Joshua 21:9-19 · Bible study
Joshua 21:9-19 Commentary: Priestly Cities & God's Providence
Hebrew · 10 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Explore why God placed the priestly cities in Judah, Simeon, and Benjamin.
Research Summary
- Meaning: God providentially situated the priestly cities in Judah, Simeon, and Benjamin, placing the ministers of worship near the future site of His temple.
- Key words: migrash (pasture lands), the open land for cattle; miqlat (refuge), asylum for the unintentional killer.
- Main debate: Whether the list of thirteen cities is a complete record or if some cities were later lost or renamed (compare 1 Chron. 6).
- Theological theme: Providence: God orchestrates land allotments to ensure the priests’ proximity to the center of worship, securing the ministry of atonement for the nation.
- Best use: A case study in God’s attention to detail and His care for those devoted to His service.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
9From the tribes of Judah and Simeon, they designated these cities by name
10to the descendants of Aaron from the Kohathite clans of the Levites, because the first lot fell to them:
11They gave them Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron), with its surrounding pasturelands, in the hill country of Judah. (Arba was the father of Anak.)
12But they had given the fields and villages around the city to Caleb son of Jephunneh as his possession.
13So to the descendants of Aaron the priest they gave these cities, together with their pasturelands: Hebron, a city of refuge for the manslayer, Libnah,
14Jattir, Eshtemoa,
15Holon, Debir,
16Ain, Juttah, and Beth-shemesh—nine cities from these two tribes, together with their pasturelands.
17And from the tribe of Benjamin they gave them Gibeon, Geba,
18Anathoth, and Almon—four cities, together with their pasturelands.
19In all, thirteen cities, together with their pasturelands, were given to the priests, the descendants of Aaron.
WEB World English Bible 2000
9They gave out of the tribe of the children of Judah, and out of the tribe of the children of Simeon, these cities which are mentioned by name:
10and they were for the children of Aaron, of the families of the Kohathites, who were of the children of Levi; for theirs was the first lot.
11They gave them Kiriath Arba, named after the father of Anak (also called Hebron), in the hill country of Judah, with its pasture lands around it.
12But they gave the fields of the city and its villages to Caleb the son of Jephunneh for his possession.
13To the children of Aaron the priest they gave Hebron with its pasture lands, the city of refuge for the man slayer, Libnah with its pasture lands,
14Jattir with its pasture lands, Eshtemoa with its pasture lands,
15Holon with its pasture lands, Debir with its pasture lands,
16Ain with its pasture lands, Juttah with its pasture lands, and Beth Shemesh with its pasture lands: nine cities out of those two tribes.
17Out of the tribe of Benjamin, Gibeon with its pasture lands, Geba with its pasture lands,
18Anathoth with its pasture lands, and Almon with its pasture lands: four cities.
19All the cities of the children of Aaron, the priests, were thirteen cities with their pasture lands.
KJV King James Version 1769
9And they gave out of the tribe of the children of Judah, and out of the tribe of the children of Simeon, these cities which are here mentioned by name,
10Which the children of Aaron, being of the families of the Kohathites, who were of the children of Levi, had: for theirs was the first lot.
11And they gave them the city of Arba the father of Anak, which city is Hebron, in the hill country of Judah, with the suburbs thereof round about it.
12But the fields of the city, and the villages thereof, gave they to Caleb the son of Jephunneh for his possession.
13Thus they gave to the children of Aaron the priest Hebron with her suburbs, to be a city of refuge for the slayer; and Libnah with her suburbs,
14And Jattir with her suburbs, and Eshtemoa with her suburbs,
15And Holon with her suburbs, and Debir with her suburbs,
16And Ain with her suburbs, and Juttah with her suburbs, and Beth–shemesh with her suburbs; nine cities out of those two tribes.
17And out of the tribe of Benjamin, Gibeon with her suburbs, Geba with her suburbs,
18Anathoth with her suburbs, and Almon with her suburbs; four cities.
19All the cities of the children of Aaron, the priests, were thirteen cities with their suburbs.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
9And they gave out of the tribe of the children of Judah, and out of the tribe of the children of Simeon, these cities which are here mentioned by name:
10and they were for the children of Aaron, of the families of the Kohathites, who were of the children of Levi; for theirs was the first lot.
11And they gave them Kiriath-arba, which Arba was the father of Anak (the same is Hebron), in the hill-country of Judah, with the suburbs thereof round about it.
12But the fields of the city, and the villages thereof, gave they to Caleb the son of Jephunneh for his possession.
