New International VersionThe first lot came out for the Kohathites, according to their clans. The Levites who were descendants of Aaron the priest were allotted thirteen towns from the tribes of Judah, Simeon and Benjamin.
New Living TranslationThe descendants of Aaron, who were members of the Kohathite clan within the tribe of Levi, were allotted thirteen towns that were originally assigned to the tribes of Judah, Simeon, and Benjamin.
English Standard VersionThe lot came out for the clans of the Kohathites. So those Levites who were descendants of Aaron the priest received by lot from the tribes of Judah, Simeon, and Benjamin, thirteen cities.
Berean Standard BibleThe first lot came out for the Kohathite clans. The Levites who were descendants of Aaron the priest received thirteen cities by lot from the tribes of Judah, Simeon, and Benjamin.
King James BibleAnd the lot came out for the families of the Kohathites: and the children of Aaron the priest, which were of the Levites, had by lot out of the tribe of Judah, and out of the tribe of Simeon, and out of the tribe of Benjamin, thirteen cities.
New King James VersionNow the lot came out for the families of the Kohathites. And the children of Aaron the priest, who were of the Levites, had thirteen cities by lot from the tribe of Judah, from the tribe of Simeon, and from the tribe of Benjamin.
New American Standard BibleThen the lot came out for the families of the Kohathites. And to the sons of Aaron the priest, who were of the Levites, thirteen cities were given by lot from the tribe of Judah, from the tribe of the Simeonites, and from the tribe of Benjamin.
NASB 1995Then the lot came out for the families of the Kohathites. And the sons of Aaron the priest, who were of the Levites, received thirteen cities by lot from the tribe of Judah and from the tribe of the Simeonites and from the tribe of Benjamin.
NASB 1977Then the lot came out for the families of the Kohathites. And the sons of Aaron the priest, who were of the Levites, received thirteen cities by lot from the tribe of Judah and from the tribe of the Simeonites and from the tribe of Benjamin.
Legacy Standard BibleThen the lot came out for the families of the Kohathites. And the sons of Aaron the priest, who were of the Levites, received thirteen cities by lot from the tribe of Judah and from the tribe of the Simeonites and from the tribe of Benjamin.
Amplified BibleThe [first] lot (allotment) came out for the families of the Kohathites. So those Levites who were sons (descendants) of Aaron the priest received thirteen cities by lot from the tribe of Judah and from the tribe of Simeon and from the tribe of Benjamin.
Christian Standard BibleThe lot came out for the Kohathite clans: The Levites who were the descendants of the priest Aaron received thirteen cities by lot from the tribes of Judah, Simeon, and Benjamin.
Holman Christian Standard BibleThe lot came out for the Kohathite clans: The Levites who were the descendants of Aaron the priest received 13 cities by lot from the tribes of Judah, Simeon, and Benjamin.
American Standard VersionAnd the lot came out for the families of the Kohathites: and the children of Aaron the priest, who were of the Levites, had by lot out of the tribe of Judah, and out of the tribe of the Simeonites, and out of the tribe of Benjamin, thirteen cities.
Contemporary English VersionThe leaders asked the LORD to show them in what order the clans of Levi would be given towns, and which towns each clan would receive. The Kohath clans were first. The descendants of Aaron, Israel's first priest, were given 13 towns from the tribes of Judah, Simeon, and Benjamin.
English Revised VersionAnd the lot came out for the families of the Kohathites: and the children of Aaron the priest, which were of the Levites, had by lot out of the tribe of Judah, and out of the tribe of the Simeonites, and out of the tribe of Benjamin, thirteen cities.
GOD'S WORD® TranslationThese are the cities for the families of Kohath that were chosen by drawing lots. These descendants of the priest Aaron the Levite received 13 cities from the tribes of Judah, Simeon, and Benjamin.
Good News TranslationThe families of the Levite clan of Kohath were the first to be assigned cities. The families who were descended from Aaron the priest were assigned thirteen cities from the territories of Judah, Simeon, and Benjamin.
International Standard VersionThe lottery went to the families of the descendants of Kohath. So the descendants of Aaron the priest, who were descendants of Levi, received thirteen cities by random lot from the tribes of Judah, Simeon, and Benjamin.
NET BibleThe first lot belonged to the Kohathite clans. The Levites who were descendants of Aaron the priest were allotted thirteen cities from the tribes of Judah, Simeon, and Benjamin.
New Heart English BibleThe lot came out for the families of the Kohathites. The descendants of Aaron the priest, who were of the Levites, had thirteen cities by lot out of the tribe of Judah, out of the tribe of the Simeonites, and out of the tribe of Benjamin.
