Commentary - Joshua 21:1-8

Bird's-eye view

In this chapter, we come to the final stage of the land distribution, and it is a crucial one. The tribe of Levi, set apart for the service of the tabernacle and the ministry of the Word, had been promised no territorial inheritance of their own. Their inheritance was the Lord Himself. But this did not mean they were to be homeless vagabonds. God's plan was far more strategic. This passage details how the Levites formally request and receive their allotted cities, scattered throughout the territories of the other tribes. This was not an afterthought but a central part of God's design for the life of Israel. By distributing the priests and Levites throughout the nation, God was ensuring that the teaching of His law, the administration of His worship, and the knowledge of His ways would be embedded in the fabric of the entire commonwealth. This is a picture of a thoroughly sanctified nation, where access to God's ministers and His Word is never far away.

The process is orderly and based on God's prior revelation. The Levites appeal to the command of Moses, Israel obediently complies, and God sovereignly directs the outcome through the casting of the lot. The result is a spiritual circulatory system for the nation, with the Levites functioning as the arteries, carrying the lifeblood of the covenant to every member of the body politic.

Outline

Context In Joshua

Joshua 21 is the capstone of the second major section of the book, the division of the land (chapters 13-21). The conquest is complete (chapters 1-12). The tribes have received their large territorial inheritances. The trans-Jordanian tribes have their portion, Judah and the sons of Joseph have theirs, and the remaining seven tribes have received their allotments by lot at Shiloh. The special matter of the cities of refuge has been addressed (chapter 20), establishing places of mercy and justice within the land. Now, the last piece of the inheritance puzzle is put into place. The tribe dedicated to full-time ministry receives its portion. This chapter demonstrates the faithfulness of God to His promises and the obedience of His people in fulfilling their covenant obligations. It is the final act of setting the land in order before the great farewell addresses of Joshua and the renewal of the covenant.

Key Issues

A Distributed Inheritance

When God told Aaron that the tribe of Levi would have no inheritance in the land, He followed it with a glorious declaration: "I am your portion and your inheritance among the sons of Israel" (Num 18:20). This is the foundation of all Christian ministry. Those who serve the Lord find their ultimate provision and satisfaction in Him. But this high spiritual principle does not negate the need for practical, earthly provision. God's ministers still need a place to live and food to eat.

The arrangement in Joshua 21 shows us how God brilliantly provides for His servants in a way that simultaneously blesses the entire nation. The Levites were not given a single, consolidated territory, which might have led them to become isolated or to function like just another political tribe. Instead, they were intentionally scattered, woven into the very fabric of the nation. They were to be a constant, living presence of God's law and grace in every corner of the promised land. Their inheritance was not a plot of ground, but rather a function, a calling that was to be exercised everywhere. This chapter is the practical outworking of that calling, a masterclass in theocratic design.

Verse by Verse Commentary

1 Then the heads of households of the Levites came near to Eleazar the priest and to Joshua the son of Nun and to the heads of households of the tribes of the sons of Israel.

The proceedings begin in an orderly and respectful manner. The leaders of the Levites, the heads of households, approach the established leadership of the nation. They do not come as a complaining mob or a discontented faction. They come as representatives, following proper protocol. They address the high priest, Eleazar, the civil magistrate, Joshua, and the elders of the other tribes. This is a formal assembly, a covenantal court in session. This is how God's people are to conduct their affairs, not through chaos and clamor, but through established lines of authority.

2 And they spoke to them at Shiloh in the land of Canaan, saying, “Yahweh commanded by the hand of Moses to give us cities to live in, with their pasture lands for our cattle.”

The basis of their appeal is everything. They do not say, "We need places to live," or "It is only fair that we get something." Their claim rests entirely on a prior command from God: "Yahweh commanded by the hand of Moses." They are calling the nation to remember and obey the written Word of God (specifically, Numbers 35:1-8). Their confidence is not in their own neediness, but in God's faithfulness. This is the model for all our requests before God and before the church. Our appeals must be grounded not in our subjective desires, but in the objective promises and commands of Scripture. The location, Shiloh, is also significant. This is where the tabernacle was, the center of Israel's worship. They are conducting God's business at God's house.

3 So the sons of Israel gave the Levites from their inheritance these cities with their pasture lands, according to the command of Yahweh.