13And unto the children of Aaron the priest they gave Hebron with its suburbs, the city of refuge for the manslayer, and Libnah with its suburbs,
14and Jattir with its suburbs, and Eshtemoa with its suburbs,
15and Holon with its suburbs, and Debir with its suburbs,
16and Ain with its suburbs, and Juttah with its suburbs, and Beth-shemesh with its suburbs; nine cities out of those two tribes.
17And out of the tribe of Benjamin, Gibeon with its suburbs, Geba with its suburbs,
18Anathoth with its suburbs, and Almon with its suburbs; four cities.
19All the cities of the children of Aaron, the priests, were thirteen cities with their suburbs.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
9And they give out of the tribe of the sons of Judah, and out of the tribe of the sons of Simeon, these cities which are called by name;
10and they are for the sons of Aaron, of the families of the Kohathite, of the sons of Levi, for theirs hath been the first lot;
11and 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;
12and the field of the city and its villages they have given to Caleb son of Jephunneh for his possession.
13And to the sons of Aaron the priest they have given the city of refuge for the man-slayer, Hebron and its suburbs, and Libnah and its suburbs,
14and Jattir and its suburbs, and Eshtemoa and its suburbs,
15and Holon and its suburbs, and Debir and its suburbs,
16and Ain and its suburbs, and Juttah and its suburbs, Beth-Shemesh and its suburbs; nine cities out of these two tribes.
17And out of the tribe of Benjamin, Gibeon and its suburbs, Geba and its suburbs,
18Anathoth and its suburbs, and Almon and its suburbs--four cities;
19all the cities of the sons of Aaron the priests, are thirteen cities and their suburbs.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
9And they gave out of the tribe of the children of Judah, and out of the tribe of the children of Simeon, these cities which were mentioned by name,
10and which the children of Aaron, of the families of the Kohathites, of the children of Levi had (for theirs was the first lot);
11and they gave them Kirjath-Arba, [which Arba was] the father of Anak, that is, Hebron, in the mountain of Judah, with its suburbs round about it.
12But the fields of the city and the hamlets thereof gave they to Caleb the son of Jephunneh for his possession.
13And they gave to the children of Aaron the priest the city of refuge for the slayer, Hebron and its suburbs; and Libnah and its suburbs,
14and Jattir and its suburbs, and Eshtemoa and its suburbs,
15and Holon and its suburbs, and Debir and its suburbs,
16and Ain and its suburbs, and Juttah and its suburbs, [and] Beth-shemesh and its suburbs: nine cities out of those two tribes;
17and out of the tribe of Benjamin: Gibeon and its suburbs, Geba and its suburbs,
18Anathoth and its suburbs, and Almon and its suburbs; four cities.
19All the cities of the children of Aaron, the priests, were thirteen cities and their suburbs.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
9Of the tribes of the children of Juda and of Simeon Joshua gave cities: whose names are these,
10To the sons of Aaron, of the families of Caath of the race of Levi (for the first lot came out for them)
11The city of Arbe the father of Enac, which is called Hebron, in the mountain of Juda, and the suburbs thereof round about.
12But the fields and the villages thereof he had given to Caleb the son of Jephone for his possession.
13He gave therefore to the children of Aaron the priest, Hebron a city of refuge, and the suburbs thereof, and Lebna with the suburbs thereof,
14And Jether and Estemo,
15And Holon, and Dabir,
16And Ain, and Jeta, and Bethsames, with their suburbs: nine cities out of the two tribes, as hath been said.
17And out of the tribe of the children of Benjamin, Gabaon, and Gabae,
18And Anathoth and Almon, with, their suburbs: four cities.
