Joshua 21:20-26 Meaning: God’s Care for the Levites
20The families of the children of Kohath, the Levites, even the rest of the children of Kohath, had the cities of their lot out of the tribe of Ephraim.
21They gave them Shechem with its pasture lands in the hill country of Ephraim, the city of refuge for the man slayer, and Gezer with its pasture lands,
22Kibzaim with its pasture lands, and Beth Horon with its pasture lands: four cities.
23Out of the tribe of Dan, Elteke with its pasture lands, Gibbethon with its pasture lands,
24Aijalon with its pasture lands, Gath Rimmon with its pasture lands: four cities.
25Out of the half-tribe of Manasseh, Taanach with its pasture lands, and Gath Rimmon with its pasture lands: two cities.
26All the cities of the families of the rest of the children of Kohath were ten with their pasture lands.
20And the families of the children of Kohath, the Levites which remained of the children of Kohath, even they had the cities of their lot out of the tribe of Ephraim.
21For they gave them Shechem with her suburbs in mount Ephraim, to be a city of refuge for the slayer; and Gezer with her suburbs,
22And Kibzaim with her suburbs, and Beth–horon with her suburbs; four cities.
23And out of the tribe of Dan, Eltekeh with her suburbs, Gibbethon with her suburbs,
24Aijalon with her suburbs, Gath–rimmon with her suburbs; four cities.
25And out of the half tribe of Manasseh, Tanach with her suburbs, and Gath–rimmon with her suburbs; two cities.
26All the cities were ten with their suburbs for the families of the children of Kohath that remained.
20And the families of the children of Kohath, the Levites, even the rest of the children of Kohath, they had the cities of their lot out of the tribe of Ephraim.
21And they gave them Shechem with its suburbs in the hill-country of Ephraim, the city of refuge for the manslayer, and Gezer with its suburbs,
22and Kibzaim with its suburbs, and Beth-horon with its suburbs; four cities.
23And out of the tribe of Dan, Elteke with its suburbs, Gibbethon with its suburbs,
24Aijalon with its suburbs, Gath-rimmon with its suburbs; four cities.
25And out of the half-tribe of Manasseh, Taanach with its suburbs, and Gath-rimmon with its suburbs; two cities.
26All the cities of the families of the rest of the children of Kohath were ten with their suburbs.
20And for the families of the sons of Kohath, the Levites, who are left of the sons of Kohath, even the cities of their lot are of the tribe of Ephraim;
21and 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,
22and Kibzaim and its suburbs, and Beth-Horon and its suburbs--four cities.
23And out of the tribe of Dan, Eltekeh and its suburbs, Gibbethon and its suburbs,
24Aijalon and its suburbs, Gath-Rimmon and its suburbs--four cities.
25And out of the half of the tribe of Manasseh, Taanach and its suburbs, and Gath-Rimmon and its suburbs--two cities;
26all the cities are ten and their suburbs, for the families of the sons of Kohath who are left.
20And to the families of the children of Kohath, the Levites that remained of the children of Kohath, [they gave cities]. And the cities of their lot were out of the tribe of Ephraim,
21and they gave them the city of refuge for the slayer, Shechem and its suburbs in mount Ephraim; and Gezer and its suburbs,
22and Kibzaim and its suburbs, and Beth-horon and its suburbs: four cities;
23and out of the tribe of Dan, Eltekeh and its suburbs, Gibbethon and its suburbs,
24Ajalon and its suburbs, Gath-Rimmon and its suburbs: four cities;
25and out of half the tribe of Manasseh, Taanach and its suburbs and Gath-Rimmon and its suburbs: two cities.
26All the cities were ten and their suburbs, for the families of the children of Kohath that remained.
Meaning in one sentence
See how God provided ten cities with pasturelands for the Kohathite Levites, fulfilling His promise to care for those who serve Him.
Context
Joshua 21 records the final piece of the land distribution: the Levites, who received no tribal territory as their inheritance, were given specific cities scattered throughout Israel. The non-priestly descendants of Kohath had already been promised ten cities in Joshua 21:5, and this passage shows those promises kept. The cities came from the territories of Ephraim, Dan, and the half-tribe of Manasseh. They included Shechem, a city of refuge for anyone who killed someone by accident, along with Gezer, Kibzaim, Beth Horon, and others. Each city came with pasturelands for the Levites’ livestock, a practical provision for daily life. This is not a random list; it is the record of God honoring His word.
