Ten Cities and Their Suburbs - Joshua 21:26

In the book of Joshua, we learned how, “All the cities of the children of Aaron, the priests, were thirteen cities with their suburbs, and the families of the children of Kohath, the Levites which remained of the children of Kohath, even they had the cities of their lot out of the tribe of Ephraim. For they gave them Shechem with her suburbs in mount Ephraim, to be a city of refuge for the slayer; and Gezer with her suburbs, and Kibzaim with her suburbs, and Bethhoron with her suburbs; four cities, and out of the tribe of Dan, Eltekeh with her suburbs, Gibbethon with her suburbs, Aijalon with her suburbs, Gathrimmon with her suburbs; four cities, and out of the half tribe of Manasseh, Tanach with her suburbs, and Gathrimmon with her suburbs; two cities”, and in chapter twenty-one and verse twenty-six of Joshua we learn about, “all the cities were ten with their suburbs” where we read, 

All the cities were ten with their suburbs for the families of the children of Kohath that remained.

The verse reads, “All the cities were ten with their suburbs, …” Joshua or the writer began with the words, “all the cities were ten” which means “each, every and the whole of the dwelling places or places of wakening exited as ten in number” “with their suburbs” or “alongside or accompanied by their, the cities’, open or common land”. Joshua or the writer shared how there were ten in number of everyone of the dwelling places and their common lands given to the Kohathite Levites.

The verse goes on to say, “… for the families of the children of Kohath that remained.” Joshua or the writer continued the words, “for the families” which means “on behalf of the kinsmen, kindred and relatives” “of the children of Kahath” or “pertaining to the offspring and progeny belonging to Kohath whose name means ‘assembly’ and was the second of the three sons of Levi and progenitor of a family in the tribe of Levi” “that remained” which means “who were left over, behind and reserved”. Joshua or the writer shared how the dwelling places were provided on behalf of the left over kindred and relatives belonging to “Kohath”. 

When we meditate upon the words in this verse, we discover how there were “ten” dwelling places provided to the “Levites” by the “tribes of Ephraim, Dan and one-half of the tribe of Manasseh”. Each of these places were to be used as “cities of refuge” for the people of Israel, and in like manner Jehovah God has made forgiveness of sins, everlasting life and the equipping and empowering of His Holy Spirit available to everyone who yields to His Son Jesus who died on the cross for the sins of all mankind and was raised from the dead after three days. God loves the people of Israel, and He loves us and everyone reading these words should receive Him as “Savior and Lord”. (See John 3:16; Romans 10:9-10)

Next time we learn about, “the children of Gershon, of the families of the Levites”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

See more devotionals on the website "thewordfortodaywithray.com" or look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore. All references are from "Strongs Concordance".