19All the cities together of the children of Aaron the priest, were thirteen, with their suburbs,
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Joshua 21:9
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators across traditions agree that the assignment of thirteen priestly cities within the territories of Judah, Simeon, and Benjamin was a deliberate act of divine providence. Barnes, echoing Calvin, notes that God “so overruled it that the priestly families were placed upon the spot which He had determined before hand to choose as the site of His temple.” Jamieson-Fausset-Brown add that the wisdom of this arrangement became clear when the kingdom split in Rehoboam’s day, the priests remained with the southern kingdom where the temple stood. The Hebrew construction haggoral rishonah (“the first lot,” with the definite article) underscores that Aaron’s descendants received the initial allotment among the Levites (v. 10), signaling their preeminent role. Adam Clarke observes that the thirteen cities were initially more than the small priesthood required, but were granted in anticipation of their future expansion into twenty-four courses under David. The pasture lands (migrash) given around each city, described throughout the passage, provided for the priests’ livestock, as commanded in Numbers 35:2, 5.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Low
What is clear: God sovereignly arranged for the priestly cities to be in the territories that would become the southern kingdom, ensuring that the priests ministered near the chosen site of His temple.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Providential placement of priestly cities | The cities were located in Judah, Simeon, and Benjamin to keep the priests near the future temple in Jerusalem. | Whether this was exclusively providential or also reflected practical convenience (e.g., proximity to Shiloh). Both views affirm divine oversight, but some emphasize human decision-making within God’s guidance. |
| Number of cities (thirteen) | Thirteen cities were allocated to Aaron’s descendants as recorded in this passage. | Some (e.g., Clarke) see it as anticipating future growth in the priesthood, while others treat it as a literal census of the cities given at that time. The parallel list in 1 Chronicles 6 varies slightly, leading to debate over transmission accuracy. |
| Caleb’s exception (v. 12) | The fields and villages of Hebron remained Caleb’s possession; the priests received only the city and its pasture lands. | Whether this was a unique exception or an example of a general principle that all Levitical cities left the agricultural land to the host tribe (so Wesley). |
Historical & Cultural Context
This passage belongs to the closing phase of Israel’s land distribution under Joshua (Joshua 13, 21). The Levites, who received no tribal inheritance, came to Eleazar and Joshua at Shiloh to claim cities and pasture lands as Moses had commanded (Num. 35:1, 8). The first lot fell to the Kohathites, specifically the family of Aaron, the priests (v. 10). Their cities were drawn from Judah, Simeon, and Benjamin. Simeon’s territory lay within Judah’s (see Josh. 19:1, 9; Wesley notes this), and Benjamin bordered Judah on the north, placing the priestly cities in a contiguous southern region.
Significantly, one of those cities was Hebron (formerly Kiriath Arba), which doubled as a city of refuge (v. 13). The Hebrew phrase ‘ir miqlat ha-rozeach, “city of refuge for the slayer” (the definite article on rozeach marks a specific legal category, not any killer), provided asylum for someone who killed unintentionally. The priests thus functioned as mediators of mercy. The fields and villages of Hebron, however, remained Caleb’s possession (v. 12), a detail preserved to show that the Levites received only the city proper and its immediate pasture lands, not the entire agricultural territory. This aligns with Keil & Delitzsch’s observation that the arable land was left to the original tribe. The priests’ geographic proximity to the future temple in Jerusalem ensured that, when the monarchy split, the priestly ministry would remain near God’s dwelling place.
Textual Notes
The consulted sources note no significant textual variants for the Hebrew of Joshua 21:9, 19 itself. Keil & Delitzsch, however, compare this list with the parallel in 1 Chronicles 6:54, 60 and observe several differences: Holon appears as Hilen, Ain as Ashan, Almon as Alemeth; Juttah is missing from Chronicles entirely. These variations likely arose from scribal transmission over time, some names changed, and a few cities may have been known by alternate names (e.g., Beth-shemesh also occurs in Chronicles but is sometimes conflated). The core number of thirteen priestly cities remains consistent across both accounts.
Reception History
Early Jewish readers (e.g., the Talmudic tradition) regarded this allocation as the fulfillment of Moses’ commands in Numbers 35, underscoring the tribe of Levi’s dependence on God’s provision through the other tribes. Christian commentators from the Reformation onward, particularly Calvin, Barnes, and Jamieson-Fausset-Brown, highlighted the providential location of the priestly cities near the future temple, a detail they saw as confirming that God had already chosen Jerusalem as the place for His name (1 Kings 8:29). Jamieson-Fausset-Brown explicitly invoke the “schism that took place in the reign of Rehoboam” as the moment the wisdom of this arrangement was vindicated. Modern scholars continue to note the coherence between this list and the topographical realities of the southern hill country.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- Providential placement: God located the priests in the tribes that would surround His temple, securing their ministry for generations.
- Provision for service: Cities with pasture lands (migrash) met the priests’ needs, demonstrating God’s care for those who serve Him.
- Priests as agents of mercy: Hebron’s role as a city of refuge shows how the priestly presence embodied God’s compassion for the unintentional offender.
Five-point outline
- The first lot: Aaron’s line receives priority among the Levites (v. 10).
- Hebron: city of priesthood and refuge: A dual role as priestly home and sanctuary (v. 13).
- Caleb’s inheritance preserved: The boundary between Levitical and tribal land respected (v. 12).
- Thirteen cities for future growth: God looks ahead to a larger priesthood (Clarke).
- Proximity to the temple: The priests were placed where they could minister at God’s chosen center.
Illustration hooks
- A church that builds its parsonage next door so the pastor can be close to the congregation and ministry.
- A family who keeps a small garden in their backyard while the surrounding farmland belongs to a neighbor, just as the priests kept the city while the fields went to Caleb.
