Joshua

Joshua 21:1–4

1Now the family heads of the Levites approached Eleazar the priest, Joshua son of Nun, and the heads of the other tribes of Israel 2at Shiloh in the land of Canaan and said to them, “The LORD commanded through Moses that we be given cities in which to live, together with pasturelands for our livestock.”

3So by the command of the LORD, the Israelites gave the Levites these cities and their pasturelands out of their own inheritance:

4The first lot came out for the Kohathite clans. The Levites who were descendants of Aaron the priest received thirteen cities by lot from the tribes of Judah, Simeon, and Benjamin.

Read all of Joshua 21

Word by word

Each English word or phrase beside the Hebrew it translates, in the order of the English. Choose a number to open that word’s study.

Joshua 21:1

EnglishHebrewSounds likeGrammarWord study
Now the familyאֲב֣וֹת’ă·ḇō·wṯNoun - masculine plural constructH1 father
headsרָאשֵׁי֙rā·šêNoun - masculine plural constructH7218 head
of the Levitesהַלְוִיִּ֔םhal·wî·yimArticle; Noun - proper - masculine pluralH3881 Levite
approachedוַֽיִּגְּשׁ֗וּway·yig·gə·šūConjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine pluralH5066 draw near, approach
Eleazarאֶלְעָזָר֙’el·‘ā·zārNoun - proper - masculine singularH499 Elazar
the priestהַכֹּהֵ֔ןhak·kō·hênArticle; Noun - masculine singularH3548 priest
Joshuaיְהוֹשֻׁ֖עַyə·hō·wō·šu·a‘Noun - proper - masculine singularH3091 Jehoshua
sonבִּן־bin-Noun - masculine singular constructH1121 son
of Nunנ֑וּןnūnNoun - proper - masculine singularH5126 Nun, Non
andוְאֶל־wə·’el-Conjunctive waw; PrepositionH413 motion to
the headsרָאשֵׁ֛יrā·šêNoun - masculine plural constructH7218 head
of theהַמַּטּ֖וֹתham·maṭ·ṭō·wṯArticle; Noun - masculine pluralH4294 staff, rod, shaft
of Israelיִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃yiś·rā·’êlNoun - proper - masculine singularH3478 Israel

Joshua 21:2

EnglishHebrewSounds likeGrammarWord study
at Shilohבְּשִׁלֹ֗הbə·ši·lōhPreposition-b; Noun - proper - feminine singularH7887 Shiloh
in the landבְּאֶ֤רֶץbə·’e·reṣPreposition-b; Noun - feminine singular constructH776 earth, land
of Canaanכְּנַ֙עַן֙kə·na·‘anNoun - proper - masculine singularH3667 Canaan
and saidוַיְדַבְּר֨וּway·ḏab·bə·rūConjunctive waw; Verb - Piel - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine pluralH1696 speak
to themאֲלֵיהֶ֜ם’ă·lê·hemPreposition; third person masculine pluralH413 motion to
The LORDיְהוָה֙Yah·wehNoun - proper - masculine singularH3068 Yahweh
commandedצִוָּ֣הṣiw·wāhVerb - Piel - Perfect - third person masculine singularH6680 lay charge (upon), give charge (to), charge, command, order
throughבְיַד־ḇə·yaḏ-Preposition-b; Noun - feminine singular constructH3027 hand
Mosesמֹשֶׁ֔הmō·šehNoun - proper - masculine singularH4872 Moses
that we be givenלָֽתֶת־lā·ṯeṯ-Preposition-l; Verb - Qal - Infinitive constructH5414 give, put, set
citiesעָרִ֖ים‘ā·rîmNoun - feminine pluralH5892 excitement
in which to liveלָשָׁ֑בֶתlā·šā·ḇeṯPreposition-l; Verb - Qal - Infinitive constructH3427 sit, remain, dwell
together with pasturelandsוּמִגְרְשֵׁיהֶ֖ןū·miḡ·rə·šê·henConjunctive waw; Noun - masculine plural construct; third person feminine pluralH4054 common, common-land, open land
for our livestockלִבְהֶמְתֵּֽנוּ׃liḇ·hem·tê·nūPreposition-l; Noun - feminine singular construct; first person common pluralH929 beast, animal, cattle

