HarperCollins Study Bible

by Harold W. Attridge

  19.10–16 Zebulun’s territory was the poorer southern flank of the Galilean mountains together with a contiguous wedge out of the Jezreel plain. The boundary descriptions in this chapter look like fragments that vary greatly in their state of preservation. The southern border runs west from Sarid (vv. 10–11) and then east of the same town (v. 12).V. 13 gives the eastern border and v. 14 the northern border. A town list follows (v. 15).

  19.17–23 Issachar’s territory was the center of a continuing struggle to control the fertile fields and strategic crossroads of the Jezreel Valley. Issachar is described by a town list (vv. 18–21) followed by a fragmentary portion of the northern boundary (v. 22).

  19.17 Issachar, lit. “hired man,” which may refer to forced labor at one time supplied by this tribe in the fields and caravans of Jezreel.

  19.22 The isolated round dome of Mount Tabor, at the southern limit of the Galilean mountains and five miles (eight kilometers) east of Nazareth, is the most conspicuous landmark in the entire region.

  19.24–31 The tribe of Asher claimed one of the most prosperous areas, the lush plain of Acco and its narrowing northern extension as far as Rosh ha-Niqra (the ancient “Ladder of Tyre”). The description of Asher’s boundary is intermingled with items from a town list. Sidon (v. 28) and Tyre (v. 29) were not counted as part of Israelite territory; the boundary is described as coming close to their territories.

  19.26 The Mount Carmel spur juts to the coast just south of Haifa Bay, presenting steep and precipitous slopes, a decisive natural boundary.

  19.27 Cabul (Kabul), about nine miles (fourteen kilometers) east-southeast of Acco, was the center of a district of twenty towns that Solomon traded to Hiram of Tyre in exchange for building supplies (1 Kings 9.13).

  19.32–39 The territory described for Naphtali is the heartland of Galilee. Major trade routes connecting the port of Acco and the coastal plains with all points north and northeast passed through this corridor. A boundary description (vv. 33–34) is followed by a town list (vv. 35–38).

  19.33 For the boundary this verse projects a line running for the most part along the eastern crests of Galilee (but including the plain of Chinnereth). The oak in Zaananim figures in the story of Deborah (Judg 4.11).

  19.37 Kedesh. Tell Qades, in the hills approximately seven miles (eleven kilometers) northwest of Hazor, is perhaps the most impressive archaeological site in the entire land. Despite the presence of walled towns controlling the valleys, the highlands of Galilee in the twelfth century BCE saw a rapid multiplication of unwalled villages whose inhabitants practiced a satisfactory subsistence farming, thanks to the construction of agricultural terraces. These villages can be plausibly recognized as part of a withdrawal from Canaanite society and expansion of the Israelite movement.

  19.40–48 Although tradition located Dan originally in the south, as described here, Dan’s relocation to the far north is reported in Judg 18. Leshem (v. 47) is “Laish” in Judg 18.27. Dan’s territory is described by a town list (vv. 41–46). It is a wedge of coastal region bordering Judah on the south, Ephraim on the north, and Benjamin to the east.

  19.49–51 Conclusion to the redistribution of the land. Joshua receives a personal inheritance.

  19.50 Timnath-serah is properly Timnath-heres, in Hebrew “Portion of the Sun.” A transposition of letters has resulted in Timnath-serah (“Leftover Portion” also Josh 24.30). This is Khirbet Tibnah, fifteen miles (twenty-five kilometers) southwest of Shechem.

  19.51 That the priest Eleazar cast the lot at the tent of meeting emphasizes that the distribution accords with God’s will. This verse and 14.1, especially the references to the leaders Eleazar and Joshua, form a strong inclusio (a repetition signaling the beginning and end of a unit). At the same time, this verse echoes 18.1 at the beginning of the Shiloh phase. From this point on, Eleazar will be mentioned frequently (21.1; 22.13, 31, 32; 24.33). The heads of the families recalls 14.1. They will appear again in 21.1.

  JOSHUA 20

  The Cities of Refuge

  1Then the LORD spoke to Joshua, saying, 2“Say to the Israelites, ‘Appoint the cities of refuge, of which I spoke to you through Moses, 3so that anyone who kills a person without intent or by mistake may flee there; they shall be for you a refuge from the avenger of blood. 4The slayer shall flee to one of these cities and shall stand at the entrance of the gate of the city, and explain the case to the elders of that city; then the fugitive shall be taken into the city, and given a place, and shall remain with them. 5And if the avenger of blood is in pursuit, they shall not give up the slayer, because the neighbor was killed by mistake, there having been no enmity between them before. 6The slayer shall remain in that city until there is a trial before the congregation, until the death of the one who is high priest at the time: then the slayer may return home, to the town in which the deed was done.’”

