EasyEnglish Bible 2018
Joshua 20:8
8They also chose these towns beyond Jericho, on the east side of Jordan River: Bezer (in the flat desert land of Reuben), Ramoth in Gilead (on Gad's land), Golan in Bashan (on Manasseh's land).
Joshua 20:8 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And on the other side Jordan by Jericho eastward, they assigned Bezer in the wilderness upon the plain out of the tribe of Reuben, and Ramoth in Gilead out of the tribe of Gad, and Golan in Bashan out of the tribe of Manasseh.
- New International Version (NIV)East of the Jordan (on the other side from Jericho) they designated Bezer in the wilderness on the plateau in the tribe of Reuben, Ramoth in Gilead in the tribe of Gad, and Golan in Bashan in the tribe of Manasseh.
- English Standard Version (ESV)And beyond the Jordan east of Jericho, they appointed Bezer in the wilderness on the tableland, from the tribe of Reuben, and Ramoth in Gilead, from the tribe of Gad, and Golan in Bashan, from the tribe of Manasseh.
- New King James Version (NKJV)And on the other side of the Jordan, by Jericho eastward, they assigned Bezer in the wilderness on the plain, from the tribe of Reuben, Ramoth in Gilead, from the tribe of Gad, and Golan in Bashan, from the tribe of Manasseh.
Context of Joshua 20:8
6The killer must stay inside that city. The judges there will decide if he is not guilty of murder. Then he must wait until the leader of the priests dies. After that, he is free to return to the town that he came from.’ 7So they chose these towns: Kedesh in Galilee (in the hill country of Naphtali), Shechem (in the hill country of Ephraim), and Kiriath Arba (that is Hebron, in the hill country of Judah). They also chose these towns beyond Jericho, on the east side of Jordan River: Bezer (in the flat desert land of Reuben), Ramoth in Gilead (on Gad's land), Golan in Bashan (on Manasseh's land). 9Any Israelite or foreign person living in Israel could run to these cities and be safe. They may have killed someone, but they did not mean to kill them. If they run to these cities, the dead person's relative could not kill them. The judges in the city had to decide whether a killer was guilty of murder. Nobody could kill them before the judges decided.
Read all of Joshua 20Joshua 20:8 word by word
וּמֵעֵ֜בֶר לְיַרְדֵּ֤ן יְרִיחוֹ֙ מִזְרָ֔חָה נָתְנ֞וּ אֶת־בֶּ֧צֶר בַּמִּדְבָּ֛ר בַּמִּישֹׁ֖ר מִמַּטֵּ֣ה רְאוּבֵ֑ן וְאֶת־רָאמֹ֤ת בַּגִּלְעָד֙ מִמַּטֵּה־גָ֔ד וְאֶת־גּוֹלָ֥ן בַּבָּשָׁ֖ן מִמַּטֵּ֥ה מְנַשֶּֽׁה׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And on the other sideעֵ֫בֶר‛êber · side: beyondH5676
- Jordanיַרְדֵּןyardên · JordanH3383
- by Jerichoיְרִיחוֹyerîychô yerêchô yerîychôh · JerichoH3405
- eastwardמִזְרָחmizrâch · eastH4217
- they assignedנָתַןnâthan · to give: putH5414
- Bezerבֶּ֫צֶרbetser · BezerH1221
- in the wildernessמִדְבָּרmidbâr · wildernessH4057
- upon the plainמִישׁוֹרmîyshôr mîyshôr · plainH4334
- out of the tribeמַטֶּהmaţţeh maţţâh · tribeH4294
- of Reubenרְאוּבֵןre'ûbên · ReubenH7205
- and Ramothרָאמוֹתrâ'môth râ'môth · RamothH7216
- in Gileadגִּלְעָדgil‛âd · GileadH1568
- of Gadגָּדgâd · GadH1410
- and Golanגּוֹלָןgôlân · GolanH1474
- in Bashanבָּשָׁןbâshân · BashanH1316
- of Manassehמְנַשֶּׁהmenashsheh · ManassehH4519
Cross-references for Joshua 20:8
- Joshua 21:36The tribe of Reuben gave them Bezer, Jahaz,
- Deuteronomy 4:43Moses chose these cities: For Reuben's tribe, he chose Bezer, in the high land of the desert. For Gad's tribe, he chose Ramoth, in Gilead. For Manasseh's tribe, he chose Golan, in Bashan.
- 1 Chronicles 6:78They also received towns in land that belonged to Reuben's tribe on the east side of the Jordan River, beyond Jericho city. They received these towns and the fields around them: Bezer in the desert, Jahzah,
- Joshua 21:38The tribe of Gad gave them Ramoth in Gilead, a safe city, Mahanaim,
- 1 Kings 22:3The king of Israel said to his leaders, ‘You know that Ramoth Gilead belongs to us. But we are not doing anything to take it back from the king of Syria.’
- 1 Chronicles 6:80They received these towns in land that belonged to Gad's tribe: Ramoth in Gilead with its fields, Mahanaim with its fields,
- Joshua 21:27The Levites from the clans of Gershon received these towns. The east half tribe of Manasseh gave them Golan in Bashan, a safe city, and Be Eshtarah. That was two towns, as well as their fields.
Commentaries on Joshua 20:8
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 7-9Verses 7-9 These cities, as those also on the other side Jordan, stood so that a man might in half a day reach one of them from any part of the country. God is ever a Refuge at hand. They were all Levites' cities. It was kindness to the poor fugitive, that when he might not go up to the house of the Lord, yet he had the servants of God with him, to instruct him, and pray for him, and to help to make up the want of public ordinances. Some observe a…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 7-9Joshua chose six cities of refuge. Three were on the east side of the Jordan River and three were on the west side. From anywhere in the land, people could reach one of these well-known Levitical cities within two days of travel.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 7-97-9. they appointed ... cities--There were six; three on the west, and three on the east, of Jordan. In the first instance, they were a provision of the criminal law of the Hebrews, necessary in the circumstances of that people (see on Nu 35:11; De 19:2). At the same time they were designed also typically to point out the sinner's way to Christ (He 6:18).Read the comment
Topics related to Joshua 20:8
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Joshua 20
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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