TRV
Translation
King James Version
And out of the tribe of Benjamin, Gibeon with her suburbs, Geba with her suburbs,
Complete Jewish Bible
Out of the tribe of Binyamin: Giv'on with its surrounding open land, Geva with its surrounding open land,
American Standard Version
And out of the tribe of Benjamin, Gibeon with its suburbs, Geba with its suburbs,
World English Bible Messianic
Out of the tribe of Benjamin, Gibeon with its suburbs, Geba with its suburbs,
Geneva Bible (1599)
And out of the tribe of Beniamin they gaue Gibeon with her suburbes, Geba with her suburbes,
Young's Literal Translation
And out of the tribe of Benjamin, Gibeon and its suburbs, Geba and its suburbs,
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In the KJVVerse 6,399 of 31,102
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Commentary on Joshua 21 verses 9–42
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.
We have here a particular account of the cities which were given to the children of Levi out of the several tribes, not only to be occupied and inhabited by them, as tenants to the several tribes in which they lay - no, their interest in them was not dependent and precarious, but to be owned and possessed by them as lords and proprietors, and as having the same title to them that the rest of the tribes had to their cities or lands, as appears by the law which preserved the house in the Levites' cities from being alienated any longer than till the year of jubilee, Lev 25:32, Lev 25:33. Yet it is probable that the Levites having only the cities and suburbs, while the land about pertained to the tribes in which they lay, those of that tribe, for the convenience of occupying that land, might commonly rent houses of the Levites, as they could spare them in their cities, and so live among them as their tenants. Several things may be observed in this account, besides what was observed in the law concerning it, Num. 35.
I. That the Levites were dispersed into all the tribes, and not suffered to live all together in any one part of the country. This would find them all with work, and employ them all for the good of others; for ministers, of all people, must neither be idle nor live to themselves or to one another only. Christ left his twelve disciples together in a body, but left orders that they should in due time disperse themselves, that they might preach the gospel to every creature. The mixing of the Levites thus with the other tribes would be an obligation upon them to walk circumspectly, and as became their sacred function, and to avoid every thing that might disgrace it. Had they lived all together, they would have been tempted to wink at one another's faults, and to excuse one another when they did amiss; but by this means they were made to see the eyes of all Israel upon them, and therefore saw it their concern to walk so as that their ministry might in nothing be blamed nor their high character suffer by their ill carriage.
II. That every tribe of Israel was adorned and enriched with its share of Levites' cities in proportion to its compass, even those that lay most remote. They were all God's people, and therefore they all had Levites among them. 1. To show kindness to, as God appointed them, Deu 12:19; Deu 14:29. They were God's receivers, to whom the people might give their grateful acknowledgments of God's goodness, as the occasion and disposition were. 2. To receive advice and instruction from; when they could not go up to the tabernacle, to consult those who attended there, they might go to a Levites' city, and be taught the good knowledge of the Lord. Thus God set up a candle in every room of his house, to give light to all his family; as those that attended the altar kept the charge of the Lord, to see that no divine appointment was neglected there, so those that were scattered in the country had their charge too, which was to see that no idolatrous superstitious usages were introduced at a distance and to watch for the souls of God's Israel. Thus did God graciously provide for the keeping up of religion among them, and that they might have the word nigh them; yet, blessed be God, we, under the gospel, have it yet nigher, not only Levites in every county, but Levites in every parish, whose office it is still to teach the people knowledge, and to go before them in the things of God.
III. That there were thirteen cities, and those some of the best, appointed for the priests, the sons of Aaron, Jos 21:19. Aaron left but two sons, Eleazar and Ithamar, yet his family was now so much increased, and it was foreseen that it would in process of time grow so numerous, as to replenish all these cities, though a considerable number must of necessity be resident wherever the ark and the altar were. We read in both Testaments of such numbers of priests that we may suppose none of all the families of Israel that came out of Egypt increased afterwards so much as that of Aaron did; and the promise afterwards to the house of Aaron is, God shall increase you more and more, you and your children, Psa 115:12, Psa 115:14. He will raise up a seed to serve him.
IV. That some of the Levites' cities were afterwards famous upon other accounts. Hebron was the city in which David began his reign, and in Manhanaim, another Levites' city (Jos 21:38), he lay, and had his headquarters when he fled from Absalom. The first Israelite that ever wore the title of king (namely, Abimelech, the son of Gideon) reigned in Shechem, another Levites' city, Jos 21:21.
V. That the number of them in all was more than of most of the tribes, except Judah, though the tribe of Levi was one of the least of the tribes, to show how liberal God is, and his people should be, to his ministers; yet the disproportion will not appear so great as at first it seems, if we consider that the Levites had cities only with their suburbs to dwell in, but the rest of the tribes, besides their cities (and those perhaps were many more than are named in the account of their lot), had many unwalled towns and villages which they inhabited, besides country houses.
Upon the whole, it appears that effectual care was taken that the Levites should live both comfortably and usefully: and those, whether ministers or others, for whom Providence has done well, must look upon themselves as obliged thereby to do good, and, according as their capacity and opportunity are, to serve their generation.
Matthew Henry (1662–1714) — Commentary on the Whole Bible. This section covers verses 9–42. Public domain.
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Source: Quotations drawn from early Church Fathers and historical Christian theologians (AD 100–1500). Some quotes address the surrounding passage context rather than this verse alone.
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SUMMARY
Joshua 21:17 precisely details the divine allocation of the cities of Gibeon and Geba, along with their essential surrounding pasturelands (suburbs), from the tribal inheritance of Benjamin to the priestly families of the Levites. This meticulous record serves as a testament to God's unwavering faithfulness in fulfilling His covenant promises to Israel, ensuring that the Levites, who possessed no territorial inheritance of their own, were strategically established throughout the land to facilitate their vital spiritual ministry to all the tribes.