Webster's Bible TranslationAnd the lot came out for the families of the Kohathites: and the children of Aaron the priest, who were of the Levites, had by lot out of the tribe of Judah, and out of the tribe of Simeon, and out of the tribe of Benjamin, thirteen cities. Majority Text Translations Majority Standard BibleThe first lot came out for the Kohathite clans. The Levites who were descendants of Aaron the priest received thirteen cities by lot from the tribes of Judah, Simeon, and Benjamin.
World English BibleThe lot came out for the families of the Kohathites. The children of Aaron the priest, who were of the Levites, had thirteen cities by lot out of the tribe of Judah, out of the tribe of the Simeonites, and out of the tribe of Benjamin. Literal Translations Literal Standard Versionand the lot goes out for the families of the Kohathite, and there are for the sons of Aaron the priest (of the Levites), out of the tribe of Judah, and out of the tribe of Simeon, and out of the tribe of Benjamin, thirteen cities by lot,
Young's Literal Translation And the lot goeth out for the families of the Kohathite, and there are for the sons of Aaron the priest (of the Levites), out of the tribe of Judah, and out of the tribe of Simeon, and out of the tribe of Benjamin, by lot thirteen cities,
Smith's Literal TranslationAnd the lot came forth to the families of the Kohathites: and it will be to the sons of Aaron the priest from the Levites out of the tribe of Judah, and out of the tribe of Simeon, and from the tribe of Benjamin, by lot, thirteen cities. Catholic Translations Douay-Rheims BibleAnd the lot came out for the family of Caath of the children of Aaron the priest out of the tribes of Juda, and of Simeon, and of Benjamin, thirteen cities.
Catholic Public Domain VersionAnd the lot went out for the family of Kohath, of the sons of Aaron, the priest, from the tribes of Judah and Simeon and Benjamin: thirteen cities.
New American BibleWhen the first lot among the Levites fell to the clans of the Kohathites, the descendants of Aaron the priest obtained by lot from the tribes of Judah, Simeon, and Benjamin, thirteen cities.
New Revised Standard VersionThe lot came out for the families of the Kohathites. So those Levites who were descendants of Aaron the priest received by lot thirteen towns from the tribes of Judah, Simeon, and Benjamin. Translations from Aramaic Lamsa BibleAnd lots were drawn for the families of the Kohathites; and the children of Aaron the priest, who were of the Levites, had by lot from the tribe of Judah, from the tribe of Simeon, and from the tribe of Benjamin, thirteen cities.
Peshitta Holy Bible TranslatedAnd the lot of the family of Qahath and the children of Aaron the Priest went out from the Levites and they gave to them from the tribe of Yehuda and from the tribe of Shemon and from the tribe of Benyamin, thirteen cities OT Translations JPS Tanakh 1917And the lot came out for the families of the Kohathites; and the children of Aaron the priest, who were of the Levites, had by lot out of the tribe of Judah, and out of the tribe of the Simeonites, and out of the tribe of Benjamin, thirteen cities.
Brenton Septuagint TranslationAnd the lot came out for the children of Caath; and the sons of Aaron, the priests the Levites, had by lot thirteen cities out of the tribe of Juda, and out of the tribe of Symeon, and out of the tribe of Benjamin.
Additional Translations ... Audio Bible
Context Forty-Eight Cities for the Levites… 3So by the command of the LORD, the Israelites gave the Levites these cities and their pasturelands out of their own inheritance: 4The first lotcame outfor the Kohathiteclans.The Leviteswho were descendantsof Aaronthe priestreceivedthirteencitiesby lotfrom the tribesof Judah,Simeon,and Benjamin.5The remaining descendants of Kohath received ten cities by lot from the tribes of Ephraim, Dan, and the half-tribe of Manasseh.…
Cross References Numbers 35:1-8Again the LORD spoke to Moses on the plains of Moab by the Jordan across from Jericho: / “Command the Israelites to give, from the inheritance they will possess, cities for the Levites to live in and pasturelands around the cities. / The cities will be for them to live in, and the pasturelands will be for their herds, their flocks, and all their other livestock. ...
Deuteronomy 18:1-2The Levitical priests—indeed the whole tribe of Levi—shall have no portion or inheritance with Israel. They are to eat the food offerings to the LORD; that is their inheritance. / Although they have no inheritance among their brothers, the LORD is their inheritance, as He promised them.
1 Chronicles 6:54-60Now these were the territories assigned to the descendants of Aaron from the Kohathite clan for their settlements, because the first lot fell to them: / They were given Hebron in the land of Judah and its surrounding pasturelands. / But the fields and villages around the city were given to Caleb son of Jephunneh. ...
