Old Testament

And if the avenger of blood pursue after him, then they shall not deliver the slayer up into his hand; because he smote his neighbour unwittingly, and hated him not beforetime.

And he shall dwell in that city, until he stand before the congregation for judgment, and until the death of the high priest that shall be in those days: then shall the slayer return, and come unto his own city, and unto his own house, unto the city from whence he fled.

And they appointed Kedesh in Galilee in mount Naphtali, and Shechem in mount Ephraim, and Kirjatharba, which is Hebron, in the mountain of Judah.

And on the other side Jordan by Jericho eastward, they assigned Bezer in the wilderness upon the plain 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.

These were the cities appointed for all the children of Israel, and for the stranger that sojourneth among them, that whosoever killeth any person at unawares might flee thither, and not die by the hand of the avenger of blood, until he stood before the congregation.

Then came near the heads of the fathers of the Levites unto Eleazar the priest, and unto Joshua the son of Nun, and unto the heads of the fathers of the tribes of the children of Israel;

Which the children of Aaron, being of the families of the Kohathites, who were of the children of Levi, had: for theirs was the first lot.

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.

But the fields of the city, and the villages thereof, gave they to Caleb the son of Jephunneh for his possession.

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,

And Jattir with her suburbs, and Eshtemoa with her suburbs,

And Holon with her suburbs, and Debir with her suburbs,

And Ain with her suburbs, and Juttah with her suburbs, and Bethshemesh with her suburbs; nine cities out of those two tribes.

And out of the tribe of Benjamin, Gibeon with her suburbs, Geba with her suburbs,

Anathoth with her suburbs, and Almon with her suburbs; four cities.

All the cities of the children of Aaron, the priests, were thirteen cities with their suburbs.

And they spake unto them at Shiloh in the land of Canaan, saying, The LORD commanded by the hand of Moses to give us cities to dwell in, with the suburbs thereof for our cattle.

And the families of the children of Kohath, the Levites which remained of the children of Kohath, even they had the cities of their lot out of the tribe of Ephraim.

For they gave them Shechem with her suburbs in mount Ephraim, to be a city of refuge for the slayer; and Gezer with her suburbs,

And Kibzaim with her suburbs, and Bethhoron with her suburbs; four cities.

And out of the tribe of Dan, Eltekeh with her suburbs, Gibbethon with her suburbs,

Aijalon with her suburbs, Gathrimmon with her suburbs; four cities.

And out of the half tribe of Manasseh, Tanach with her suburbs, and Gathrimmon with her suburbs; two cities.

All the cities were ten with their suburbs for the families of the children of Kohath that remained.

And unto the children of Gershon, of the families of the Levites, out of the other half tribe of Manasseh they gave Golan in Bashan with her suburbs, to be a city of refuge for the slayer; and Beeshterah with her suburbs; two cities.

And out of the tribe of Issachar, Kishon with her suburbs, Dabareh with her suburbs,

Jarmuth with her suburbs, Engannim with her suburbs; four cities.

And the children of Israel gave unto the Levites out of their inheritance, at the commandment of the LORD, these cities and their suburbs.

And out of the tribe of Asher, Mishal with her suburbs, Abdon with her suburbs,

Helkath with her suburbs, and Rehob with her suburbs; four cities. Reflection This brief verse records a quiet but meaningful act of faithfulness. In the distribution of cities to the Levites, Scripture notes not only names, but provision. What appears to be a simple accounting line is, in fact, evidence that God’s earlier promises were […]