7 And they sanctify Kedesh in Galilee, in the hill-country of Naphtali, and Shechem in the hill-country of Ephraim, and Kirjath-Arba (it `is' Hebron), in the hill-country of Judah;
and they give to them the city of Arba father of Anak (it `is' Hebron), in the hill-country of Judah, and its suburbs round about it;
And out of the tribe of Naphtali, the city of refuge `for' the man-slayer, Kedesh in Galilee and its suburbs, and Hammoth-Dor and its suburbs, and Kartan and its suburbs -- three cities;
And Mary having arisen in those days, went to the hill-country, with haste, to a city of Judea,
and the name of Hebron formerly `is' Kirjath-Arba (he `is' the great man among the Anakim); and the land hath rest from war.
and they give to them the city of refuge `for' the man-slayer, Shechem and its suburbs, in the hill-country of Ephraim, and Gezer and its suburbs,
And Jacob cometh in to Shalem, a city of Shechem, which `is' in the land of Canaan, in his coming from Padan-Aram, and encampeth before the city, and he buyeth the portion of the field where he hath stretched out his tent, from the hand of the sons of Hamor, father of Shechem, for a hundred kesitah;
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Commentary on Joshua 20 Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
After the distribution of the land by lot among the tribes of Israel, six towns were set apart, in accordance with the Mosaic instructions in Num 35, as places of refuge for unintentional manslayers. Before describing the appointment and setting apart of these towns, the writer repeats in Joshua 20:1-6 the main points of the Mosaic law contained in Num 35:9-29 and Deuteronomy 19:1-13, with reference to the reception of the manslayers into these towns. לכם תּנוּ , “ give to you ,” i.e., appoint for yourselves, “ cities of refuge ,” etc. In Joshua 20:6, the two regulations, “ until he stand before the congregation for judgment ,” and “ until the death of the high priest ,” are to be understood, in accordance with the clear explanation given in Numbers 35:24-25, as meaning that the manslayer was to live in the town till the congregation had pronounced judgment upon the matter, and either given him up to the avenger of blood as a wilful murderer, or taken him back to the city of refuge as an unintentional manslayer, in which case he was to remain there till the death of the existing high priest. For further particulars, see at Num 35.
List of the cites: Levitical cities were chosen, for the reasons explained in the Commentary on the Pentateuch.
Joshua 20:7
In the land on this side (viz., Canaan) they sanctified the following cities. In the north , Kedesh (see at Joshua 12:22), in Galil , on the mountains of Naphtali. Galil (a circle) was a district in the northern part of the subsequent province of Galilee; it is called הגּוים גּליל , circle of the heathen, in Isaiah 9:1, because an unusually large number of heathen or Gentiles were living there. In the centre of the land, Shechem , upon the mountains of Ephraim (see at Joshua 17:7). And in the south, Kirjath-arba , i.e., Hebron, upon the mountains of Judah (see at Joshua 10:3).
Joshua 20:8-9
The cities in the land on the other side had already been appointed by Moses (Deuteronomy 4:41-43). For the sake of completeness, they are mentioned here again: viz., Bezer , Ramoth in Gilead , and Golan (see at Deuteronomy 4:43). The subject is brought to a close in Joshua 20:9. המּוּעדה ערי signifies neither urbes congregationis ( Kimchi ) nor urbes asyli ( Gesenius ), but cities of appointment, - those which received the appointment already given and repeated again in what follows.