  7So they set apart Kedesh in Galilee in the hill country of Naphtali, and Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim, and Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron) in the hill country of Judah. 8And beyond the Jordan east of Jericho, they appointed Bezer in the wilderness on the tableland, from the tribe of Reuben, and Ramoth in Gilead, from the tribe of Gad, and Golan in Bashan, from the tribe of Manasseh. 9These were the cities designated for all the Israelites, and for the aliens residing among them, that anyone who killed a person without intent could flee there, so as not to die by the hand of the avenger of blood, until there was a trial before the congregation.

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  20.1–9 Six towns are designated as cities of refuge (v. 2), three on each side of the Jordan. This institution was intended to curb blood feuds. Murders were to be avenged by a near relative of the victim, the avenger of blood (vv. 3, 5). Cities of refuge provided asylum for the accused until the case could be classified as murder or unintentional manslaughter (Num 35.13–28; Deut 19.1–13).

  20.2 Setting up of cities of refuge completed what God had commanded Moses (Num 35.9–34), who so designated three towns east of the Jordan (Deut 4.41–43) and commanded Joshua to do the same west of the river (Deut 19.1–13).

  20.4 The gate of the city was an elaborate structure, often two stories high, with guardrooms and bench-lined courts and towers; there the elders met to hear cases and to conduct other public business.

  20.6 The death of the…high priest was apparently the occasion for a general amnesty (Num 35.25, 28).

  20.7 The three towns designated by Joshua were Kedesh (Tell Qades in upper Galilee), Shechem, in the north-central hill country, and Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron), in the south.

  20.8 The three east of the Jordan were Bezer (probably Umm el-‘Amad) on the southern plateau opposite Hebron, Ramoth in Gilead (probably Tell Ramith) opposite Shechem, and Golan in Bashan (probably Sahm el-Jolan) opposite Kedesh. Each of these is also included in the list of levitical cities (ch. 21).

  20.9 There is no trace of the cities of refuge system functioning during the monarchical period, when it was probably displaced by a system of law courts.

  JOSHUA 21

  Cities Allotted to the Levites

  1Then the heads of the families of the Levites came to the priest Eleazar and to Joshua son of Nun and to the heads of the families of the tribes of the Israelites; 2they said to them at Shiloh in the land of Canaan, “The LORD commanded through Moses that we be given towns to live in, along with their pasture lands for our livestock.” 3So by command of the LORD the Israelites gave to the Levites the following towns and pasture lands out of their inheritance.

  4The lot came out for the families of the Kohathites. So those Levites who were descendants of Aaron the priest received by lot thirteen towns from the tribes of Judah, Simeon, and Benjamin.

  5The rest of the Kohathites received by lot ten towns from the families of the tribe of Ephraim, from the tribe of Dan, and the half-tribe of Manasseh.

  6The Gershonites received by lot thirteen towns from the families of the tribe of Issachar, from the tribe of Asher, from the trib
e of Naphtali, and from the half-tribe of Manasseh in Bashan.

  7The Merarites according to their families received twelve towns from the tribe of Reuben, the tribe of Gad, and the tribe of Zebulun.

  8These towns and their pasture lands the Israelites gave by lot to the Levites, as the LORD had commanded through Moses.

  9Out of the tribe of Judah and the tribe of Simeon they gave the following towns mentioned by name, 10which went to the descendants of Aaron, one of the families of the Kohathites who belonged to the Levites, since the lot fell to them first. 11They gave them Kiriath-arba (Arba being the father of Anak), that is Hebron, in the hill country of Judah, along with the pasture lands around it. 12But the fields of the town and its villages had been given to Caleb son of Jephunneh as his holding.

  13To the descendants of Aaron the priest they gave Hebron, the city of refuge for the slayer, with its pasture lands, Libnah with its pasture lands, 14Jattir with its pasture lands, Eshtemoa with its pasture lands, 15Holon with its pasture lands, Debir with its pasture lands, 16Ain with its pasture lands, Juttah with its pasture lands, and Beth-shemesh with its pasture lands—nine towns out of these two tribes. 17Out of the tribe of Benjamin: Gibeon with its pasture lands, Geba with its pasture lands, 18Anathoth with its pasture lands, and Almon with its pasture lands—four towns. 19The towns of the descendants of Aaron—the priests—were thirteen in all, with their pasture lands.

