And some of the clans of the Kohathites were given cities from the tribe of Ephraim for their territory: They were given Shechem (a city of refuge) with its pasturelands in the hill country of Ephraim, and Gezer, Jokmeam, Beth-horon, Aijalon, and Gath-rimmon, together with their pasturelands. And from the half-tribe of Manasseh the remaining clans of the Kohathites were given Aner and Bileam, together with their pasturelands. The Gershomites received the following: From the clan of the half-tribe of Manasseh they were given Golan in Bashan and also Ashtaroth, together with their pasturelands. From the tribe of Issachar they were given Kedesh, Daberath, Ramoth, and Anem, together with their pasturelands. From the tribe of Asher they were given Mashal, Abdon, Hukok, and Rehob, together with their pasturelands. And from the tribe of Naphtali they were given Kedesh in Galilee, Hammon, and Kiriathaim, together with their pasturelands. The Merarites (the rest of the Levites) received the following: From the tribe of Zebulun they were given Rimmono and Tabor, together with their pasturelands. From the tribe of Reuben east of the Jordan opposite Jericho they were given Bezer in the wilderness, Jahzah, Kedemoth, and Mephaath, together with their pasturelands. And from the tribe of Gad they were given Ramoth in Gilead, Mahanaim, Heshbon, and Jazer, together with their pasturelands.
The remaining Kohathite clans of the Levites were allotted these cities: From the tribe of Ephraim they were given Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim (a city of refuge for the manslayer), Gezer, Kibzaim, and Beth-horon—four cities, together with their pasturelands. From the tribe of Dan they were given Elteke, Gibbethon, Aijalon, and Gath-rimmon—four cities, together with their pasturelands. And from the half-tribe of Manasseh they were given Taanach and Gath-rimmon—two cities, together with their pasturelands. In all, ten cities, together with their pasturelands, were given to the rest of the Kohathite clans. This is what the Levite clans of the Gershonites were given: From the half-tribe of Manasseh they were given Golan in Bashan, a city of refuge for the manslayer, and Beeshterah—two cities, together with their pasturelands. From the tribe of Issachar they were given Kishion, Daberath, Jarmuth, and En-gannim—four cities, together with their pasturelands. From the tribe of Asher they were given Mishal, Abdon, Helkath, and Rehob—four cities, together with their pasturelands. And from the tribe of Naphtali they were given Kedesh in Galilee (a city of refuge for the manslayer), Hammoth-dor, and Kartan—three cities, together with their pasturelands. In all, thirteen cities, together with their pasturelands, were given to the Gershonite clans. This is what the Merarite clan (the rest of the Levites) were given: From the tribe of Zebulun they were given Jokneam, Kartah, Dimnah, and Nahalal—four cities, together with their pasturelands. From the tribe of Reuben they were given Bezer, Jahaz, Kedemoth, and Mephaath—four cities, together with their pasturelands. And from the tribe of Gad they were given Ramoth in Gilead, a city of refuge for the manslayer, Mahanaim, Heshbon, and Jazer—four cities in all, together with their pasturelands.
Significance
Joshua 21:20-39 catalogs the complete allotment of Levitical cities to the remaining Kohathites, the Gershonites, and the Merarites, totaling forty-eight cities with their pasturelands (מִגְרָשִׁים, migrashim) distributed across all tribes. First Chronicles 6:66-81 reproduces this list with some variations in city names and order, but the structural framework is identical. The Chronicler's inclusion of this comprehensive geographic record serves his post-exilic agenda of demonstrating that the Levitical dispersion throughout the land was divinely ordained from the conquest era, legitimating the continued role of Levites as distributed teachers and worship leaders across Israel's territory.
Found via
Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Reference Type
Direct Quotation
Connection Method(s)
Redemptive-Historical Progression (recapitulation) — the full geography of the Levites (Josh 21:20-39) is re-registered in 1 Chr 6:66-81: the landless priestly tribe planted with its pasturelands (מִגְרָשִׁים) in every territory; the pair spans the whole Levitical-cities institution, preserved from Numbers 35 to the Chronicler's legitimation of dispersed worship-teachers — repetition, not forward development (its bearing on Christ is analogical, carried by the fulfilled Exodus 19:6 promise).
