Joshua 21:14 NIV

Arno Gaebelein's Annotated Bible - Joshua 21:1-45

8. The Portion of the Levites CHAPTER 21 1. The Levites, the children of Aaron, and their portions (Joshua 21:1-8 ) 2. Kohath (Joshua 21:9-26 ) 3. Gershon (Joshua 21:27-33 ) 4. Merari (Joshua 21:34-40 ) 5. The Lord’s faithfulness (Joshua 21:41-45 ) In chapters 13:14, 33 and 14:3, 4 the statement is made that Moses gave no inheritance to the Levites. The Lord was their inheritance. After the tribes had received their allotments the heads of the fathers of the Levites came to Joshua... read more

L.M. Grant

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 21:9-42

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 21:9-19

The Cities of the Priests v. 9. And they gave out of the tribe of the children of Judah and out of the tribe of the children of Simeon, out of the possessions allotted to these tribes, these cities which are here mentioned by name, v. 10. which the children of Aaron, being of the families of the Kohathites, who were of the children of Levi, had; for theirs was the first lot. v. 11. And they gave them the city of Arba, the father of Anak, Joshua 15:13-2 Chronicles :, which city is Hebron,... 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 21:13-16

‘ And to the children of Aaron the priest they gave Hebron with her suburbs, the city of refuge for the manslayer, and Libnah with her suburbs, and Jattir with her suburbs, and Eshtemoa with her suburbs, and Holon with her suburbs, and Debir with her suburbs, and Ain with her suburbs, and Juttah with her suburbs, and Beth-shemesh with her suburbs. Nine cities out of those two tribes.’ The repetition of Joshua 21:13 compared with Joshua 21:11 suggests that here the writer is copying an official... read more