What does Joshua 21:34 mean?
"¶ And unto the families of the children of Merari, the rest of the Levites, out of the tribe of Zebulun, Jokneam with her suburbs, and Kartah with her suburbs," - Joshua 21:34
Joshua 21:34 in the King James Version of the Bible reads, "And unto the families of the children of Merari, the rest of the Levites, out of the tribe of Zebulun, Jokneam with her suburbs, and Kartah with her suburbs,"
This verse is part of the larger passage in the book of Joshua that describes the allocation of land to the Levites. The Levites were one of the twelve tribes of Israel and were given the responsibility of serving as priests and caretakers of the tabernacle. As a result, they were not given a specific territory of their own, but were instead given cities and pasturelands within the territories of the other tribes.
In this particular verse, the land given to the Levites from the tribe of Zebulun is specified. Jokneam and Kartah are mentioned as the cities with their surrounding suburbs that were given to the Levites. This specific allocation of land was in fulfillment of the divine command to provide for the Levites, as outlined in earlier parts of the book of Joshua and in other books of the Bible such as Numbers and Deuteronomy.
One of the key themes in this verse is the faithfulness of God in fulfilling His promises. Throughout the book of Joshua, we see God's faithfulness in fulfilling His promises to the people of Israel. This includes the promise to give them the land of Canaan as an inheritance, as well as the promise to provide for the Levites. The allocation of land to the Levites from the tribe of Zebulun demonstrates God's faithfulness in providing for the needs of His people, even those who were set apart for specific religious duties.
Another theme that can be drawn from this verse is the idea of community and interdependence. The fact that the Levites were given land within the territories of the other tribes highlights the interconnectedness of the people of Israel. Each tribe had its own inheritance of land, but they were also responsible for providing for the Levites who served the entire community in their religious duties. This serves as a reminder of the importance of community and the need for all members to support and care for one another.
Symbolically, the allocation of land to the Levites from the tribe of Zebulun can be seen as a representation of the principle of stewardship. The Levites were given cities and pasturelands to live in and to sustain themselves, but they were not given ownership of the land. Instead, they were to use the land for their own needs while also recognizing that it ultimately belonged to God. This serves as a reminder of the concept of stewardship, where we are called to responsibly manage and care for the resources that God has entrusted to us.
In the broader context of the book of Joshua, the allocation of land to the Levites serves as a reminder of the faithfulness of God in fulfilling His promises, the importance of community and interconnectedness, and the principle of stewardship. As such, this verse and the larger passage in which it is found continue to provide valuable lessons and insights for readers today.
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Joshua 21:34 - "¶ And unto the families of the children of Merari, the rest of the Levites, out of the tribe of Zebulun, Jokneam with her suburbs, and Kartah with her suburbs,"
"¶ And unto the families of the children of Merari, the rest of the Levites, out of the tribe of Zebulun, Jokneam with her suburbs, and Kartah with her suburbs," - Joshua 21:34
Joshua 10:34 - "¶ And from Lachish Joshua passed unto Eglon, and all Israel with him; and they encamped against it, and fought against it:"
Joshua 15:34 - "And Zanoah, and En-gannim, Tappuah, and Enam,"
Genesis 21-34
Joshua 24:21 - "And the people said unto Joshua, Nay; but we will serve the LORD."
"And Zanoah, and En-gannim, Tappuah, and Enam," - Joshua 15:34
Numbers 34:21 - "Of the tribe of Benjamin, Elidad the son of Chislon."
Joshua 8:34 - "And afterward he read all the words of the law, the blessings and cursings, according to all that is written in the book of the law."
Genesis 21:34 - "And Abraham sojourned in the Philistines' land many days."
Joshua 22:34 - "And the children of Reuben and the children of Gad called the altar Ed: for it shall be a witness between us that the LORD is God."
Numbers 34:17 - "These are the names of the men which shall divide the land unto you: Eleazar the priest, and Joshua the son of Nun."
Joshua 10:21 - "And all the people returned to the camp to Joshua at Makkedah in peace: none moved his tongue against any of the children of Israel."
Joshua 21:21 - "For they gave them Shechem with her suburbs in mount Ephraim, to be a city of refuge for the slayer; and Gezer with her suburbs,"
Joshua 8:21 - "And when Joshua and all Israel saw that the ambush had taken the city, and that the smoke of the city ascended, then they turned again, and slew the men of Ai."
"¶ And from Lachish Joshua passed unto Eglon, and all Israel with him; and they encamped against it, and fought against it:" - Joshua 10:34
Joshua 12:21 - "The king of Taanach, one; the king of Megiddo, one;"
Joshua 21:14 - "And Jattir with her suburbs, and Eshtemoa with her suburbs,"
Joshua 21:15 - "And Holon with her suburbs, and Debir with her suburbs,"
"And the people said unto Joshua, Nay; but we will serve the LORD." - Joshua 24:21
Joshua 11:21 - "¶ And at that time came Joshua, and cut off the Anakims from the mountains, from Hebron, from Debir, from Anab, and from all the mountains of Judah, and from all the mountains of Israel: Joshua destroyed them utterly with their cities."
Joshua 21:1 - "Then came near the heads of the fathers of the Levites unto Eleazar the priest, and unto Joshua the son of Nun, and unto the heads of the fathers of the tribes of the children of Israel;"
Psalms 34:21 - "Evil shall slay the wicked: and they that hate the righteous shall be desolate."
Joshua 19:21 - "And Remeth, and En-gannim, and En-haddah, and Beth-pazzez;"
Job 21:34 - "How then comfort ye me in vain, seeing in your answers there remaineth falsehood?"
Job 34:21 - "For his eyes are upon the ways of man, and he seeth all his goings."
Joshua 21:31 - "Helkath with her suburbs, and Rehob with her suburbs; four cities."
Joshua 21:35 - "Dimnah with her suburbs, Nahalal with her suburbs; four cities."
Joshua 21:37 - "Kedemoth with her suburbs, and Mephaath with her suburbs; four cities."
Joshua 21:18 - "Anathoth with her suburbs, and Almon with her suburbs; four cities."