Commentary - Joshua 21:9-19

Bird's-eye view

In this portion of Joshua, we are witnessing the meticulous fulfillment of God's promises. The conquest is complete, the land has been broadly apportioned to the tribes, and now we come to the particular inheritance of the tribe of Levi. Because they were consecrated to the Lord's direct service, the Levites were not given a single, consolidated territory like the other tribes. Instead, their inheritance was the Lord Himself, and this spiritual reality was manifested geographically by their being allotted cities scattered throughout all the other tribes. This was a brilliant design for ensuring that the knowledge of God and His law would be woven into the very fabric of the nation. The priests were not isolated in a holy enclave but were distributed among the people as a constant, living reminder of the covenant.

This specific passage deals with the first and most prominent of the Levitical families, the sons of Aaron the priest, who were from the Kohathite clan. Their cities, drawn from the powerful southern tribes of Judah and Simeon, included the strategically and historically significant city of Hebron. The text is a formal, almost legal, record of God making good on His word. It demonstrates God's faithfulness down to the last detail, while also setting up the spiritual infrastructure of the nation for generations to come. It is a picture of a well-ordered commonwealth, where the worship of God is not an afterthought but is geographically and politically central to the life of the people.

Outline

Context In Joshua

We are in the third major section of the book of Joshua, which deals with the division and allocation of the conquered land (Josh. 13-21). The first part of the book detailed the crossing into the land (Ch. 1-5), and the second described the conquest itself (Ch. 6-12). Now, the fighting is largely over, and the promises of God regarding the land are being formally administered. Chapter 20 established the cities of refuge, a crucial provision of mercy under the law. Chapter 21 logically follows by detailing the allotment for the Levites, which had been commanded by God through Moses in Numbers 35. This passage, focusing on the Aaronic priests, is the first part of that larger Levitical settlement. It stands as a testimony that God not only gives victory in battle but is also the God of civic order, property, and peaceful settlement. The book is moving toward its conclusion, where Joshua will give his farewell address, and the faithfulness of God, demonstrated in these chapters of detailed allocation, will be the basis for his charge to the people to remain faithful in turn.

Key Issues

God's Distributed Representatives

One of the central themes in the Pentateuch is that God was to be Israel's king, and the life of the nation was to revolve around His presence in the Tabernacle. The tribe of Levi was set apart to minister to God in this central sanctuary. But God did not want His ministers, or the knowledge of His law which they carried, to be locked away in one location. So, He devised a system where the Levites would have no territorial inheritance of their own, but would instead be given cities and pasture lands within the territories of all the other tribes. They were to be a holy salt, sprinkled throughout the land to preserve and flavor the entire nation.

This arrangement was a fulfillment of Jacob's prophecy in Genesis 49. Because of their fierce anger in the incident at Shechem, Simeon and Levi were to be scattered in Israel (Gen 49:7). For Simeon, this scattering was a curse that led to their eventual absorption into Judah. But for Levi, God in His grace turned this scattering into a profound blessing. Their zeal was consecrated and repurposed for His service. Their dispersion became the means by which the entire nation was to be catechized and constantly reminded of their covenant obligations. The priests and Levites were to be the teachers, the judges, and the spiritual nervous system of Israel. Their placement was not accidental; it was a strategic act of divine wisdom for the establishment of a godly society.

Verse by Verse Commentary

9 They also gave from the tribe of the sons of Judah and from the tribe of the sons of Simeon these cities which are here mentioned by name;

The accounting begins. The word "gave" is important; this is not a transaction, but an allotment, a gift, in obedience to the divine command. The cities for the priests, the sons of Aaron, are drawn from the tribes of Judah and Simeon. Geographically, Simeon's territory was located within the larger allotment of Judah in the south. This placement is theologically significant. The priests, who ministered at the central sanctuary, were placed in close proximity to the tribe from which Israel's kings would eventually come. The throne and the altar were to be near neighbors. This foreshadows the union of these two offices in the one person of the Lord Jesus Christ, our great high priest from the royal tribe of Judah.

10 and they were for the sons of Aaron, one of the families of the Kohathites, of the sons of Levi, for the lot was theirs first.

Here the recipients are specified. Not all Levites were priests. The priesthood was restricted to the descendants of Aaron. Aaron was from the clan of Kohath, one of Levi's three sons. The Kohathites had the high honor of carrying the most holy objects of the tabernacle, and from their number came the priests who would offer the sacrifices. The text notes that the lot for them came up "first." This priority in the allotment reflects the priority of their office. Worship comes first. Before we can rightly govern or farm or build, the nation must be rightly oriented to God. The provision for the priests is settled first, establishing the centrality of atonement and mediation in the life of Israel.

11 So they gave them Kiriath-arba (Arba being the father of Anak), that is, Hebron, in the hill country of Judah, with its pasture lands all around it.

