Josué 21

VBL · Chapter 21/24

1Los jefes de la tribu de Leví se acercaron al sacerdote Eleazar, a Josué hijo de Nun y a los jefes de las tribus israelitas.

2Les hablaron en Silo, en Canaán, diciendo: “El Señor dio instrucciones por medio de Moisés de darnos ciudades para vivir y pastos para nuestros rebaños”.

3Así que, siguiendo las instrucciones del Señor, los israelitas dieron ciudades y pastos a los levitas de sus propias asignaciones.

4Se echó la suerte a las familias de los ceutíes. A estos levitas, descendientes de Aarón, se les asignaron trece ciudades de las tribus de Judá, Simeón y Benjamín.

5A las familias restantes de los descendientes de Cota se les asignaron diez ciudades de las tribus de Efraín, Dan y la media tribu de Manasés.

6A las familias de los descendientes de Gersón se les asignaron trece ciudades de las tribus de Isacar, Aser, Neftalí y la media tribu de Manasés que vivían en Basán.

7A las familias de los descendientes de Merari se les asignaron doce ciudades de las tribus de Rubén, Gad y Zabulón.

8Así los israelitas dieron a los levitas por sorteo estas ciudades y pastos, tal como el Señor lo había ordenado por medio de Moisés.

9Dieron de la tribu de Judá y de la tribu de Simeón las siguientes ciudades, específicamente nombradas,

10a las familias de los coatitas, descendientes de Aarón, de la tribu de Leví, ya que la primera suerte les correspondió a ellos:

11Quiriat-arba (o Hebrón), en la región montañosa de Judá, junto con los pastos que la rodean. (Arba era el antepasado de Anac).

12Pero los campos más alejados de la ciudad y las aldeas habían sido dados en propiedad a Caleb hijo de Jefone.

13Dieron a los descendientes del sacerdote Aarón las siguientes ciudades y sus pastos Hebrón (una ciudad santuario para los que accidentalmente cometieran un asesinato), Libna,

14Jatir, Estemoa,

15Holón, Debir,

16Ain, Yutá y Bet Semes: nueve ciudades de estas dos tribus.

17De la tribu de Benjamín, las siguientes cuatro ciudades y sus pastos Gabaón, Geba,

18Anatot y Almón.

19En total, trece ciudades y sus pastos fueron entregados a los sacerdotes, los descendientes de Aarón.

20En cuanto a las demás familias de los hijos de Clota de la tribu de Leví, se les dio por sorteo cuatro ciudades con sus pastos de la tribu de Efraín:

21Siquem en la región montañosa de Efraín (una ciudad santuario para los que cometieran un asesinato accidental), Gezer,

22Quibsayín y Bet-Jorón.

23De la tribu de Dan, las siguientes cuatro ciudades y sus pastos Eltequé, Guibetón,

24Ayalón y Gath-Rimón.

25De la media tribu de Manasés, las siguientes dos ciudades con sus pastos Tanac y Gat-rimón.

26Así que en total se dieron diez ciudades y sus pastos a las familias restantes de los descendientes de Koat.

27Las familias de los descendientes de Gersón de la tribu de Leví recibieron las siguientes dos ciudades y sus pastos de la media tribu de Manasés Golán en Basán (una ciudad santuario para los que accidentalmente cometieron un asesinato), y Besterá.

28De la tribu de Isacar las siguientes cuatro ciudades y sus pastos: Cisón, Daberat,

29Jarmut y Enganín.

30De la tribu de Aser, las siguientes cuatro ciudades con sus pastos Miseal, Abdón,

31Jelcat y Rejob.

32De la tribu de Neftalí, las siguientes tres ciudades con sus pastos Cedes en Galilea (una ciudad santuario para los que accidentalmente cometieron un asesinato), Jamot-Dor y Cartán.

33En total, trece ciudades y sus pastos fueron asignados a las familias de Gersón.

34Las familias de los descendientes de Merari, los que quedaron de la tribu de Leví, recibieron las siguientes cuatro ciudades y sus pastos de la tribu de Zabulón: Jocneán, Caráa,

35Dimná y Nalal.

