Joshua 21:20-22 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

George Haydock

George Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary - Joshua 21:21

One of, ( urbes confugii Sichem....and Gazer .) Literally, " cities of refuge, Sichem,....Gazer," &c., as if all the Levitical cities had enjoyed this privilege, which we have seen (Numbers xxxv. 6,) is the opinion of some. But the Hebrew, Septuagint, and Chaldean read in the singular, "Sichem, a city of refuge;" and interpreters generally allow only six cities of this description. (Calmet) --- Without extending this privilege to all the rest, we may observe that all the cities of refuge... read more

Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on the Bible - Joshua 21:9-42

9-42 By mixing the Levites with the other tribes, they were made to see that the eyes of all Israel were upon them, and therefore it was their concern to walk so that their ministry might not be blamed. Every tribe had its share of Levites' cities. Thus did God graciously provide for keeping up religion among them, and that they might have the word in all parts of the land. Yet, blessed be God, we have the gospel more diffused amongst us. read more

Paul E. Kretzmann

The Popular Commentary by Paul E. Kretzmann - Joshua 21:20-45

The Cities of the Kohathites, the Gershonites, and the Merabites v. 20. And the families of the children of Kohath, the descendants of Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel, and of Moses, the Levites which remained of the children of Kohath, namely, after the priests, the children of Aaron, had received their allotment, even they had the cities of their lot out of the tribe of Ephraim. v. 21. For they gave them, the Levites, Shechem with her suburbs in Mount Ephraim, to be a city of refuge for the... 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 21:20

‘ And the families of the children of Kohath, the Levites, even the remainder of the children of Kohath, they had the cities of their lot out of the tribe of Ephraim.’ These were the descendants of Moses (see Judges 18:30) and of Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel (1 Chronicles 6:1-3). Their lot was among the Ephraimites. Thus the Kohathites had their dwellings among the two most powerful tribes. read more