Joshua Chapter 21

This chapter is about the Levites needing towns, and places to live. This is the last chapter that has lots of town names & the individual tribes of Israel for a good while! So let’s get into the Levites (a.k.a. the priests) getting some real estate. Enjoy.

Now the heads of the Levites went up to Eleazer, Joshua, & the other leaders of Israelites at Shiloh in Canaan. They said, “God told Moses that we were gonna get some of that sweet sweet real estate. So that we’d have a place to live. Some pastures for our livestock. So…what’s up with that?”

The Israelites gave the Levites the following towns: For the Kohathites, they got 13 towns out of the tribes of Judah, Simeon, & Benjamin’s territory. The rest of Kohath’s descendants were given 10 towns from the tribes of Ephraim, Dan, & 1/2 of the tribe of Manasseh.

The Gershonites were given 13 towns from the tribes of Issachar, Asher, Naphtali, & the 1/2 tribe of Manasseh in Bashan.

The Merariites got 12 towns from the tribes of Reuben, Gad, & Zebulun.

From the tribes of Judah & Simeon, they were given these towns by name. These towns were given to the Kohathites because the “first lot fell to them.” They gave them: Kiriath Arba (Hebron, which was a city of refuge.). But the fields & villages around the city were given to Caleb, as his inheritance. (Check out I Chronicles 6:57.) They also got: Libnah, Jattir, Eshtemoa, Holon, Debir, Ain, Juttah, & Beth Shemesh. (Check out I Chronicles 6:59.) 9 towns from these 2 tribes.

From the tribe of Benjamin, the Levites got: Gibeon, Geba, Anathoth, & Almon. (Check out I Chronicles 6:60.)

All the towns for the priests were 13 in total, together with the pasture lands. The rest of the Kohathites were given towns from the tribe of Ephraim. The towns were: Shechem (Which is a city of refuge.), Gezer, Kibzaim, & Beth Horon.

Also from the tribe of Dan, the Levites got: Eltekeh, Gibbethon, Aljalon, & Gath Rimmon. From the 1/2 tribe of Manasseh, Taanach & Gath Rimmon were given.

These 10 towns were given to the rest of the Kohathites.

The Gersonites were given: Golan in Bashan (A city of refuge), Be Eshtarah, Kishion, Daberath, Jarmuth, En Gannim, Mishal, Abdon, Helkath, Rehob, Kedesh in Galilee (A city of refuge), Hammoth Dor, & Kartan. The Gersonites were given a total of 13 towns.

The Merarites got: Jokneam, Kartah, Dimnah, Nahalal, Bezer, Jahaz, Kedemoth, Mephaath, Ramoth in Gilead (A city of refuge), Mahanaim, Hesbon, & Jazer. All the towns given to the Merarites were 12.

The towns of the Levites were 48 in total. This was together with the pasture lands. Each of these towns had pasturelands surrounding them.

So God gave the Israelites all the land He promised their forefathers. They took possession of it & settled there. God gave them rest on every side. Not one of their enemies withstood them.