gave them rest all around according to all that He had sworn to their fathers. And not a man of all the enemies stood against them; the LORD delivered all their enemies into their hand. Not a word failed of any good thing which the LORD had spoken to the house of Israel. All came to pass (21:43-45).
Commentary:
- The Levites were dedicated to the LORD instead of the firstborn males of the children of Israel (Num.3:11-13).
The firstborn males of the children of Israel were spared when the
tenth plague of the LORD struck Egypt and killed all the first-born males in the land. The Israelites took the blood of the Passover Lamb and put it on the two doorposts and on the lintels of their houses in which they ate the Passover feast, so that the destroyer passed over every house with the blood put on the two door posts, and spared the first born
male.
Thus the first born males among the Israelite nation belonged to the LORD (Exod.12:12-13; 29-31; Num. 3:40-45). Later the LORD appointed the Levites and consecrated them to belong to Him instead of all the first-born males. The descendants of Aaron were priests in the holy temple to burn incense and make sacrifices. The Levites served in the tabernacle of God. - At the first census of the Israelites taken in the Wilderness of Sinai, the number of Levites was 22,000 and the number of the first born males was 22,273.
The Levites were dedicated to the LORD instead of the first born males. The 273 first born-males over and above the 22,000 Levites were each redeemed with five shekels. The 1365 shekels, the total sum of redemption money, were brought to Moses who gave them to Aaron and his sons according to the word of the LORD as the LORD commanded Moses (Num. 3:49-51). - The Levites were not given inheritance in the promised land of Canaan (Num.18:20; Deut. 10:8-9; 12:12; 14:28-29; 18:1-2). The tribes of Israel were to share the sacrifices with the Levites and the priests who were the sons of Aaron.
- The LORD commanded the tribes of the children of Israel to give 48 cities with their common-lands to the Levites for them to dwell in, grow their food and for their livestock.
Teachings
- Offerings of money from church believers are employed for the ministry of the gospel and the matters of running and of administration of the church.
Full-time employees such as the preachers, clerical staff and general workers are compared to the Levites. They ought to be given financial allowances and other assistance to sustain their livelihood (I
Cor. 9:13-14). Those who give offerings ought to do so with a cheerful heart (II Cor. 9:6-7) - Every baptized believer is obliged to give offerings of thanksgiving, be they be offered in the form of tithes and freewill offerings (Exod.35:20-29; I Chron. 29:12-14; Gal. 6:9-10).
- The Levites who received the 48 cities with the common-lands and the tithe offering of the tribes were priests and those dedicated to the LORD to serve in the holy temple.
Full-time workers are full-time servants of Jesus Christ and of His church. They must be single-minded in service (I Tim. 4:6-10; II Tim.2:3).