Leviticus 25:32-34As for the cities of the Levites, the Levites always have the right to redeem their houses in the cities they possess. / So whatever belongs to the Levites may be redeemed—a house sold in a city they possess—and must be released in the Jubilee, because the houses in the cities of the Levites are their possession among the Israelites. / But the open pastureland around their cities may not be sold, for this is their permanent possession.
Numbers 18:20-24Then the LORD said to Aaron, “You will have no inheritance in their land, nor will you have any portion among them. I am your portion and your inheritance among the Israelites. / Behold, I have given to the Levites all the tithes in Israel as an inheritance in return for the work they do, the service of the Tent of Meeting. / No longer may the Israelites come near to the Tent of Meeting, or they will incur guilt and die. ...
1 Chronicles 6:61-65To the rest of the Kohathites, ten cities were allotted from the half-tribe of Manasseh. / The Gershomites, according to their clans, were allotted thirteen cities from the tribes of Issachar, Asher, Naphtali, and Manasseh in Bashan. / The Merarites, according to their clans, were allotted twelve cities from the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and Zebulun. ...
Hebrews 7:5Now the law commands the sons of Levi who become priests to collect a tenth from the people—that is, from their brothers—though they too are descended from Abraham.
Numbers 3:5-9Then the LORD said to Moses, / “Bring the tribe of Levi and present them to Aaron the priest to assist him. / They are to perform duties for him and for the whole congregation before the Tent of Meeting, attending to the service of the tabernacle. ...
1 Peter 2:9But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, to proclaim the virtues of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.
Deuteronomy 10:8-9At that time the LORD set apart the tribe of Levi to carry the ark of the covenant of the LORD, to stand before the LORD to serve Him, and to pronounce blessings in His name, as they do to this day. / That is why Levi has no portion or inheritance among his brothers; the LORD is his inheritance, as the LORD your God promised him.
1 Corinthians 9:13-14Do you not know that those who work in the temple eat of its food, and those who serve at the altar partake of its offerings? / In the same way, the Lord has prescribed that those who preach the gospel should receive their living from the gospel.
Ezekiel 44:28-30In regard to their inheritance, I am their inheritance. You are to give them no possession in Israel, for I am their possession. / They shall eat the grain offerings, the sin offerings, and the guilt offerings. Everything in Israel devoted to the LORD will belong to them. / The best of all the firstfruits and of every contribution from all your offerings will belong to the priests. You are to give your first batch of dough to the priest, so that a blessing may rest upon your homes.
Matthew 10:10Take no bag for the road, or second tunic, or sandals, or staff; for the worker is worthy of his provisions.
Numbers 26:57-62Now these were the Levites numbered by their clans: The Gershonite clan from Gershon, the Kohathite clan from Kohath, and the Merarite clan from Merari. / These were the families of the Levites: The Libnite clan, the Hebronite clan, the Mahlite clan, the Mushite clan, and the Korahite clan. Now Kohath was the father of Amram, / and Amram’s wife was named Jochebed. She was also a daughter of Levi, born to Levi in Egypt. To Amram she bore Aaron, Moses, and their sister Miriam. ...
Acts 6:4and will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.”
Treasury of Scripture And the lot came out for the families of the Kohathites: and the children of Aaron the priest, which were of the Levites, had by lot out of the tribe of Judah, and out of the tribe of Simeon, and out of the tribe of Benjamin, thirteen cities. the children Joshua 21:8-19 And the children of Israel gave by lot unto the Levites these cities with their suburbs, as the LORD commanded by the hand of Moses… Joshua 24:33 And Eleazar the son of Aaron died; and they buried him in a hillthat pertained to Phinehas his son, which was given him in mount Ephraim. 1 Chronicles 6:54-60 Now theseare their dwelling places throughout their castles in their coasts, of the sons of Aaron, of the families of the Kohathites: for theirs was the lot… Numbers 35:8 And the cities which ye shall giveshall be of the possession of the children of Israel: fromthem that have many ye shall give many; but fromthem that have few ye shall give few: every one shall give of his cities unto the Levites according to his inheritance which he inheriteth. Jump to Previous AaronAllottedBenjaminChildrenCitiesClanDescendantsHeritageJudahKohathiteKohathitesKo'hathitesLotPriestReceivedSimeonSimeonitesThirteenTownsTribeTribesJump to Next AaronAllottedBenjaminChildrenCitiesClanDescendantsHeritageJudahKohathiteKohathitesKo'hathitesLotPriestReceivedSimeonSimeonitesThirteenTownsTribeTribesJoshua 21 1.Forty-eight cities given by lot, out of the other tribes unto the Levites.43.God gives the land, and rest unto the Israelites, according to his promiseThe first lot came out for the Kohathite clans.The Kohathites were one of the three main divisions of the Levites, descended from Kohath, the second son of Levi. The Levites were set apart for religious duties and did not receive a territorial inheritance like the other tribes. Instead, they were given cities within the territories of other tribes. The casting of lots was a common biblical method for making decisions, believed to reflect God's will ( Proverbs 16:33). The Kohathites had a special role in the tabernacle service, responsible for the most sacred objects ( Numbers 4:4-15). The Levites who were descendants of Aaron the priest received thirteen cities by lot from the tribes of Judah, Simeon, and Benjamin.
