Joshua 21:1

THE MESSAGE

The ancestral heads of the Levites came to Eleazar the priest and Joshua son of Nun and to the heads of the other tribes of the People of Israel. This took place at Shiloh in the land of Canaan. They said, " God commanded through Moses that you give us cities to live in with access to pastures for our cattle."

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
The Levite family heads approached the priest Eleazar, Joshua son of Nun, and the family heads of the Israelite tribes.

Hebrew Names Version
Then came near the heads of fathers' [houses] of the Levites to El`azar the Kohen, and to Yehoshua the son of Nun, and to the heads of fathers' [houses] of the tribes of the children of Yisra'el;

King James Version
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;

Lexham English Bible
Then the heads of the families of the Levites came to Eleazar the priest, to Joshua son of Nun, and to the heads of the families of the tribes of the Israelites.

English Standard Version
Then the heads of the fathers' houses of the Levites came to Eleazar the priest and to Joshua the son of Nun and to the heads of the fathers' houses of the tribes of the people of Israel.

New Century Version
The heads of the Levite families went to talk to Eleazar the priest, to Joshua son of Nun, and to the heads of the families of all the tribes of Israel.

New English Translation
The tribal leaders of the Levites went before Eleazar the priest and Joshua son of Nun and the Israelite tribal leaders

Amplified Bible
Then the heads of the households of the Levites came to Eleazar the priest, and Joshua the son of Nun, and the heads of the households of the tribes of the sons of Israel.

New American Standard Bible
Then the heads of fathers' households of the Levites approached Eleazar the priest, Joshua the son of Nun, and the heads of fathers' households of the tribes of the sons of Israel.

Geneva Bible (1587)
Then came the principall fathers of the Leuites vnto Eleazar the Priest, and vnto Ioshua the sonne of Nun, and vnto the chiefe fathers of the tribes of the children of Israel,

Legacy Standard Bible
Then the heads of households of the Levites came near to Eleazar the priest and to Joshua the son of Nun and to the heads of households of the tribes of the sons of Israel.

Contemporary English Version
While the Israelites were still camped at Shiloh in the land of Canaan, the family leaders of the Levi tribe went to speak to the priest Eleazar, Joshua, and the family leaders of the other Israelite tribes. The leaders of Levi said, "The Lord told Moses that you have to give us towns and provide pastures for our animals."

Complete Jewish Bible
Then the leaders of the ancestral clans of the L'vi'im approached El‘azar the cohen, Y'hoshua the son of Nun and the leaders of the ancestral clans of the tribes of the people of Isra'el.

Darby Translation
Then the chief fathers of the Levites drew near to Eleazar the priest, and to Joshua the son of Nun, and to the chief fathers of the tribes of the children of Israel;

Easy-to-Read Version
The family rulers of the Levite tribe went to talk to Eleazar the priest, to Joshua son of Nun, and to the rulers of the other tribes of Israel.

George Lamsa Translation
THEN the chiefs of the priests and the Levites came near to Eleazar the priest and to Joshua the son of Nun and to the heads of the fathers of the tribes of Israel,

Good News Translation
The leaders of the Levite families went to Eleazar the priest, Joshua son of Nun, and to the heads of the families of all the tribes of Israel.

Literal Translation
And the heads of the fathers of the Levites came near to Eleazar the priest, and to Joshua the son of Nun, and to the heads of the fathers of the tribes of the sons of Israel.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Then the chefe fathers amonge the Leuites came forth vnto Eleasar the prest and to Iosua the sonne of Nun, and to ye awncient fathers amoge the trybes of the children of Israel,

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

Bible in Basic English
Then the heads of the families of the Levites came to Eleazar the priest and Joshua, the son of Nun, and to the heads of families of the tribes of the children of Israel;

Bishop's Bible (1568)
And then came the principall fathers of ye Leuites vnto Eleazar the priest, and vnto Iosuah the sonne of Nun, & vnto the auncient fathers that were ouer ye tribes of the children of Israel.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
Then came near the heads of fathers' houses of the Levites unto Eleazar the priest, and unto Joshua the son of Nun, and unto the heads of fathers' houses of the tribes of the children of Israel;

King James Version (1611)
Then came neere the heads of the fathers of the Leuites vnto Eleazar the Priest, and vnto Ioshua the sonne of Nun, and vnto the heads of the fathers of the tribes of the children of Israel.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And the heads of the families of the sons of Levi drew near to Eleazar the priest, and to Joshua the son of Naue, and to the heads of families of the tribes of Israel.

