New International Version
Numbers 35:8
8The towns you give the Levites from the land the Israelites possess are to be given in proportion to the inheritance of each tribe: Take many towns from a tribe that has many, but few from one that has few.”
Numbers 35:8 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And the cities which ye shall give shall be of the possession of the children of Israel: from them that have many ye shall give many; but from them that have few ye shall give few: every one shall give of his cities unto the Levites according to his inheritance which he inheriteth.
- English Standard Version (ESV)And as for the cities that you shall give from the possession of the people of Israel, from the larger tribes you shall take many, and from the smaller tribes you shall take few; each, in proportion to the inheritance that it inherits, shall give of its cities to the Levites."
- New King James Version (NKJV)And the cities which you will give shall be from the possession of the children of Israel; from the larger tribe you shall give many, from the smaller you shall give few. Each shall give some of its cities to the Levites, in proportion to the inheritance that each receives.”
- New Living Translation (NLT)These towns will come from the property of the people of Israel. The larger tribes will give more towns to the Levites, while the smaller tribes will give fewer. Each tribe will give property in proportion to the size of its land.”
Context of Numbers 35:8
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. 7In all you must give the Levites forty-eight towns, together with their pasturelands. The towns you give the Levites from the land the Israelites possess are to be given in proportion to the inheritance of each tribe: Take many towns from a tribe that has many, but few from one that has few.” 9Then the Lord said to Moses: 10“Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘When you cross the Jordan into Canaan,
Read all of Numbers 35Numbers 35:8 word by word
וְהֶֽעָרִ֗ים אֲשֶׁ֤ר תִּתְּנוּ֙ מֵאֲחֻזַּ֣ת בְּנֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל מֵאֵ֤ת הָרַב֙ תַּרְבּ֔וּ וּמֵאֵ֥ת הַמְעַ֖ט תַּמְעִ֑יטוּ אִ֗ישׁ כְּפִ֤י נַחֲלָתוֹ֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר יִנְחָ֔לוּ יִתֵּ֥ן מֵעָרָ֖יו לַלְוִיִּֽם׃ פRead the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And the citiesעִיר‛îyr ‛âr ‛âyar · cityH5892
- which ye shall giveנָתַןnâthan · to give: giveH5414
- of the possessionאֲחֻזָּה'ăchûzzâh · possessionH272
- of the childrenבֵּןbên · son: descendant/peopleH1121
- of Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלyiώrâ'êl · IsraelH3478
- manyרַבrab · manyH7227
- ye shall give manyרָבָהrâbâh · to multiplyH7235
- fewמְעַטme‛aţ me‛âţ · littleH4592
- ye shall give fewמָעַטmâ‛aţ · to diminishH4591
- every oneאִישׁ'îysh · man: anyoneH376
- unto the Levitesלֵוִיlêvîyîy lêvîy · LeviH3881
- accordingפֶּהpeh · lip: accordingH6310
- to his inheritanceנַחֲלָהnachălâh · inheritanceH5159
- which he inheritethנָחַלnâchal · to inheritH5157
Cross-references for Numbers 35:8
- Genesis 49:7Cursed be their anger, so fierce, and their fury, so cruel! I will scatter them in Jacob and disperse them in Israel.
- Exodus 32:28The Levites did as Moses commanded, and that day about three thousand of the people died.
- Deuteronomy 33:8About Levi he said: “Your Thummim and Urim belong to your faithful servant. You tested him at Massah; you contended with him at the waters of Meribah.
- Joshua 21:3So, as the Lord had commanded, the Israelites gave the Levites the following towns and pasturelands out of their own inheritance:
- Numbers 26:54To a larger group give a larger inheritance, and to a smaller group a smaller one; each is to receive its inheritance according to the number of those listed.
- Numbers 33:54Distribute the land by lot, according to your clans. To a larger group give a larger inheritance, and to a smaller group a smaller one. Whatever falls to them by lot will be theirs. Distribute it according to your ancestral tribes.
- Exodus 16:18And when they measured it by the omer, the one who gathered much did not have too much, and the one who gathered little did not have too little. Everyone had gathered just as much as they needed.
- 2 Corinthians 8:13Our desire is not that others might be relieved while you are hard pressed, but that there might be equality.
Commentaries on Numbers 35:8
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 8Nine cities were eventually given to the Levites from the large joint inheritance of Judah and Simeon; three were taken from the territory of Naphtali, and the other tribes gave each four apiece.Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1-8The tribe of Levi did not receive its own land. So chapter 35 explains how they received 48 towns spread out among the lands of the other tribes (see Joshua 21; see also Leviticus 25:32–34; 1 Chronicles 13:2; 2 Chronicles 11:14). During the wilderness journey, the Levites lived in the center of the Israelite camp (compare Numbers 2:17). In the promised land, they were to live among the other tribes. Their presence was meant to influence the people for…Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 88. the cities which ye shall give shall be of the possession of the children of Israel--The burden of furnishing those places for the residence and support of the Levitical order was to fall in equitable proportions upon the different tribes (see Nu 33:54; Jos 20:7).Read the comment
Topics related to Numbers 35:8
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Numbers 35
- 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
New International Version — © NIV® 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 Biblica
Commentaries