I Chronicles 6:71-76 · Bible study

1 Chronicles 6:71-76 Commentary: Levitical Provision

Hebrew · 5 what the commentators say

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Meaning in one sentence

Why does Scripture include lists of Levitical cities?

Research Summary

Meaning: The list confirms God’s provision for the Gershomite Levites with specific cities and pasture lands, fulfilling Numbers 35.
Key words: “Pasture lands” (open land for livestock and livelihood); “Gershom” (firstborn son of Levi).
Main debate: Whether these lists serve mainly as historical records or as theological witnesses to God’s faithfulness.
Theological theme: God’s faithful provision for those set apart for worship and ministry.
Best use: Teaching that every part of Scripture, even catalogues of cities, reveals God’s character and care.

Translation Comparison

BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020

⁷¹The Gershomites received the following: From the clan of the half-tribe of Manasseh they were given Golan in Bashan and also Ashtaroth, together with their pasturelands.

⁷²From the tribe of Issachar they were given Kedesh, Daberath,

⁷³Ramoth, and Anem, together with their pasturelands.

⁷⁴From the tribe of Asher they were given Mashal, Abdon,

⁷⁵Hukok, and Rehob, together with their pasturelands.

⁷⁶And from the tribe of Naphtali they were given Kedesh in Galilee, Hammon, and Kiriathaim, together with their pasturelands.

WEB World English Bible 2000

⁷¹To the sons of Gershom were given, out of the family of the half-tribe of Manasseh, Golan in Bashan with its pasture lands, and Ashtaroth with its pasture lands;

⁷²and out of the tribe of Issachar, Kedesh with its pasture lands, Daberath with its pasture lands,

⁷³Ramoth with its pasture lands, and Anem with its pasture lands;

⁷⁴and out of the tribe of Asher, Mashal with its pasture lands, Abdon with its pasture lands,

⁷⁵Hukok with its pasture lands, and Rehob with its pasture lands;

⁷⁶and out of the tribe of Naphtali, Kedesh in Galilee with its pasture lands, Hammon with its pasture lands, and Kiriathaim with its pasture lands.

KJV King James Version 1769

⁷¹Unto the sons of Gershom were given out of the family of the half tribe of Manasseh, Golan in Bashan with her suburbs, and Ashtaroth with her suburbs:

⁷²And out of the tribe of Issachar; Kedesh with her suburbs, Daberath with her suburbs,

⁷³And Ramoth with her suburbs, and Anem with her suburbs:

⁷⁴And out of the tribe of Asher; Mashal with her suburbs, and Abdon with her suburbs,

⁷⁵And Hukok with her suburbs, and Rehob with her suburbs:

⁷⁶And out of the tribe of Naphtali; Kedesh in Galilee with her suburbs, and Hammon with her suburbs, and Kirjathaim with her suburbs.

ASV American Standard Version 1901

⁷¹Unto the sons of Gershom were given, out of the family of the half-tribe of Manasseh, Golan in Bashan with its suburbs, and Ashtaroth with its suburbs;

⁷²and out of the tribe of Issachar, Kedesh with its suburbs, Daberath with its suburbs,

⁷³and Ramoth with its suburbs, and Anem with its suburbs;

⁷⁴and out of the tribe of Asher, Mashal with its suburbs, and Abdon with its suburbs,

⁷⁵and Hukok with its suburbs, and Rehob with its suburbs;

⁷⁶and out of the tribe of Naphtali, Kedesh in Galilee with its suburbs, and Hammon with its suburbs, and Kiriathaim with its suburbs.

YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898

⁷¹To the sons of Gershom from the family of the half of the tribe of Manasseh are Golan in Bashan and its suburbs, and Ashtaroth and its suburbs;

⁷²and from the tribe of Issachar; Kedesh and its suburbs, Daberath and its suburbs,

⁷³and Ramoth and its suburbs, and Anem and its suburbs;

⁷⁴and from the tribe of Asher; Mashal and its suburbs, and Abdon and its suburbs,

⁷⁵and Hukok and its suburbs, and Rehob and its suburbs;

⁷⁶and from the tribe of Naphtali: Kedesh in Galilee and its suburbs, and Hammon and its suburbs, and Kirjathaim and its suburbs.

Darby Darby Bible 1890

⁷¹To the children of Gershom [were given] out of the family of the half tribe of Manasseh: Golan in Bashan and its suburbs, and Ashtaroth and its suburbs;

⁷²and out of the tribe of Issachar: Kedesh and its suburbs, Dobrath and its suburbs,

⁷³and Ramoth and its suburbs, and Anem and its suburbs;

⁷⁴and out of the tribe of Asher: Mashal and its suburbs, and Abdon and its suburbs,

⁷⁵and Hukok and its suburbs, and Rehob and its suburbs;

⁷⁶and out of the tribe of Naphtali: Kedesh in Galilee and its suburbs, and Hammon and its suburbs, and Kirjathaim and its suburbs.

Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899

⁷¹And to the sons of Gersom, out the kindred of the half tribe of Manasses, Gaulon, in Basan, and its suburbs, and Astharoth with its suburbs.