36De la tribu de Rubén, las siguientes cuatro ciudades con sus pastos Béser, Yahaza,

37Cedemot y Mefat.

38De la tribu de Gad, las siguientes cuatro ciudades con sus pastos Ramot de Galaad (ciudad santuario para los que cometieron un asesinato accidental), Mahanaim,

39Hesbón y Jazer.

40Así que en total se asignaron doce ciudades a las familias de Merari, las que quedaban de la tribu de Leví.

41Los levitas recibieron un total de cuarenta y ocho ciudades y pastos dentro de la tierra de los israelitas.

42Cada una de estas ciudades tenía pastos a su alrededor.

43Así, el Señor dio a los israelitas toda la tierra que había prometido a sus antepasados. Ellos se apoderaron de ella y se establecieron allí.

44El Señor les dio la paz por todas partes, como había prometido a sus antepasados. Ni uno solo de sus enemigos pudo enfrentarse a ellos, porque el Señor les había entregado a sus enemigos para que los derrotaran.

45No faltó ni una sola de las cosas buenas que el Señor le había prometido a Israel.Todo se había hecho realidad.

📖 Chapter study

Summary

The Levites receive 48 cities scattered among the other tribes, including the cities of refuge. The chapter concludes that God fulfilled all his promises to Israel.

Explanation

Since the Levites did not receive one continuous territory, they were scattered in cities within the territory of the other tribes - this ensured that priestly teaching of the law was physically present and accessible throughout the nation, not concentrated in one place. The chapter's closing statement, 'not one of all the good promises which the Lord had made to the house of Israel failed; all came to pass' (v. 45), is one of the strongest declarations in the whole Bible about God's faithfulness to his promises, serving as the concluding milestone of the entire conquest narrative that began all the way back with Abraham.

Fun facts

  • The 48 Levitical cities included surrounding pasturelands for livestock, a model of provision that combined religious function with practical need for subsistence.
  • This arrangement scattering the Levites fulfilled, in a positive and organized way, Jacob's prophecy in Genesis 49:7 that the tribe of Levi would be 'scattered' in Israel.

