D O¹ 20:1-9. Cities of refuge. O² 21:1-42. Cities of the Levites.
O¹ m 1,2. Command. n 3-6. Intention. m 7-9-. Obeience. n -9. Intention.
20)
1: The Lord (Yehovah) also spoke to Joshua (see 1:1), saying,
2: “Speak to the sons of Israel, saying, ‘Appoint out for you cities of refuge, whereof I spoke to you by the hand of Moses:
3: That the slayer that smites any soul (Lit. a killer, smitting a soul) unawares and unknowingly (note this is NOT murder) may flee to that place: and they shall be your refuge from the avenger of blood.
4: And when he that does flee to one of those cities shall stand at the entering of the gate of the city, and shall declare his cause in the ears of the elders of that city, they shall take him into the city to them, and give him a place, that he may dwell among them.
5: And if the avenger of blood pursue after him, then they shall not deliver the slayer up into his hand; because he smote his neighbour unwittingly, and hated him not beforetime.
6: And he shall dwell in that city, until he stand before the congregation for judgment (the cities of refuge, bore the sin of the manslayer. What the high priest was to the Levites, the Levites were to the nation. On the Day of Atonement, therefore, all the sins of the nation came into his hand. On his death he was freed from the Law [Rom.6:7; 7:1-4], and those whom he represented were freed also. Cp. Rom.5:9-11. Heb.7:23-25 for the contrast), and until the death of the high priest that shall be in those days: then shall the slayer return, and come to his own city, and to his own house, to the city from which place he fled.’ ”
7: And they seperated (and thus sanctified) Kedesh (= a sanctuary, holy) in Galilee (= circuit) in mount Naphtali (= wrestling, fallen), and Shechem (= back or shoulder) in mount Ephraim (= double fruitfulness), and Kirjath-arba (= the city of four), which is Hebron (= alliance), in the mountain of Judah (= exalted, praised).
8: And on the other side Jordan (= the descender) by Jericho (= place of fragrance) eastward, they assigned Bezer (= gold ore) in the wilderness upon the plain out of the tribe of Reuben (= behold a son), and Ramoth (= a hill) in Gilead (= rocky region) out of the tribe of Gad (= a troop), and Golan (= circle) in Bashan (= fruitful) out of the tribe of Manasseh (= forgetful).
9: These were the cities appointed for all the sons of Israel, and for the stranger that sojourns among them,
that whosoever smites a soul unawares might flee to that place, and not die by the hand of the avenger of blood, until he stood before the congregation.
O² P 1,2. Levites. Application made. Q 3. Cities granted. Collectively. Q 4-40. Cities granted. Severally. P 41,42. Levites. Application granted.
21)
1: Then came near the heads of the fathers of the Levites to Eleazar the priest (see 14:1), and to Joshua the son of Nun, and to the heads of the fathers of the tribes of the sos of Israel;
2: And they spoke to them at Shiloh (see 18:1) in the land of Canaan, saying, “Yehovah commanded (cp. Num.35:1-4. Lev.25:33) by the hand (Fig., put for what is effected by it) of Moses to give us cities to dwell in, with the suburbs (= common lands, or pasture lands; and so throughout the chapter, 57 times) thereof for our cattle.”
3: And the sons of Israel gave to the Levites out of their inheritance, at the commandment of the Lord (Yehovah), these cities and their suburbs.
Q o p 4,5. Kohath. Severally. q 6. Gershon. " r 7,8. Merari. " o p 9-26. Kohath. In detail, and sum. q 27-33. Gershon. " r 34-40. Merari. "
4: And the lot came out (i.e. out of the bag containing the Urim and Thummim. See Ex.28:30. Num.26:55) for the families of the Kohathites: and the sons 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 (= rebellion) cities.
5: And the rest of the children of Kohath had by lot out of the families of the tribe of Ephraim, and out of the tribe of Dan, and out of the half tribe of Manasseh, ten (= testimony-Law and resposibility) cities.
6: And the children of Gershon had by lot out of the families of the tribe of Issachar, and out of the tribe of Asher, and out of the tribe of Naphtali, and out of the half tribe of Manasseh in Bashan, thirteen cities.
7: The children of Merari by their families had out of the tribe of Reuben, and out of the tribe of Gad, and out of the tribe of Zebulun, twelve (= governmental perfection) cities.
8: And the sons of Israel gave by lot to the Levites these cities with their pasture lands, according as Yehovah commanded by the hand of Moses.
