Joshua 21:43-22:8 NIV

Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments - Joshua 21:43

Joshua 21:43. The Lord gave unto Israel all the land He gave them a right to the whole country, and the actual possession of the greatest part of it. He likewise authorized them to subdue and possess the rest, as soon as it should be needful for them, which was when their numbers were increased; and to exercise absolute dominion over all the people remaining in it. All which was exactly conformable to his promise and oath; for the Israelites not being numerous enough to people the whole... read more

Donald C. Fleming

Bridgeway Bible Commentary - Joshua 21:1-45

Cities for the Levites (20:1-21:45)The Levites were given forty-eight cities throughout Israel, along with surrounding pasture lands for their cattle (see 21:41-42; Numbers 35:1-8). Among these cities were six cities of refuge (Numbers 35:6). These were cities where a person who had killed another could flee for safety until he had been lawfully judged (Exodus 21:12-14). If he was found guilty of murder he was to be executed, but if he was found to have caused the death accidentally, he could... read more

James Burton Coffman

Coffman Commentaries on the Bible - Joshua 21:43

"So Jehovah gave unto Israel all the land which he sware to give unto their fathers; and they possessed it, and dwelt therein. And Jehovah gave them rest round about, according to all that he sware unto their fathers: and there stood not a man of all their enemies before them: and Jehovah delivered all their enemies into their hand. There failed not aught of any good thing which Jehovah had spoken unto the house of Israel; all came to pass."In these verses, our eyes are lifted above the sinful... read more

Robert Jamieson; A. R. Fausset; David Brown

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible - Joshua 21:43

43-45. the Lord gave unto Israel all the land which he sware to give unto their fathers—This is a general winding up of the history from the thirteenth chapter, which narrates the occupation of the land by the Israelites. All the promises made, whether to the people or to Joshua ( :-), had been, or were in the course of being fulfilled; and the recorded experience of the Israelites ( :-), is a ground of hope and confidence to the people of God in every age, that all other promises made to the... read more

Thomas Constable

Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - Joshua 21:43-45

E. The faithfulness of God 21:43-45These verses conclude the account of the division of the land proper (chs. 13-21; cf. Joshua 1:2-6; Joshua 11:23). They bind the two parts of the second half of the book together, and they form a theological conclusion to the entire book up to this point.These statements may seem at first to mean that at this time the Israelites had obtained everything God had promised the patriarchs. Such was not the case."Notwithstanding the fact that many a tract of country... read more

John Dummelow

John Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible - Joshua 21:1-45

The Assignment of Forty-eight Cities to the Levites2. The injunction to Moses was given in the plains of Moab, and is recorded in Numbers 35:2-5.3-8. Number and localities of the cities distributed to each of the families of Levi.9-42. Detailed specification of the cities:—Cities of the Aaronites (Priests) in Judah and Benjamin (9-19); of the Kohathites in Ephraim, Dan, and W. Manasseh (20-26); of the Gershonites in E. Manasseh, Issachar, Asher, and Naphtali (27-33); of the Merarites in... read more

William Nicoll

Expositor's Bible Commentary - Joshua 21:43-45

CHAPTER XXIX.NO FAILURE OF GOD’S PROMISE.Joshua 21:43-45. THE historian has reached a point where he may stand still and look back. One look is comparatively limited; another reaches very far. The immediate survey extends only over the last few years; the remote embraces centuries, and goes back to the time of Abraham. The historian sees the venerable patriarch of the nation among his flocks and herds in Ur of the Chaldees; receiving there a Divine summons to remove to an unknown land; obeying... read more

Arno Clemens Gaebelein

Arno Gaebelein's Annotated Bible - Joshua 21:1-45

8. The Portion of the Levites CHAPTER 21 1. The Levites, the children of Aaron, and their portions (Joshua 21:1-8 ) 2. Kohath (Joshua 21:9-26 ) 3. Gershon (Joshua 21:27-33 ) 4. Merari (Joshua 21:34-40 ) 5. The Lord’s faithfulness (Joshua 21:41-45 ) In chapters 13:14, 33 and 14:3, 4 the statement is made that Moses gave no inheritance to the Levites. The Lord was their inheritance. After the tribes had received their allotments the heads of the fathers of the Levites came to Joshua... read more

L.M. Grant

L. M. Grant's Commentary on the Bible - Joshua 21:1-45

TWO FOOLISH OATHS AND FOOLISH ACTIONS (vv. 1-14) God had not told Israel to totally destroy Benjamin, including women and children, but Israel had done this except for the 600 men hiding in the Rock Rimmon. Now they realize that a tribe of Israel is on the verge of extinction. Why did they not think of this before? But they had virtually decreed that Benjamin should be extinct by the fact that they swore an oath to the effect that no woman of Israel must be given as a wife to a Benjamite... read more

James Gray

James Gray's Concise Bible Commentary - Joshua 21:1-45

SPECIAL CITIES ; ALTAR OF WITNESS THE CITIES OF REFUGE (Joshua 20:0 ) The decree concerning the cities of refuge was considered in its place. It will be well, however, again to notice that they were not instituted to shield criminals but innocent murderers. Whether innocent or guilty though, the murdered had an asylum until his case could be heard by the authorities (Joshua 20:6 ). If innocent he was permitted to remain in the city, immune from the legal avenger, until the death of the... read more