Joshua 21:38

. And out of the tribe of Gad,.... Which also, as that of Reuben, lay on the other side Jordan: Ramoth in Gilead with her suburbs; of which see Joshua 20:8; [to be] a city of refuge for the slayer; and is the sixth and last city of refuge in this account: and Mahanaim with her suburbs; here it was the angels met Jacob, which gave rise to the name of the place, Genesis 32:1; afterwards a city was built here, and was on the borders of the tribe of Gad, and belonged to it, Joshua 13:26; mention is made of it in other places, 2 Samuel 2:8 1 Kings 2:8. Joshua 21:39 Ver. 39. Heshbon with her suburbs,.... Which was formerly the royal city of Sihon king of the Amorites, and was first given to and rebuilt by the Reubenites, but was upon the border of the tribe of Gad; and appears from hence to have been one of their cities, Numbers 21:26; Jazer with her suburbs; sometimes called Jaazer, another city in the same country, and near Heshbon; see Numbers 21:32; four cities in all: which were Ramothgilead, Mahanaim, Heshbon, and Jazer. Joshua 21:40 Ver. 40. So all the cities for the children of Merari by their families,....

Which were distributed by lot to them, according to the number of their families, and were sufficient for them: which were remaining of the families of the Levites; the last division of them, besides those of the Kohathites, Levites, and the Gershonites: were [by] their lot twelve cities; four out of the tribe of Zebulun, four out of the tribe of Reuben, and four out of the tribe of Gad, whose names are before given, Joshua 21:41 Ver. 41. All the cities of the Levites, within the possession of the children of Israel,....

21:9-42 By mixing the Levites with the other tribes, they were made to see that the eyes of all Israel were upon them, and therefore it was their concern to walk so that their ministry might not be blamed. Every tribe had its share of Levites' cities. Thus did God graciously provide for keeping up religion among them, and that they might have the word in all parts of the land. Yet, blessed be God, we have the gospel more diffused amongst us.

And out of the tribe of Gad,.... Which also, as that of Reuben, lay on the other side Jordan: Ramoth in Gilead with her suburbs; of which see Joshua 20:8, to be a city of refuge for the slayer; and is the sixth and last city of refuge in this account: and Mahanaim with her suburbs; here it was the angels met Jacob, which gave rise to the name of the place, Genesis 32:1; afterwards a city was built here, and was on the borders of the tribe of Gad, and belonged to it, Joshua 13:26; mention is made of it in other places, 2 Samuel 2:8 1 Kings 2:8.

Jos 21:9-42. The Cities of the Priests. 9-40. they gave … these cities which are here mentioned by name—It was overruled by the unerring providence of the Divine Lawgiver that the cities of the priests lay within the territories of Judah and Benjamin. This was a provision, the admirable wisdom and propriety of which were fully manifested on the schism that took place in the reign of Rehoboam.

Verse 38. - To be a city of refuge (see above, ver. 13). Mahanaim (see Joshua 13:26 ). Perhaps the unquestionable entente cordiale between David and the sacerdotal party may have determined him to fix on this as his refuge when fleeing from Absalom, in addition to its situation beyond Jordan, and near the fords ( 2 Samuel 17:22, 24 ). Joshua 21:38

[Reformed Biblical] Mount Seir; not that of Edom, but another so called from some resemblance it had with that in quality. ## Bethshemesh: there were divers cities of this name; this in Judah here, and #Joshua 21:16 2 Kings 14:11 , another in Issachar, and a third in Naphtali, #Joshua 19:22,38 . Ver. 11. No text from Poole on this verse. Ver. 12. No text from Poole on this verse. ## Ver. 13. He gave, i.e. Joshua, as appears by comparing this with #Joshua 14:6,12,13 . ## Arba, or Kirjath-arba ; not the city, which was the Levites’, but the territory of it, #Joshua 21:13 . ## Ver. 14. Thence, i.e. from the said territory, from their caves and and forts in it: compare #Joshua 14:12 . This and the following work was done either in Joshua’s life-time, as may seem from #Joshua 11:21 , or after his death, as is related #Jude 1:10 ; these giants having either recovered their cities or defended themselves in the mountains. ## Sheshai, and Ahiman, and Talmai; either the same who are mentioned #Numbers 13:33 , and so they were long-lived men, such as many were in those times and places; or their sons, called by their fathers’ names, which is very usual. ## Ver. 15. Debir; the same mentioned above, #Joshua 15:7 . The name of Debir before was ## Kirjath-sepher: this clause seems to be added to distinguish this from the other Debir subdued by Joshua, #Joshua 10:38,39 . ## Ver. 16.