This chapter details how the land and cities were divided up among the children of
Israel. The key verses in this chapter are the last three (43-45). If you will remember
back in Genesis God made a promise to Abraham. Part of the promise was a land
promise in the land of Canaan. This promise was stated at first in Genesis 12 and then
in chapter 15 and many times thereafter to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Abraham’s
descendants are now a great nation...the nation of Israel and they have been granted
the land that God promised all along.
God’s promises are true and will always be fulfilled. It might not be as soon as we think
it should be or as quickly as we wish...but His promises will always be fulfilled!
Joshua 21
[21:1] Then 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; [2] And 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. [3] And the children of Israel gave unto the Levites out of
their inheritance, at the commandment of the LORD, these cities and their suburbs.
[4] And 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. [5] And 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. [6] And the children of
Gershon had by lot out of the families of the tribe of Issachar, and out of the tribe of
Asher, and out of the tribe of Naphtali, and out of the half tribe of Manasseh in Bashan,
thirteen cities. [7] The children of Merari by their families had out of the tribe of Reuben,
and out of the tribe of Gad, and out of the tribe of Zebulun, twelve cities. [8] And the
children of Israel gave by lot unto the Levites these cities with their suburbs, as the
LORD commanded by the hand of Moses. [9] And they gave out of the tribe of the
children of Judah, and out of the tribe of the children of Simeon, these cities which are
here mentioned by name, [10] Which the children of Aaron, being of the families of the
Kohathites, who were of the children of Levi, had: for theirs was the first lot. [11] And
they gave them the city of Arba the father of Anak, which city is Hebron, in the hill
country of Judah, with the suburbs thereof round about it. [12] But the fields of the city,
and the villages thereof, gave they to Caleb the son of Jephunneh for his possession.
[13] 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, [14] And Jattir with her
suburbs, and Eshtemoa with her suburbs, [15] And Holon with her suburbs, and Debir
with her suburbs, [16] And Ain with her suburbs, and Juttah with her suburbs, and
Bethshemesh with her suburbs; nine cities out of those two tribes. [17] And out of the
tribe of Benjamin, Gibeon with her suburbs, Geba with her suburbs, [18] Anathoth with
her suburbs, and Almon with her suburbs; four cities. [19] All the cities of the children of
Aaron, the priests, were thirteen cities with their suburbs. [20] And the families of the
children of Kohath, the Levites which remained of the children of Kohath, even they had
the cities of their lot out of the tribe of Ephraim. [21] For they gave them Shechem with
her suburbs in mount Ephraim, to be a city of refuge for the slayer; and Gezer with her
suburbs, [22] And Kibzaim with her suburbs, and Bethhoron with her suburbs; four
cities. [23] And out of the tribe of Dan, Eltekeh with her suburbs, Gibbethon with her
suburbs, [24] Aijalon with her suburbs, Gathrimmon with her suburbs; four cities.
[25] And out of the half tribe of Manasseh, Tanach with her suburbs, and Gathrimmon
with her suburbs; two cities. [26] All the cities were ten with their suburbs for the families
of the children of Kohath that remained. [27] And unto the children of Gershon, of the
families of the Levites, out of the other half tribe of Manasseh they gave Golan in
Bashan with her suburbs, to be a city of refuge for the slayer; and Beeshterah with her
suburbs; two cities. [28] And out of the tribe of Issachar, Kishon with her suburbs,
Dabareh with her suburbs, [29] Jarmuth with her suburbs, Engannim with her suburbs;
four cities. [30] And out of the tribe of Asher, Mishal with her suburbs, Abdon with her
suburbs, [31] Helkath with her suburbs, and Rehob with her suburbs; four cities.
[32] And out of the tribe of Naphtali, Kedesh in Galilee with her suburbs, to be a city of
refuge for the slayer; and Hammothdor with her suburbs, and Kartan with her suburbs;
three cities. [33] All the cities of the Gershonites according to their families were thirteen
cities with their suburbs. [34] And unto the families of the children of Merari, the rest of
the Levites, out of the tribe of Zebulun, Jokneam with her suburbs, and Kartah with her
suburbs, [35] Dimnah with her suburbs, Nahalal with her suburbs; four cities. [36] And
out of the tribe of Reuben, Bezer with her suburbs, and Jahazah with her suburbs,
[37] Kedemoth with her suburbs, and Mephaath with her suburbs; four cities. [38] And
out of the tribe of Gad, Ramoth in Gilead with her suburbs, to be a city of refuge for the
slayer; and Mahanaim with her suburbs, [39] Heshbon with her suburbs, Jazer with her
suburbs; four cities in all. [40] So all the cities for the children of Merari by their families,
which were remaining of the families of the Levites, were by their lot twelve cities.
[41] All the cities of the Levites within the possession of the children of Israel were forty
and eight cities with their suburbs. [42] These cities were every one with their suburbs
round about them: thus were all these cities. [43] And the LORD gave unto Israel all the
land which he sware to give unto their fathers; and they possessed it, and dwelt therein.
[44] And the LORD gave them rest round about, according to all that he sware unto
their fathers: and there stood not a man of all their enemies before them; the LORD
delivered all their enemies into their hand. [45] There failed not ought of any good thing
which the LORD had spoken unto the house of Israel; all came to pass.”
