Thematic Bible




Thematic Bible



Seraiah son of Hilkiah, son of Meshullam, son of Zadok, son of Meraioth, son of Ahitub, the chief official of God’s temple,

"Command the Israelites to give cities out of their hereditary property for the Levites to live in and pastureland around the cities. The cities will be for them to live in, and their pasturelands will be for their herds, flocks, and all their [other] animals. The pasturelands of the cities you are to give the Levites [will extend] from the city wall 500 yards on every side. read more.
Measure 1,000 yards outside the city for the east side, 1,000 yards for the south side, 1,000 yards for the west side, and 1,000 yards for the north side, with the city in the center. This will belong to them as pasturelands for the cities. "The cities you give the Levites will include six cities of refuge, which you must provide so that the one who kills someone may flee there; in addition to these, give 42 [other] cities. The total number of cities you give the Levites will be 48, along with their pasturelands. Of the cities that you give from the Israelites' territory, you should take more from a larger [tribe] and less from a smaller one. Each [tribe] is to give some of its cities to the Levites in proportion to the inheritance it receives."

"Concerning the Levitical cities, the Levites always have the right to redeem houses in the cities they possess. Whatever [property] one of the Levites can redeem-a house sold in a city they possess-must be released at the Jubilee, because the houses in the Levitical cities are their possession among the Israelites. The open pastureland around their cities may not be sold, for it is their permanent possession.

The heads of the Levite families approached Eleazar the priest, Joshua son of Nun, and the heads of the families of the Israelite tribes. They told them at Shiloh in the land of Canaan: "The Lord commanded through Moses that we be given cities to live in, with their pasturelands for our livestock." So the Israelites, by the Lord's command, gave the Levites these cities with their pasturelands from their inheritance. read more.
The lot came out for the Kohathite clans: The Levites who were the descendants of Aaron the priest received 13 cities by lot from the tribes of Judah, Simeon, and Benjamin.

They gave to the descendants of Aaron the priest: Hebron, the city of refuge for the one who commits manslaughter, with its pasturelands, Libnah with its pasturelands, Jattir with its pasturelands, Eshtemoa with its pasturelands, Holon with its pasturelands, Debir with its pasturelands, read more.
Ain with its pasturelands, Juttah with its pasturelands, and Beth-shemesh with its pasturelands-nine cities from these two tribes. From the tribe of Benjamin [they gave]: Gibeon with its pasturelands, Geba with its pasturelands, Anathoth with its pasturelands, and Almon with its pasturelands-four cities. All 13 cities with their pasturelands were for the priests, the descendants of Aaron.

Within the Israelite possession there were 48 cities in all with their pasturelands for the Levites. Each of these cities had its own surrounding pasturelands; this was true for all the cities.

Aaron's sons were given: Hebron (a city of refuge), Libnah and its pasturelands, Jattir, Eshtemoa and its pasturelands, Hilen and its pasturelands, Debir and its pasturelands, Ashan and its pasturelands, and Beth-shemesh and its pasturelands. read more.
From the tribe of Benjamin [they were given] Geba and its pasturelands, Alemeth and its pasturelands, and Anathoth and its pasturelands. They had 13 towns in all among their families.

The rest of Israel, the priests, and the Levites were in all the villages of Judah, each on his own inherited property.

"When you divide the land by lot as an inheritance, you must set aside a donation to the Lord, a holy portion of the land, eight and one-third [miles] long and six and two-thirds [miles] wide. This entire tract of land will be holy. In this area there will be a square [section] for the sanctuary, 875 by 875 [feet], with 87 and a half feet of open space all around it. From this holy portion, you will measure off an area eight and one-third [miles] long and three and one-third [miles] wide, in which the sanctuary, the most holy place, will stand. read more.
It will be a holy area of the land to be used by the priests who minister in the sanctuary, who draw near to serve the Lord. It will be a place for their houses, as well as a holy area for the sanctuary. There will be [another area] eight and one-third [miles] long and three and one-third [miles] wide for the Levites who minister in the temple; it will be their possession for towns to live in. "As the property of the city, you must set aside an area one and two-thirds [of a mile] wide and eight and one-third [miles] long, adjacent to the holy donation [of land]. It will be for the whole house of Israel.

"Next to the territory of Judah, from the east side to the west, will be the portion you donate [to the Lord], eight and one-third [miles] wide, and as long as one of the [tribal] portions from the east side to the west. The sanctuary will be in the middle of it. "The [special] portion you donate to the Lord will be eight and one-third [miles] long and three and one-third [miles] wide. This holy donation will be set apart for the priests [alone]. It will be eight and one-third [miles long] on the northern side, three and one-third [miles] wide on the western side, three and one-third [miles] wide on the eastern side, and eight and one-third [miles] long on the southern side. The Lord's sanctuary will be in the middle of it. read more.
It is for the consecrated priests, the sons of Zadok, who kept My charge and did not go astray as the Levites did when the Israelites went astray. It will be a special donation for them out of the [holy] donation of the land, a most holy place adjacent to the territory of the Levites. "Next to the territory of the priests, the Levites [will have an area] eight and one-third [miles] long and three and one-third [miles] wide. The total length will be eight and one-third [miles] and the width three and one-third [miles]. They must not sell or exchange any of it, and they must not transfer this choice [part] of the land, for it is holy to the Lord. "The remaining [area], one and two-thirds [of a mile] wide and eight and one-third [miles long], will be for common use by the city, for [both] residential and open space. The city will be in the middle of it. These are the city's measurements: one and a half [miles] on the north side; one and a half [miles] on the south side; one and a half [miles] on the east side; and one and a half [miles] on the west side. The city's open space will extend: 425 [feet] to the north, 425 [feet] to the south, 425 [feet] to the east, and 425 [feet] to the west. "The remainder of the length alongside the holy donation will be three and one-third [miles] to the east and three and one-third [miles] to the west. It will run alongside the holy donation. Its produce will be food for the workers of the city. The city's workers from all the tribes of Israel will cultivate it. The entire donation will be eight and one-third [miles] by eight and one-third [miles]; you are to set apart the holy donation along with the city property as a square [area].


"Next to the territory of Judah, from the east side to the west, will be the portion you donate [to the Lord], eight and one-third [miles] wide, and as long as one of the [tribal] portions from the east side to the west. The sanctuary will be in the middle of it. "The [special] portion you donate to the Lord will be eight and one-third [miles] long and three and one-third [miles] wide. This holy donation will be set apart for the priests [alone]. It will be eight and one-third [miles long] on the northern side, three and one-third [miles] wide on the western side, three and one-third [miles] wide on the eastern side, and eight and one-third [miles] long on the southern side. The Lord's sanctuary will be in the middle of it. read more.
It is for the consecrated priests, the sons of Zadok, who kept My charge and did not go astray as the Levites did when the Israelites went astray. It will be a special donation for them out of the [holy] donation of the land, a most holy place adjacent to the territory of the Levites. "Next to the territory of the priests, the Levites [will have an area] eight and one-third [miles] long and three and one-third [miles] wide. The total length will be eight and one-third [miles] and the width three and one-third [miles]. They must not sell or exchange any of it, and they must not transfer this choice [part] of the land, for it is holy to the Lord.