'Cities' in the Bible

Is the land they live in good or bad? Are the cities they live in encampments or fortifications?

However, the people living in the land are strong, and the cities are large and fortified. We also saw the descendants of Anak there.

Then Israel made a vow to the Lord, “If You will deliver this people into our hands, we will completely destroy their cities.”

The Lord listened to Israel’s request, the Canaanites were defeated, and Israel completely destroyed them and their cities. So they named the place Hormah.

Israel took all the cities and lived in all these Amorite cities, including Heshbon and all its villages.

Then they burned all the cities where the Midianites lived, as well as all their encampments,

Then they approached him and said, “We want to build sheepfolds here for our livestock and cities for our dependents.

But we will arm ourselves and be ready to go ahead of the Israelites until we have brought them into their place. Meanwhile, our dependents will remain in the fortified cities because of the inhabitants of the land.

Build cities for your dependents and folds for your flocks, but do what you have promised.”

Our little children, wives, livestock, and all our animals will remain here in the cities of Gilead,

So Moses gave them—the Gadites, Reubenites, and half the tribe of Manasseh son of Joseph—the kingdom of Sihon king of the Amorites and the kingdom of Og king of Bashan, the land including its cities with the territories surrounding them.

Beth-nimrah, and Beth-haran as fortified cities, and built sheepfolds.

as well as Nebo and Baal-meon (whose names were changed), and Sibmah. They gave names to the cities they rebuilt.

“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.

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.”

designate cities to serve as cities of refuge for you, so that a person who kills someone unintentionally may flee there.

You will have the cities as a refuge from the avenger, so that the one who kills someone will not die until he stands trial before the assembly.

The cities you select will be your six cities of refuge.

Select three cities across the Jordan and three cities in the land of Canaan to be cities of refuge.

These six cities will serve as a refuge for the Israelites and for the foreigner or temporary resident among them, so that anyone who kills a person unintentionally may flee there.