  20As to the rest of the Kohathites belonging to the Kohathite families of the Levites, the towns allotted to them were out of the tribe of Ephraim. 21To them were given Shechem, the city of refuge for the slayer, with its pasture lands in the hill country of Ephraim, Gezer with its pasture lands, 22Kibzaim with its pasture lands, and Beth-horon with its pasture lands—four towns. 23Out of the tribe of Dan: Elteke with its pasture lands, Gibbethon with its pasture lands, 24Aijalon with its pasture lands, Gath-rimmon with its pasture lands—four towns. 25Out of the half-tribe of Manasseh: Taanach with its pasture lands, and Gath-rimmon with its pasture lands—two towns. 26The towns of the families of the rest of the Kohathites were ten in all, with their pasture lands.

  27To the Gershonites, one of the families of the Levites, were given out of the half-tribe of Manasseh, Golan in Bashan with its pasture lands, the city of refuge for the slayer, and Beeshterah with its pasture lands—two towns. 28Out of the tribe of Issachar: Kishion with its pasture lands, Daberath with its pasture lands, 29Jarmuth with its pasture lands, En-gannim with its pasture lands—four towns. 30Out of the tribe of Asher: Mishal with its pasture lands, Abdon with its pasture lands, 31Helkath with its pasture lands, and Rehob with its pasture lands—four towns. 32Out of the tribe of Naphtali: Kedesh in Galilee with its pasture lands, the city of refuge for the slayer, Hammoth-dor with its pasture lands, and Kartan with its pasture lands—three towns. 33The towns of the several families of the Gershonites were in all thirteen, with their pasture lands.

  34To the rest of the Levites—the Merarite families—were given out of the tribe of Zebulun: Jokneam with its pasture lands, Kartah with its pasture lands, 35Dimnah with its pasture lands, Nahalal with its pasture lands—four towns. 36Out of the tribe of Reuben: Bezer with its pasture lands, Jahzah with its pasture lands, 37Kedemoth with its pasture lands, and Mephaath with its pasture lands—four towns. 38Out of the tribe of Gad: Ramoth in Gilead with its pasture lands, the city of refuge for the slayer, Mahanaim with its pasture lands, 39Heshbon with its pasture lands, Jazer with its pasture lands—four towns in all. 40As for the towns of the several Merarite families, that is, the remainder of the families of the Levites, those allotted to them were twelve in all.

  41The towns of the Levites within the holdings of the Israelites were in all forty-eight towns with their pasture lands. 42Each of these towns had its pasture lands around it; so it was with all these towns.

  43Thus the LORD gave to Israel all the land that he swore to their ancestors that he would give them; and having taken possession of it, they settled there. 44And the LORD gave them rest on every side just as he had sworn to their ancestors; not one of all their enemies had withstood them, for the LORD had given all their enemies into their hands. 45Not one of all the good promises that the LORD had made to the house of Israel had failed; all came to pass.

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  21.1–42 In Num 35.1–8, Moses is commanded to establish a system of levitical cities, designated to provide residential and grazing rights for families of this tribe, which had no territorial inheritance. This roster of towns is mostly paralleled in 1 Chr 6.54–81. Vv. 13–19 derive from an archival list, but the rest of the chapter is a scribal construct based on town names taken from elsewhere in Joshua.

  21.4–7 The levitical cities are assigned to four groups. Levi was divided into three clans: Kohathites, Gershonites, and Merarites. The fourth group was composed of the descendants of Aaron, the priest, who were also Kohathites (v. 4).

  21.13–19 The list of thirteen towns for the descendants of Aaron was derived from an older source, but the other three lists were created by assembling place names from chs. 13, 16–17, 19, 20.

  21.32 Naphtali furnishes only three towns instead of four. Because the core list from the older source contained thirteen towns (vv. 13–19), an adjustment had to be made in order to achieve the ideal number forty-eight (v. 41).

  21.43–45 This optimistic summary makes no reference, direct or indirect, to the cities of refuge and levitical cities, which suggests that chs. 20–21 were added at a later stage. It is thoroughly Deuteronomic in theology and rhetoric. The goals of the conquest have all been achieved (v. 43), and the Lord has fulfilled all promises (v. 45). There is rest on every side (v. 44; cf. 1.13, 15; 22.4).

