Joshua 21:31-45

Jos 21:31

Helkath with her suburbs, and Rehob with her suburbs; four cities.

Helketh was located on the River Kishon about 6 miles (10 KM) southeast of Mount Carmel.  Rehob was located about 5 miles (8 KM) east of Acco.

Jos 21:32

And out of the tribe of Naphtali, Kedesh in Galilee with her suburbs, to be a city of refuge for the slayer; and Hammoth-dor with her suburbs, and Kartan with her suburbs; three cities.

Kedesh was about 8 miles (13 KM) north of Hazor and was about 17 miles (27 KM) north of the Sea of Galilee (Chinnereth).  Kedesh was also appointed to be a city of refuge for the unintentional slayer.  Hammath-dor was located on the western coast of the Sea of Chinnereth about one third the way north from the southernmost tip.  Kartan was probably near the northwestern shore of the Mediterranean Sea, identical with the ruined village el-Katanah about 5 miles (8 KM) south of Tyre.

Jos 21:33

All the cities of the Gershonites according to their families were thirteen cities with their suburbs.

These were all the cities given to the descendants of Gershon according to their families.  Thirteen in all including the suburbs.

Jos 21:34

And unto the families of the children of Merari, the rest of the Levites, out of the tribe of Zebulun, Jokneam with her suburbs, and Kartah with her suburbs,

Merari was the third son of Levi.  Jokneam was on the River Kishon about 7 miles (11 KM) northwest of Megiddo in the plain of Megiddo.  Kartah was located about 10 miles (16 KM) east of Mount Carmel.

Jos 21:35

Dimnah with her suburbs, Nahalal with her suburbs; four cities.

Dimnah also known as Rimmon was about 14 miles (23 KM) west of the Sea of Chinnereth.  Nahalal was about 3 miles (5 KM) northeast of Mount Carmel.  A total of four cities.

Jos 21:36

And out of the tribe of Reuben, Bezer with her suburbs, and Jahazah with her suburbs,

Bezer was about 5 miles (8 KM) east of Heshbon on the east side of the Jordan.  Jahazah was about 14 miles (23 KM) south of Bezer.

Jos 21:37

Kedemoth with her suburbs, and Mephaath with her suburbs; four cities.

Kedemoth was about 5 miles (8 KM) southwest of Jahazah.  Mephaath was located near Heshbon but its exact location is unknown.

Jos 21:38

And out of the tribe of Gad, Ramoth in Gilead with her suburbs, to be a city of refuge for the slayer; and Mahanaim with her suburbs,

Ramoth-Gilead was located about 29 miles (47 KM) southeast of the Sea of Chinnereth.  Ramoth-Gilead was also a city of refuge for the unintentional slayer.  Mahanaim was located about 10 miles (16 KM) east of the Jordan River and was close to the River Jabbok on the east side of Jordan.

Jos 21:39

Heshbon with her suburbs, Jazer with her suburbs; four cities in all.

Heshbon was located about 14 miles east of the northern point of the Dead Sea.  Jazer was about 14 miles (23 KM) north of Heshbon.

Jos 21:40

So all the cities for the children of Merari by their families, which were remaining of the families of the Levites, were by their lot twelve cities.

These were the cities given to the children of Merari.  They were the last division of the Kohathites, Levites, and Gershonites.  They had a total of twelve cities.

Jos 21:41

All the cities of the Levites within the possession of the children of Israel were forty and eight cities with their suburbs.

These were the forty eight cities which were assigned to the Levites throughout the land of Canaan and on the east side of the Jordan.

Jos 21:42

These cities were every one with their suburbs round about them: thus were all these cities.

These forty eight cities included the suburbs which surrounded each one.

Jos 21:43

And the LORD gave unto Israel all the land which he sware to give unto their fathers; and they possessed it, and dwelt therein.

God made a promise to Abraham that he was going to give the land to his posterity and the book of Joshua shows the unfolding of the completion of that promise.  With all the tribes of Israel now positioned in their inheritance according to the LORD, he has completed his promise to Abraham and the nation of ancient Israel.  They now possessed the land, although they did not possess all of it at this time nevertheless they were given the land according to the promise of God and now they dwelled where they were assigned.

Jos 21:44

And the LORD gave them rest round about, according to all that he sware unto their fathers: and there stood not a man of all their enemies before them; the LORD delivered all their enemies into their hand.

Now they had found a home after wandering for forty years in the wilderness and the land was given to them by divine decree because it was the fulfillment of the promise that God made to Abraham and fulfilled in the time of Joshua.  The rest also included the cessation of hostilities between them and the people groups they moved out under Joshua’s leadership.  Since the LORD had promised them a land, he strengthened and guided the leadership of Joshua to move out the pagan people groups and to occupy their cities without any reprisals from the local inhabitants.  All of the enemies were subdued before Joshua according to the plan of the LORD.

Jos 21:45

There failed not ought of any good thing which the LORD had spoken unto the house of Israel; all came to pass.

Every single thing that the LORD promised to Abraham had now come to pass.  They now had a homeland and were living in peace.  All of the promises that God made to Israel concerning the land was now fulfilled, there was nothing which had to be fulfilled because all came to pass.  The promise to Abraham was fulfilled however there was one caveat and that was they would remain in the land only if they continued in obedience to the LORD.  As we look at the rest of the Hebrew Scriptures, we see that they did not stay obedient and lost their rights to the land.  God never promised a second chance in the land as many dispensationalist preachers teach that God owes the Jews a homeland.  He owes them nothing because the modern Jews are not related to the ancient nation of Israel just because they have the same name.  The modern Jews in modern Israel are a group under the tutelage of Talmudic Judaism and not the Hebrew Scriptures.  They are adherents to the false religion of Judaism which will lead to eternal damnation just like any other false religion. 

Blessed be the LORD, that hath given rest unto his people Israel, according to all that he promised: there hath not failed one word of all his good promise, which he promised by the hand of Moses his servant. (1 Kings 8:56)

⁷ Thou art the LORD the God, who didst choose Abram, and broughtest him forth out of Ur of the Chaldees, and gavest him the name of Abraham; ⁸ And foundest his heart faithful before thee, and madest a covenant with him to give the land of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Jebusites, and the Girgashites, to give it, I say, to his seed, and hast performed thy words; for thou art righteous: (Nehemiah 9:7-8)

Their children also multipliedst thou as the stars of heaven, and broughtest them into the land, concerning which thou hadst promised to their fathers, that they should go in to possess it. (Nehemiah 9:23)

Moreover all these curses shall come upon thee, and shall pursue thee, and overtake thee, till thou be destroyed; because thou hearkenedst not unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to keep his commandments and his statutes which he commanded thee: (Deuteronomy 28:45)

And it shall come to pass, that as the LORD rejoiced over you to do you good, and to multiply you; so the LORD will rejoice over you to destroy you, and to bring you to nought; and ye shall be plucked from off the land whither thou goest to possess it. (Deuteronomy 28:63)