The first and chief city given to the priests is Hebron. This is a place saturated with redemptive history. It was a home to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. It was where Sarah died and was buried in the cave of Machpelah. It would later become David's first capital city. The text reminds us of its old name, Kiriath-arba, and its connection to the Anakim, the giants who had so terrified the faithless spies a generation earlier. Giving this particular city to the priests is a powerful statement. The place that once represented the most fearsome aspect of the opposition is now consecrated to the worship of God. The stronghold of giants becomes a home for God's ministers.

12 But the fields of the city and its villages they gave to Caleb the son of Jephunneh as his possession.

Here we see a careful and important distinction. The city of Hebron itself, with its immediate pasture lands for the priests' livestock, was given to the sons of Aaron. However, the surrounding agricultural fields and dependent villages remained the possession of Caleb. This had been promised to him by Moses because of his faithful report (Josh 14:6-14). This verse shows us that God's commands do not contradict one another. The promise to Caleb is honored, and the command to provide for the priests is also honored. It required a careful drawing of boundaries, a practical application of godly wisdom. The priests get the city, the center of influence and habitation, while Caleb gets the surrounding farmlands, the source of wealth and sustenance. It is a picture of cooperation and mutual dependence between the civil and the religious authorities in the land.

13 Thus to the sons of Aaron the priest they gave Hebron, the city of refuge for the manslayer, with its pasture lands, Libnah also with its pasture lands,

The summary begins, and a crucial detail is added. Hebron was not only a priestly city, but it was also designated as one of the six cities of refuge. This is a beautiful confluence of truths. The priests were the ministers of atonement and reconciliation with God. It is therefore fitting that their chief city should also be a place of refuge for the one who had shed blood accidentally. Where else should a man flee for mercy than to the place governed by the ministers of mercy? The city of the priest becomes the city of grace. The one who deals with the blood of bulls and goats is given the city that provides shelter from the avenger of blood. This is a clear type of Christ, our High Priest, who is our ultimate refuge from the condemnation of the law.

14-16 Jattir with its pasture lands, Eshtemoa with its pasture lands, Holon with its pasture lands, and Debir with its pasture lands, and Ain with its pasture lands, and Juttah with its pasture lands, and Beth-shemesh with its pasture lands; nine cities from these two tribes.

The list continues, naming the other eight cities from Judah and Simeon. These are not just abstract names on a page; they are real places, real property, real fulfillment of God's promise. The repetition of "with its pasture lands" emphasizes the practical nature of the provision. The priests were not to be destitute; they were given homes and the means to support their families and their flocks. The meticulous counting, nine cities from these two tribes, is characteristic of Scripture. God is a God of order, not of confusion. The details matter to Him, and so they are recorded for us, demonstrating His utter faithfulness.

17-18 From the tribe of Benjamin, Gibeon with its pasture lands, Geba with its pasture lands, Anathoth with its pasture lands and Almon with its pasture lands; four cities.

The list continues with four more cities, this time from the tribe of Benjamin, which was situated just north of Judah. This again is geographically significant, as it places these priestly families near what would eventually become the site of the permanent temple in Jerusalem, which sat on the border of Judah and Benjamin. One of these cities, Anathoth, would later become famous as the hometown of the prophet Jeremiah. The priests were not all faithful, as Jeremiah's life would attest, but God's provision for them was established here at the beginning.

19 All the cities of the sons of Aaron, the priests, were thirteen cities with their pasture lands.

The final tally is given. Thirteen cities for the descendants of Aaron. The record is clear, precise, and final. The lot has been cast, the land has been measured, and the inheritance has been delivered. What God promised through Moses, He has now performed through Joshua. The foundation for Israel's covenant life in the land is being laid, piece by piece, promise by promise.

Application

This passage, with its detailed lists of ancient cities, might seem remote to us. But the principles it embodies are foundational for the Christian life. First, we see the absolute faithfulness of God. God keeps His promises, down to the last acre and the last village. Our hope rests not on our own ability to conquer, but on His faithfulness to His word. What He has promised in Christ, forgiveness of sins, adoption as sons, eternal life, is more certain than the allotment of land to the priests.

Second, we see the wisdom of God's design for His people. The priests were scattered throughout the land to teach and influence the whole nation. In the new covenant, the people of God are themselves a "royal priesthood" (1 Pet 2:9). We are not meant to withdraw into holy huddles, but to be distributed throughout our culture, in every neighborhood, every vocation, every sphere of life. Like the Levitical cities, we are to be centers of truth, mercy, and the knowledge of God in the midst of a world that desperately needs it. Our homes, our churches, and our businesses should be like cities of refuge, places where sinners can find grace and shelter from the condemnation they deserve.

Finally, we see the centrality of worship and atonement. The priests' portion was allotted first. Before anything else, provision was made for the ministry of reconciliation. This must be the pattern for our own lives. Our first duty and our highest priority is the worship of the triune God. Our relationship with Him, secured by the blood of our Great High Priest, Jesus, is the basis for everything else. Just as Hebron, the city of giants, became the city of priests, so Christ has conquered our greatest enemies, sin and death, and has made us ministers of His grace in the very places where darkness once reigned.