Numbers 35:2

Command the children of Israel, that they give unto the Levites of the inheritance of their possession cities to dwell in; and ye shall give also unto the Levites suburbs for the cities round about them.

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Word by word — the Hebrew

Word	Hebrew	Strong’s	Meaning
Command	צַו֮ tzav	H6680	(intensively) to constitute · verb, piel imperative, 2nd person masculine singular
children	בְּנֵ֣י be.Nei	H1121	a son (as a builder of the family name) · noun, common masculine plural construct
Israel	יִשְׂרָאֵל֒ Yis.ra.'El	H3478	Jisrael · proper noun, a place name
give	וְנָתְנ֣וּ ve.na.te.Nu	H5414	to give · conjunction + verb, qal sequential perfect, 3rd person common plural
Levites	לַלְוִיִּ֗ם lal.vi.Yim	H3881	a Levite or descendant of Levi · preposition with the article + noun, gentilic masculine plural absolute
inheritance	מִֽנַּחֲלַ֛ת mi.na.cha.Lat	H5159	properly · preposition + noun, common feminine singular construct
possession	אֲחֻזָּתָ֖ם 'a.chu.za.Tam	H272	something seized · noun, common feminine singular construct + pronominal suffix, 3rd person masculine plural
cities	עָרִ֣ים 'a.Rim	H5892	a city (a place guarded by waking or a watch) in the wi… · noun, common masculine plural absolute
in	לָשָׁ֑בֶת la.Sha.vet	H3427	properly · preposition + verb, qal infinitive construct
give	תִּתְּנ֖וּ ti.te.Nu	H5414	to give · verb, qal imperfect, 2nd person masculine plural
Levites	לַלְוִיִּֽם lal.vi.Yim	H3881	a Levite or descendant of Levi · preposition with the article + noun, gentilic masculine plural absolute
suburbs	וּמִגְרָ֗שׁ u.mig.Rash	H4054	a suburb (i.e. open country whither flocks are driven f… · conjunction + noun, common masculine singular absolute
cities	לֶֽעָרִים֙ le.'a.Rim	H5892	a city (a place guarded by waking or a watch) in the wi… · preposition with the article + noun, common masculine plural absolute
about	סְבִיבֹ֣תֵיהֶ֔ם se.vi.Vo.tei.Hem	H5439	(as noun) a circle · noun, common feminine plural construct + pronominal suffix, 3rd person masculine plural

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (James Strong, 1890/1894), public domain; digitized by Open Scriptures (CC BY-SA). KJV word tagging: eBible.org (public domain). Original-language text, parsing and brief lexicon: STEPBible.org data from Tyndale House, Cambridge (CC BY 4.0).

Cross-references

Joshua 14:3-4 For Moses had given the inheritance of two tribes and an half tribe on the other side Jordan: but unto the Levites he gave none inheritance…
Ezekiel 48:8 And by the border of Judah, from the east side unto the west side, shall be the offering which ye shall offer of five and twenty thousand re…
Leviticus 25:32-34 Notwithstanding the cities of the Levites, and the houses of the cities of their possession, may the Levites redeem at any time.
Joshua 21:2-42 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, wit…
Ezekiel 45:1-8 Moreover, when ye shall divide by lot the land for inheritance, ye shall offer an oblation unto the LORD, an holy portion of the land: the l…
Ezekiel 48:22 Moreover from the possession of the Levites, and from the possession of the city, being in the midst of that which is the prince’s, between…
1 Corinthians 9:10-14 Or saith he it altogether for our sakes? For our sakes, no doubt, this is written: that he that ploweth should plow in hope; and that he tha…

Cross-references from OpenBible.info (CC BY), in the lineage of the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (public domain).

Commentary

John Gill on Numbers 35:2

Command the children of Israel,.... All the tribes of them; it is not a bare instruction that is given them, much less a mere request that is made to them, or something proposed, and left to their option whether they would agree to it or not; but it is strictly enjoined them by the Lord, who had given them freely all they should possess, and who had a right to all they had, and to whom they were in duty and gratitude bound to do his will and pleasure: the order is: that they give unto the Levites, of the inheritance of their possession, cities to dwell in; which was but reasonable and requisite, that the ministers of God, and the assistants of the priests, and who did the service of the con…

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John Calvin on Numbers 35:1-8

Numbers 35:1-8 1. And the LORD spake unto Moses in the plains of Moab by Jordan near Jericho, saying, 1. Et loquutus est Jehova in campestribus Moab juxta Jordanem. Jericho, dicendo: 2. Command the children of Israel, that they give unto the Levites of the inheritance of their possession cities to dwell in; and ye shall give also unto the Levites suburbs for the cities round about them. 2. Praecipe filiis Israel ut dent Levitis de haereditate possessionis suae urbes ad habitandum, et suburbana urbium ipsarum, per circuitus earum dabitis ipsis Levitis. 3. And the cities shall they have to dwell in; and the suburbs of them shall be for their cattle, and for their goods, and for all their…

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Tyndale Open Study Notes on Numbers 35:1-34

The tribe of Levi received no territory, so ch 35 describes their allotment of 48 towns dispersed among the territories of Israel’s other tribes (see Josh 21; see also Lev 25:32-34; 1 Chr 13:2; 2 Chr 11:14). Just as the Levites had lived in the center of the Israelite camp during the wilderness period (cp. Num 2:17), in the Promised Land they were to live among the other tribes and have a leavening influence among them (see Deut 33:9-10; 2 Chr 17:7-9; 19:8-11; 35:3). The cities and their surrounding pastureland were not a “homeland” (cp. Num 18:23; 26:62) but only a tiny fraction of the Canaanite territory dispersed among the other tribes.

Dictionary and topics

City — The earliest mention of city-building is that of Enoch, which was built by Cain (Gen. 4:17). After the confusion of tongues, the descendants of Nimrod founded several cities (10:10-12). Next, we have…
Levite — A descendant of the tribe of Levi (Ex. 6:25; Lev. 25:32; Num. 35:2; Josh. 21:3, 41). This name is, however, generally used as the title of that portion of the tribe which was set apart for the…
Levites — (descendants of Levi). Sometimes the name extends to the whole tribe, the priests included, (Exodus 6:25; Leviticus 25:32; Numbers 35:2; Joshua 21:3,41) etc; sometimes only to those members of the…
Refuge, Cities of — Were six in number (Num. 35). 1. On the west of Jordan were (1) Kadesh, in Naphtali; (2) Shechem, in Mount Ephraim; (3) Hebron, in Judah. 2. On the east of Jordan were, (1) Golan, in Bashan; (2)…
Cities · Sometimes had suburbs — Sometimes had suburbs
Levites, The · Eight and forty cities with extensive suburbs, appointed for — Eight and forty cities with extensive suburbs, appointed for
Priests · Thirteen of the Levitical cities given to, for residence — Thirteen of the Levitical cities given to, for residence

Dictionary: Easton's (1897) and Smith's (1863), public domain. Topics: Nave's Topical Bible (1896) and Torrey's Topical Textbook (1897), public domain. Both as parsed by NEUU (CC BY 4.0).

Word by word — the Hebrew

Cross-references

Commentary

John Gill on Numbers 35:2

John Calvin on Numbers 35:1-8

Tyndale Open Study Notes on Numbers 35:1-34

Dictionary and topics

Word by word — the Hebrew

Cross-references

Commentary

John Gill on Numbers 35:2

John Calvin on Numbers 35:1-8

Tyndale Open Study Notes on Numbers 35:1-34

Dictionary and topics

Rashi on Numbers 35:2