9 Out of the tribe of Judah and the tribe of Simeon they gave the following cities mentioned by name, 10 which went to the descendants of Aaron, one of the families of the Ko'hathites who belonged to the Levites; since the lot fell to them first. 11 They gave them Kir'iath-ar'ba (Arba being the father of Anak), that is Hebron, in the hill country of Judah, along with the pasture lands round about it. 12 But the fields of the city and its villages had been given to Caleb the son of Jephun'neh as his possession. 13 And to the descendants of Aaron the priest they gave Hebron, the city of refuge for the slayer, with its pasture lands, Libnah with its pasture lands, 14 Jattir with its pasture lands, Eshtemo'a with its pasture lands, 15 Holon with its pasture lands, Debir with its pasture lands, 16 A'in with its pasture lands, Juttah with its pasture lands, Beth-she'mesh with its pasture lands--nine cities out of these two tribes; 17 then out of the tribe of Benjamin, Gibeon with its pasture lands, Geba with its pasture lands, 18 An'athoth with its pasture lands, and Almon with its pasture lands--four cities. 19 The cities of the descendants of Aaron, the priests, were in all thirteen cities with their pasture lands. 20 As to the rest of the Ko'hathites belonging to the Ko'hathite families of the Levites, the cities allotted to them were out of the tribe of E'phraim. 21 To them were given Shechem, the city of refuge for the slayer, with its pasture lands in the hill country of E'phraim, Gezer with its pasture lands, 22 Kib'za-im with its pasture lands, Beth-hor'on with its pasture lands--four cities; 23 and out of the tribe of Dan, El'teke with its pasture lands, Gib'bethon with its pasture lands, 24 Ai'jalon with its pasture lands, Gath-rim'mon with its pasture lands--four cities; 25 and out of the half-tribe of Manas'seh, Ta'anach with its pasture lands, and Gath-rim'mon with its pasture lands--two cities. 26 The cities of the families of the rest of the Ko'hathites were ten in all with their pasture lands. 27 And to the Gershonites, one of the families of the Levites, were given out of the half-tribe of Manas'seh, Golan in Bashan with its pasture lands, the city of refuge for the slayer, and Beesh'terah with its pasture lands--two cities; 28 and out of the tribe of Is'sachar, Ki'shion with its pasture lands, Dab'erath with its pasture lands, 29 Jarmuth with its pasture lands, En-gan'nim with its pasture lands--four cities; 30 and out of the tribe of Asher, Mishal with its pasture lands, Abdon with its pasture lands, 31 Helkath with its pasture lands, and Rehob with its pasture lands--four cities; 32 and out of the tribe of Naph'tali, Kedesh in Galilee with its pasture lands, the city of refuge for the slayer, Ham'moth-dor with its pasture lands, and Kartan with its pasture lands--three cities. 33 The cities of the several families of the Gershonites were in all thirteen cities with their pasture lands. 34 And to the rest of the Levites, the Merar'ite families, were given out of the tribe of Zeb'ulun, Jok'ne-am with its pasture lands, Kartah with its pasture lands, 35 Dimnah with its pasture lands, Na'halal with its pasture lands--four cities; 36 and out of the tribe of Reuben, Bezer with its pasture lands, Jahaz with its pasture lands, 37 Ked'emoth with its pasture lands, and Meph'a-ath with its pasture lands--four cities; 38 and out of the tribe of Gad, Ramoth in Gilead with its pasture lands, the city of refuge for the slayer, Mahana'im with its pasture lands, 39 Heshbon with its pasture lands, Jazer with its pasture lands--four cities in all. 40 As for the cities of the several Merar'ite families, that is, the remainder of the families of the Levites, those allotted to them were in all twelve cities. 41 The cities of the Levites in the midst of the possession of the people of Israel were in all forty-eight cities with their pasture lands. 42 These cities had each its pasture lands round about it; so it was with all these cities.
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Joshua 21:9-42
Commentary on Joshua 21:9-42
(Read Joshua 21:9-42)
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.