Joshua 21:9-19

Cities Given to the Family of Aaron Joshua 21:9-19

9 And they gave out of the tribe of the children of Judah, and out of the tribe of the children of Simeon, these cities which are here mentioned by name.
10 Which the children of Aaron, being of the families of the Kohathites, who were of the children of Levi, had: for their's was the first lot.
11 And they gave them the city of Arba the father of Anak, which city is Hebron, in the hill country of Judah, with the suburbs thereof round about it.
12 But the fields of the city, and the villages thereof, gave they to Caleb the son of Jephunneh for his possession.
13 Thus they gave to the children of Aaron the priest Hebron with her suburbs, to be a city of refuge for the slayer; and Libnah with her suburbs,
14 And Jattir with her suburbs, and Eshtemoa with her suburbs,
15 And Holon with her suburbs, and Debir with her suburbs,
16 And Ain with her suburbs, and Juttah with her suburbs, and Beth-shemesh with her suburbs; nine cities out of those two tribes.
17 And out of the tribe of Benjamin, Gibeon with her suburbs, Geba with her suburbs,
18 Anathoth with her suburbs, and Almon with her suburbs; four cities.
19 All the cities of the children of Aaron, the priests, were thirteen cities with their suburbs.

7.

What important cities were given to the children of Aaron? Joshua 21:10-19

Several of the cities given to the children of Aaron were well known and figured prominently in later Israelite history. Jattir, for example, was one of the cities to which David sent spoils from Ziklag (1 Samuel 30:27). This town lay twelve miles south of Hebron. The ruins of Attir have been located on a hill at this point. Hebron, a city of refuge, was one of the most famous cities in the entire land. Gibeon was famous as the home of the Hivites, who had tricked Joshua into making a peace treaty with them. Anathoth was the home of high priests in the times of David.

8.

What special provision was made with regard to Hebron? Joshua 21:11

Since Caleb had asked for territory in the South and had been given Hebron and its suburbs, a provision was made for him to have jurisdiction over the villages which belonged to Hebron. The fields that surrounded the city were also left in Caleb's possession.