Numbers 35:1-8 Meaning: A Home Without Land
1Yahweh spoke to Moses in the plains of Moab by the Jordan at Jericho, saying,
2“Command the children of Israel to give to the Levites cities to dwell in out of their inheritance. You shall give pasture lands for the cities around them to the Levites.
3They shall have the cities to dwell in. Their pasture lands shall be for their livestock, and for their possessions, and for all their animals.
4“The pasture lands of the cities, which you shall give to the Levites, shall be from the wall of the city and outward one thousand cubits around it.
5You shall measure outside of the city for the east side two thousand cubits, and for the south side two thousand cubits, and for the west side two thousand cubits, and for the north side two thousand cubits, the city being in the middle. This shall be the pasture lands of their cities.
6“The cities which you shall give to the Levites, they shall be the six cities of refuge, which you shall give for the man slayer to flee to. Besides them you shall give forty-two cities.
7All the cities which you shall give to the Levites shall be forty-eight cities together with their pasture lands.
8Concerning the cities which you shall give of the possession of the children of Israel, from the many you shall take many, and from the few you shall take few. Everyone according to his inheritance which he inherits shall give some of his cities to the Levites.”
1And the Lord spake unto Moses in the plains of Moab by Jordan near Jericho, saying,
2Command the children of Israel, that they give unto the Levites of the inheritance of their possession cities to dwell in; and ye shall give also unto the Levites suburbs for the cities round about them.
3And the cities shall they have to dwell in; and the suburbs of them shall be for their cattle, and for their goods, and for all their beasts.
4And the suburbs of the cities, which ye shall give unto the Levites, shall reach from the wall of the city and outward a thousand cubits round about.
5And ye shall measure from without the city on the east side two thousand cubits, and on the south side two thousand cubits, and on the west side two thousand cubits, and on the north side two thousand cubits; and the city shall be in the midst: this shall be to them the suburbs of the cities.
6And among the cities which ye shall give unto the Levites there shall be six cities for refuge, which ye shall appoint for the manslayer, that he may flee thither: and to them ye shall add forty and two cities.
7So all the cities which ye shall give to the Levites shall be forty and eight cities: them shall ye give with their suburbs.
8And the cities which ye shall give shall be of the possession of the children of Israel: from them that have many ye shall give many; but from them that have few ye shall give few: every one shall give of his cities unto the Levites according to his inheritance which he inheriteth.
1And Jehovah spake unto Moses in the plains of Moab by the Jordan at Jericho, saying,
2Command the children of Israel, that they give unto the Levites of the inheritance of their possession cities to dwell in; and suburbs for the cities round about them shall ye give unto the Levites.
3And the cities shall they have to dwell in; and their suburbs shall be for their cattle, and for their substance, and for all their beasts.
4And the suburbs of the cities, which ye shall give unto the Levites, shall be from the wall of the city and outward a thousand cubits round about.
5And ye shall measure without the city for the east side two thousand cubits, and for the south side two thousand cubits, and for the west side two thousand cubits, and for the north side two thousand cubits, the city being in the midst. This shall be to them the suburbs of the cities.
6And the cities which ye shall give unto the Levites, they shall be the six cities of refuge, which ye shall give for the manslayer to flee unto: and besides them ye shall give forty and two cities.
7All the cities which ye shall give to the Levites shall be forty and eight cities; them shall ye give with their suburbs.
8And concerning the cities which ye shall give of the possession of the children of Israel, from the many ye shall take many; and from the few ye shall take few: every one according to his inheritance which he inheriteth shall give of his cities unto the Levites.
1And Jehovah speaketh unto Moses, in the plains of Moab, by Jordan, near Jericho, saying,
2`Command the sons of Israel, and they have given to the Levites of the inheritance of their possession cities to inhabit; also a suburb for the cities round about them ye do give to the Levites.
3And the cities have been to them to inhabit, and their suburbs are for their cattle, and for their goods, and for all their beasts.
4`And the suburbs of the cities which ye give to the Levites are , from the wall of the city and without, a thousand cubits round about.
5And ye have measured from the outside of the city, the east quarter, two thousand by the cubit, and the south quarter, two thousand by the cubit, and the west quarter, two thousand by the cubit, and the north quarter, two thousand by the cubit; and the city is in the midst; this is to them the suburbs of the cities.
6`And the cities which ye give to the Levites are the six cities of refuge, which ye give for the fleeing thither of the man-slayer, and besides them ye give forty and two cities;
7all the cities which ye give to the Levites are forty and eight cities, them and their suburbs.
8And the cities which ye give are of the possession of the sons of Israel, from the many ye multiply, and from the few ye diminish; each, according to his inheritance which they inherit, doth give of his cities to the Levites.'
1And Jehovah spoke to Moses in the plains of Moab by the Jordan of Jericho, saying,
2Command the children of Israel, that of the inheritance of their possession they give unto the Levites cities to dwell in; and a suburb for the cities round about them shall ye give unto the Levites.
3And the cities shall they have to dwell in, and their suburbs shall be for their cattle, and for their goods, and for all their beasts.
4And the suburbs of the cities that ye shall give unto the Levites shall be from the walls of the city outward, a thousand cubits round about.
