Joshua 21 35

Joshua 21:35 kjv

Dimnah with her suburbs, Nahalal with her suburbs; four cities.

Joshua 21:35 nkjv

Dimnah with its common-land, and Nahalal with its common-land: four cities;

Joshua 21:35 niv

Dimnah and Nahalal, together with their pasturelands?four towns;

Joshua 21:35 esv

Dimnah with its pasturelands, Nahalal with its pasturelands ? four cities;

Joshua 21:35 nlt

Dimnah, and Nahalal ? four towns.

Joshua 21 verses

Joshua 21 35 Meaning

Joshua 21:35, as rendered in the King James Version, states that Juttah with its suburbs and Gibeon with its suburbs were part of the cities allocated to the Levites, noting a total of "four cities." This verse belongs to the larger account of the fulfillment of God's command for Israel to set aside designated cities with their surrounding pasturelands for the Levites, who received no tribal land inheritance. It underscores God's meticulous provision for His servants and the faithfulness of Israel in fulfilling His commands after the conquest of Canaan.

Joshua 21 35 Context

Joshua chapter 21 details the allocation of forty-eight cities, complete with their surrounding pasturelands (suburbs or common-lands), to the Levite tribe throughout Israel's tribal territories. This allocation fulfilled a specific command given by the Lord through Moses (Num 35) to provide for the Levites, who were uniquely set apart for priestly and sanctuary service and did not receive a tribal land inheritance like the other tribes. The chapter meticulously lists the cities given to each of the three major Levitical families—the Kohathites (including the Aaronite priests), the Gershonites, and the Merarites—from the respective tribes. This organized distribution ensured the Levites could dwell among all the tribes, providing spiritual guidance and performing their duties, thereby reinforcing the unity and religious purity of the nascent nation. Joshua 21:35 falls within the listing of cities provided for the Merarite families, although as discussed in the Word Analysis, the KJV's specific enumeration here for this verse contains a known textual variant compared to most other Bible translations.

Joshua 21 35 Word analysis

• Juttah (יֻטָּה, Yuttah): A specific city located in the hill country of Judah. In Joshua 15:55, it is listed as one of the cities belonging to the tribe of Judah. Critically, Joshua 21:16 already designates Juttah, along with its pasturelands, as a city given to the Kohathite priestly families. Its inclusion here in the KJV's rendition of verse 35, within a list otherwise (in the MT) allocated to the Merarites, highlights a significant textual variance.

• also (גַּם, gam): This conjunction indicates an additional item or an affirmation. Here, it suggests that Juttah is another city being added to the list, connecting it with previous mentions.

• with her suburbs (וּמִגְרָשֶׁהָ, ū-miğrāshehā): The term "suburbs" or "common-lands" refers to the pasturelands surrounding the walled cities. These were vital for the Levites' cattle and overall sustenance, as their primary income came from tithes and offerings rather than land cultivation. This phrase underscores the comprehensive nature of God's provision for them, ensuring they were economically viable to carry out their sacred duties without being burdens on society. This specific inclusion fulfills the detailed instructions found in Numbers 35:2-5.

• and Gibeon (וְגִבְעוֹן, wĕ-Ġibʻon): A major city in ancient Canaan, initially inhabited by Hivites, known for its strategic importance and for making a cunning treaty with Israel (Josh 9). It later became a city in the territory of Benjamin (Josh 18:25). Like Juttah, Gibeon is already explicitly designated in Joshua 21:17 as a city for the Kohathite priestly families. Gibeon also has historical significance as the place where the sun stood still (Josh 10) and where Solomon had his important vision (1 Kgs 3:4-15).

• with her suburbs (וּמִגְרָשֶׁהָ, ū-miğrāshehā): Repeats the detail for Gibeon, confirming that the essential pasturelands were part of the provision, aligning with the pattern for all Levitical cities.

• four cities (אַרְבַּע עָרִים, arba' 'arim): This phrase presents the central textual discrepancy of the King James Version for Joshua 21:35. If Juttah and Gibeon are listed, they constitute only two cities, not "four."