⁷²Out of the tribe of Issachar, Cedes and its suburbs, and Dabereth with its suburbs;

⁷³Ramoth also and its suburbs, and Anem with its suburbs.

⁷⁴And out of the tribe of Aser: Masal with its suburbs, and Abdon in like manner;

⁷⁵Hucac also and its suburbs, and Rohol with its suburbs.

⁷⁶And out of the tribe of Nephtali, Cedes in Galilee and its suburbs, Hamon with its suburbs, and Cariathaim, and its suburbs.

Verse in Context

69 Aijalon with its pasture lands, Gath Rimmon with its pasture lands;

70 and out of the half-tribe of Manasseh, Aner with its pasture lands, and Bileam with its pasture lands, for the rest of the family of the sons of Kohath.

71 To the sons of Gershom were given, out of the family of the half-tribe of Manasseh, Golan in Bashan with its pasture lands, and Ashtaroth with its pasture lands;

72 and out of the tribe of Issachar, Kedesh with its pasture lands, Daberath with its pasture lands,

73 Ramoth with its pasture lands, and Anem with its pasture lands;

74 and out of the tribe of Asher, Mashal with its pasture lands, Abdon with its pasture lands,

75 Hukok with its pasture lands, and Rehob with its pasture lands;

76 and out of the tribe of Naphtali, Kedesh in Galilee with its pasture lands, Hammon with its pasture lands, and Kiriathaim with its pasture lands.

77 To the rest of the Levites, the sons of Merari, were given, out of the tribe of Zebulun, Rimmono with its pasture lands, and Tabor with its pasture lands;

78 and beyond the Jordan at Jericho, on the east side of the Jordan, were given them out of the tribe of Reuben: Bezer in the wilderness with its pasture lands, Jahzah with its pasture lands,

Scholars' Consensus

Commentators agree that these verses document the fulfillment of God's command to provide cities for the Levites, who received no territorial inheritance (Numbers 18:20). Adam Clarke calls such records “barren rocks” that yet “make integral and necessary parts of the history of providence and grace in the maintenance of truth, and the establishment of the Church of Christ.” The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges notes that the Chronicler adopted and rearranged the parallel passage from Joshua 21, possibly supplementing an earlier text. The shared reading: these lists, however dry they appear, testify to God’s faithfulness in sustaining the tribe set apart for worship and instruction. Even the repetition of “with its pasture lands” signals that daily needs, grazing for livestock, space for families, were not beneath God’s notice. The list is not merely archival; it is a witness to divine care embedded in the fabric of Israel’s settlement.

How settled is the interpretation?

Interpretive difficulty: Low

What is clear: The passage records the concrete provision of cities and pasture lands for the Gershomite clan of Levites, fulfilling God’s command and reflecting His care for the tribe dedicated to worship.

What Scholars Agree and Debate

Topic	Agreed	Debated
Purpose of including detailed city lists	Christians agree that these lists show God’s faithfulness in providing for the Levites and record the fulfillment of His commands.	Some emphasize the historical function, preserving land allocations for the community. Others stress the theological witness, revealing God’s attention to ordinary needs and His plan to scatter spiritual teachers throughout the land.
Relation to the parallel list in Joshua 21	All agree that both passages refer to the same system of Levitical cities established by Joshua.	The names differ slightly between the two lists. Some attribute this to copying errors or later textual changes. Others see the Chronicler updating place names known in his own era, not departing from the original allocation.
Modern application of Levitical provision	Christians share the principle that God cares for those who devote themselves to spiritual service, and the church should support its ministers.	Catholic and Orthodox traditions see a direct parallel to the institutional support of clergy and religious orders. Many Protestant traditions apply the principle more broadly to the congregation’s responsibility for pastoral care, without prescribing a specific system.

Historical & Cultural Context

The Levites had no tribal allotment. Instead, the Lord commanded that they receive forty-eight cities scattered throughout the tribes, each with surrounding pasture lands for their flocks (Numbers 35:2, 5). These verses record the allocation for the Gershomites, the firstborn clan of Levi, from four tribes: the half-tribe of Manasseh, Issachar, Asher, and Naphtali.

Many of these cities carried deep historical resonance. Golan in Bashan was appointed a city of refuge (Deuteronomy 4:43; Joshua 20:8). Ashtaroth had been the royal seat of Og, king of Bashan, whom Israel defeated east of the Jordan (Deuteronomy 1:4; Joshua 9:10). That a former Canaanite stronghold now housed Levites illustrated the scope of God’s conquest and provision. Kedesh in Galilee appears earlier in Joshua 19:37 as a fortified city of Naphtali. The repeated phrase “with its pasture lands” (often rendered “suburbs” in older translations) defined the area, roughly a radius of 2,000 cubits around each city, where Levites could graze livestock and sustain their families (Numbers 35:4, 5).

This system wove the Levites into the everyday life of every tribe. They were not isolated in a single region but lived among the people, teaching the Law and maintaining worship. The list, therefore, is a map of grace: God placed His servants where Israel needed them most.