CONTEXT
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
The primary literary device at play in Joshua 21:17 and the surrounding enumeration of cities is Enumeration. This detailed listing of cities and their associated provisions (like "suburbs") serves to emphasize the meticulousness and completeness of God's fulfillment of His promises. The repeated phrase "with her suburbs" acts as a form of Repetition, reinforcing the specific nature of the provision for the Levites—not just a city, but the essential surrounding pastureland for their sustenance. This repetition also contributes to the sense of divine order and the thoroughness of the land distribution. Furthermore, the inclusion of Gibeon, a city with a known history of deception and later a high place of worship, could be seen as Irony or Foreshadowing, as a place that once resisted God's people now becomes a center for His worship and instruction through the Levites.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Joshua 21:17, though a seemingly mundane detail in a list of cities, is profoundly theological. It speaks volumes about God's character as a faithful, orderly, and providing God. The meticulous allocation of cities, down to the "suburbs" for pasture, demonstrates His comprehensive care for His people, particularly those set apart for His service. It underscores the principle that those who serve the Lord are sustained by the Lord, often through the generosity and obedience of the wider community. This divine provision ensured that the spiritual leaders of Israel were not only cared for but also strategically positioned to teach, judge, and minister to all the tribes, fostering national unity under God's Law. This arrangement reflects God's desire for His truth and presence to be accessible to all His people, not confined to a single centralized location.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
The precise detail of Joshua 21:17 serves as a powerful reminder of God's meticulous nature and His unwavering commitment to fulfilling His promises. Just as He meticulously provided for the Levites, ensuring their sustenance and strategic placement, so too does He care for every detail of our lives and His overarching plan. This verse encourages us to trust in God's comprehensive provision, knowing that He sees and cares for our practical needs, even the "suburbs" of our daily existence. Furthermore, the dispersion of the Levites throughout Israel highlights the importance of making spiritual truth and guidance accessible within our communities. It challenges us to consider how we, as the body of Christ, can support those called to full-time ministry, enabling them to focus on their divine calling without undue worldly burdens. It also reminds us of our collective responsibility to spread the knowledge of God and His Word, ensuring that spiritual nourishment is available to all.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Why didn't the Levites receive a tribal inheritance like the other tribes?
Answer: The Levites did not receive a contiguous territorial inheritance because the Lord Himself was declared to be their inheritance. As the tribe set apart for priestly and tabernacle/temple service, their primary role was to minister to God and teach His Law to the other tribes. This unique status meant they were to be supported by the tithes and offerings of the other Israelites, and in return, God commanded that they be given specific cities and their surrounding pasturelands (suburbs) from within the territories of the other tribes. This ensured their sustenance and allowed them to be distributed throughout the land, making spiritual instruction and service accessible to all. This arrangement is detailed in passages like Numbers 18:20-24 and Deuteronomy 18:1-2.
What exactly were "suburbs" (migrashim) in this context, and why were they important?
Answer: In the King James Version, "suburbs" (Hebrew: migrashim) does not refer to residential outskirts as we understand the term today. Instead, it refers specifically to the common pasturelands and open areas immediately surrounding the Levitical cities. These lands were crucial for the Levites' livelihood because, without agricultural land, their primary means of sustenance came from raising livestock. The migrashim provided the necessary grazing areas for their cattle, sheep, and goats. This provision was essential for their economic well-being, allowing them to dedicate themselves fully to their sacred duties without needing to engage in farming or other typical tribal occupations. The meticulous mention of "suburbs" alongside each city, as seen in Joshua 21:17, highlights the comprehensive nature of God's provision.
Why were Gibeon and Geba specifically mentioned in this verse?
Answer: Gibeon and Geba were two of the cities allocated from the territory of the tribe of Benjamin to the priestly families of the Levites (the sons of Aaron). Their specific mention in Joshua 21:17 is part of the meticulous enumeration of all 48 Levitical cities across Israel, as commanded by God. Gibeon, in particular, was a significant city, known for its strategic location and its earlier deception of Joshua (Joshua 9), later becoming a prominent high place for worship before the Temple was built (1 Kings 3:4). Geba was another important city in Benjamin's territory, often mentioned in historical and military contexts. Their inclusion here simply reflects their status as part of the total cities designated for the Levites, underscoring the comprehensive and precise fulfillment of God's instructions.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
The detailed provision for the Levites in Joshua 21:17, ensuring their support and widespread accessibility throughout Israel, finds its ultimate fulfillment in Jesus Christ. The Old Testament Levitical priesthood, with its sacrifices and instruction, served as a shadow of the perfect and eternal high priesthood of Christ. Just as the Levites were God's appointed mediators and teachers for Israel, Jesus is the one true Mediator between God and humanity (1 Timothy 2:5). His sacrifice on the cross was the once-for-all atonement that superseded all Levitical sacrifices (Hebrews 9:11-14). Furthermore, the dispersion of the Levitical cities aimed to make spiritual truth accessible to all Israel; this foreshadows the New Covenant reality where, through Christ, every believer becomes part of a "royal priesthood" (1 Peter 2:9), empowered by the Holy Spirit to draw near to God directly and to share His truth globally. The meticulous provision for the Levites points to God's perfect provision for His people through Christ, who is our ultimate inheritance, our sustenance, and the one who makes God's presence and truth universally accessible, not confined to specific cities but dwelling within every believer (John 14:23).