  JOSHUA 22

  The Eastern Tribes Return to Their Territory

  1Then Joshua summoned the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh, 2and said to them, “You have observed all that Moses the servant of the LORD commanded you, and have obeyed me in all that I have commanded you; 3you have not forsaken your kindred these many days, down to this day, but have been careful to keep the charge of the LORD your God. 4And now the LORD your God has given rest to your kindred, as he promised them; therefore turn and go to your tents in the land where your possession lies, which Moses the servant of the LORD gave you on the other side of the Jordan. 5Take good care to observe the commandment and instruction that Moses the servant of the LORD commanded you, to love the LORD your God, to walk in all his ways, to keep his commandments, and to hold fast to him, and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul.” 6So Joshua blessed them and sent them away, and they went to their tents.

  7Now to the one half of the tribe of Manasseh Moses had given a possession in Bashan; but to the other half Joshua had given a possession beside their fellow Israelites in the land west of the Jordan. And when Joshua sent them away to their tents and blessed them, 8he said to them, “Go back to your tents with much wealth, and with very much livestock, with silver, gold, bronze, and iron, and with a great quantity of clothing; divide the spoil of your enemies with your kindred.”9So the Reubenites and the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh returned home, parting from the Israelites at Shiloh, which is in the land of Canaan, to go to the land of Gilead, their own land of which they had taken possession by command of the LORD through Moses.

  A Memorial Altar East of the Jordan

  10When they came to the regiona near the Jordan that lies in the land of Canaan, the Reubenites and the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh built there an altar by the Jordan, an altar of great size. 11The Israelites heard that the Reubenites and the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh had built an altar at the frontier of the land of Canaan, in the regionb near the Jordan, on the side that belongs to the Israelites. 12And when the people of Israel heard of it, the whole assembly of the Israelites gathered at Shiloh, to make war against them.

  13Then the Israelites sent the priest Phinehas son of Eleazar to the Reubenites and the Gadites
and the half-tribe of Manasseh, in the land of Gilead, 14and with him ten chiefs, one from each of the tribal families of Israel, every one of them the head of a family among the clans of Israel. 15They came to the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh, in the land of Gilead, and they said to them, 16“Thus says the whole congregation of the LORD, ‘What is this treachery that you have committed against the God of Israel in turning away today from following the LORD, by building yourselves an altar today in rebellion against the LORD? 17Have we not had enough of the sin at Peor from which even yet we have not cleansed ourselves, and for which a plague came upon the congregation of the LORD, 18that you must turn away today from following the LORD! If you rebel against the LORD today, he will be angry with the whole congregation of Israel tomorrow. 19But now, if your land is unclean, cross over into the LORD’s land where the LORD’s tabernacle now stands, and take for yourselves a possession among us; only do not rebel against the LORD, or rebel against usc by building yourselves an altar other than the altar of the LORD our God. 20Did not Achan son of Zerah break faith in the matter of the devoted things, and wrath fell upon all the congregation of Israel? And he did not perish alone for his iniquity!’”

  21Then the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh said in answer to the heads of the families of Israel, 22“The LORD, God of gods! The LORD, God of gods! He knows; and let Israel itself know! If it was in rebellion or in breach of faith toward the LORD, do not spare us today 23for building an altar to turn away from following the LORD; or if we did so to offer burnt offerings or grain offerings or offerings of well-being on it, may the LORD himself take vengeance. 24No! We did it from fear that in time to come your children might say to our children, ‘What have you to do with the LORD, the God of Israel? 25For the LORD has made the Jordan a boundary between us and you, you Reubenites and Gadites; you have no portion in the LORD.’ So your children might make our children cease to worship the LORD. 26Therefore we said, ‘Let us now build an altar, not for burnt offering, nor for sacrifice, 27but to be a witness between us and you, and between the generations after us, that we do perform the service of the LORD in his presence with our burnt offerings and sacrifices and offerings of well-being; so that your children may never say to our children in time to come, “You have no portion in the LORD.” ’ 28And we thought, If this should be said to us or to our descendants in time to come, we could say, ‘Look at this copy of the altar of the LORD, which our ancestors made, not for burnt offerings, nor for sacrifice, but to be a witness between us and you.’ 29Far be it from us that we should rebel against the LORD, and turn away this day from following the LORD by building an altar for burnt offering, grain offering, or sacrifice, other than the altar of the LORD our God that stands before his tabernacle!”