5And ye shall measure, without the city, the east side two thousand cubits, and the south side two thousand cubits, and the west side two thousand cubits, and the north side two thousand cubits, and the city shall be in the midst: they shall have this as suburbs of the cities.
6And [among] the cities that ye shall give unto the Levites [shall be] the six cities of refuge, which ye shall appoint for the manslayer, that he may flee thither, — and besides them ye shall give forty-two cities:
7all the cities that ye shall give to the Levites shall be forty-eight cities, they and their suburbs.
8And the cities which ye shall give shall be of the possession of the children of Israel: from them that have much ye shall take much, and from them that have little ye shall take little; each one according to his inheritance which he will inherit shall give of his cities to the Levites.
Meaning in one sentence
God provided 48 cities with pasturelands for the Levites, who had no tribal territory, so they could teach and offer refuge across Israel.
Context
Moses is on the plains of Moab, just east of the Jordan River, with the whole promised land waiting on the other side. The tribes have been counted and the land will soon be divided. But one tribe, Levi, will not receive a territory like the others. Instead, the Lord commands that Israel give the Levites forty-eight cities and the pasturelands around them. These cities include six special places of refuge. The Levites are to be scattered among the tribes, not isolated, but woven into the life of every region. They will teach the law, lead worship, and offer judgment. God is making sure that those who serve Him have a home, even without a land of their own.
Key Words
Two Hebrew words give the shape of this passage. First, migrash (H4054), translated “pasture lands” or “suburbs.” This is not a garden plot. It is open common land, used for cattle, for storing goods, for every kind of animal. God did not give the Levites only rooftops. He gave them room to thrive. These green spaces meant they could live, work, and feed their families. The word carries the feel of something shared and spacious, not cramped.
Second, miqlat (H4733), “refuge” or “asylum,” from a root meaning to catch or shelter. Six of the Levite cities were places of escape for someone who killed another person by accident. The word pictures a safe hold, a place where a life could be saved. It is no accident that cities of refuge sat among the Levites. These teachers of the law were also ministers of grace. The word invites us to see God’s mercy built into the very geography of Israel.
How Christians Read This Verse
Commentators have read this passage with a common sense of wonder at God’s design. John Calvin wrote that the Levites were like “guards regularly posted for the preservation of the worship of God,” stationed throughout the land to keep the faith alive. Matthew Henry noted that the scattering of the Levites fulfilled Jacob’s prophecy and meant the people could always find a teacher nearby. The Cambridge Bible suggests this was an “ideal arrangement,” perhaps never fully realized, yet it shows God’s intention: the Levites were not to be a separate class but a people embedded in daily life. All traditions agree that God provided generously for those who had no land, and that their presence was meant to bless every tribe.
A common misunderstanding
Some readers think the Levites were left as beggars, owning nothing and depending on handouts. In fact, they received forty-eight cities with substantial pasturelands, enough for livestock and possessions. This was not a stipend; it was a settled inheritance. The tribes were commanded to give, and they gave proportionally. God provided for His servants with dignity and space.
Living This Out
Imagine someone in your church who serves in a role that provides no income on the side, a pastor who gives all their time, a missionary supported by others. This passage says: make room for them. Give generously from what you have, just as each tribe gave cities in proportion to its inheritance. It doesn’t have to be equal; it has to be real. Maybe you check in on that family, or set aside something regular from your pay. The Levites had no territory, but God made sure they were never left out. You and I can be part of that same provision.
Main takeaway: God gave the Levites homes and pasturelands, scattering them across Israel to teach His law and offer a place of mercy.
For Families
For ages 5, 8
God told the people to give the Levites homes and fields because the Levites worked at God’s tent. They didn’t own any land, so God made sure they had places to live and grass for their cows and sheep.
For ages 9, 12
The Levites were like the pastors and worship leaders of Israel. They didn’t get a big area of land like the other tribes because God Himself was their special treasure. So every tribe had to give them cities to live in, with fields around them for their animals. Six of these cities were safe places for someone who accidentally hurt another person. God wanted the Levites scattered everywhere so they could teach people about Him and be a place of safety.
Questions People Ask
Why didn't the Levites receive a tribal territory like the other tribes?
God chose the Levites to serve Him directly in the tabernacle and told them, 'I am your portion and inheritance' (Numbers 18:20). Instead of a region of their own, they received cities scattered among the tribes, with pasturelands for their livestock.
What were the pasturelands (migrash) used for?
The pasturelands were open land outside each city, used for grazing cattle, keeping possessions, and housing all kinds of animals. They gave the Levites space to support their families and livestock.
Why were six of the Levite cities designated as cities of refuge?
The cities of refuge provided a safe place for someone who accidentally killed another person. The Levites, as judges and teachers of the law, were well-suited to oversee these cases, ensuring fairness and mercy.
How did the tribes decide which cities to give?
God commanded that each tribe give cities in proportion to its inheritance, more from larger tribes, fewer from smaller ones. The specific list of cities is recorded in Joshua 21.
Do these instructions apply to Christians today?
The direct command was for Israel's theocratic system. But principles remain: God provides for those who serve Him, and His people are called to generously support spiritual leaders. The arrangement also points to Christ as our ultimate refuge.
For pastors & researchers
Hebrew interlinear, 8 commentaries & word study