- A local police station that also serves as a safe place for people in danger, reflecting Hebron as a city of refuge within a priestly city.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Why did the priests get cities instead of one large territory?
- How could the priests live among people from Judah and not be corrupted?
- What does the “city of refuge” teach us about God’s justice and mercy today?
Leading a Discussion
This passage shows God’s careful arrangement for the priesthood. As you read Joshua 21:9, 19, notice how the names and locations point to a larger plan. The priests were not left without homes, they were placed in cities that would later stand near the temple in Jerusalem. This was not luck; it was providence.
Discussion questions
- Why do you think the first lot fell to Aaron’s descendants? What does that say about the priority of worship in Israel?
- The verb “they gave” (vayyitnu) is a narrative past action. Who performed this giving (see vv. 1, 3), and what does it reveal about obedience to God’s commands?
- Hebron was both a priestly city and a city of refuge. How did this dual role shape the priests’ identity and ministry?
- Verse 12 mentions that Caleb kept the fields and villages of Hebron. Why might the writer include this detail? What does it tell us about God’s faithfulness to earlier promises?
- The pasture lands (migrash) were given “around” each city. How did this provision serve the practical needs of the priests (see Num. 35:2, 5)?
- Barnes and Calvin note that the priests’ location in Judah and Benjamin was providential. Can you find other places in Scripture where geography plays a role in God’s plan?
- Adam Clarke suggests thirteen cities anticipated the priesthood’s growth. How does looking ahead shape the way we view God’s provision in our own lives?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| I Chronicles 6:65 | They gave by lot out of the tribe of the children of Judah, and out of the tribe of the children of Simeon, and out of the tribe of the children of Benjamin, these cities which are mentioned by name. |
| Exodus 6:18 | The sons of Kohath: Amram, and Izhar, and Hebron, and Uzziel; and the years of the life of Kohath were one hundred thirty-three years. |
| Exodus 6:20 | Amram took Jochebed his father’s sister to himself as wife; and she bore him Aaron and Moses. The years of the life of Amram were one hundred thirty-seven years. |
| Exodus 6:26 | These are that Aaron and Moses to whom Yahweh said, “Bring out the children of Israel from the land of Egypt according to their armies.” |
| Numbers 3:2 | These are the names of the sons of Aaron: Nadab the firstborn, and Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. |
| Numbers 3:4 | Nadab and Abihu died before Yahweh when they offered strange fire before Yahweh in the wilderness of Sinai, and they had no children. Eleazar and Ithamar ministered in the priest’s office in the presence of Aaron their father. |
| Numbers 3:19 | The sons of Kohath by their families: Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel. |
| Numbers 3:27 | Of Kohath was the family of the Amramites, the family of the Izharites, the family of the Hebronites, and the family of the Uzzielites. These are the families of the Kohathites. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
9 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke observes that the thirteen cities assigned to the priests seemed disproportionately large for their small numbers at the time. He argues this generous provision was made in anticipation of their future growth, when they would later expand into twenty-four courses as in David's day.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes highlights that the thirteen priestly cities were deliberately placed within the territories of Judah, Simeon, and Benjamin. He notes that God sovereignly arranged this so the priestly families would already be situated near the very location He had chosen for His temple.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The commentary draws attention to a detail often overlooked: the Levites received houses within the assigned cities but not the surrounding farmland. The fields of Hebron, for example, had already been given to Caleb. This suggests the Levites held only as many dwellings as their number required, a limited and inalienable possession.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva Note emphasizes that the priests, as Kohathite descendants of Levi, received the first lot, including Hebron as a city of refuge. The note carefully records how cities from Judah, Simeon, and Benjamin became the priests' settled inheritance, underscoring the orderly provision God made for the priestly tribe.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill emphasizes that the priests, as descendants
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB observes that it was no accident the priests' cities fell within Judah and Benjamin. Divine providence placed them there, and the wisdom of this arrangement became clear when the kingdom later split: the priests naturally remained with the rightful throne.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil-Delitzsch focuses on the discrepancies between the list of Levitical towns in Joshua 21 and the parallel in 1 Chronicles 6. They note that the Chronicler seems to have used an independent ancient source, as seen in omitted towns, name variations, and some clearly faulty readings.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange argues the Levites were not forgotten, as Calvin suggested, but deliberately waited for the right moment. With Eleazar present and sharing in the land distribution, they approached at an opportune time to claim the cities Moses had already assigned them.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley highlights Caleb's willing surrender of part of his divinely promised inheritance as the model for the other tribes' generosity toward the Levites. He also accounts for why certain cities named here are absent from the parallel list in Chronicles, suggesting they were destroyed or renamed over time.