Joshua 21:4

"The first lot," it says, "came out for Kohath, and it fell to the sons of Aaron, the priests, who were among the Levites." Whose was it fitting that "the first lot should come out"? To whom ought primacy to be given, if not to Aaron, the first high priest, first in life, in merits, first in honors and virtue? Is it now at last certain to you that this lot is not a matter of chance, but that a supernal power is present governing it according to the judgment of divine providence? Where, then, does this just lot assign the first dwelling-places "to the sons of Aaron"? "In the tribe," it says, "of Judah, in the tribe of Simeon, and in the tribe of Benjamin, thirteen cities by lot." You see how to chosen men, in chosen tribes, dwelling-places are dispensed. But who were those who ought to receive the second lot? "The sons," it says, "of Kohath who remained" after the sons of Aaron. And which "tribes" do these receive? "In the tribe," it says, "of Ephraim and in the tribe of Dan and in the half-tribe of Manasseh, ten cities by lot." But who are the third? "The sons of Gershon." And in which tribes do they draw their lots? "In Issachar," it says, "and Asher and Naphtali and in the half-tribe of Manasseh which is in Bashan, twelve cities." But who are the last among the Levites? "The sons," it says, "of Merari." Let us see in which tribes these last ones receive their portion. "From the tribe," it says, "of Reuben beyond the Jordan, and Gad, who was with him beyond the Jordan, and from the tribe of Zebulun, who himself also is last among the sons of Leah, they receive by lot twelve cities."

But we have not yet touched upon those things which are more to be observed in these passages; and although we cannot unfold the deeper matters concerning them, at least it will not be irksome to touch briefly on the main points, so that from these each one of the hearers may take occasion to search out a higher and mystical understanding. Since there are four parts of the earth, "Kohath" received his lot first among the sons of Levi "from the eastern part," together with those tribes which themselves also hold the primacy over all. See, then, how all things agree. Among the four parts of the earth it is certain that the eastern region appears the more noble, in which the tribe of Judah, more noble than all the rest, was held; and the "sons of Kohath, the priests" draw the first lot among the first, both in the tribes and in the parts of the earth, together with "Gershon" and "Merari," who were first among the sons of Levi. Thus, then, the three first sons of Levi receive the east. But the "west," where were "Reuben" and "Simeon" and "Gad," is allotted by the second lot to "Kohath from the tribe of Simeon," while "Merari" is allotted first "Reuben." And again "Merari," third in Numbers, received "Zebulun" "from the east," so that justice might be preserved in that lot which is drawn according to God and may direct the minds of believers to contemplate the mysteries of the age to come. After these, of those who were "toward the sea," that is, "Ephraim" and "Benjamin" and "Manasseh," when "Kohath" had received "Benjamin" by the second lot, "the rest" of his family drew "Ephraim" by lot. After this, "Gershon" is allotted those who were "from the half-tribe of Manasseh" which was in the holy land, and again this same "Gershon" is allotted also the other "half-tribe of Manasseh." But because it was fitting that those also who were "in the north" should obtain something of the priestly grace, lest they should seem to be utterly stripped of heavenly gifts, therefore among these, whose order was the last "in the north," that is, "Dan," "Naphtali," "Asher," again "Kohath" — not indeed among the priests, but among "the rest" — received nonetheless the first lot in "Dan," but the second "Gershon" in "Asher," and the third, this same "Gershon," in "Naphtali."