9: And they gave out of the tribe of the sons of Judah, and out of the tribe of the sons of Simeon, these cities which are here mentioned by name,
10: Which the sons of Aaron, being of the families of the Kohathites, who were of the sons of Levi, had: for theirs was the first lot.
11: And they gave them the city of Arba (cp. 14:12-15. 1 Chron.6:55) the father of Anak, which city is Hebron, in the hill country of Judah, with the pasture lands thereof round about it.
12: But the fields of the city, and the villages thereof, gave they to Caleb (cp. 14:14. 1 Chron.6:56) the son of Jephunneh for his possession.
13: Thus they gave to the children of Aaron the priest Hebron with her pasture lands, to be a city of refuge for the slayer; and Libnah with her pasture lands,
14: And Jattir with her pasture lands, and Eshtemoa with her pasture lands,
15: And Holon (See 1 Chron.6:58 = Hilon) with her pasture lands, and Debir with her pasture lands,
16: And Ain with her pasture lands, and Juttah with her pasture lands, and Beth-shemesh with her pasture lands; nine (= fruit of the Spirit, Divine completeness from Yehovah, finality of judgement) cities out of those two tribes.
17: And out of the tribe of Benjamin, Gibeon with her pasture lands, Geba with her pasture lands,
18: Anathoth with her pasture lands, and Almon with her pasture lands; four cities.
19: All the cities of the children of Aaron, the priests, were thirteen cities with their pasture lands.
20: And the families of the sons of Kohath, the Levites which remained of the sons of Kohath, even they had the cities of their lot out of the tribe of Ephraim.
21: For they gave them Shechem with her pasture lands in mount Ephraim, to be a city of refuge for the slayer; and Gezer with her pasture lands,
22: And Kibzaim with her pasture lands, and Beth-horon with her pasture lands; four cities.
23: And out of the tribe of Dan, Eltekeh with her pasture lands, Gibbethon with her pasture lands,
24: Aijalon with her pasture lands, Gath-rimmon with her pasture lands; four cities.
25: And out of the half tribe of Manasseh, Tanach with her pasture lands, and Gath-rimmon with her pasture lands; two cities.
26: All the cities were ten with their pasture lands for the families of the children of Kohath that remained.
27: And to the sons of Gershon, of the families of the Levites, out of the other half tribe of Manasseh they gave Golan in Bashan with her pasture lands, to be a city of refuge for the slayer; and Beesh-terah with her pasture lands; two cities.
28: And out of the tribe of Issachar, Kishon with her pasture lands, Dabareh with her pasture lands,
29: Jarmuth with her pasture lands, En-gannim with her pasture lands; four cities.
30: And out of the tribe of Asher, Mishal with her pasture lands, Abdon with her pasture lands,
31: Helkath with her pasture lands, and Rehob with her pasture lands; four cities.
32: And out of the tribe of Naphtali, Kedesh in Galilee with her pasture lands, to be a city of refuge for the slayer; and Hammoth-dor with her pasture lands, and Kartan with her pasture lands; three cities.
33: All the cities of the Gershonites according to their families were thirteen cities with their pasture lands.
34: And to the families of the sons of Merari, the rest of the Levites, out of the tribe of Zebulun, Jokneam with her pasture lands, and Kartah with her pasture lands,
35: Dimnah with her pasture lands, Nahalal with her pasture lands; four cities.
36: And out of the tribe of Reuben (see v.38), Bezer () with her pasture lands, and Jahazah with her pasture lands,
37: Kedemoth with her pasture lands, and Mephaath with her pasture lands; four cities.
38: (By an Homœoteleuton [Fig.], some scribe, writing as far as "four cities" at the end of v.35, went back with his eye to the same words at the end of v.27, and so omitted, by an accident, the two verses 36 and 37, and continued at 38, which commences with the same words wich end v.35. Hence they are not contained in the current text of the Hebrew Bible. The A.V. puts these verses in, however, without a note; the R.V. also, but with a note. The two verses are contained in all the early printed Hebrew Bibles, the Sept.and Vulg., and very many codices. They were first omitted by Jacob ben Chayim [1524,1525], and the curent Hebrew printed texts have followed him) And out of the tribe of Gad, Ramoth in Gilead with her pasture lands, to be a city of refuge for the slayer; and Mahanaim with her pasture lands,
39: Heshbon with her pasture lands, Jazer with her pasture lands; four cities in all.
