Joshua 21:3 (KJV)

What does Joshua 21:3 mean?

Joshua 21:3 describes how the Israelites provided places for the Levites to live. The towns came from land already assigned to the other Israelite groups, and the gift was made at the LORD’s command.

After the Levites’ request in verse 2, the account describes the response. The gift included not only towns but also the open land around them, so the Levites received space for their animals as well as places to live.

The Hebrew behind Joshua 21:3

• “inheritance” — נַחֲלָה (naḥalah): This word can refer to property passed on or assigned to a group. Here, the “inheritance” is the land each Israelite group had received as its share.
• “suburbs” — מִגְרָשׁ (migrash): This word refers to open land around a town. The KJV’s “suburbs” means land for grazing rather than neighborhoods of houses outside a city.

Why Joshua 21:3 matters

• The Levites’ towns were spread among the other groups rather than gathered into one area. The list that follows names towns taken from several different groups.
• The surrounding land was part of what the Levites received. Numbers 35:3 describes that land as a place for their livestock and other animals.
• Joshua 21:3 presents the gift as a response to an earlier instruction, not merely a decision made at the time. Numbers 35:2 records the command that the Israelites give the Levites towns and surrounding land.