  • Word-group Analysis and Textual Variance: This numeric discrepancy indicates that the KJV follows an ancient textual tradition (likely reflecting a Septuagintal or Vulgate reading) that differs from the Masoretic Text (MT), which is the basis for most modern translations. In the Masoretic Text (MT) and most modern versions (e.g., NKJV, ESV, NIV), Joshua 21:35 lists "Dimnah with its pasturelands and Nahalal with its pasturelands—four cities." These two cities (Dimnah and Nahalal) are from the tribe of Zebulun, fitting into the sequence for the Merarite Levites. The "four cities" in the MT's reading for the Merarites from Zebulun would correctly comprise these two cities plus two others from Zebulun (Kartah and Nahalal) which were assigned earlier (Josh 21:34, noting the Nahalal duplicate as a scribal error in MT, meaning only three named for Zebulun from two references if Kartah is 21:34 and Nahalal in 21:35 for MT or this is to fill to the "4" by mentioning last two that fill up to 4, thus 2 + 2, based on the previous 2 mentioned for the same group for merarite cities) in the full list for the Merarites (Josh 21:40 states 12 total cities for Merarites, with 4 from Zebulun and 4 from Reuben/Gad combined from other verses). The KJV's reading, by listing Juttah and Gibeon, which were already given to the Kohathite priests from Judah and Benjamin respectively (Josh 21:16-17), presents an apparent redundancy and a numerical inconsistency within the KJV's own stated count in this verse. This difference is a classic example of variations in ancient biblical manuscripts, underscoring the work of textual criticism to ascertain the most likely original reading. However, both readings convey the consistent message of God's command fulfilled to provide cities for the Levites.

Joshua 21 35 Bonus section

The most significant aspect of Joshua 21:35 that extends beyond a surface reading is the notable textual variant between the Masoretic Text (MT), upon which most modern English translations (ESV, NIV, NASB, NKJV) are based, and older translations like the King James Version (KJV) and some ancient manuscripts (like the Septuagint, LXX).

• Masoretic Text: Reads "Dimnah also with her suburbs, Nahalal also with her suburbs: four cities." These cities, Dimnah and Nahalal, are in the territory of Zebulun and fit logically into the section describing cities given to the Merarite Levites from Zebulun (vv. 34-35). This reading provides two cities that, when combined with others from Zebulun, correctly add up to four from that tribe for the Merarites, maintaining the mathematical integrity of the chapter's counts.
• King James Version (and LXX/Vulgate Tradition): Reads "Juttah also with her suburbs, and Gibeon with her suburbs; four cities." The issue here is twofold: 1) Juttah and Gibeon are cities of Judah and Benjamin, respectively, not Zebulun, and they were already listed as priestly cities for the Kohathite Levites earlier in Joshua 21 (vv. 16-17). 2) Two cities listed cannot constitute "four cities." This suggests either a textual error in the transmission of this particular ancient manuscript tradition (a common phenomenon in manuscript studies), where earlier lines might have been mistakenly repeated or substituted, or a scribal harmonization across different sections that inadvertently introduced an inconsistency.

This variant serves as a vivid illustration of textual criticism's importance in biblical studies, demonstrating how careful scholarship comparing different ancient manuscripts helps reconstruct the most probable original text. Despite such minor textual differences, the overarching message of the chapter—God's covenant faithfulness in providing land and establishing order, including special provisions for the Levites—remains consistent across all textual traditions.

Joshua 21 35 Commentary

Joshua 21:35, as presented in the King James Version, points to Juttah and Gibeon, with their essential common-lands, as part of the Levitical cities, specifically indicating "four cities" in its tally. This verse is fundamentally part of the meticulously ordered division of the conquered land of Canaan, fulfilling God's express command for dedicated provision for the tribe of Levi. Since the Levites were not allotted a territorial inheritance, these cities strategically spread throughout Israel served multiple crucial functions: they ensured the Levites' sustenance through their cattle grazing on the "suburbs," enabled their role as spiritual teachers and judges accessible to all tribes, and maintained their priestly functions within various regional proximity. The primary insight from this verse, despite its notable textual variation with other manuscript traditions regarding the specific cities named here, remains God's faithfulness to His promises and the detailed, orderly nature of His divine administration, ensuring every part of His people's needs, especially those dedicated to His service, were fully met. This pattern of provision and support for those set apart for ministry is a recurring theme throughout biblical history.