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

Berean Standard Bible
Now the family heads of the Levites approached Eleazar the priest, Joshua son of Nun, and the heads of the other tribes of Israel

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And the princes of meynees of Leuy neiyiden to Eleazar, preest, and to Josue, sone of Nun, and to the duykis of kynredis, bi alle the lynagis of the sones of Israel;

Young's Literal Translation
And the heads of the fathers of the Levites draw nigh unto Eleazar the priest, and unto Joshua son of Nun, and unto the heads of the fathers of the tribes of the sons of Israel,

Update Bible Version
Then came near the heads of fathers' [houses] of the Levites to Eleazar the priest, and to Joshua the son of Nun, and to the heads of fathers' [houses] of the tribes of the sons of Israel;

Webster's Bible Translation
Then came near the heads of the fathers of the Levites to Eleazar the priest, and to Joshua the son of Nun, and to the heads of the fathers of the tribes of the children of Israel;

World English Bible
Then came near the heads of fathers' [houses] of the Levites to Eleazar the priest, and to Joshua the son of Nun, and to the heads of fathers' [houses] of the tribes of the children of Israel;

New King James Version
1 Chronicles 6:54-81">[xr] Then the heads of the fathers' houses of the Levites came near to Eleazar the priest, to Joshua the son of Nun, and to the heads of the fathers' houses of the tribes of the children of Israel.

New Living Translation
Then the leaders of the tribe of Levi came to consult with Eleazar the priest, Joshua son of Nun, and the leaders of the other tribes of Israel.

New Life Bible
Then the family heads of the Levites came to Eleazar the religious leader, Joshua the son of Nun, and the heads of the family groups of Israel.

New Revised Standard
Then the heads of the families of the Levites came to the priest Eleazar and to Joshua son of Nun and to the heads of the families of the tribes of the Israelites;

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Then came near the ancestral heads of the Levites, unto Eleazar, the priest, and unto Joshua son of Nun, - and unto the ancestral heads of the tribes, of the sons of Israel;

Douay-Rheims Bible
Then the princes of the families of Levi came to Eleazar the priest, and to Josue the son of Nun, and to the princes of the kindreds of all the tribes of the children of Israel

Revised Standard Version
Then the heads of the fathers' houses of the Levites came to Elea'zar the priest and to Joshua the son of Nun and to the heads of the fathers' houses of the tribes of the people of Israel;

New American Standard Bible (1995)
Then the heads of households of the Levites approached Eleazar the priest, and Joshua the son of Nun, and the heads of households of the tribes of the sons of Israel.

Contextual Overview

¹The ancestral heads of the Levites came to Eleazar the priest and Joshua son of Nun and to the heads of the other tribes of the People of Israel. This took place at Shiloh in the land of Canaan. They said, " God commanded through Moses that you give us cities to live in with access to pastures for our cattle." ³ So the People of Israel, out of their own inheritance, gave the Levites, just as God commanded, the following cities and pastures: ⁴The lot came out for the families of the Kohathites this way: Levites descended from Aaron the priest received by lot thirteen cities out of the tribes of Judah, Simeon, and Benjamin. The rest of the Kohathites received by lot ten cities from the families of the tribes of Ephraim, Dan, and the half-tribe of Manasseh. ⁶ The Gershonites received by lot thirteen cities from the families of the tribes of Issachar, Asher, Naphtali, and the half-tribe of Manasseh in Bashan. ⁷ The families of the Merarites received twelve towns from the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and Zebulun. ⁸ So the People of Israel gave these cities with their pastures to the Levites just as God had ordered through Moses, that is, by lot.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

the heads: Joshua 19:51, Exodus 6:14, Exodus 6:25

Eleazar: Joshua 14:1, Joshua 17:4, Numbers 34:17-29

Reciprocal: Genesis 47:22 - for the priests Genesis 49:7 - I will divide Leviticus 25:32 - the cities Numbers 3:17 - General Nehemiah 11:36 - And of Ezekiel 48:10 - for the priests

Cross-References

Genesis 17:19
But God said, "That's not what I mean. Your wife, Sarah, will have a baby, a son. Name him Isaac (Laughter). I'll establish my covenant with him and his descendants, a covenant that lasts forever.

Genesis 18:10
One of them said, "I'm coming back about this time next year. When I arrive, your wife Sarah will have a son." Sarah was listening at the tent opening, just behind the man.

