Joshua 20:8

‘ And beyond the Jordan of Jericho eastward, they assigned Bezer in the wilderness, in the tableland out of the tribe of Reuben, and Ramoth in Gilead out of the tribe of Gad, and Golan in Bashan out of the tribe of Manasseh.'

Provision for a further three cities was necessary because of the Transjordan tribes. These additional cities were also provided for in the Law (Deuteronomy 19:9) and resulted from the fact that Transjordan was additional to the land of promise. Thus the emphasis on ‘three' is emphatic depicting essential completeness of provision. By the time of Numbers 35:6 the number was fixed at six because the occupation of Transjordan was then known. These latter three cities were in fact initially set apart by Moses (Deuteronomy 4:41). The verb ‘assigned' = ‘given' may signify the secondary nature of their choice as an afterthought, or may simply be an alternative to prevent repetition.

“The Jordan of Jericho eastward.” An unusual designation. It describes the land eastward of the Jordan. It indicates a time when the Jordan could be defined in relationship to Jericho which would be prominent in the minds of the earliest settlers and confirms an early date for the passage (but see 1 Chronicles 6:78 which, however, probably had this passage in mind. Note the mention of Bezer).

Bezer was in the territory of Reuben on the tableland in the south of Transjordan. Ramoth was central and Golan to the north. Bezer (see Joshua 21:38) is possibly Umm el-Amad‘ and is mentioned on the Moabite Stone. Ramoth in Gilead later features regularly in the conflicts with Syria. It is possibly Tell Ramith. Golan in Bashan (see Joshua 21:27) is of uncertain location although Sahm el-Jolan, twenty seven kilometres (seventeen miles) east of the Sea of Chinnereth had been suggested. The district of Gaulanitis was named after it many centuries later.