Joshua 21:16

And Ain with her suburbs, and Juttah with her suburbs, and Bethshemesh with her suburbs; nine cities out of those two tribes.

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Benson Commentary

Joshua 21:16. And Ain — Ain and Gibeon, and some others here named, are not named 1 Chronicles 6:59. Either they were destroyed in some of those invasions wherewith their land was grievously wasted before that time, or they appear there under other names.

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

Ain here, and Gibeon Joshua 21:17, and some others here named, are not named 1Ch 6, either because they were destroyed in some of those hostile invasions and wars wherewith their land was grievously harassed and wasted before that time; or they appear there under other names, as was said.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

And Ain with her suburbs,.... See Gill on Joshua 15:32,

and Juttah with her suburbs; See Gill on Joshua 15:55,

and Bethshemesh with her suburbs; which is not mentioned among the cities of Judah, Joshua 15:21; only as in the borders of it, Joshua 21:10; and perhaps is the same Bethshemesh to which the ark was directed by the Philistines from Ashdod, 1 Samuel 6:9; in it formerly was a temple dedicated to the sun, from whence it had its name:

nine cities out of those two tribes; and they seem all but one, which is Ain, to be of the tribe of Judah, and that originally belonged to it; and as that tribe had the largest number of cities in its lot, the more were given out of it to the Levites, according to a rule prescribed, Numbers 35:8.

Geneva Study Bible

And Ain with her suburbs, and Juttah with her suburbs, and Bethshemesh with her suburbs; nine cities out of those two tribes.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

16. Ain, see Joshua 15:32, Joshua 19:7; Juttah, Joshua 15:55; Beth-shemesh, Joshua 15:10.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 16. - Ain with her suburbs. We have "Ashan" in 1 Chronicles 6:59. If the view taken above of Ain (see note on Joshua 15:32, and Joshua 19:7) be correct, Ashen is the true reading here. Joshua 21:16

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).