New International Version
Joshua 21:13
13So to the descendants of Aaron the priest they gave Hebron (a city of refuge for one accused of murder), Libnah,
Joshua 21:13 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Thus they gave to the children of Aaron the priest Hebron with her suburbs, to be a city of refuge for the slayer; and Libnah with her suburbs,
- English Standard Version (ESV)And to the descendants of Aaron the priest they gave Hebron, the city of refuge for the manslayer, with its pasturelands, Libnah with its pasturelands,
- New King James Version (NKJV)Thus to the children of Aaron the priest they gave Hebron with its common-land (a city of refuge for the slayer), Libnah with its common-land,
- New Living Translation (NLT)The following towns with their pasturelands were given to the descendants of Aaron the priest: Hebron (a city of refuge for those who accidentally killed someone), Libnah,
Context of Joshua 21:13
11They gave them Kiriath Arba (that is, Hebron), with its surrounding pastureland, in the hill country of Judah. (Arba was the forefather of Anak.) 12But the fields and villages around the city they had given to Caleb son of Jephunneh as his possession. So to the descendants of Aaron the priest they gave Hebron (a city of refuge for one accused of murder), Libnah, 14Jattir, Eshtemoa, 15Holon, Debir,
Read all of Joshua 21Joshua 21:13 word by word
וְלִבְנֵ֣י׀ אַהֲרֹ֣ן הַכֹּהֵ֗ן נָֽתְנוּ֙ אֶת־עִיר֙ מִקְלַ֣ט הָרֹצֵ֔חַ אֶת־חֶבְר֖וֹן וְאֶת־מִגְרָשֶׁ֑הָ וְאֶת־לִבְנָ֖ה וְאֶת־מִגְרָשֶֽׁהָ׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Thus they gaveנָתַןnâthan · to give: giveH5414
- to the childrenבֵּןbên · son: descendant/peopleH1121
- of Aaronאַהֲרֹן'ahărôn · AaronH175
- the priestכֹּהֵןkôhên · priestH3548
- Hebronחֶבְרוֹןchebrôn · HebronH2275
- with her suburbsמִגְרָשׁmigrâsh migrâshâh · pastureH4054
- a cityעִיר‛îyr ‛âr ‛âyar · cityH5892
- of refugeמִקְלָטmiqlâţ · refugeH4733
- for the slayerרָצַחrâtsach · to murderH7523
- and Libnahלִבְנָהlibnâh · LibnahH3841
Cross-references for Joshua 21:13
- 1 Chronicles 6:56But the fields and villages around the city were given to Caleb son of Jephunneh.
- Joshua 15:54Humtah, Kiriath Arba (that is, Hebron) and Zior—nine towns and their villages.
- Joshua 20:7So they set apart 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.
- Numbers 35:6“Six of the towns you give the Levites will be cities of refuge, to which a person who has killed someone may flee. In addition, give them forty-two other towns.
- Joshua 10:29Then Joshua and all Israel with him moved on from Makkedah to Libnah and attacked it.
- Joshua 15:42Libnah, Ether, Ashan,
- 1 Chronicles 6:57So the descendants of Aaron were given Hebron (a city of refuge), and Libnah, Jattir, Eshtemoa,
- Isaiah 37:8When the field commander heard that the king of Assyria had left Lachish, he withdrew and found the king fighting against Libnah.
Commentaries on Joshua 21:13
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 9-19Verses 9-19 The thirteen priestly cities (see the marginal references) were all in the tribes of Judah, Simeon, and Benjamin. Thus, as Calvin remarks, God so overruled it that the priestly families were placed upon the spot which He had determined before hand to choose as the site of His temple.Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 9-42Verses 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. (Jos…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 9-42The descendants of Aaron received thirteen cities, the rest of the Kohathite clan received ten, the descendants of Gershon received thirteen, and the Merari clan received twelve. There were a total of forty-eight Levitical cities. Each tribe had four Levitical cities, except Judah had eight, Simeon had one, and Naphtali had three. Six of the Levitical cities were also cities of refuge (20:7–8).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 9-429-40. they gave ... these cities which are here mentioned by name--It was overruled by the unerring providence of the Divine Lawgiver that the cities of the priests lay within the territories of Judah and Benjamin. This was a provision, the admirable wisdom and propriety of which were fully manifested on the schism that took place in the reign of Rehoboam.Read the comment
Topics related to Joshua 21:13
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
New International Version — © NIV® 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 Biblica
Commentaries