Here we see the beautiful fruit of a people whose hearts are inclined to obedience. There is no record of debate, argument, or reluctance. The command was cited, and the people complied. Notice that they gave "from their inheritance." This was a real cost. Each tribe had to carve out cities and valuable pasture land from their own allotment to give to the Levites. This was their tithe of real estate, a tangible expression of their commitment to supporting the ministry and honoring the Lord. They did this according to the command of Yahweh, demonstrating that true obedience is not just doing what God says, but doing it with the right heart.

4 Then the lot came out for the families of the Kohathites. And the sons of Aaron the priest, who were of the Levites, received thirteen cities by lot from the tribe of Judah and from the tribe of the Simeonites and from the tribe of Benjamin.

Now the distribution begins, and it is governed by the lot. The lot was not a game of chance; it was a means of discerning God's sovereign will (Prov 16:33). The first lot is for the most prominent family, the Kohathites, and specifically for the priests, the sons of Aaron. And where does God place them? He places them in the territories of Judah, Simeon, and Benjamin. This is a breathtaking display of divine foresight. These are the very tribes that will surround Jerusalem, the future site of the permanent temple. God was placing His priests right where the central sanctuary would one day stand. He was preparing the way for the ministry of David and the worship of the kingdom centuries in advance.

5 Now the rest of the sons of Kohath received ten cities by lot from the families of the tribe of Ephraim and from the tribe of Dan and from the half-tribe of Manasseh.

The rest of the Kohathites, who were Levites but not priests, were responsible for carrying the most holy things of the tabernacle. God places them in the central hill country, the territories of Ephraim, Dan, and Manasseh. From this central location, they could effectively serve the tabernacle at Shiloh, which was in Ephraim's territory.

6 And the sons of Gershon received thirteen cities by lot from the families of the tribe of Issachar and from the tribe of Asher and from the tribe of Naphtali, and from the half-tribe of Manasseh in Bashan.

The Gershonites were tasked with the curtains and coverings of the tabernacle. God distributes them among the northern tribes, ensuring that the regions of the Galilee and the far north in Bashan would have their share of Levitical instruction and influence.

7 The sons of Merari according to their families received twelve cities from the tribe of Reuben and from the tribe of Gad and from the tribe of Zebulun.

Finally, the Merarites, who were responsible for the heavy structural components of the tabernacle, receive their cities from the trans-Jordanian tribes of Reuben and Gad, and from Zebulun west of the Jordan. This completes the pattern: every major region of the nation, from the far south to the central highlands, to the north, and across the Jordan, was supplied with cities of the Levites.

8 So the sons of Israel gave by lot to the Levites these cities with their pasture lands, as Yahweh had commanded by the hand of Moses.

The paragraph concludes with a summary statement that bookends the entire account. The two crucial elements are highlighted once more: the means of distribution was the lot, signifying God's sovereign direction, and the reason for it all was God's prior command through Moses. Israel's role was that of a faithful steward, carrying out the expressed will of their covenant Lord.

Application

This chapter is rich with application for the New Covenant church. First, it establishes the principle of the church's responsibility to provide for its ministers. Just as Israel gave of their inheritance to support the Levites, so the church is commanded to provide for those who labor in the Word and doctrine (1 Cor 9:13-14; 1 Tim 5:17-18). This is not an optional charity, but a covenantal obligation.

Second, we see a model for a Christian society. The Word of God was not confined to a single holy city but was taught and studied throughout the land. The Levites were the theologians, the teachers, the lawyers, and the worship leaders for the whole nation. This is a picture of the Great Commission, where the church is not to retreat into a holy ghetto but is to be scattered throughout the world, making disciples and teaching the nations to obey all that Christ has commanded. We are to be salt and light, distributed throughout the culture, not kept in the salt shaker.

Finally, we are reminded of God's sovereignty and meticulous care. The placement of the priests near Jerusalem was no accident. God is always working out His plan, centuries in advance, to bring all things to their appointed end in His Son. Our great High Priest, Jesus Christ, did not come from a Levitical city on earth, but from the heavenly city. And He has not scattered us as teachers of a temporary law, but as ambassadors of an eternal gospel, promising to be with us always, to the very end of the age.