Key Words
Three Hebrew words anchor this passage. The first is migrash (pasture lands), used repeatedly for each city. It means common land or open fields around the town, not just for animals but for the whole community. God did not give the Levites cramped corners; He gave them room to live and work. The second word is miqlat (refuge), describing Shechem as a city of refuge for the manslayer. It comes from a root meaning “to take in” or “to receive.” In a society where blood revenge was real, these cities were tangible grace, a place where mercy could be found. The third word is goral (lot), which shows that the distribution was not random chance. Casting lots was a way of letting God decide. Each city was assigned by His hand, not human preference. These ordinary words tell an extraordinary story: God cares about where His people live, how they are protected, and that they have enough space to thrive.
How Christians Read This Verse
Many Christians have read this passage as a demonstration of God’s faithfulness to the tribe of Levi, who were set apart for worship. John Calvin noted that the Levites’ scattering was originally a punishment, but God turned it into an honor, they became guardians of worship in every district. The presence of a city of refuge among them is seen as a picture of God’s mercy, a place where the guilty could find safety. Some readers focus on the parallel in 1 Chronicles 6:66-70, where some city names differ. For instance, Kibzaim in Joshua appears as Jokmeam in Chronicles. Scholars offer various explanations, such as later name changes or scribal variation. Yet across traditions, the core truth remains: God kept His promise, and the Levites were given a place to dwell and serve.
A common misunderstanding
A common misreading is that this passage is just an ancient real estate record, boring and irrelevant today. In fact, every detail shows God’s faithful provision for those He called to serve Him. The Levites had no land of their own, so God gave them cities with pasturelands in the midst of each tribe. This is not a dry list, it is a promise kept, written so that generations would remember God’s care for His servants.
Living This Out
This week, you might feel scattered or overlooked, like one among many in a long list. The Levites knew that feeling, they had no territory to call their own. Yet God gave them specific, named places, each with enough room. Ask yourself: where has God placed you, and what has He provided? It might be a home, a job, a church, or a community. Notice the pasturelands, the extras that make life sustainable, like neighbours, health, or daily bread. The same God who assigned these ten cities knows exactly what you need and where you are.
Main takeaway: God faithfully provides a place and provision for those who serve Him, right down to the pasturelands.
For Families
For ages 5, 8
God gave the Levites cities to live in, with fields for their animals. He made sure they had a home and food. God takes care of His people.
For ages 9, 12
Do you ever wonder if God really cares about the small details? In this passage, God gave ten specific cities to one group of Levites, each with its own pastureland. Nothing was left out. God knows your address, your school, your friends. He put you where you are for a reason. You can trust that He will provide what you need, just like He did for the Levites.
Questions People Ask
Why did the Levites receive cities instead of land like the other tribes?
The Levites were set apart for service to God and the tabernacle. They were not given a large territory to farm because their job was to teach the law and lead worship. Instead, each tribe gave them cities with pasturelands, so they could live among the people and care for their livestock.
What is a city of refuge, and why was Shechem one?
A city of refuge was a safe place where someone who accidentally killed another person could flee and be protected from revenge. These cities were spread across the land so that help was never far away. Shechem is mentioned in Joshua 20:7 as one of these cities, set apart for exactly that purpose.
Why do the city names in Joshua 21 differ from those in 1 Chronicles 6?
Both passages list cities given to the Kohathite Levites, but some names are different. For example, Kibzaim in Joshua appears as Jokmeam in 1 Chronicles. Scholars think some cities had more than one name, or that names changed over time. The list of cities got updated. The important thing is that both accounts show God keeping His promise.
What does 'pasture lands' mean in this passage?
The Hebrew word migrash refers to open land around the city used for grazing livestock and as common space. These were not just small yards; they were significant areas where the Levites could keep their animals and provide for their families. God gave them room to live sustainably.
Why were only ten cities given to the non-priestly Kohathites?
The overall distribution of Levitical cities was 48 cities total. Each branch of the Levites (Gershon, Kohath-priests, Kohath-nonpriests, Merari) received a different number. The non-priestly Kohathites were a smaller group, and ten cities, along with their pasturelands, were enough for their needs. The division was made by lot, which the Israelites saw as guided by God.
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