40: So all the cities for the sons of Merari by their families, which were remaining of the families of the Levites, were by their lot twelve cities.
41: All the cities of the Levites within the possession of the sons of Israel were forty and eight cities with their suburbs.
42: These cities were every one with their suburbs round about them: thus were all these cities.
43: And Yehovah gave to Israel all the land which he swore to give to their fathers; and they possessed it, and dwelt therein.
44: And Yehovah gave them rest round about, according to all that he swore to their fathers: and there stood not a man of all their enemies before them; Yehovah delivered all their enemies into their hand.
45: There failed not any of any good thing which Yehovah had spoken to the house of Israel; all came to pass.
B A1 1-9. West of Jordan. A² 10-34. East of Jordan.
A¹ B a 1. Two and half tribes. Called. b 2-6. Their charge. B a 7-. The half tribe. Alloted. b -7-9. Their dismission and return.
22)
1: Then Joshua called the Reubenites, and the Gadites, and the half tribe of Manasseh,
2: And said to them, “You all have kept all that Moses the servant of the Lord (Yehovah) commanded you, and have obeyed my voice in all that I commanded you:
3: You all have not left your brethren these many days unto this day, but have kept the charge of the commandment of the Lord (Yehovah) your God (Elohim).
4: And now the Lord (Yehovah) your God (Elohim) has given rest to your brethren, as he promised them (some codices read, "to you"): therefore now return you all, and get you to your tents, and to the land of your possession, which Moses the servant of the Lord (Yehovah) gave you on the other side Jordan.
5: But take diligent heed to do the commandment and the law, which Moses the servant of the Lord (Yehovah) charged you, to love the Lord (Yehovah) your God (Elohim), and (note the many "ands" in this verse) to walk in all His ways, and to keep His commandments, and to cleave to Him, and to serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul.”
6: So Joshua blessed them, and sent them away: and they went to their tents.
7: Now to the one half of the tribe of Manasseh Moses had given possession in Bashan: but to the other half thereof gave Joshua among their brethren on this side Jordan westward.
And when Joshua sent them away also to their tents, then he blessed them,
8: And he spoke to them, saying, “Return with much riches to your tents, and with very much cattle, with silver, and with gold, and with brass, and with iron, and with very much clothing: share the spoil of your enemies with your brethren.”
1443 B.C.
9: And the sons of Reuben and the sons of Gad and the half tribe of Manasseh returned, and departed from the sons of Israel out of Shiloh (see 18:1), which is in the land of Canaan, to go to the country of Gilead, to the land of their possession, whereof they were possessed, according to the word (Heb. "mouth", put for what was spoken by it) of Yehovah by the hand of Moses.
A² c 10. The altar erected. d 11,12. Offence. War proposed. e 13,14. Mission of Phinehas. f 15-20. Expostulation. f 21-29. Explanation. e 30-32. Approbation of Phinehas. d 33. Offence removed. c 34. The altar named.
10: And when they came to the windings (or bendings) of Jordan, that are in the land of Canaan, the sons of Reuben and the sons of Gad and the half tribe of Manasseh built there an altar by Jordan, a great altar to look at (i.e. in appearance).
11: And the sons of Israel heard say, “Behold, the sons of Reuben and the sons of Gad and the half tribe of Manasseh have built an altar in front of the land of Canaan (i.e. on the east side of Jordan), in the borders of Jordan, beyond (or opposite) the sons of Israel.”
12: And when the sons of Israel heard of it, the whole congregation of the sons of Israel gathered themselves together at Shiloh, to go up to war against them.
1442 B.C.
13: And the sons of Israel sent to the sons of Reuben, and to the sons of Gad, and to the half tribe of Manasseh, into the land of Gilead, Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest,
14: And with him ten princes, of each chief house a prince throughout all the tribes of Israel; and each one was an head of the house of their fathers among the thousands of Israel.
f g 15,16. Trespass pointed out. h 17. Example of Peor adduced. g 18,19. Rebellion pointed out. h 20. Example of Achan adduced.
15: And they came to the sons of Reuben, and to the sons of Gad, and to the half tribe of Manasseh, to the land of Gilead, and they spoke with them, saying,
16: “Thus saith the whole congregation of the Lord (Yehovah), ‘What trespass is this that you all have committed against the God (Elohim) of Israel, to turn away this day from following the Lord (Yehovah), in that youall have built you an altar, that you all might rebel this day against the Lord (Yehovah)?