Genesis 21:17
Meanwhile, God heard the boy crying. The angel of God called from Heaven to Hagar, "What's wrong, Hagar? Don't be afraid. God has heard the boy and knows the fix he's in. Up now; go get the boy. Hold him tight. I'm going to make of him a great nation."

Genesis 21:20
God was on the boy's side as he grew up. He lived out in the desert and became a skilled archer. He lived in the Paran wilderness. And his mother got him a wife from Egypt.

Genesis 50:24
At the end, Joseph said to his brothers, "I am ready to die. God will most certainly pay you a visit and take you out of this land and back to the land he so solemnly promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob."

Exodus 3:16
"Now be on your way. Gather the leaders of Israel. Tell them, ‘ God , the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, appeared to me, saying, "I've looked into what's being done to you in Egypt, and I've determined to get you out of the affliction of Egypt and take you to the land of the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Amorite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite, a land brimming over with milk and honey."'

Ruth 1:6
One day she got herself together, she and her two daughters-in-law, to leave the country of Moab and set out for home; she had heard that God had been pleased to visit his people and give them food. And so she started out from the place she had been living, she and her two daughters-in-law with her, on the road back to the land of Judah.

1 Samuel 2:21
God was most especially kind to Hannah. She had three more sons and two daughters! The boy Samuel stayed at the sanctuary and grew up with God .

Psalms 12:6
God's words are pure words, Pure silver words refined seven times In the fires of his word-kiln, Pure on earth as well as in heaven. God , keep us safe from their lies, From the wicked who stalk us with lies, From the wicked who collect honors For their wonderful lies.

Psalms 106:4
Remember me, God , when you enjoy your people; include me when you save them; I want to see your chosen succeed, celebrate with your celebrating nation, join the Hallelujahs of your pride and joy!

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Then came near the heads of the fathers of the Levites,.... When the land was divided to the several tribes, and everyone knew the cities that belonged to them, and what they could and should part with to the Levites, and when the six cities of refuge were fixed; the Levites came to put in their claim for cities of habitation, they having no share in the division of the land; and yet it was necessary they should have habitations; the persons that undertook to put in a claim for them were the principal men among them; the fathers of them were Kohath, Gershon, and Merari; the heads of those were the chief men that were then living: these came

unto Eleazar the priest, and unto Joshua the son of Nun; the high priest and chief magistrate:

and unto the heads of the fathers of the tribes of the children of Israel; the princes appointed to divide the land with the two great personages before mentioned, Numbers 34:17.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

A list of the Levitical cities, varying in some particulars from that given in this chapter, is also, given in 1 Chronicles 6:54-81.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

CHAPTER XXI

The Levites apply to Eleazar, Joshua, and the elders, for the

cities to dwell in which Moses had promised, 1, 2.

Their request is granted, 3.

The priests receive thirteen cities out of the tribes of Judah,

Simeon, and Benjamin, 4.

The Levites receive ten cities out of the tribes of Ephraim,

Dan, and the half tribe of Manasseh, 5;

and thirteen out of the other half tribe of Manasseh, and the

tribes of Issachar, Asher, and Naphtali, 6.

The children of Merari had twelve cities out of the tribes of

Reuben, Gad, and Zebulun, 7.

The names of the cities given out of the tribes of Judah and

Simeon, 8-16.

Those granted out of the tribe of Benjamin, 17-19.

Out of Ephraim, 20-22.

Those out of Dan, 23, 24.

Those out of both the halves of the tribe of Manasseh, 25-27.

Those out of the tribe of Issachar, 28, 29.

Those out of Asher, 30, 31.

Those out of Naphtali, 32.

These were the cities of the Gershonites, 33.

The cities of the Merarites, 34-40.

The sum of the cities given to the Levites, forty-eight, 41, 42.

The exact fulfilment of all God's promises, 43-45.

NOTES ON CHAP. XXI.

Verse Joshua 21:1. The heads of the fathers of the Levites — The Levites were composed of three brand families, the Gershonites, Koathites, and Merarites, independently of the family of Aaron, who might be said to form a fourth. To none of these had God assigned any portion in the division of the land. But in this general division it must have been evidently intended that the different tribes were to furnish them with habitations; and this was according to a positive command of God, Numbers 35:2, &c. Finding now that each tribe had its inheritance appointed to it, the heads of the Levites came before Eleazar, Joshua, and the chiefs of the tribes who had been employed in dividing the land, and requested that cities and suburbs should be granted them according to the Divine command.