43 And the LORD H3068 gave H5414 unto Israel H3478 all the land H776 which he sware H7650 to give H5414 unto their fathers; H1 and they possessed H3423 it, and dwelt H3427 therein.
I will send H7971 my fear H367 before H6440 thee, and will destroy H2000 all the people H5971 to whom thou shalt come, H935 and I will make H5414 all thine enemies H341 turn their backs H6203 unto thee. And I will send H7971 hornets H6880 before H6440 thee, which shall drive out H1644 the Hivite, H2340 the Canaanite, H3669 and the Hittite, H2850 from before H6440 thee. I will not drive them out H1644 from before H6440 thee in one H259 year; H8141 lest the land H776 become desolate, H8077 and the beast H2416 of the field H7704 multiply H7227 against thee. By little H4592 and little H4592 I will drive them out H1644 from before H6440 thee, until thou be increased, H6509 and inherit H5157 the land. H776 And I will set H7896 thy bounds H1366 from the Red H5488 sea H3220 even unto the sea H3220 of the Philistines, H6430 and from the desert H4057 unto the river: H5104 for I will deliver H5414 the inhabitants H3427 of the land H776 into your hand; H3027 and thou shalt drive them out H1644 before H6440 thee.
And he said H559 unto Abram, H87 Know H3045 of a surety H3045 that thy seed H2233 shall be a stranger H1616 in a land H776 that is not theirs, and shall serve H5647 them; and they shall afflict H6031 them four H702 hundred H3967 years; H8141 And also that nation, H1471 whom they shall serve, H5647 will I judge: H1777 and afterward H310 H3651 shall they come out H3318 with great H1419 substance. H7399 And thou shalt go H935 to thy fathers H1 in peace; H7965 thou shalt be buried H6912 in a good H2896 old age. H7872 But in the fourth H7243 generation H1755 they shall come hither H2008 again: H7725 for the iniquity H5771 of the Amorites H567 is not yet H2008 full. H8003 And it came to pass, that, when the sun H8121 went down, H935 and it was dark, H5939 behold a smoking H6227 furnace, H8574 and a burning H784 lamp H3940 that passed H5674 between H996 those pieces. H1506 In the same H1931 day H3117 the LORD H3068 made H3772 a covenant H1285 with Abram, H87 saying, H559 Unto thy seed H2233 have I given H5414 this land, H776 from the river H5104 of Egypt H4714 unto the great H1419 river, H5104 the river H5104 Euphrates: H6578 The Kenites, H7017 and the Kenizzites, H7074 and the Kadmonites, H6935 And the Hittites, H2850 and the Perizzites, H6522 and the Rephaims, H7497 And the Amorites, H567 and the Canaanites, H3669 and the Girgashites, H1622 and the Jebusites. H2983
Sojourn H1481 in this land, H776 and I will be with thee, and will bless H1288 thee; for unto thee, and unto thy seed, H2233 I will give H5414 all these H411 countries, H776 and I will perform H6965 the oath H7621 which I sware H7650 unto Abraham H85 thy father; H1 And I will make H7235 thy seed H2233 to multiply H7235 as the stars H3556 of heaven, H8064 and will give H5414 unto thy seed H2233 all these H411 countries; H776 and in thy seed H2233 shall all the nations H1471 of the earth H776 be blessed; H1288
And, behold, the LORD H3068 stood H5324 above it, and said, H559 I am the LORD H3068 God H430 of Abraham H85 thy father, H1 and the God H430 of Isaac: H3327 the land H776 whereon thou liest, H7901 to thee will I give it, H5414 and to thy seed; H2233 And thy seed H2233 shall be as the dust H6083 of the earth, H776 and thou shalt spread abroad H6555 to the west, H3220 and to the east, H6924 and to the north, H6828 and to the south: H5045 and in thee and in thy seed H2233 shall all the families H4940 of the earth H127 be blessed. H1288
Their enemies H341 also oppressed H3905 them, and they were brought into subjection H3665 under their hand. H3027 Many H7227 times H6471 did he deliver H5337 them; but they provoked H4784 him with their counsel, H6098 and were brought low H4355 for their iniquity. H5771 Nevertheless he regarded H7200 their affliction, H6862 when he heard H8085 their cry: H7440 And he remembered H2142 for them his covenant, H1285 and repented H5162 according to the multitude H7230 of his mercies. H2617
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Joshua 21
Commentary on Joshua 21 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 21
Jos 21:1-8. Eight and Forty Cities Given by Lot Out of the Other Tribes unto the Levites.
1-3. Then came near the heads of the fathers of the Levites—The most venerable and distinguished members of the three Levitical families, on behalf of their tribe, applied for the special provision that had been promised them to be now awarded (see on Nu 35:2). Their inheritance lay within the territory of every tribe. It was assigned in the same place and manner, and by the same commissioners as the other allotments. While the people, knowing the important duties they were to perform, are described (Jos 21:3) as readily conceding this "peculiar" to them, it had most probably been specified and reserved for their use while the distribution of the land was in progress.
4-8. the lot came out for the families of the Kohathites—The Levites were divided into Kohathites, Gershonites, and Merarites. Among the former the family of Aaron were exclusively appointed to the priesthood, and all the rest were ranked in the common order of Levites. The first lot was drawn by the Kohathites; and the first of theirs again by the priests, to whom thirteen cities were granted, and ten to the rest of the Kohathites (Jos 21:5); thirteen to the Gershonites (Jos 21:6), and twelve to the Merarites (Jos 21:7).
Jos 21:9-42. The Cities of the Priests.
9-40. they gave … these cities which are here mentioned by name—It was overruled by the unerring providence of the Divine Lawgiver that the cities of the priests lay within the territories of Judah and Benjamin. This was a provision, the admirable wisdom and propriety of which were fully manifested on the schism that took place in the reign of Rehoboam.
41. All the cities of the Levites within the possession of the children of Israel were forty and eight cities with their suburbs—This may appear too great a proportion compared with those of the other tribes. But it must be borne in mind that the list given here contains the names of every Levitical city (see on 1Ch 6:39-66); whereas only those cities of the other tribes are mentioned which lay on the frontier or along the boundary line. Besides, the Levites were not the exclusive inhabitants of those forty-eight cities; for there must have been also a considerable number of people kept there to cultivate the glebe lands and tend the cattle. Still further, the Levitical cities had nothing but "their suburbs round about them" [Jos 21:42]; whereas the other cities in Israel possessed a group of independent villages (see Jos 17:1-19:51).
Jos 21:43-45. God Gave Them Rest.
43-45. the Lord gave unto Israel all the land which he sware to give unto their fathers—This is a general winding up of the history from the thirteenth chapter, which narrates the occupation of the land by the Israelites. All the promises made, whether to the people or to Joshua (Jos 1:5), had been, or were in the course of being fulfilled; and the recorded experience of the Israelites (Jos 21:45), is a ground of hope and confidence to the people of God in every age, that all other promises made to the Church will, in due time, be accomplished.