Verse-by-verse explanation

  1. Josué 21:1The heads of the Levite families come before Eleazar, Joshua, and the tribal chiefs to claim what is owed to them.
  2. Josué 21:2They point out that God had already ordered, through Moses, that the Levites receive cities to live in, since they would have no territory of their own like the other tribes.
  3. Josué 21:3Since the Levites don't receive a continuous territory, the solution is to scatter forty-eight cities for them across the land of the other tribes, each with pastureland around it for their livestock. This way they are present throughout the whole territory of Israel, without forming a province of their own.
  4. Josué 21:4The drawing of lots begins with the Kohathites, one of the Levite families: the descendants of Aaron receive thirteen cities taken from Judah, Simeon, and Benjamin.
  5. Josué 21:5The rest of the Kohathites receive ten cities from the tribes of Ephraim, Dan, and half of Manasseh.
  6. Josué 21:6The Gershonites, another Levite family, receive thirteen cities from the tribes of Issachar, Asher, Naphtali, and half of Manasseh in Bashan.
  7. Josué 21:7The Merarites, the third Levite family, receive twelve cities from the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and Zebulun.
  8. Josué 21:8In total, the people hand over these cities to the Levites exactly as God had commanded through Moses.
  9. Josué 21:9Here begins the named list of cities taken from Judah and Simeon for the Levites.
  10. Josué 21:10These specific cities go to the descendants of Aaron, within the Kohathite family, who received the first share in the drawing.
  11. Josué 21:11Among them is Hebron, the same city already given to Caleb — except now it also becomes a Levite city, with an internal division between the two uses.
  12. Josué 21:12The fields and villages around Hebron remain Caleb's personal property; only the city itself is shared with the Levites.
  13. Josué 21:13Hebron, already known as a city of refuge, is confirmed to the descendants of Aaron, along with Libnah.
  14. Josué 21:14Two more cities, Jattir and Eshtemoa, complete this part of the list.
  15. Josué 21:15Holon and Debir also join the list of cities handed over to the priests.
  16. Josué 21:16Ain, Juttah, and Beth-shemesh close out this group, totaling nine cities between the two tribes.
  17. Josué 21:17Gibeon is the city that tricked Joshua into thinking it came from far away, back in chapter 9 — now its lands go to support the priestly descendants of Aaron.
  18. Josué 21:18Anathoth and Almon complete four more cities coming from Benjamin.
  19. Josué 21:19In total, the priestly descendants of Aaron receive thirteen cities.
  20. Josué 21:20The rest of the Kohathites, who were not priests directly, receive their cities from the tribe of Ephraim.
  21. Josué 21:21Among them is Shechem, another city of refuge, along with Gezer.
  22. Josué 21:22Kibzaim and Beth-horon complete this group of four cities from Ephraim.
  23. Josué 21:23Eltekeh and Gibbethon, which had belonged to the tribe of Dan, now pass to the Kohathite Levites who were not direct descendants of Aaron.
  24. Josué 21:24Aijalon and Gath-rimmon close out four more cities coming from Dan.
  25. Josué 21:25From the half tribe of Manasseh, they receive Tanach and Gath-rimmon, two more cities.
  26. Josué 21:26This group of Kohathites — those not descended from Aaron — receives ten cities in total, taken from the territories of Ephraim, Dan, and the half tribe of Manasseh.
  27. Josué 21:27The Gershonites receive from Manasseh the city of Golan, also a city of refuge, and Beeshterah.
  28. Josué 21:28From the tribe of Issachar, the Gershonites receive Kishon and Dabareh.
  29. Josué 21:29Jarmuth and En-gannim close out the four cities Issachar hands over to the Levites: since the Levites received no territory of their own, each tribe set aside cities for them.
  30. Josué 21:30Mishal and Abdon, taken from Asher's territory, go to the Gershonites — the Levite clan descended from Gershon, Levi's oldest son.
  31. Josué 21:31With these two, four cities that the tribe of Asher hands over to the Gershonite Levites are closed out, part of the thirteen this clan receives in total.
  32. Josué 21:32From the tribe of Naphtali, they receive Kedesh, another city of refuge, along with Hammoth-dor and Kartan.
  33. Josué 21:33In total, the Gershonites receive thirteen cities, taken from the territories of Issachar, Asher, Naphtali, and the half tribe of Manasseh in Bashan.
  34. Josué 21:34The Merarites, the last Levite family, receive from Zebulun the cities of Jokneam and Kartah.
  35. Josué 21:35Dimnah and Nahalal, taken from Zebulun's territory, complete the cities the Merarite Levites also receive from Reuben and Gad.
  36. Josué 21:36Bezer, taken from Reuben's territory, is one of Israel's six cities of refuge — a shelter for anyone who killed someone without intent.
  37. Josué 21:37With these two, four cities that the tribe of Reuben hands over to the Merarite Levites are closed out, part of the twelve this clan receives in total.
  38. Josué 21:38From the tribe of Gad, they receive Ramoth, another city of refuge, and Mahanaim.
  39. Josué 21:39Heshbon and Jazer complete the four cities Gad hands over to the Merarites — the same Heshbon that had been the capital of the Amorite king Sihon, defeated back in the time of Moses.
  40. Josué 21:40In total, the Merarite Levites receive twelve cities, taken from the territories of Reuben, Gad, and Zebulun, east and west of the Jordan.
  41. Josué 21:41The final number of forty-eight Levite cities, taken from various tribes, shows that supporting the priests and worship assistants was a responsibility shared by the whole people, not just one region.
  42. Josué 21:42Each of these forty-eight cities always comes with pastureland around it, following the same pattern throughout.
  43. Josué 21:43The chapter closes by declaring that not one promise made to the ancestors failed to come true. After twenty-one chapters of wars, lists, and lot-drawing, this sentence sums up the whole book's central argument: the promised land had become occupied land.
  44. Josué 21:44After the whole division of the land, God gives Israel rest from the enemies around them, fulfilling the ancient promise.
  45. Josué 21:45The chapter ends with a strong statement: not one of God's good promises to Israel failed to come true.

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