Aaron's descendants, the priests, were a subset of the Kohathites. They were given a distinct honor and responsibility in Israel's religious life, serving as mediators between God and the people. The allocation of cities to the Aaronic priests from the tribes of Judah, Simeon, and Benjamin highlights the centrality of worship and the priesthood in Israel's life. Judah's prominence is significant, as it is the tribe from which King David and ultimately Jesus Christ, the High Priest in the order of Melchizedek (Hebrews 7:17), would come. The number thirteen may symbolize completeness or the full provision for the priestly duties. The cities provided a base for the priests to carry out their duties and ensure the spiritual welfare of the nation. Persons / Places / Events 1. KohathitesA division of the Levites, descendants of Kohath, one of Levi's sons. They were responsible for the care of the sanctuary's most sacred objects. 2. LevitesThe tribe set apart for religious duties and service to the Tabernacle and later the Temple. They did not receive a territorial inheritance like the other tribes but were given cities to dwell in. 3. AaronThe brother of Moses and the first high priest of Israel. His descendants, the Aaronic priests, had specific roles in the religious life of Israel. 4. Tribes of Judah, Simeon, and BenjaminThese tribes provided cities for the Kohathite Levites. Judah and Benjamin were prominent tribes, with Judah being the tribe of King David and Jesus, and Benjamin being the tribe of the Apostle Paul. 5. Cities of RefugeAmong the cities given to the Levites were cities of refuge, which provided asylum for those who accidentally committed manslaughter. Teaching Points God's Provision and OrderGod provided for the Levites through the allocation of cities, demonstrating His care and order in the community of Israel. This reminds us of God's provision in our lives and the importance of community support. Role of the PriesthoodThe Levites, especially the descendants of Aaron, had a unique role in leading worship and maintaining the spiritual health of Israel. This calls us to recognize and support spiritual leaders in our communities today. Inheritance Beyond LandThe Levites' inheritance was not land but the Lord Himself ( Numbers 18:20). This teaches us to value spiritual inheritance over material possessions. Interdependence Among TribesThe allocation of cities required cooperation among the tribes, illustrating the importance of unity and interdependence within the body of Christ. Lists and Questions Top 10 Lessons from Joshua 21
Who were the elders in the Old Testament?
In Joshua 14:3-4, how does the Levites' lack of a territorial inheritance align with other biblical passages that mention Levitical cities and lands?
In Judges 17:7-13, how credible is the Levite's priestly status, given the requirements found elsewhere in the Old Testament regarding priestly lineage?
