King James Version
Joshua 21:3
3And the children of Israel gave unto the Levites out of their inheritance, at the commandment of the Lord, these cities and their suburbs.
Joshua 21:3 in other versions
- New International Version (NIV)So, as the Lord had commanded, the Israelites gave the Levites the following towns and pasturelands out of their own inheritance:
- English Standard Version (ESV)So by command of the Lord the people of Israel gave to the Levites the following cities and pasturelands out of their inheritance.
- New King James Version (NKJV)So the children of Israel gave to the Levites from their inheritance, at the commandment of the Lord, these cities and their common-lands:
- New Living Translation (NLT)So by the command of the Lord the people of Israel gave the Levites the following towns and pasturelands out of their own grants of land.
Context of Joshua 21:3
1Then 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 tribes of the children of Israel; 2And they spake unto them at Shiloh in the land of Canaan, saying, The Lord commanded by the hand of Moses to give us cities to dwell in, with the suburbs thereof for our cattle. And the children of Israel gave unto the Levites out of their inheritance, at the commandment of the Lord, these cities and their suburbs. 4And the lot came out for the families of the Kohathites: and the children of Aaron the priest, which were of the Levites, 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. 5And the rest of the children of Kohath 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.
Read all of Joshua 21Joshua 21:3 word by word
וַיִּתְּנ֨וּ בְנֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֧ל לַלְוִיִּ֛ם מִנַּחֲלָתָ֖ם אֶל־פִּ֣י יְהוָ֑ה אֶת־הֶעָרִ֥ים הָאֵ֖לֶּה וְאֶת־מִגְרְשֵׁיהֶֽן׃Read the interlinear
- And the childrenבֵּןbên · son: descendant/peopleH1121
- of Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלyiώrâ'êl · IsraelH3478
- gaveנָתַןnâthan · to give: giveH5414
- unto the Levitesלֵוִיlêvîyîy lêvîy · LeviH3881
- out of their inheritanceנַחֲלָהnachălâh · inheritanceH5159
- at the commandmentפֶּהpeh · lip: wordH6310
- of the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- these citiesעִיר‛îyr ‛âr ‛âyar · cityH5892
- and their suburbsמִגְרָשׁmigrâsh migrâshâh · pastureH4054
Cross-references for Joshua 21:3
- Genesis 49:7Cursed be their anger, for it was fierce; and their wrath, for it was cruel: I will divide them in Jacob, and scatter them in Israel.
- Deuteronomy 33:8And of Levi he said, Let thy Thummim and thy Urim be with thy holy one, whom thou didst prove at Massah, and with whom thou didst strive at the waters of Meribah;
- 1 Chronicles 6:54Now these are their dwelling places throughout their castles in their coasts, of the sons of Aaron, of the families of the Kohathites: for theirs was the lot.
Commentaries on Joshua 21:3
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 3And the children of Israel gave unto the Levites - They cheerfully obeyed the Divine command, and cities for habitations were appointed to them out of the different tribes by lot, that it might as fully appear that God designed them their habitations, as he designed the others their inheritances.Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 2-3The Lord commanded Moses, as recorded in Numbers 35:1–7. One priestly duty was to teach God's law to Israel (see study note on 1:8). The Levites could do this better by living in all the areas of the tribes.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-81-3. Then came near the heads of the fathers of the Levites--The most venerable and distinguished members of the three Levitical families, on behalf of their tribe, applied for the special provision that had been promised them to be now awarded (see on Nu 35:2). Their inheritance lay within the territory of every tribe. It was assigned in the same place and manner, and by the same commissioners as the other allotments. While the people, knowing the…Read the comment
Topics related to Joshua 21:3
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Joshua 21
- 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
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
King James Version — Public Domain except in the United Kingdom (Crown rights)
Commentaries