Annotations Upon the Historical Books Part 2, Joshua · Chapter 21
CHAP. XXI.
Verſ. 1. THen came near the heads of the fathers of the Levites unto Eleazar the prieſt, &c.] It was doubtles immediately after they had made an end of dividing the land, that the Levites came thus to Eleazer and the reſt of the Commiſſioners to receive from them the cities which God had appointed to be ſet apart for their dwelling. For firſt, it is not probable that there was any delay which might move the Levites to challenge their right: and ſecondly, it is as improbable that the Iſraelites did firſt ſettle themſelves in theſe cities, and then were afterwards put out to give way to the Levites.
Verſ. 2. The Lord commanded by the hand of Moſes, to give us cities to dwell in, &c.] See the notes upon Numb. 35.2. &c.
Verſ. 4. And the lot came out for the familie of the Kohathites.] God had expreſſed the number of cities that were to be given them, to wit, fourty eight, Numb. 35.7. So all the cities which ye ſhall give to the Levites ſhall be fourty and eight cities; he had alſo given them directions to take theſe cities out of each tribe ſome, according as their proportion was greater or leſſer: and therefore the Commiſſioners for the dividing of the land made choice no doubt of theſe cities, as in their wiſdome they found them moſt convenient for the Levites, and for the people; and then having divided the cities, they had choſen, into foure parts, one for the prieſts, a ſecond for the Levites of Kohaths familie, a third for the Gerſhonites, and a fourth for the Merarites, then was it at laſt decided, in which of the tribes the prieſts ſhould be placed, and ſo of the reſt; or at leaſt of thoſe cities which were judged convenient they took the number agreed upon by lot. See verſ. 11.
And the children of Aaron the prieſt, which were of the Levites, had by lot out of the tribe of Judah, &c.] Thus by Gods ſpeciall providence the prieſts were ſeated partly in the tribe of Judah, where the Temple was afterwards to be built, and partly in the two bordering tribes of Simeon and Benjamin, and ſo whilſt they ſhall approve their piety and devotion to the ſervice of God, in being content to leave their dwellings to go up unto Jeruſalem in their turns, to attend upon the ſervice of God, yet withall God provides for their eaſe, that their journeys might not be over long and burthenſome to them. As for their aſſigning (as it is here ſaid) of thirteen cities to the prieſts, herein God and the governours of Iſrael had reſpect unto ſucceeding times, when the poſterity of Aaron ſhould be encreaſed; for at preſent there were but a few prieſts, not enough to inhabit the half part of one city; but in the mean time they were given them for their poſſeſſion, which they might diſpoſe of according to the right they had in them. For that they might ſo do, and that the cities of the Levites were given them not onelyonly for their habitation, but alſo for their poſſeſſions and inheritance, is evident in ſeverall places. See Levit. 25.32.
Verſ. 9. And they gave out of the tribe of the children of Judah, and out of the tribe of the children of Simeon, theſe cities, &c.] Judahs and Simeon cities are reckoned together, becauſe Simeons portion lay within Judahs, Chap. 19.1. And the ſecond lot came forth to Simeon, even for the tribe of the children of Simeon according to their families: and their inheritance was within the inheritance of the children of Judah.
Verſ. 11. And they gave them the city of Arbah the father of Anak (which is Hebron) in the hill-countrey of Judah, &c.] This city with the land adjoyning was formerly given to Caleb: which makes it more probable, that the cities for the Levites were taken by lot, becauſe it was not likely that both Hebron and Debir ſhould be taken out of his inheritance without the Lords ſpeciall direction. But God requiring it, Caleb willingly yields, the rather becauſe the countrey and land about was the chief of his poſſeſſion, which was not taken from him; and beſides no doubt they deſired to have the Levites, who were to inſtruct them in the Law of the Lord, to be ſeated amongſt them.
Verſ. 15. And Holon with her ſuburbs.] Called Hilen, 1. Chron. 6.58.
Verſ. 16. And Ain with her ſuburbs, and Juttah with her ſuburbs, &c.] This citie Ain is not reckoned, 1. Chron. 6. amongſt the cities given to the ſonnes of Aaron: nor Gibeon here named, verſ. 17. As for Juttah it is called Aſhan, 1. Chron. 6.59. Some indeed conceive, that it is Ain that is there called Aſhan: but there is an argument againſt that which ſeems to me unanſwerable, to wit, that Aſhan and Ain are in one verſe diſtinctly named amongſt the cities of Simeon, chap. 19.7. and ſo alſo Almon verſ. 18. is called Alemeth, 1. Chron. 6.60.
