What is the meaning of Joshua 21:20? The remaining Kohathite clans Joshua 21:20: “The remaining Kohathite clans…” • Kohath was one of Levi’s three sons; his descendants carried the most sacred objects of the tabernacle (Numbers 3:27-32). • Earlier in the chapter the priestly line of Aaron—also Kohathites—had already received thirteen cities (Joshua 21:9-19). “Remaining” draws a line between the priest-priests and the rest of the Kohathite families who still needed homes. • God’s careful record-keeping shows He never forgets a promise. Every family named in Numbers 26:57-62 is now tangibly provided for. of the Levites • The phrase anchors these clans inside the larger Levitical calling: service, teaching, worship (Deuteronomy 10:8). • Unlike the other tribes, “The LORD said… ‘You shall have no inheritance in the land’” (Numbers 18:20); instead they receive towns scattered everywhere (Joshua 13:33). • Their unique distribution lets God’s Word permeate the whole land; Psalm 73:26 comes alive as the LORD, not acreage, is their portion. were allotted these cities: • “Allotted” echoes the lot-casting overseen by Eleazar and Joshua (Joshua 14:1-2). Although lots seem random, Proverbs 16:33 reminds us the LORD directs every outcome. • Cities, not broad swaths of farmland, mean daily dependence. They receive pasturelands around each town (Numbers 35:2-5), enough for flocks but not for self-sufficiency—so ministry stays central. • The end of the chapter rejoices: “So the LORD gave them rest on every side” (Joshua 21:44). Obedience to divine allotment leads to national peace. From the tribe of Ephraim • Ephraim, Joseph’s younger son, occupied a strategic, fertile heartland where the tabernacle stood at Shiloh (Joshua 18:1). Planting Levites here saturates Israel’s worship center with teaching priests. • Later history underscores the wisdom: when idolatry flares in Ephraim (Judges 17, Hosea 4:17), Levites on-site provide immediate corrective witness. • The presence of God-appointed teachers in each tribe fulfills Deuteronomy 33:10—“They shall teach Your ordinances to Jacob.” summary Joshua 21:20 captures God’s meticulous faithfulness. The non-priestly Kohathites, part of the Levites who own no territory, receive specific cities by divine lot inside Ephraim’s borders. In scattering His servants, the Lord places worship, instruction, and covenant reminder at the very heart of the nation, ensuring every tribe lives within easy reach of His truth. |
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