King James Version:
(The Lord speaking is red text)
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,
Complete Jewish Bible:
To the families of the descendants of M'rari, the rest of the L'vi'im, out of the tribe of Z'vulun: Yokne'am with its surrounding open land, Kartah with its surrounding open land,
Berean Standard Bible:
This is what the Merarite clan (the rest of the Levites) were given:
American Standard Version:
And unto the families of the children of Merari, the rest of the Levites, out of the tribe of Zebulun, Jokneam with its suburbs, and Kartah with its suburbs,
KJV with Strong’s Numbers:
And unto the families{H4940} of the children{H1121} of Merari{H4847}, the rest{H3498} of the Levites{H3881}, out of the tribe{H4294} of Zebulun{H2074}, Jokneam{H3362} with her suburbs{H4054}, and Kartah{H7177} with her suburbs{H4054},
Cross-References (KJV):
1 Chronicles 6:77
- Unto the rest of the children of Merari [were given] out of the tribe of Zebulun, Rimmon with her suburbs, Tabor with her suburbs:
Joshua 19:11
- And their border went up toward the sea, and Maralah, and reached to Dabbasheth, and reached to the river that [is] before Jokneam;
Joshua 12:22
- The king of Kedesh, one; the king of Jokneam of Carmel, one;
Joshua 21:7
- 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.
Joshua 19:15
- And Kattath, and Nahallal, and Shimron, and Idalah, and Bethlehem: twelve cities with their villages.
Explore This Verse Across Other Resources:
Commentary for Joshua 21:34
Joshua 21:34 is a part of a larger passage in the book of Joshua that deals with the allocation of land to the Levites, who were the priestly class in ancient Israel. Unlike the other tribes of Israel, the Levites did not receive a contiguous territory but were instead scattered throughout the land in various cities and their surrounding pasturelands (suburbs). This was because their role as religious leaders and caretakers of the tabernacle required them to be present among all the tribes.
The verse specifically mentions the families of the children of Merari, who were one of the three main clans of the Levites. The tribe of Zebulun, from which these Levitical cities were assigned, was one of the twelve tribes of Israel. The cities mentioned, Jokneam and Kartah, along with their suburbs, were located in the allotment of Zebulun, which was in the northern part of the Promised Land.
The historical context of this verse is set after the conquest of Canaan by the Israelites under Joshua's leadership. The distribution of these cities to the Merarite families was part of the fulfillment of God's promises to the Levites, ensuring they had places to live and to perform their sacred duties among the people. This arrangement also served to maintain the spiritual and ritual life of the nation, as the Levites were responsible for teaching the Law, performing sacrifices, and maintaining the sanctity of the worship practices.
In summary, Joshua 21:34 reflects the unique status of the Levites within Israelite society, highlighting the importance of their religious function and the communal support they received through the allocation of cities and land. It underscores the themes of divine promise, the organization of Israelite worship, and the integration of religious leadership within the broader tribal structure of Israel.
*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: H4847
There are 38 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: מְרָרִי
Transliteration: Mᵉrârîy
Pronunciation: mer-aw-ree'
Description: from מָרַר; bitter; Merari, an Israelite; Merari. See also מְרָרִי. - 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: 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: 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: H2074
There are 43 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: זְבוּלוּן
Transliteration: Zᵉbûwlûwn
Pronunciation: zeb-oo-loon'
Description: or זְבֻלוּן; or זְבוּלֻן; from זָבַל; habitation; Zebulon, a son of Jacob; also his territory and tribe; Zebulun. - Strong's Number: H3362
There are 3 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: יׇקְנְעָם
Transliteration: Yoqnᵉʻâm
Pronunciation: yok-neh-awm'
Description: from קוּן and עַם; (the) people will be lamented; Jokneam, a place in Palestine; Jokneam. - Strong's Number: H4054
There are 67 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: מִגְרָשׁ
Transliteration: migrâsh
Pronunciation: mig-rawsh'
Description: also (in plural) feminine (Ezekiel 27:28) מִגְרָשָׁה; from גָּרַשׁ; a suburb (i.e. open country whither flocks are driven from pasture); hence, the area around abuilding, or the margin of the sea; cast out, suburb. - Strong's Number: H7177
There are 1 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: קַרְתָּה
Transliteration: Qartâh
Pronunciation: kar-taw'
Description: from קֶרֶת; city; Kartah, a place in Palestine; Kartah.