17: Is the perverseness of Peor too little for us (cp. Num.25:3,4), from which we are not cleansed until this day, although there was a plague in the congregation of the Lord (Yehovah),
18: But that you all must turn away this day from following the Lord (Yehovah)? and it will be, seeing you all rebel to day against the Lord (Yehovah), that tomorrow He will be wroth with the whole congregation of Israel.
19: Notwithstanding, if the land of your possession be unclean, then pass you all over to the land of the possession of the Lord (Yehovah), wherein the Lord's (Yehovah's) tabernacle (Habitation. Heb. mishkån) dwells, and take possession among us: but rebel not against the Lord (Yehovah), nor rebel against us, in building you an altar beside the altar of the Lord (Yehovah) our God (Elohim).
20: Did not Achan the son of Zerah commit a perverseness in the accursed thing, and wrath fell on all the congregation of Israel? and that man perished not alone in his iniquity.’ ”
f i l 21,22. Rebellion disclaimed. m 23. Offerings disclaimed. k 24-27. Real purpose: a witness. k 28. Real purpose: a pattern. i l 29-. Rebellion dsclaimed. m -29. Offerings disclaimed.
21: Then the sons of Reuben and the sons of Gad and the half tribe of Manasseh answered, and said to the heads of the thousands of Israel,
22: “The Lord of GODS (El Elohim Yehovah), The Lord of GODS (El Elohim Yehovah), He knows, and Israel He shall know; if it be in rebellion, or if in transgression against the Lord (Yehovah), {save us not this day,}
23: That we have built us an altar to turn from following the Lord (Yehovah), or if to offer up thereon burnt offering or meat offering, or if to make ready peace offerings thereon, let the Lord (Yehovah) Himself require it;
24: And if we have not rather done it for fear of this thing, saying, ‘In time to come your sons might speak to our sons, saying, “What have you all to do with the Lord God (Yehovah Elohim) of Israel?” ’
25: For the Lord (Yehovah) has made Jordan a border between us and you, all you sons of Reuben and sons of Gad; you all have no part in the Lord (Yehovah): so shall your sons make our sons cease from reverencing (or loving) Yehovah.
26: Therefore we said, ‘Let us now prepare to build us an altar,’ not for burnt offering, nor for sacrifice:
27: But that it may be a witness between us (cp. Gen.31:48, and see v.34, and 24:27), and you, and our generations after us, that we might do the service of the Lord (Yehovah) before Him with our burnt offerings, and with our sacrifices, and with our peace offerings; that your sons may not say to our sons in time to come, ‘You all have no part in the Lord (Yehovah).’
28: Therefore said we, that it shall be, when they should so say to us or to our generations in time to come, that we may say again, ‘Behold you all the constructon of the altar of the Lord (Yehovah), which our fathers made, not for burnt offerings, nor for sacrifices; but it is a witness between us and between you.’
29: Far be it from us that we should rebel against the Lord (Yehovah), and turn this day from following the Lord (Yehovah),
to build an altar for burnt offerings, for meat offerings, or for sacrifices, beside the altar of the Lord (Yehovah) our God (Elohim) that is before His Tabernacle” (or Habitation).
30: And when Phinehas the priest, and the princes of the congregation and heads of the thousands of Israel which were with him, heard the words that the sons of Reuben and the sons of Gad and the sons of Manasseh spoke, it pleased them (Heb. "was good in their eyes").
31: And Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest said to the sons of Reuben, and to the sons of Gad, and to the sons of Manasseh, “This day we perceive that the Lord (Yehovah) is among us, because you all have not committed this perverseness against the Lord (Yehovah): now you all have delivered the sons of Israel out of the hand of the Lord (Yehovah).”
32: And Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest, and the princes, returned from the sons of Reuben, and from the sons of Gad, out of the land of Gilead, to the land of Canaan, to the sons of Israel, and brought them word again.
33: And the thing pleased the sons of Israel; and the sons of Israel blessed God (Elohim), and did not intend to go up against them in battle, to destroy the land wherein the sons of Reuben and Gad dwelt.
34: And the sons of Reuben and the sons of Gad called the altar Ed (Heb. ‘ed = "a witness". This, and the verb "shall be", not in the recieved Herew text. [Some codices have it]. Lit. "called the altar. A witness it is, &c"): for it shall be a witness between us that the Lord (Yehovah) is God (The Elohim) (hã-’ Elohim).