Verſ. 22. And Kibzaim with her ſuburbs.] Called Jokneam, 1. Chron. 6.68.
Verſ. 23. And out of the tribe of Dan, Eltekeh with her ſuburbs, Gibbethon with her ſuburbs.] Theſe two cities are omitted, 1. Chron. 6. And Aijalon, and Gath-rimmon, are there ioyned with the cities of Ephraim: but that they were given out of Dans portion, is evident by this place.
Verſ. 25. And out of the half tribe of Manaſſeh, Tanach with her ſuburbs, &c.] To wit, that half of the tribe which was ſeated within Jordan, next Dan and Ephraim. Tanach here mentioned, is called Aner, 1. Chron. 6.70. as alſo Gath-Rimmon, is there called Bileam.
Verſ. 27. And Beeſhterah with her ſuburbs.] Called Aſhtaroth, 1. Chron. 6.71.
Verſ. 28. And out of the tribe of Iſſachar, Kiſhon with her ſuburbs, &c.] Which is called Kedeſh, as alſo Dabareh is called Deberath; and Jarmuth, Ramoth; and Engannim, Anem, 1. Chron. 6.72.73.
Verſ. 30. And out of the tribe of Aſher, Miſhal with her ſuburbs, &c.] Called Maſhal 1. Chron. 6.74. as alſo Helkath is there called Hukok.
Verſ. 32. And Hammoth-dor with her ſuburbs, &c.] Called Hammon, 1. Chron. 6.76. as alſo Kartan is there called Kirjathaim.
Verſ. 34. Out of the tribe of Zebulun, Jokneam with her ſuburbs, &c.] Jokneam and Kartah are omitted, 1. Chron. 6.77. and Dimnah is there called Rimmon; and Nahalal, Tabor.
Verſ. 36. And out of the tribe of Reuben, Bezer with her ſuburbs, and Jahazah with her ſuburbs.] It is ſaid that Bezer was a city of refuge, chap. 20.8. though it be not here expreſſed as it is in the reſt, verſ. 13.20, 27. which, why it is here omitted we cannot ſay. As for Jahazah, it is called Jahzah, 1. Chron. 6.
Verſ. 41. All the cities of the Levites within the poſſeſſion of the children of Iſrael, were fourty and eight cities with their ſuburbs.] It may ſeem ſtrange why in the 19. chapter we reade of but two and twenty cities given to the tribe of Aſher, nineteen to the tribe of Naphtali, yea, but twelve cities to the tribe of Zebulun, and yet the Levites which were nothing ſo many in number as they, have here eight and fourty cities given them. I anſwer: firſt, that beſides the cities mentioned, the other tribes had many towns and villages wherein they dwelt, which the Levites had not: ſecondly, that the chief cities are onelyonly there mentioned; it is evident in ſeverall places that many cities which were in the ſeverall portions of thoſe tribes, are not there ſet down: thirdly, others did no doubt inhabit theſe cities, beſides the Levites: and fourthly, it is no wonder though God deals bountifully with the Levites, that were to be imployed in his ſpeciall ſervice.
Verſ. 43. And the Lord gave unto Iſrael all the land which he ſware to give unto their fathers: and they poſſeſſed it and dwelt therein.] Though there were much of the land out of which the Canaanites were not yet expelled, we cannot therefore call this truth in queſtion; for, Firſt, he had given them all by lot divided amongſt them, which was a kind of actuall enſtating them in it. Secondly, he had put them into poſſeſſion of the greateſt part of it; neither had he promiſed them otherwiſe, but that they ſhould poſſeſſe it by degrees, See Exod. 23.29. So both clauſes of that which is here ſaid are true; to wit, firſt, That God had given them all the land which he ſwore to give unto their fathers: and ſecondly, That they poſſeſſed it and dwelt therein; onelyonly we muſt conceive of them ſeverally thus: to wit, 1. That he had already actually given them the whole land, and enabled them to divide it amongſt their tribes: and 2. That they poſſeſſed it and dwelt therein, to wit, by degrees; a great deal of it they had already in their poſſeſſion, and the reſt by degrees came into their hands as God had promiſed, and ſooner then they did they might have enjoyed it, had it not been for their ſinnes.