Joshua 21:6 NIV

L. M. Grant's Commentary on the Bible - Joshua 21:1-45

TWO FOOLISH OATHS AND FOOLISH ACTIONS (vv. 1-14) God had not told Israel to totally destroy Benjamin, including women and children, but Israel had done this except for the 600 men hiding in the Rock Rimmon. Now they realize that a tribe of Israel is on the verge of extinction. Why did they not think of this before? But they had virtually decreed that Benjamin should be extinct by the fact that they swore an oath to the effect that no woman of Israel must be given as a wife to a Benjamite... read more

James Gray

James Gray's Concise Bible Commentary - Joshua 21:1-45

SPECIAL CITIES ; ALTAR OF WITNESS THE CITIES OF REFUGE (Joshua 20:0 ) The decree concerning the cities of refuge was considered in its place. It will be well, however, again to notice that they were not instituted to shield criminals but innocent murderers. Whether innocent or guilty though, the murdered had an asylum until his case could be heard by the authorities (Joshua 20:6 ). If innocent he was permitted to remain in the city, immune from the legal avenger, until the death of the... read more

Joseph Parker

The People's Bible by Joseph Parker - Joshua 21:1-45

After Rest Joshua 20-24 THE twentieth chapter deals with the Cities of Refuge. A very beautiful expression is that "City of Refuge." Very suggestive, too. But there is a great black shadow in the middle of it: for why should men want refuge? The term is noble in itself, but what is it in its suggestion? Surely it means that there is a pursuing storm. We have heard travellers say that by making haste they will just be in time to escape the impending tempest; so they quicken their steps, and... read more

Robert Hawker

Hawker's Poor Man's Commentary - Joshua 21:4-42

I include all these verses in one point of view for the sake of shortness. If the Reader be desirous to look at them more particularly, he will discover how admirably they were all arranged and disposed of, so as to scatter the Levites over the whole land. And herein he will discover how great a correspondence this dispersion of God's servants in the old church, bore to the dispersion of God's servants in the new, when Jesus sent his disciples forth to preach the gospel to every creature. Mark... read more

Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on the Bible - Joshua 21:1-8

1-8 The Levites waited till the other tribes were provided for, before they preferred their claim to Joshua. They build their claim upon a very good foundation; not their own merits or services, but the Divine precept. The maintenance of ministers is not a thing left merely to the will of the people, that they may let them starve if they please; they which preach the gospel should live by the gospel, and should live comfortably. read more

Paul E. Kretzmann

The Popular Commentary by Paul E. Kretzmann - Joshua 21:1-8

The Allotment in General v. 1. Then came near the heads of the fathers of the Levites unto Eleazar, the priest, and unto Joshua, the son of Nun, and unto the heads of the fathers of the tribes of the children of Israel; v. 2. and they spake unto them at Shiloh, in the land of Canaan, where the division of the land had taken place, this city being the capital of the tribes, saying, The Lord commanded by the hand of Moses to give us cities to dwell in, with the suburbs, meadow-lands, thereof... read more

Johann Peter Lange

Lange's Commentary on the Holy Scriptures: Critical, Doctrinal and Homiletical - Joshua 21:1-45

5. Appointment of the Cities for the Priests and LevitesJoshua 21:0a. Demand of the Levites that Cities should be given themJoshua 21:1-31Then [And] came near the heads of the fathers of the Levites unto Eleazar the priest, and unto Joshua the son of Nun, and unto the heads of the fathers of the 2tribes of the children [sons] of Israel; And they [omit: they] spake unto them at Shiloh in the land of Canaan, saying, The Lord [Jehovah] commanded by the hand of Moses to give us cities to dwell in,... read more

G. Campbell Morgan

G. Campbell Morgan's Exposition on the Whole Bible - Joshua 21:1-45

Jacob's prophecy concerning Simeon and Levi: I will divide them in Jacob, And scatter them in Israel, was fulfilled in the case of Levi in the distribution of the tribe through all the other tribes. What sounded like a curse thus proved to be a blessing. The presence of the Levites everywhere was intended to serve as a perpetual witness to the relation of the nation to God. This second division of the Book of Joshua dealing with the settlement of the people ends with a statement that Jehovah... read more

Peter Pett

Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible - Joshua 21:6-7

The Allocation of the Other Cities. Joshua 21:6 ‘ 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.’ These Levites, who were ‘descended’ from Gershon, were given responsibility for three northern tribes, including Transjordan Manasseh. Joshua 21:7 ‘ The children of Merari, according to their families, had out of the tribe of... read more

Arthur Peake

Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible - Joshua 21:1-42

Joshua 21:1-Luke : . The Levitical Cities.— The cities promised by Moses to the Levites are here assigned to them. The sons of Aaron have 13 in Judah, the Levites 10 in Ephraim and Manasseh, 13 in Galilee, and 12 in the E. Jordan territory. Both promises and performance are unhistorical. The simple fact that the descendants of Aaron could at this time have numbered only a few families shows the assignment of 13 cities to them to be purely imaginary. For the true history of the priesthood,... read more