Joshua 21:3

EnglishHebrewSounds likeGrammarWord study
So byאֶל־’el-PrepositionH413 motion to
the commandפִּ֣יpîNoun - masculine singular constructH6310 mouth
of the LORDיְהוָ֑הYah·wehNoun - proper - masculine singularH3068 Yahweh
the Israelitesבְנֵי־ḇə·nê-Noun - masculine plural constructH1121 son
gaveוַיִּתְּנ֨וּway·yit·tə·nūConjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine pluralH5414 give, put, set
the Levitesלַלְוִיִּ֛םlal·wî·yimPreposition-l; Noun - proper - masculine pluralH3881 Levite
theseהָאֵ֖לֶּהhā·’êl·lehArticle; Pronoun - common pluralH428 these
citiesהֶעָרִ֥יםhe·‘ā·rîmArticle; Noun - feminine pluralH5892 excitement
andוְאֶת־wə·’eṯ-Conjunctive waw; Direct object markerH853 mark of the accusative
their pasturelandsמִגְרְשֵׁיהֶֽן׃miḡ·rə·šê·henNoun - masculine plural construct; third person feminine pluralH4054 common, common-land, open land
out of their own inheritanceמִנַּחֲלָתָ֖םmin·na·ḥă·lā·ṯāmPreposition-m; Noun - feminine singular construct; third person masculine pluralH5159 possession, property, inheritance

Joshua 21:4

EnglishHebrewSounds likeGrammarWord study
Theהַגּוֹרָ֖לhag·gō·w·rālArticle; Noun - masculine singularH1486 lot
came outוַיֵּצֵ֥אway·yê·ṣêConjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singularH3318 go or come out
for the Kohathiteהַקְּהָתִ֑יhaq·qə·hā·ṯîArticle; Noun - proper - masculine singularH6956 Kohathite
clansלְמִשְׁפְּחֹ֣תlə·miš·pə·ḥōṯPreposition-l; Noun - feminine plural constructH4940 clan
The Levitesהַלְוִיִּ֗םhal·wî·yimArticle; Noun - proper - masculine pluralH3881 Levite
who were descendantsלִבְנֵי֩liḇ·nêPreposition-l; Noun - masculine plural constructH1121 son
of Aaronאַהֲרֹ֨ן’a·hă·rōnNoun - proper - masculine singularH175 Aaron
the priestהַכֹּהֵ֜ןhak·kō·hênArticle; Noun - masculine singularH3548 priest
receivedוַיְהִ֡יway·hîConjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singularH1961 fall out, come to pass, become, be
thirteenשְׁלֹ֥שׁšə·lōšNumber - feminine singular constructH7969 a three, triad
citiesעָרִ֖ים‘ā·rîmNoun - feminine pluralH5892 excitement
by lotבַּגּוֹרָ֔לbag·gō·w·rālPreposition-b, Article; Noun - masculine singularH1486 lot
from the tribesמִמַּטֵּ֣הmim·maṭ·ṭêhPreposition-m; Noun - masculine singular constructH4294 staff, rod, shaft
of Judahיְ֠הוּדָהyə·hū·ḏāhNoun - proper - masculine singularH3063 Judah
Simeonהַשִּׁמְעֹנִ֜יhaš·šim·‘ō·nîArticle; Noun - proper - masculine singularH8099 Shimonite
and Benjaminבִנְיָמִן֙ḇin·yā·minNoun - proper - masculine singularH1144 Binjamin

Cross-references

Other passages that speak to the same thing. Point at one to read it.

Joshua 21:1 Joshua 14:1 · Joshua 17:4 · Joshua 19:51

Joshua 21:2 Joshua 18:1 · Numbers 35:2–8

Joshua 21:3 Genesis 49:7

Cross-references from OpenBible.info, used under CC BY 4.0. The best-supported references for each verse are shown.

Scripture text: Berean Standard Bible.