'Cities' in the Bible

So the Israelites set out and reached the Gibeonite cities on the third day. Now their cities were Gibeon, Chephirah, Beeroth, and Kiriath-jearim.

So Adoni-zedek and his people were greatly alarmed because Gibeon was a large city like one of the royal cities; it was larger than Ai, and all its men were warriors.

But as for the rest of you, don’t stay there. Pursue your enemies and attack them from behind. Don’t let them enter their cities, for the Lord your God has handed them over to you.”

So Joshua and the Israelites finished inflicting a terrible slaughter on them until they were destroyed, although a few survivors ran away to the fortified cities.

Joshua captured all these kings and their cities and struck them down with the sword. He completely destroyed them, as Moses the Lord’s servant had commanded.

However, Israel did not burn any of the cities that stood on their mounds except Hazor, which Joshua burned.

The Israelites plundered all the spoils and cattle of these cities for themselves. But they struck down every person with the sword until they had annihilated them, leaving no one alive.

At that time Joshua proceeded to exterminate the Anakim from the hill country—Hebron, Debir, Anab—all the hill country of Judah and of Israel. Joshua completely destroyed them with their cities.

and all the cities of Sihon king of the Amorites, who reigned in Heshbon, to the border of the Ammonites;

with Heshbon and all its cities on the plateau—Dibon, Bamoth-baal, Beth-baal-meon,

all the cities of the plateau, and all the kingdom of Sihon king of the Amorites, who reigned in Heshbon. Moses had killed him and the chiefs of Midian—Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur, and Reba—the princes of Sihon who lived in the land.

The border of the Reubenites was the Jordan and its plain. This was the inheritance of the Reubenites by their clans, with the cities and their villages.

this as their territory:Jazer and all the cities of Gilead, and half the land of the Ammonites to Aroer, near Rabbah;

This was the inheritance of the Gadites by their clans, with the cities and their villages.

this as their territory:From Mahanaim through all Bashan—all the kingdom of Og king of Bashan, including all of Jair’s Villages that are in Bashan—60 cities.

But half of Gilead, and Og’s royal cities in Bashan—Ashtaroth and Edrei—are for the descendants of Machir son of Manasseh, that is, half the descendants of Machir by their clans.

The descendants of Joseph became two tribes, Manasseh and Ephraim. No portion of the land was given to the Levites except cities to live in, along with pasturelands for their cattle and livestock.

Now give me this hill country the Lord promised me on that day, because you heard then that the Anakim are there, as well as large fortified cities. Perhaps the Lord will be with me and I will drive them out as the Lord promised.”

From the top of the hill the border curved to the spring of the Waters of Nephtoah, went to the cities of Mount Ephron, and then curved to Baalah (that is, Kiriath-jearim).

These were the outermost cities of the tribe of the descendants of Judah toward the border of Edom in the Negev: Kabzeel, Eder, Jagur,

Lebaoth, Shilhim, Ain, and Rimmon—29 cities in all, with their villages.

Shaaraim, Adithaim, Gederah, and Gederothaim—14 cities, with their villages;

Gederoth, Beth-dagon, Naamah, and Makkedah—16 cities, with their villages;

Keilah, Achzib, and Mareshah—nine cities, with their villages;

from Ekron to the sea, all the cities near Ashdod, with their villages;

Goshen, Holon, and Giloh—11 cities, with their villages;

Humtah, Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron), and Zior—nine cities, with their villages;

Kain, Gibeah, and Timnah—10 cities, with their villages;

Maarath, Beth-anoth, and Eltekon—six cities, with their villages;

Kiriath-baal (that is, Kiriath-jearim), and Rabbah—two cities, with their villages.

Nibshan, the City of Salt, and En-gedi—six cities, with their villages.

the cities set apart for the descendants of Ephraim within the inheritance of the descendants of Manasseh—all these cities with their villages.

From there the border descended to the Brook of Kanah; south of the brook, cities belonged to Ephraim among Manasseh’s cities. Manasseh’s border was on the north side of the brook and ended at the Mediterranean Sea.

Within Issachar and Asher, Manasseh had Beth-shean with its towns, Ibleam with its towns, and the inhabitants of Dor with its towns; the inhabitants of En-dor with its towns, the inhabitants of Taanach with its towns, and the inhabitants of Megiddo with its towns—the three cities of Naphath.

The descendants of Manasseh could not possess these cities, because the Canaanites were determined to stay in this land.

