commanded, Numb. 35. 4, 5. and did not go about to cut them short.
3. When the forty-eight cities were pitched upon, they were divided into four lots, as they lay next together, and then by lot were determined to the four several families of the tribe of Levi. When the Israelites had surrendered the cities into the hand of God, he would himself have the distributing of them among his servants. (1.) The family of Aaron, who were the only priests, had to their share the thirteen cities that were given by the tribes of Judah, Simeon, and Benjamin, v. 4. God in wisdom ordered it thus, that though Jerusalem itself was not one of their cities, it being as yet in the possession of the Jebusites, (and those generous tribes would not mock the Levites who had another warfare to mind, with a city that must be recovered by the sword before it could be enjoyed,) yet the cities that fell to their lot were those which lay next to Jerusalem, because that was to be in process of time, the holy city, where their business would chiefly lie. (2.) The Kohathite Levites (among whom were the posterity of Moses, though never distinguished from them) had the cities that lay in the lot of Dan, which lay next to Judah, and in that of Ephraim, and the half tribe of Manasseh, which lay next to Benjamin. So they who descended from Aaron's father, joined nearest to Aaron's sons. (3.) Gershon was the eldest son of Levi, and therefore, though the younger house of the Kohathites was preferred before his, yet his children had the precedency of the other family of Merari, v. 6. (4.) The Merarites, the youngest house, had their lot last, and it lay furthest off, v. 7. The rest of the sons of Jacob had a lot for every tribe only, but Levi, God's tribe, had a lot for each of its families; for there is a particular providence directing and attending the removes and settlements of ministers, and appointing where they shall fix, who are to be the lights of the world.
9. And they gave out of the tribe of the children of Judah, and out of the tribe of the children of Simeon, these cities which are here mentioned by name, 10. Which the children of Aaron, being of the families of the Kohathites, who were of the children of Levi, had: for theirs was the first lot. 11. And they gave them the city of Arba, the father of Anak, (which city is Hebron,) in the hill-country of Judah, with the suburbs thereof round about it. 12. But the fields of the city, and the villages thereof, gave they to Caleb the son of Jephunneh for his possession. 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, 14. And Jattir with her suburbs, and Eshtemoa with her suburbs, 15. And Holon with her suburbs, and Debir with her suburbs, 16. And Ain with her suburbs, and Juttah with her suburbs, and Beth-shemesh with her suburbs; nine cities out of those two tribes. 17. And out of the tribe of Benjamin, Gibeon with her suburbs, Geba with her suburbs, 18. Anathoth with her suburbs, and Almon with her suburbs; four cities. 19. All the cities of the children of Aaron, the priests, were thirteen cities with their suburbs. 20. 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. 21. For they gave them Shechem with her suburbs in mount Ephraim, to be a city of refuge for the slayer; and Gezer with her suburbs, 22. And Kibzaim with her suburbs, and Beth-horon with her suburbs; four cities. 23. And out of the tribe of Dan, Eltekeh with her suburbs, Gibbethon with her suburbs, 24. Ajalon with her suburbs, Gath-rimmon with her suburbs; four cities. 25. And out of the half tribe of Manasseh, Taanach with her suburbs, and Gath-rimmon with her suburbs; two cities. 26. All the cities were ten, with their suburbs, for the families of the children of Kohath that remained. 27. 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. 28. And out of the tribe of Issachar, Kishon with her suburbs, Dabareh with her suburbs, 29. Jarmuth with her suburbs, En-gannim with her suburbs; four cities. 30. And out of the tribe of Asher, Mishal with her suburbs, Abdon with her suburbs, 31. Helkath with her suburbs, and Rehob with her suburbs; four cities. 32. And out of the tribe of Naphtali, Kedesh in Galilee with her suburbs, to be a city of refuge for the slayer; and Hammoth-dor with her suburbs, and Kartan with her suburbs; three cities. 33. All the cities of the Gershonites, according to their families, were thirteen cities with their suburbs. 34. And unto the families of the children of Merari, the rest of the Levites, out of the tribe of Zebulun, Jokneam with her suburbs, and Kartah with her suburbs, 35. Dimnah with her suburbs, Nahalal with her suburbs; four cities. 36. And out of the tribe of Reuben, Bezer with her suburbs, and Jahazah with her suburbs, 37. Kedemoth with her suburbs, and Mephaath with her suburbs; four cities. 38. And out of the tribe of Gad, Ramoth in Gilead with her suburbs, to be a city of refuge for the slayer; and Mahanaim with her suburbs, 39. Heshbon with her suburbs, Jazer with her suburbs; four cities in all. 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. 41. All the cities of the Levites within the possession of the children of Israel were forty and eight cities
