Joshua 21

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Joshua 21

It had been often said that the tribe of Levi should have ?no inheritance with their brethren,? no particular part of the country assigned them, as the other tribes had, no, not the country about Shiloh, which one might have expected to be appropriated to them as the lands of the church; but, though they were not thus cast into a country by themselves, it appears, by the provision made for them in this chapter, that they were no losers, but the rest of the tribes were very much gainers, by... read more

Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Joshua 21:1-8

Here is, I. The Levites? petition presented to this general convention of the states, now sitting at Shiloh, Josh. 21:1, 2. Observe, 1. They had not their lot assigned them till they made their claim. There is an inheritance provided for all the saints, that royal priesthood, but then they must petition for it. Ask, and it shall be given you. Joshua had quickened the rest of the tribes who were slack to put in their claims, but the Levites, it may be supposed, knew their duty and interest... read more

Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Joshua 21:9-42

We have here a particular account of the cities which were given to the children of Levi out of the several tribes, not only to be occupied and inhabited by them, as tenants to the several tribes in which they lay?no, their interest in them was not dependent and precarious, but to be owned and possessed by them as lords and proprietors, and as having the same title to them that the rest of the tribes had to their cities or lands, as appears by the law which preserved the house in the Levites?... read more

Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Joshua 21:43-45

We have here the conclusion of this whole matter, the foregoing history summed up, and, to make it appear the more bright, compared with the promise of which it was the full accomplishment. God's word and his works mutually illustrate each other. The performance makes the promise appear very true and the promise makes the performance appear very kind. I. God had promised to give the seed of Abraham the land of Canaan for a possession, and now at last he performed this promise (Josh. 21:43):... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Joshua 21

INTRODUCTION TO JOSHUA 21 This chapter contains the address of the Levites to the court, to have the cities and suburbs given them according to the command of God by Moses, Joshua 21:1 ; the grant of them by lot out of the several tribes, Joshua 21:3 ; the particular cities out of the tribes of Judah and Simeon are mentioned by name, Joshua 21:9 ; then those out of the tribe of Benjamin, Joshua 21:17 ; next those out of the tribe of Ephraim, Joshua 21:20 ; afterwards those out of... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Joshua 21:1

Then came near the heads of the fathers of the Levites ,.... When the land was divided to the several tribes, and everyone knew the cities that belonged to them, and what they could and should part with to the Levites, and when the six cities of refuge were fixed; the Levites came to put in their claim for cities of habitation, they having no share in the division of the land; and yet it was necessary they should have habitations; the persons that undertook to put in a claim for them were... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Joshua 21:2

And they spake unto them at Shiloh in the land of Canaan ,.... Where the tabernacle was fixed, at or near which the above persons met to cast lots for the division of the land to the seven tribes that had not received their inheritance: saying, the Lord commanded by the hand of Moses to give us cities to dwell in, with the suburbs thereof for our cattle ; this command is extant in Numbers 35:2 . read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Joshua 21:3

And the children of Israel gave unto the Levites out of their inheritance ,.... Knowing full well there was such a command, made no objection to their motion, but freely gave them cities out of the portion of inheritance allotted to them; this they did at the commandment of the Lord, and in obedience to it, even gave these cities and suburbs ; after mentioned: this was done by the tribes themselves; as there were a certain number fixed by the commandment of God, they agreed among... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Joshua 21:4

And the lot came out for the family of the Kohathites ,.... The first lot that was drawn out of the pot or urn was for the descendants of Kohath, a son of Levi: and the children of Aaron the priest, which were of the Levites ; who descended from Amram, the eldest son of Kohath, and these were not only Levites, but priests: these had by lot out of the tribe of Judah, and out of the tribe of Simeon , and out of the tribe of Benjamin, thirteen cities ; which are after mentioned by... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Joshua 21:5

And the rest of the children of Kohath ,.... Which did not descend from him in the line of Amram and Aaron, but of Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel, who were not priests, but Levites: had by lot out of the families of the tribe of Ephraim, and out of the tribe of Dan, and out of the half tribe of Manasseh, ten cities ; these other sort of Kohathites had their cities in tribes next to the other three where the Kohathites that were priests had theirs. read more

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