Why does a just and loving God kill people merely for looking into the Ark in 1 Samuel 6:19?(4-8) The order of the distribution--viz., (1) to priests, (2) to Kohathites, (3) to Gershonites, (4) to Merarites--is in strict agreement with the order of priority observed in the exodus. In the camp of Israel there were two squares surrounding the tabernacle: an inner square of priests and Levites, an outer square of the tribes of Israel, three on each side. The inner square was arranged thus:--The priests, with Moses and Aaron, on the east, by the entrance of the tabernacle; the Kohathites on the south, the Gershonites on the west, and the Merarites on the north. On the march the priests were the chief officers of this portion of the army. The Kohathites carried the sacred vessels, the Gershonites the curtains and various fabrics of the tent and tabernacle, and the Merarites the bars and boards. When they received their inheritances in Palestine, the same relative order was preserved. INHERITANCE OF THE PRIESTS(Joshua 21:9-19). (9)Out of the tribe of . . . Judah . . . and Simeon; and (17) out of the tribe of Benjamin.--It is worthy of notice that, with the exception of a single city in the tribe of Simeon (viz., Ain,Joshua 21:16),all the priestly cities are so arranged as to fall ultimately within the kingdom of Judah,of which the capital was Jerusalem, the city which the Lord had chosen out of all the tribes of Israel to put His name there. The Levites also left their cities and their suburbs in the reign of Jeroboam (2Chronicles 11:14), and came overtoJudah. But the fact that all the priests, with the trifling exception noted above, were already settled in that kingdom, must have been a great attraction. When these facts are observed, it is hardly possible not to be struck with the undesigned agreement between the Book of Joshua and the later history, as well as with the Divine foresight which arranged the distribution of the people thus. (13)Hebron (El Khalil). (14)Jattir (Attir). . . . Verse 4. - And the lot came out. As in the distribution of the land among the tribes, so in the division of the cities among the tribes of Levi, the whole matter was referred to the judgment of God. Thus solemnly placed in His hands, the division would not afterwards become the occasion of jealousy or dispute. The division was first made between the descendants of the three sons of Levi, Gershon, Kohath, and Merari (see Exodus 6:16-25), and then, as regards the Kohathites, between the priests, the descendants of Aaron, and the rest of the Levites. We have remarked above ( Joshua 19:50) on the disinterestedness of Joshua. We have now to remark on the same characteristic as displayed by Moses. There was no attempt on the part of Moses to "found a family," the object of ambition with most men, whether kings or private persons possessed of wealth. No special privileges belonged to his descendants. They merged in the undistinguished herd of the Levites generally. In this Moses contrasts favourably with most public men in our own day; he stands out prominently before nearly all the great leaders and conquerors before or even after the Christian era. The same may be said of Joshua, his successor. Cincinnatus may be in some measure compared with them, but as a dictator simply in time of danger, his power was by no means so absolute, nor were his temptations so great as those of the two successive leaders of the Israelites. Thirteen cities. It has been contended by Maurer and others that this number of cities was largely in excess of what could possibly be required for the descendants of Aaron in so short a time. But we have to consider (1) that the cities were probably not, at least at first, inhabited exclusively by the priests; (2) that the Israelites multiplied rapidly, and that the number of descendants in the fourth generation would probably be nearly a thousand, and in the fifth, above five thousand; (3) that all the cities were not, as yet, actually taken from the Canaanites at all, and so therefore were in all probability only intended as an eventual possession of the priests, and . . .
Parallel Commentaries ...
Hebrew The [first] lotהַגּוֹרָ֖ל(hag·gō·w·rāl)Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 1486:Lot -- a lot (for casting)came outוַיֵּצֵ֥א(way·yê·ṣê)Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 3318:To go, bring, out, direct and proximfor the Kohathiteהַקְּהָתִ֑י(haq·qə·hā·ṯî)Article | Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 6956:Kohathites -- descendant of Kohathclans.לְמִשְׁפְּחֹ֣ת(lə·miš·pə·ḥōṯ)Preposition-l | Noun - feminine plural construct
Strong's 4940:A family, circle of relatives, a class, a species, sort, a tribe, peopleThe Levitesהַלְוִיִּ֗ם(hal·wî·yim)Article | Noun - proper - masculine plural
Strong's 3881:Levites -- descendant of Leviwho were descendantsלִבְנֵי֩(liḇ·nê)Preposition-l | Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 1121:A sonof Aaronאַהֲרֹ֨ן(’a·hă·rōn)Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 175:Aaron -- an elder brother of Mosesthe priestהַכֹּהֵ֜ן(hak·kō·hên)Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 3548:Priestreceivedוַיְהִ֡י(way·hî)Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 1961:To fall out, come to pass, become, bethirteenשְׁלֹ֥שׁ(šə·lōš)Number - feminine singular construct
Strong's 7969:Three, third, thricecitiesעָרִ֖ים(‘ā·rîm)Noun - feminine plural
Strong's 5892:Excitementby lotבַּגּוֹרָ֔ל(bag·gō·w·rāl)Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 1486:Lot -- a lot (for casting)fromמִן־(min-)Preposition
Strong's 4480:A part of, from, out ofthe tribesמִמַּטֵּ֣ה(mim·maṭ·ṭêh)Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 4294:A staff, rod, shaft, branch, a tribeof Judah,יְ֠הוּדָה(yə·hū·ḏāh)Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3063:Judah -- 'praised', a son of Jacob, also the southern kingdom, also four IsraelitesSimeon,הַשִּׁמְעֹנִ֜י(haš·šim·‘ō·nî)Article | Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 8099:Simeonites -- a Shimoniteand Benjamin.בִנְיָמִן֙(ḇin·yā·min)Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 1144:Benjamin -- 'son of the right hand', youngest son of Jacob, also the name of two other Israelites
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OT History: Joshua 21:4 The lot came out for the families (Josh. Jos) |
