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Joshua 20

Joshua 20:8

Six Cities of Refuge · Joshua 20:1–9
Read Joshua 20

Translations

Modern
And beyond the Jordan, east of Jericho, they designated Bezer on the wilderness plateau from the tribe of Reuben, Ramoth in Gilead from the tribe of Gad, and Golan in Bashan from the tribe of Manasseh.
Traditional
And on the other side Jordan by Jericho eastward, they assigned Bezer in the wilderness upon the plain out of the tribe of Reuben, and Ramoth in Gilead out of the tribe of Gad, and Golan in Bashan out of the tribe of Manasseh.
Literal
And on the other side of the Jordan by Jericho eastward, they assigned Bezer in the wilderness on the plain from the tribe of Reuben, and Ramoth in Gilead from the tribe of Gad, and Golan in Bashan from the tribe of Manasseh.
Latin
Et trans Jordanem contra orientalem plagam Jericho, statuerunt Bosor, quæ sita est in campestri solitudine de tribu Ruben, et Ramoth in Galaad de tribu Gad, et Gaulon in Basan de tribu Manasse.

Original

Hebrew
English
And beyond the Jordan, east of Jericho, they designated Bezer on the wilderness plateau from the tribe of Reuben, Ramoth in Gilead from the tribe of Gad, and Golan in Bashan from the tribe of Manasseh.

Notes

Joshua 20:7–9

Joshua chose six cities of refuge. Three were on the east side of the Jordan River and three were on the west side. From anywhere in the land, people could reach one of these well-known Levitical cities within two days of travel.

Joshua 20:1–21:45

Before they fully divided the land, Joshua had to establish six cities of refuge and assign cities in which the Levites would live.

Joshua 13:1–21:45

  • As he had promised, God brought Israel into the land. Joshua then focused on dividing the land among Israel's tribes.

  • The tribal allowances made the covenant of the Israelites with God real. It showed the fulfillment of God's promise to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Since God owned the land, giving it to the tribes was a gift. God gave them the land to live in and guided its distribution.

  • In these lists of tribal allowances, the author describes some borders in great detail, allowing them to be mapped. With others, they are less plainly defined.

Theme notes and profiles

Joshua Inheriting the Land The Cities of Refuge

Parallels

Numbers 35:9–34 Deuteronomy 4:41–43 Deuteronomy 19:1–14

People

Gad: Israelite tribe; descended from Gad, son of Jacob Manasseh: Firstborn son of Joseph, blessed by Jacob Reuben: Firstborn son of Jacob and Leah

Places

Bashan: Region east of the Jordan, known for its fertility Bezer: Levitical city of refuge in Reuben Gilead: Mountainous region east of Jordan; tribal territory and personal name Golan: A city of refuge in Bashan, allotted to Manasseh Jericho: An ancient city in Canaan, famously conquered by Israel Jordan: A river and region, significant in Israel's history Ramoth: City of refuge east of the Jordan

Glossary

Bezer (Place) Cities of Refuge Gaulanitis Golan Joshua (Person) Joshua, Book of Judges, Book of Manasseh, Tribe of Numbers, Book of Ramoth-Gilead Tribe of Dan

Topics

Avenger of Blood: Scriptures Relating To Bezer: A City of Refuge, East of the Jordan Cities of Refuge: Names of Golan: Given to the Tribe of Manasseh As a City of Refuge Homicide: Accidental Ramoth-Gilead: A City of the Territory of the Tribe of Gad, and One of the Cities of Refuge Refuge: Cities of List of