Joshua 21:13

Thus they gave to the children of Aaron the priest Hebron with her suburbs, to be a city of refuge for the slayer; and Libnah with her suburbs,

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

21:9-42 By mixing the Levites with the other tribes, they were made to see that the eyes of all Israel were upon them, and therefore it was their concern to walk so that their ministry might not be blamed. Every tribe had its share of Levites' cities. Thus did God graciously provide for keeping up religion among them, and that they might have the word in all parts of the land. Yet, blessed be God, we have the gospel more diffused amongst us.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The thirteen priestly cities (see the marginal references) were all in the tribes of Judah, Simeon, and Benjamin. Thus, as Calvin remarks, God so overruled it that the priestly families were placed upon the spot which He had determined before hand to choose as the site of His temple.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

Jos 21:9-42. The Cities of the Priests.

9-40. they gave … these cities which are here mentioned by name—It was overruled by the unerring providence of the Divine Lawgiver that the cities of the priests lay within the territories of Judah and Benjamin. This was a provision, the admirable wisdom and propriety of which were fully manifested on the schism that took place in the reign of Rehoboam.

Matthew Poole's Commentary

No text from Poole on this verse.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

Thus they gave to the children of Aaron the priest,.... The families of the Kohathites, that part of them which descended from him, and were priests:

Hebron with her suburbs, to be a city of refuge for the slayer; that had slain a person unawares, and without design; see on Joshua 20:3,

and Libnah with her suburbs; a royal city, of which see Joshua 10:29.

Geneva Study Bible

Thus they gave to the {e} children of Aaron the priest Hebron with her suburbs, to be a city of refuge for the slayer; and Libnah with her suburbs,

(e) That is, the priest of the family of the Kohathites, of whom Aaron was chief.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

13. Libnah] See above ch. Joshua 10:29; Jattir, see Joshua 15:48; Eshtemoa, see Joshua 15:50.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 13. - Hebron with her suburbs to be a city of refuge for the slayer. Rather, the city of refuge for the slayer, Hebron and her cattle drives (see note above on ver. 2). The translation in our version obscures the meaning, which is clearly that the cities of refuge were first fixed on, and then assigned to the Levites. Most of the cities in the following list have been noticed already. Joshua 21:13

Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament

Joshua 21:13 contains a repetition of Joshua 21:11, occasioned by the parenthetical remark in Joshua 21:12. They also received Libnah in the lowland (see Joshua 15:42; Joshua 10:29); Jattir (Joshua 15:48), Eshtemoah (Joshua 15:50), Holon (Joshua 15:51), and Debir (Joshua 15:15, Joshua 15:49; Joshua 10:38) on the mountains of Judah; Ain, for which we should read Ashan (1 Chronicles 6:44; cf. Joshua 15:42), in the tribe of Simeon (Joshua 19:7); Juttah on the mountains (Joshua 15:55); and Beth-shemesh in the lowland (Joshua 15:10).