These were the cities of the tribe of Benjamin’s descendants by their clans:Jericho, Beth-hoglah, Emek-keziz,

Chephar-ammoni, Ophni, and Geba—12 cities, with their villages;

Zela, Haeleph, Jebus (that is, Jerusalem), Gibeah, and Kiriath—14 cities, with their villages.This was the inheritance for Benjamin’s descendants by their clans.

Beth-lebaoth, and Sharuhen—13 cities, with their villages;

Ain, Rimmon, Ether, and Ashan—four cities, with their villages;

and all the villages surrounding these cities as far as Baalath-beer (Ramah of the south).This was the inheritance of the tribe of Simeon’s descendants by their clans.

along with Kattath, Nahalal, Shimron, Idalah, and Bethlehem—12 cities, with their villages.

This was the inheritance of Zebulun’s descendants by their clans, these cities, with their villages.

The border reached Tabor, Shahazumah, and Beth-shemesh, and ended at the Jordan—16 cities, with their villages.

This was the inheritance of the tribe of Issachar’s descendants by their clans, the cities, with their villages.

Ummah, Aphek, and Rehob—22 cities, with their villages.

This was the inheritance of the tribe of Asher’s descendants by their clans, these cities with their villages.

The fortified cities were Ziddim, Zer, Hammath, Rakkath, Chinnereth,

Iron, Migdal-el, Horem, Beth-anath, and Beth-shemesh—19 cities, with their villages.

This was the inheritance of the tribe of Naphtali’s descendants by their clans, the cities with their villages.

This was the inheritance of the Danite tribe by its clans, these cities with their villages.

“Tell the Israelites: Select your cities of refuge, as I instructed you through Moses,

When someone flees to one of these cities, stands at the entrance of the city gate, and states his case before the elders of that city, they are to bring him into the city and give him a place to live among them.

These are the cities appointed for all the Israelites and foreigners among them, so that anyone who kills a person unintentionally may flee there and not die at the hand of the avenger of blood until he stands before the assembly.

At Shiloh, in the land of Canaan, they told them, “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.

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.

The remaining descendants of Kohath received 10 cities by lot from the clans of the tribes of Ephraim, Dan, and half the tribe of Manasseh.

Gershon’s descendants received 13 cities by lot from the clans of the tribes of Issachar, Asher, Naphtali, and half the tribe of Manasseh in Bashan.

Merari’s descendants received 12 cities for their clans from the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and Zebulun.

The Israelites gave these cities with their pasturelands around them to the Levites by lot, as the Lord had commanded through Moses.

The Israelites gave these cities by name from the tribes of the descendants of Judah and Simeon

Ain with its pasturelands, Juttah with its pasturelands, and Beth-shemesh with its pasturelands—nine cities from these two tribes.

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.

The allotted cities to the remaining clans of Kohath’s descendants, who were Levites, came from the tribe of Ephraim.

Kibzaim with its pasturelands, and Beth-horon with its pasturelands—four cities.

Aijalon with its pasturelands, and Gath-rimmon with its pasturelands—four cities.

From half the tribe of Manasseh they gave:Taanach with its pasturelands and Gath-rimmon with its pasturelands—two cities.

All 10 cities with their pasturelands were for the clans of Kohath’s other descendants.

From half the tribe of Manasseh, they gave to the descendants of Gershon, who were one of the Levite clans:Golan, the city of refuge for the one who commits manslaughter, with its pasturelands in Bashan, and Beeshterah with its pasturelands—two cities.

Jarmuth with its pasturelands, and En-gannim with its pasturelands—four cities.

Helkath with its pasturelands, and Rehob with its pasturelands—four cities.

From the tribe of Naphtali they gave:Kedesh in Galilee, the city of refuge for the one who commits manslaughter, with its pasturelands, Hammoth-dor with its pasturelands, and Kartan with its pasturelands—three cities.

All 13 cities with their pasturelands were for the Gershonites by their clans.

Dimnah with its pasturelands, and Nahalal with its pasturelands—four cities.

Kedemoth with its pasturelands, and Mephaath with its pasturelands—four cities.

Heshbon with its pasturelands, and Jazer with its pasturelands—four cities in all.

All 12 cities were allotted to the clans of Merari’s descendants, the remaining Levite clans.

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.

I gave you a land you did not labor for, and cities you did not build, though you live in them; you are eating from vineyards and olive groves you did not plant.’