What is the meaning of Joshua 21:37? Kedemoth • Joshua 21:37 names Kedemoth as one of the Levitical towns assigned to the sons of Kohath. Its earlier mention in Deuteronomy 2:26 places it in the wilderness east of the Jordan, from which Moses sent messengers to Sihon. By connecting these passages, we see Kedemoth had long been familiar to Israel before becoming a Levitical city. The inclusion of Kedemoth fulfills the divine instruction of Numbers 35:1-8 that designated towns be set apart for Levites so they could minister while living among the other tribes. Mephaath • Alongside Kedemoth, Mephaath is listed in Joshua 13:18 among Reuben’s inheritance, and later in 1 Chronicles 6:79 as a Kohathite city. Jeremiah 48:21 cites Mephaath during an oracle against Moab, indicating the town lay near Moab’s border. The Levites stationed there acted as a godly influence in a region prone to idolatry, demonstrating how God strategically places His servants (cf. Deuteronomy 18:5). Four cities • Verses 36-37 summarize the allotment from Reuben: “Bezer… Jahaz… Kedemoth… and Mephaath — four cities” (Joshua 21:36-37). The specific number matters; it shows the precision with which God kept His promise to provide forty-eight Levitical cities in total (Joshua 21:41). Every tribe contributed, underscoring national responsibility to support worship and teaching (Numbers 18:21-24). Together with their pasturelands • Each city came “with its pasturelands,” exactly as commanded in Numbers 35:2-3. These open lands supplied food for the Levites’ livestock, freeing them to focus on temple duties, teaching, and adjudication (2 Chronicles 17:8-9). The provision highlights God’s care for those devoted to spiritual service and invites His people to generous support (Galatians 6:6). summary Joshua 21:37 shows God faithfully allocating Kedemoth and Mephaath, two of the four Kohathite cities taken from Reuben, complete with surrounding pasturelands. The verse illustrates the Lord’s detailed provision for His servants, the nation’s shared duty to sustain worship, and His strategic placement of spiritual leaders where their witness was most needed. |
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