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Joshua 21

Joshua book home•Chapter 21 of 24•45 verses

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Joshua 21 Overview

The heads of the Levite families request the cities the LORD commanded through Moses, and Israel assigns forty-eight cities with surrounding pasturelands among the tribal inheritances. The chapter closes with a sweeping summary: the LORD gave Israel the land he swore to the fathers, gave them rest round about, and not one good thing failed of all that he had promised.

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Before you read Joshua 21

Coming from

Chapter 20 implemented the cities of refuge within the newly divided land.

In this chapter

The final land-allocation requirement is completed as the Levites receive cities throughout Israel, and the narrator pauses to declare God’s covenant faithfulness.

Leads into

Chapter 22 releases the eastern tribes from military duty and then narrates a near civil war over an altar built beside Jordan.

Key understandingExplore deeper

Levi’s lack of a normal tribal territory does not mean Levites are landless wanderers without homes. Their forty-eight cities, including the six refuge cities, place priestly/Levitical presence throughout Israel. Verses 43–45 summarize the promise from God’s side: he has given the land and rest exactly as promised. Later chapters and Judges show incomplete local obedience, so the statement should not be read as if every enemy had vanished permanently; it emphasizes the reliability of God’s grant and victory.

Major truths in this chapterExplore deeper

Truth 1

God’s promise to the fathers reaches a major historical fulfillment in Israel’s possession and rest.

Truth 2

Levitical ministry is geographically woven through the tribes rather than confined to one territorial block.

Truth 3

Not one of God’s good promises fails; unfinished human obedience does not make God unfaithful.

Truth 4

Rest from major enemies is real even though Israel still must remain faithful and finish local possession.

Connections to the rest of ScriptureExplore deeper

Connection 1

Numbers 35 commanded forty-eight Levitical cities and included the cities of refuge among them.

Connection 2

Hebrews 4:8 explains that the rest associated with Joshua did not exhaust the later promise of God’s rest; in the KJV, 'Jesus' there refers to Joshua.

Connection 3

1 Kings 8:56 later echoes the same theology: not one word failed of all the LORD’s good promise to Israel.

What is clear, and where care is neededExplore deeper

Keep this clear 1

Do not pit Joshua 21:43–45 against passages saying some Canaanites remain. Grant, decisive victory, rest, and complete local dispossession are related but distinct claims.

Keep this clear 2

The chapter’s land fulfillment concerns God’s covenant promise to Israel; it should not be casually replaced with a spiritualized claim that the church is now conquering Canaan.

Keep this clear 3

The KJV name 'Jesus' in Hebrews 4:8 must be explained from context as Joshua, not Jesus Christ.

Read Joshua 21 watching for…

How the Levites receive cities from every tribal region.

The relationship between refuge cities and Levitical cities.

The total number of Levitical cities.

The three-part summary: land, rest, fulfilled promise.

The statement that not one good thing failed.

Chapter outline3 sections

1-8The Levites ask for the cities promised to them 9-42The Levitical cities and their suburbs are assigned by lot 43-45The LORD gives Israel the land, rest, and every good promise

Then came near the heads of the fathers of the Levites unto Eleazar the priest, and unto Joshua the son of Nun, and unto the heads of the fathers of the tribes of the children of Israel;

And they spake unto them at Shiloh in the land of Canaan, saying, The LORD commanded by the hand of Moses to give us cities to dwell in, with the suburbs thereof for our cattle.

And the children of Israel gave unto the Levites out of their inheritance, at the commandment of the LORD, these cities and their suburbs.

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.

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 cities.

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.

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 cities.

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.

And they gave out of the tribe of the children of Judah, and out of the tribe of the children of Simeon, these cities which are here mentioned by name,

Which the children of Aaron, being of the families of the Kohathites, who were of the children of Levi, had: for theirs was the first lot.

And they gave them the city of Arba the father of Anak, which city is Hebron, in the hill country of Judah, with the suburbs thereof round about it.

But the fields of the city, and the villages thereof, gave they to Caleb the son of Jephunneh for his possession.

Thus they gave to the children of Aaron the priest Hebron with her suburbs, to be a city of refuge for the slayer; and Libnah with her suburbs,

And Jattir with her suburbs, and Eshtemoa with her suburbs,

And Holon with her suburbs, and Debir with her suburbs,

And Ain with her suburbs, and Juttah with her suburbs, and Bethshemesh with her suburbs; nine cities out of those two tribes.

And out of the tribe of Benjamin, Gibeon with her suburbs, Geba with her suburbs,

Anathoth with her suburbs, and Almon with her suburbs; four cities.

All the cities of the children of Aaron, the priests, were thirteen cities with their suburbs.

And the families of the children of Kohath, the Levites which remained of the children of Kohath, even they had the cities of their lot out of the tribe of Ephraim.

For they gave them Shechem with her suburbs in mount Ephraim, to be a city of refuge for the slayer; and Gezer with her suburbs,

And Kibzaim with her suburbs, and Bethhoron with her suburbs; four cities.

And out of the tribe of Dan, Eltekeh with her suburbs, Gibbethon with her suburbs,

Aijalon with her suburbs, Gathrimmon with her suburbs; four cities.

And out of the half tribe of Manasseh, Tanach with her suburbs, and Gathrimmon with her suburbs; two cities.

All the cities were ten with their suburbs for the families of the children of Kohath that remained.

And unto the children of Gershon, of the families of the Levites, out of the other half tribe of Manasseh they gave Golan in Bashan with her suburbs, to be a city of refuge for the slayer; and Beeshterah with her suburbs; two cities.

And out of the tribe of Issachar, Kishon with her suburbs, Dabareh with her suburbs,

Jarmuth with her suburbs, Engannim with her suburbs; four cities.

And out of the tribe of Asher, Mishal with her suburbs, Abdon with her suburbs,

Helkath with her suburbs, and Rehob with her suburbs; four cities.

And out of the tribe of Naphtali, Kedesh in Galilee with her suburbs, to be a city of refuge for the slayer; and Hammothdor with her suburbs, and Kartan with her suburbs; three cities.

All the cities of the Gershonites according to their families were thirteen cities with their suburbs.

And unto the families of the children of Merari, the rest of the Levites, out of the tribe of Zebulun, Jokneam with her suburbs, and Kartah with her suburbs,

Dimnah with her suburbs, Nahalal with her suburbs; four cities.

And out of the tribe of Reuben, Bezer with her suburbs, and Jahazah with her suburbs,

Kedemoth with her suburbs, and Mephaath with her suburbs; four cities.

And out of the tribe of Gad, Ramoth in Gilead with her suburbs, to be a city of refuge for the slayer; and Mahanaim with her suburbs,

Heshbon with her suburbs, Jazer with her suburbs; four cities in all.

So all the cities for the children of Merari by their families, which were remaining of the families of the Levites, were by their lot twelve cities.

All the cities of the Levites within the possession of the children of Israel were forty and eight cities with their suburbs.

These cities were every one with their suburbs round about them: thus were all these cities.

And the LORD gave unto Israel all the land which he sware to give unto their fathers; and they possessed it, and dwelt therein.

And the LORD gave them rest round about, according to all that he sware unto their fathers: and there stood not a man of all their enemies before them; the LORD delivered all their enemies into their hand.

There failed not ought of any good thing which the LORD had spoken unto the house of Israel; all came to pass.

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Joshua 21:3

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