Textual Notes

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges notes that the text of this section has “suffered in transcription.” The Chronicler rearranged the material from Joshua 21, and some names appear in different forms. For instance, the list here gives only eleven names for the Gershomites where Joshua counts thirteen, suggesting that one or two cities may have dropped out over time. The Douay-Rheims and other older translations render “pasture lands” as “suburbs,” reflecting a different English tradition. These variants do not alter the core meaning: God provided cities for the Levites as promised.

Reception History

Throughout church history, readers have struggled to know what to do with lists like this one. Early Christian writers such as Origen and Jerome allegorized the city names, finding spiritual lessons in each. Medieval commentators continued that tradition, seeing in Golan a type of refuge in Christ. Reformation-era interpreters, including the Geneva Bible editors and Matthew Henry, treated the passage primarily as history that confirmed God’s covenant faithfulness. Adam Clarke, writing in the early nineteenth century, defended even the “barren” parts of Scripture as necessary for “the history of providence and grace.” In modern times, these verses are rarely preached, yet they remain a quiet reminder that God cares about the material needs of His servants and records His provisions with precision.

Preaching This Verse

Three-point outline

God provides for those who serve Him. The Gershomites had no land of their own, yet God gave them cities with pasture lands, a pattern for the church’s care for ministers.
Former strongholds become homes for worship. Ashtaroth, once a seat of pagan kings, became a dwelling for Levites. God redeems places and people.
Every detail of Scripture carries purpose. Lists like this one teach us that God notices and records the ordinary provisions of life.

Five-point outline

The Gershomites received cities from four tribal territories, Manasseh, Issachar, Asher, and Naphtali.
These cities included a city of refuge (Golan) and former Canaanite royal centers (Ashtaroth).
The pasture lands symbolize God’s care for the Levites’ daily needs, food, work, and family space.
The list connects back to Joshua’s distribution of the land, showing continuity in God’s promises.
It reminds us that even the “barren parts” of Scripture are given for our instruction and hope.

Illustration hooks

A church budget line item for pastoral housing, a modern “pasture land” that supports ministry.
An assigned seating chart at a family reunion that ensures everyone has a place.
A care package sent to a missionary family, provision for daily life in a distant place.

Questions your congregation is asking

Why does the Bible include long lists of names and places? Are they really necessary?
How does God provide for pastors and church workers today in ways we might overlook?
What does it mean that God cares about where people live and how they feed their families?

Leading a Discussion

This passage looks like a dry inventory, but it shows us something vital: God remembers the needs of His servants. The Levites had no tribal inheritance, yet He gave them homes and land to sustain their families. As you work through these questions, reflect on how God provides for those who serve Him, and how we can participate in that provision.

Discussion questions

Before reading this study, how would you have described the value of a list like I Chronicles 6:71, 76? Has your view changed?
Why were the Levites given “pasture lands” and not just the cities themselves? What does this reveal about God’s concern for daily life?
How does the inclusion of Ashtaroth, a former Canaanite royal city, show God’s grace and redemption?
What connections do you see between this passage and the command in the New Testament that the church should support its teachers (1 Corinthians 9:13, 14)?
How can your small group or church tangibly care for those who lead and serve?
What “barren” parts of Scripture have you been tempted to skip? How does this study encourage you to read them differently?
In what ways do you rely on God’s provision for your own daily needs, even in ordinary things like a home or a workplace?

What the Commentators Say

2 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.

Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826

Clarke acknowledges that these genealogical lists seem barren and uninteresting to a modern reader. Yet he insists they are as necessary to Scripture's story of providence and grace as deserts and rocks are to the physical world. No one who fears God should despise or ignore them.

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880

The Cambridge Bible Schools commentary notes that the Chronicler rearranged Joshua's list of Levitic cities in an "unhappy" way, and the text has suffered further in transcription. Names from Simeon and several other tribes are missing, and only eleven names appear where thirteen are counted, requiring restoration from Joshua's parallel account.

Cross-References

Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)

Deuteronomy 1:4	after he had struck Sihon the king of the Amorites who lived in Heshbon, and Og the king of Bashan who lived in Ashtaroth, at Edrei.
Deuteronomy 4:43	Bezer in the wilderness, in the plain country, for the Reubenites; and Ramoth in Gilead for the Gadites; and Golan in Bashan for the Manassites.
Joshua 9:10	and all that he did to the two kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan, to Sihon king of Heshbon and to Og king of Bashan, who was at Ashtaroth.
Joshua 20:8	Beyond the Jordan at Jericho eastward, they assigned Bezer in the wilderness in the plain out of the tribe of Reuben, Ramoth in Gilead out of the tribe of Gad, and Golan in Bashan out of the tribe of Manasseh.
Joshua 21:27	They gave to the children of Gershon, of the families of the Levites, out of the half-tribe of Manasseh Golan in Bashan with its pasture lands, the city of refuge for the man slayer, and Be Eshterah with its pasture lands: two cities.
Joshua 19:37	Kedesh, Edrei, En Hazor,
Joshua 21:28	Out of the tribe of Issachar, Kishion with its pasture lands, Daberath with its pasture lands,
Joshua 21:29	Jarmuth with its pasture lands, En Gannim with its pasture lands: four cities.

Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.

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