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Commentary Index | Return to PrayerRequest.com | DownloadPaul Kretzmann Commentary - 1 Chronicles 6:54 - 6:81
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The Cities of the Levites
v. 54. Now, these are their dwelling-places throughout their castles in their coasts, literally, "by their districts in their border," of the sons of Aaron, of the families of the Kohathites; for theirs was the lot. Cf Joshua 21.
v. 55. And they gave them Hebron, in the land of Judah, and the suburbs thereof, that is, the pasture-land, round about it.
v. 56. But the fields of the city, the land under cultivation, and the villages thereof, they gave to Caleb, the son of Jephunneh, Jos_14:13; Jos_15:13.
v. 57. And to the sons of Aaron they gave the cities of Judah, namely, Hebron, the city of refuge, for those guilty of involuntary manslaughter, and Libnah with her suburbs, and Jattir, and Eshtemoa with their suburbs,
v. 58. and Hilen (or Holon) with her suburbs, Debir with her suburbs,
v. 59. and Ashan (or Ain) with her suburbs, and Beth-shemesh with her suburbs;
v. 60. and out of the tribe of Benjamin: Geba with her suburbs, and Alemeth with her suburbs, and Anathoth with her suburbs. All their cities throughout their families were thirteen cities, the names of the remaining two being given Jos_21:16-17.
v. 61. And unto the sons of Kohath, which were left of the family of that tribe, were cities given out of the half-tribe, namely, out of the half-tribe of Manasseh, by lot, ten cities, Jos_21:26.
v. 62. And to the sons of Gershom throughout their families out of the tribe of Issachar, and out of the tribe of Asher, and out of the tribe of Naphtali, and out of the tribe of Manasseh in Bashan, east of the Jordan, thirteen cities.
v. 63. Unto the sons of Merari were given by lot, throughout their families, out of the tribe of Reuben, and out of the tribe of Gad, in the southern section of the country east of Jordan, and out of the tribe of Zebulun, twelve cities, Jos_21:7.
v. 64. And the children of Israel gave to the Levites, both the priests and the three families into which they were divided, these cities with their suburbs.
v. 65. And they gave by lot out of the tribe of the children of Judah, and out of the tribe of the children of Simeon, included within that of Judah, and out of the tribe of the children of Benjamin, these cities, which are called by their names.
v. 66. And the residue of the families of the sons of Kohath, so far as the remaining Kohathites were concerned, they had cities of their coasts out of the tribe of Ephraim.
v. 67. And they gave unto them, of the cities of refuge, whose total number was six, Shechem, in Mount Ephraim, with her suburbs; they gave also Gezer with her suburbs,
v. 68. and Jokmeam with her suburbs, and Bethhoron with her suburbs,
v. 69. and Aijalon with her suburbs, and Gath-rimmon with her suburbs;
v. 70. and out of the half tribe of Manasseh, the part west of Jordan: Aner with her suburbs and Bileam with her suburbs, for the family of the remnant of the sons of Kohath. Cf Jos_21:22-35.
v. 71. Unto the sons of Gershom were given out of the family of the half tribe of Manasseh, east of Jordan, Golan, in Bashan, with her suburbs, and Ashtaroth with her suburbs;
v. 72. and out of the tribe of Issachar: Kedesh with her suburbs, Daberath with her suburbs,
v. 73. and Ramoth with her suburbs, and Anem with her suburbs;
v. 74. and out of the tribe of Asher: Mashal with her suburbs, and Abdon with her suburbs,
v. 75. and Hukok with her suburbs, and Rehob with her suburbs;
v. 76. and out of the tribe of Naphtali: Kedesh, in Galilee, with her suburbs, and Hammon with her suburbs, and Kirjathaim with her suburbs.
v. 77. Unto the rest of the children of Merari were given out of the tribe of Zebulun: Rimmon with her suburbs, Tabor with her suburbs;
v. 78. and on the other side Jordan by Jericho, on the east side of Jordan, were given them out of the tribe of Reuben: Bezer, in the wilderness, with her suburbs, and Jahzah with her suburbs,
v. 79. Kedemoth also with her suburbs, and Mephaath with her suburbs;
v. 80. and out of the tribe of Gad: Ramoth, in Gilead, with her suburbs, and Mahanaim with her suburbs,
v. 81. and Heshbon with her suburbs, and Jazer with her suburbs. "As to these cities that were assigned to the Levites, they were widely remote and separated partly in fulfilment of Jacob's prophecy, Gen_49:7, and partly that the various districts of the country might obtain a competent supply of teachers, who might instruct the people in the knowledge and animate them to the observance of a law which had so important a bearing on the promotion both of their private happiness and their national prosperity. "