Numbers 35:7
All the cities that you give to the Levites shall be forty-eight, with their pasturelands.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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While it names 48 cities, this verse actually details a total of 42 cities plus the six cities of refuge, showing how these vital safe havens were integrated within the Levites' allotted towns. This wasn't just about housing them, but about strategically placing spiritual and judicial centers throughout the entire land.
God is instructing Moses on how to provide for the Levites, who, unlike other tribes, received no land inheritance. This passage lays out the specific number of cities and their surrounding pasturelands that will be distributed among the Levites from the territories of the other Israelite tribes. The text specifies that six of these cities are designated as cities of refuge, with the remaining forty-two serving as their regular dwelling places.
Why did the Levites, a tribe without land inheritance, receive so many cities across Israel?
The Levites were unique among the tribes. They didn't receive a territorial inheritance in the Promised Land. Instead, God designated cities for them throughout all the tribes of Israel. This wasn't a demotion; it was a divine strategy.
Purposeful Placement
These cities, along with their surrounding pasturelands, served multiple crucial roles:
Forty-eight cities and their pasturelands – that's a lot! How did this work practically?
The number forty-eight cities, along with their extensive pasturelands, might seem overwhelming, but it speaks to God's meticulous care and the practical needs of the Levites.
Provision for a Vital Role
The Levites had a significant responsibility. They weren't just caretakers of the Tabernacle; they were the educators and spiritual guides for the entire nation. This required mobility and space.
Understand the original words
migrāš · Hebrew Noun (plural)
Open land or common grazing fields surrounding the Levitical cities, provided for the sustenance of their livestock and essential for their livelihood within the inheritance of Israel.
This directive ensured the Levites, who had no tribal land inheritance, were dispersed throughout Israel to serve as teachers and spiritual guides, making God's law accessible to all.
c. 1446 BC
Israel Enters the Promised Land
Following 40 years in the wilderness, the Israelites conquer and divide the land of Canaan among the twelve tribes.
c. 1446-1406 BC
Land Allotment to Tribes
The land is distributed by lot to the tribes, with specific instructions on boundaries and inheritance.
c. 1406 BC— this verse
Levites Receive Cities and Pastures
God commands the Israelites to give 48 cities with surrounding pasturelands to the Levites from their tribal inheritances.
c. 1400-1000 BC
Levitical Cities Established
Over subsequent generations, the Levites are settled in these designated cities throughout the land of Israel.
c. 1000 BC
This passage details the fulfillment of the command in Numbers, listing the specific cities and their pasturelands allocated to the Levites from the various tribes' inheritances.
1 Corinthians 9:13-14Paul uses the principle of the Levites receiving their sustenance from the temple offerings to explain why ministers of the gospel should be supported by those they serve.
Deuteronomy 33:10This verse speaks prophetically about the Levites' role, stating they would teach God's law and offer sacrifices, underscoring the spiritual purpose of their designated cities and lands.
Nehemiah 13:10-13This passage shows the practical application and consequences when the Levites' rightful provision (their cities and tithes) was neglected, highlighting the importance of their support for spiritual life.
calvinNumbers 35:1-8: "And the LORD spake unto Moses in the plains of Moab by Jordan near Jericho, saying,"
Et loquutus est Jehova in campestribus Moab juxta Jordanem. Jericho, dicendo:
Command the children of Israel, that they give unto the Levites of the inheritance of their possession cities to dwell in; and ye shall give also unto the Levites suburbs for the cities round about them.
Praecipe filiis Israel ut dent Levitis de haereditate possessionis suae urbes ad habitandum, et suburban…
gillNumbers 35:7: "So all the cities which ye shall give to the Levites shall be forty and eight cities: them shall ye give with their suburbs."
So all the cities which ye shall give to the Levites shall be forty eight cities,.... Of these forty eight cities, their names, and what tribes they were in, and which of them were particularly cities of refuge, an account is given in Joshua 21:10 , them shall ye give, with their suburbs; according to the dimensions before prescribed.
While it names 48 cities, this verse actually details a total of 42 cities plus the six cities of refuge, showing how these vital safe havens were integrated within the Levites' allotted towns. This wasn't just about housing them, but about strategically placing spiritual and judicial centers throughout the entire land.
God is instructing Moses on how to provide for the Levites, who, unlike other tribes, received no land inheritance. This passage lays out the specific number of cities and their surrounding pasturelands that will be distributed among the Levites from the territories of the other Israelite tribes. The text specifies that six of these cities are designated as cities of refuge, with the remaining forty-two serving as their regular dwelling places.
God is instructing Moses on how to provide for the Levites, who, unlike other tribes, received no land inheritance. This passage lays out the specific number of cities and their surrounding pasturelands that will be distributed among the Levites from the territories of the other Israelite tribes. The text specifies that six of these cities are designated as cities of refuge, with the remaining forty-two serving as their regular dwelling places.
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Reign of King David
David reorganizes the Levites, assigning them roles in worship and administration, reinforcing their presence in various cities.
"All the cities that you give to the Levites shall be forty-eight, with their pasturelands." — While it names 48 cities, this verse actually details a total of 42 cities plus the six cities of refuge, showing how these vital safe havens were integrated within the Levites' allotted towns. T…
