As for the cities of the several Merarite clans, that is, the remainder of the clans of the Levites, those allotted to them were in all twelve cities.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This verse highlights that the Merarite clans, the remainder of the Levites, received the last portion of the allotted cities. This detail emphasizes God's faithful provision, ensuring even the final group mentioned received their due inheritance according to His plan.
As for the cities of the several Merarite clans, that is, the remainder of the clans of the Levites, those allotted to them were in all twelve cities.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This passage concludes a lengthy accounting of the cities assigned to the Levites, who, as God's designated ministers, were dispersed among all the tribes of Israel. After detailing the allotments for the Kohathites and Gershonites, this verse specifically summarizes the twelve cities granted to the Merarite clans, the final group of Levites to receive their portion. These allotments are presented as the fulfillment of God's promise to provide for the Levites and ensure His worship would be established throughout the land.
Every tribe of Israel received land for themselves. But what about the Levites, whose calling was to serve God full-time? Did they get left out?
The book of Joshua details how the land of Canaan was divided among the tribes of Israel. While most tribes received land to farm and build their homes, the Levites were set apart for a special purpose: to serve God and the people as priests and teachers. They didn't receive a contiguous block of land like the others. Instead, God's plan was for them to be scattered among all the tribes.
This chapter specifically lists the cities given to the Levites from the different tribes. Joshua 21:40 tells us that the Merarite clans, a branch of the Levites, were allotted twelve cities. This wasn't a random distribution; it was a deliberate arrangement. By having Levitical cities spread throughout the land, God ensured that His Word and His worship would be accessible to every part of Israel. It was a sign of His faithfulness to provide for those who served Him, even when their inheritance looked different from everyone else's.
Why scatter the Levites among all the tribes instead of giving them their own territory?
The arrangement described in Joshua 21, where the Levites were given cities within the territories of the other tribes, served a crucial purpose. It wasn't just about housing them; it was about embedding spiritual leadership and teaching throughout the nation.
These cities became centers for religious instruction and practice. The Levites were responsible for teaching God's law, maintaining the tabernacle (and later, the Ark), and serving as a spiritual conscience for the people. By being dispersed, they acted as a constant reminder to each tribe of their covenant responsibilities to God. They were a sort of 'spiritual infrastructure' ensuring that worship and the knowledge of God weren't confined to one region but were present everywhere.
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Understand the original words
Merari · Hebrew Proper Noun/Adjective
A group descended from Merari, one of the three main families of the tribe of Levi, assigned specific duties regarding the maintenance and transportation of the Tabernacle.
Levi · Hebrew Proper Noun/Noun
The tribe set apart by God for priestly and sanctuary service, who did not receive a tribal land inheritance but were given specific cities scattered throughout the territories of the other tribes.
goral · Hebrew Verb/Noun usage
The act of assigning land or responsibility to the tribes of Israel, often by divine direction or lot, signifying God's sovereign distribution of the land.
This allotment of cities to the Merarite Levites, along with other Levitical families, was part of a larger divine plan to ensure God's presence and teaching would be accessible throughout the entire land of Israel.
c. 1400 BC
Israel Enters the Promised Land
Following the Exodus from Egypt and 40 years in the wilderness, Joshua leads the Israelites across the Jordan River to begin the conquest of Canaan.
c. 1399 BC
Canaan Conquered Under Joshua
Under Joshua's leadership, the Israelites conquer significant portions of Canaan, overcoming various city-states and tribal confederations.
c. 1398 BC - 1350 BC
Land Divided Among Tribes
The land of Canaan is systematically surveyed and divided by lot among the twelve tribes of Israel, establishing their ancestral territories.
c. 1350 BC— this verse
Levitical Cities Allocated
As mandated by God, specific cities are set aside from the territories of the other tribes to serve as residences for the Levites, the priestly tribe.
This passage details the original instruction for assigning cities to the Levites, including those that would serve as cities of refuge, providing the foundational context for the fulfillment seen in Joshua 21.
Deuteronomy 18:1-8This text outlines the Levites' unique inheritance – not land, but a portion of the sacrifices and the privilege of serving the Lord. The cities in Joshua 21 represent the tangible provision for this non-landed inheritance.
Psalm 147:19-20This psalm celebrates God's faithfulness in giving His law and statutes to Israel, which directly connects to the Levites' role as teachers and keepers of the Law, and the cities that facilitated this ministry.
Hebrews 12:10-11This New Testament passage reflects on the 'discipline' of God, contrasting the temporary, earthly training provided by human fathers with the eternal, spiritual discipline God intends for us. The Levites' cities were part of this earthly structure of divine order and instruction.
calvinJoshua 21:20-45: "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."
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.
Porro filiis Gerson de familiis Levitarum, de dimidia tribu Manasse urbe…
gillJoshua 21:40: "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."
So all the cities for the children of Merari by their families,.... Which were distributed by lot to them, according to the number of their families, and were sufficient for them: which were remaining of the families of the Levites; the last division of them, besides those of the Kohathites, Levites, and the Gershonites: were by th…
This verse highlights that the Merarite clans, the remainder of the Levites, received the last portion of the allotted cities. This detail emphasizes God's faithful provision, ensuring even the final group mentioned received their due inheritance according to His plan.
This passage concludes a lengthy accounting of the cities assigned to the Levites, who, as God's designated ministers, were dispersed among all the tribes of Israel. After detailing the allotments for the Kohathites and Gershonites, this verse specifically summarizes the twelve cities granted to the Merarite clans, the final group of Levites to receive their portion. These allotments are presented as the fulfillment of God's promise to provide for the Levites and ensure His worship would be established throughout the land.
This passage concludes a lengthy accounting of the cities assigned to the Levites, who, as God's designated ministers, were dispersed among all the tribes of Israel. After detailing the allotments for the Kohathites and Gershonites, this verse specifically summarizes the twelve cities granted to the Merarite clans, the final group of Levites to receive their portion. These allotments are presented as the fulfillment of God's promise to provide for the Levites and ensure His worship would be established throughout the land.
"As for the cities of the several Merarite clans, that is, the remainder of the clans of the Levites, those allotted to them were in all twelve cities." — This verse highlights that the Merarite clans, the remainder of the Levites, received the last portion of the allotted cities. This detail emphasizes God's faithful provision, ensuring even the fin…
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Last reviewed October 2026