United Commentaries

Josh.13.8-21.45

As he had promised, God brought Israel into the land. Joshua next turned his attention to the allotment of the land to Israel’s tribes.

The tribal allotments gave geographical reality to the Israelites’ covenant with God and expressed the fulfillment of God’s promise to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Because God owned the land, the apportionment to the tribes was a gift. God gave them the land to dwell in and directed its distribution.

In these lists of tribal allotments, the author describes some borders in such detail that they can be plotted on a map while others were far less well defined.

Josh.20.1-21.45

Before the land was fully allotted, Joshua needed to establish six cities of refuge and assign cities for the Levites to live in.

Josh.20.1-6

These verses contain a review of the law concerning cities of refuge (see also Num 35:6-34).

Josh.20.3

The relatives of a murder or manslaughter victim had the responsibility of seeking revenge for the death. If the avenger (Hebrew go’el) found the killer outside a city of refuge, he could kill him without punishment.

Josh.20.7-9

Joshua designated six cities of refuge: three on the east side of the Jordan, and three on the west. From anywhere in the land, one of these six well-known Levitical cities was no more than two days’ travel away.

Josh.20.9

The treatment of foreigners in Israel was a great advance in human relations. Resident aliens were to receive every justice offered to native Israelites (see Exod 22:21; Lev 19:33-34; 24:22; Num 15:15-16).