New English Translation
Joshua 21:3
3So the Israelites assigned these cities and their grazing areas to the Levites from their own holdings, as the Lord had instructed.
Joshua 21:3 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And the children of Israel gave unto the Levites out of their inheritance, at the commandment of the Lord, these cities and their suburbs.
- 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:
Context of Joshua 21:3
1The tribal leaders of the Levites went before Eleazar the priest and Joshua son of Nun and the Israelite tribal leaders 2in Shiloh in the land of Canaan and said, “The Lord told Moses to assign us cities in which to live along with the grazing areas for our cattle.” So the Israelites assigned these cities and their grazing areas to the Levites from their own holdings, as the Lord had instructed. 4The first lot belonged to the Kohathite clans. The Levites who were descendants of Aaron the priest were allotted thirteen cities from the tribes of Judah, Simeon, and Benjamin. 5The rest of Kohath’s descendants were allotted ten cities from the clans of the tribe of Ephraim, and from the tribe of Dan and the half-tribe of Manasseh.
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
Words taken from the KJV.
- 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 fury, for it was cruel. I will divide them in Jacob, and scatter them in Israel!
- Deuteronomy 33:8Of Levi he said: Your Thummim and Urim belong to your godly one, whose authority you challenged at Massah, and with whom you argued at the waters of Meribah.
- 1 Chronicles 6:54These were the areas where Aaron’s descendants lived: The following belonged to the Kohathite clan, for they received the first allotment:
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
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