King James Version:
(The Lord speaking is red text)
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.
Complete Jewish Bible:
The families of the descendants of K'hat, who were L'vi'im, that is, the rest of the descendants of K'hat, received the cities of their lot. Out of the tribe of Efrayim
Berean Standard Bible:
The remaining Kohathite clans of the Levites were allotted these cities:
American Standard Version:
And the families of the children of Kohath, the Levites, even the rest of the children of Kohath, they had the cities of their lot out of the tribe of Ephraim.
KJV with Strong’s Numbers:
And the families{H4940} of the children{H1121} of Kohath{H6955}, the Levites{H3881} which remained{H3498} of the children{H1121} of Kohath{H6955}, even they had the cities{H5892} of their lot{H1486} out of the tribe{H4294} of Ephraim{H669}.
Cross-References (KJV):
1 Chronicles 6:66
- And [the residue] of the families of the sons of Kohath had cities of their coasts out of the tribe of Ephraim.
Joshua 21:5
- 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.
Explore This Verse Across Other Resources:
Commentary for Joshua 21:20
Joshua 21:20 is a verse that falls within the broader context of the distribution of cities and pasturelands to the Levites, who were the priestly tribe of Israel, responsible for the religious and ritualistic duties in ancient Israelite society. According to the Pentateuch, the Levites were not allocated a specific territory in the Promised Land like the other tribes of Israel. Instead, they were to be scattered throughout the land, living in designated cities with surrounding pasturelands provided by the other tribes.
The verse specifically mentions the families of the children of Kohath, who were a subgroup within the Levites. The Kohathites were responsible for the care of the most holy objects in the Tabernacle, such as the ark, the table, the lampstand, the altars, and the utensils used in worship. The verse states that the remaining families of the Kohathites received cities from the tribe of Ephraim as their inheritance. This allocation was part of the broader fulfillment of God's promise to give the Israelites the land of Canaan and to establish a system of worship and religious service among them.
The historical context of this verse is set after the conquest of Canaan, when Joshua, as the leader of Israel, was charged with dividing the land among the tribes. The distribution to the Levites ensured that they would have a stable living and be strategically placed to serve the religious needs of the people, thus maintaining the spiritual life of the nation. This arrangement also served to unify the tribes, as the presence of the Levites among them would foster religious cohesion and national identity.
*This commentary is produced by Microsoft/WizardLM-2-8x22B AI model
Strong's Numbers and Definitions:
Note: H = Hebrew (OT), G = Greek (NT)
- Strong's Number: H4940
There are 224 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: מִשְׁפָּחָה
Transliteration: mishpâchâh
Pronunciation: mish-paw-khaw'
Description: from שָׁפָה (compare שִׁפְחָה); a family, i.e. circle of relatives; figuratively, a class (of persons), a species (of animals) or sort (of things); by extension a tribe or people; family, kind(-red). - Strong's Number: H1121
There are 3654 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: בֵּן
Transliteration: bên
Pronunciation: bane
Description: from בָּנָה; a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or condition, etc., (like father or brother), etc.); [phrase] afflicted, age, (Ahoh-) (Ammon-) (Hachmon-) (Lev-) ite, (anoint-) ed one, appointed to, ([phrase]) arrow, (Assyr-) (Babylon-) (Egypt-) (Grec-) ian, one born, bough, branch, breed, [phrase] (young) bullock, [phrase] (young) calf, [idiom] came up in, child, colt, [idiom] common, [idiom] corn, daughter, [idiom] of first, [phrase] firstborn, foal, [phrase] very fruitful, [phrase] postage, [idiom] in, [phrase] kid, [phrase] lamb, ([phrase]) man, meet, [phrase] mighty, [phrase] nephew, old, ([phrase]) people, [phrase] rebel, [phrase] robber, [idiom] servant born, [idiom] soldier, son, [phrase] spark, [phrase] steward, [phrase] stranger, [idiom] surely, them of, [phrase] tumultuous one, [phrase] valiant(-est), whelp, worthy, young (one), youth. - Strong's Number: H6955
There are 29 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: קְהָת
Transliteration: Qᵉhâth
Pronunciation: keh-hawth'
Description: from an unused root meaning to ally oneself; allied; Kehath, an Israelite; Kohath. - Strong's Number: H3881
There are 258 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: לֵוִיִּי
Transliteration: Lêvîyîy
Pronunciation: lay-vee-ee'
Description: or לֵוִי; patronymically from לֵוִי; a Levite or descendant of Levi; Leviite. - Strong's Number: H3498
There are 101 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: יָתַר
Transliteration: yâthar
Pronunciation: yaw-thar'
Description: a primitive root; to jut over or exceed; by implication, to excel; (intransitively) to remain or be left; causatively, to leave, cause to abound, preserve; excel, leave (a remnant), left behind, too much, make plenteous, preserve, (be, let) remain(-der, -ing, -nant), reserve, residue, rest. - Strong's Number: H5892
There are 937 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: עִיר
Transliteration: ʻîyr
Pronunciation: eer
Description: or (in the plural) עָר; or עָיַר; (Judges 10:4), from עוּר; a city (a place guarded by waking or a watch) in the widest sense (even of a mere encampment or post); Ai (from margin), city, court (from margin), town. - Strong's Number: H1486
There are 67 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: גּוֹרָל
Transliteration: gôwrâl
Pronunciation: go-rawl'
Description: or (shortened) גֹּרָל; from an unused root meaning to be rough (as stone); properly, a pebble, i.e. a lot (small stones being used for that purpose); figuratively, a portion or destiny (as if determined by lot); lot. - Strong's Number: H4294
There are 204 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: מַטֶּה
Transliteration: maṭṭeh
Pronunciation: mat-teh'
Description: or (feminine) מַטָּה; from נָטָה; a branch (as extending); figuratively, a tribe; also a rod, whether for chastising (figuratively, correction), ruling (a sceptre), throwing (a lance), or walking (a staff; figuratively, a support of life, e.g. bread); rod, staff, tribe. - Strong's Number: H669
There are 313 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: אֶפְרַיִם
Transliteration: ʼEphrayim
Pronunciation: ef-rah'-yim
Description: dual of masculine form of אֶפְרָת; double fruit; Ephrajim, a son of Joseph; also the tribe descended from him, and its territory; Ephraim, Ephraimites.