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In all, twelve cities were allotted to the clans of Merari, the remaining Levite clans.
Joshua 21:40 · Berean Standard Bible
Parallel translations
  • WEB All these were the cities of the children of Merari according to their families, even the rest of the families of the Levites. Their lot was twelve cities.
  • KJV So all the cities for the children of Merari by their families, which were remaining of the families of the Levites, were by their lot twelve cities.
  • NKJV So all the cities for the children of Merari according to their families, the rest of the families of the Levites, were by their lot twelve cities.
  • NASB All these were the cities of the sons of Merari according to their families, the rest of the families of the Levites; and their lot was twelve cities.
  • NLT So in all, twelve towns were allotted to the clan of Merari.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Quick answer

The Merarites received twelve cities in all by their families. It summarizes the completed provision for the last Levitical clan.

Overview

This summary closes the account of the Merarite inheritance, confirming the total of twelve cities. With this, all three Levitical clans, Kohath, Gershon, and Merari, have received their allotted cities. The thoroughness shows God's faithful care for every part of His ministering tribe.

Cross-references & the web

No cross-references recorded for this verse.

Resources, by level

Commentaries & study tools

  • VideoBibleProject — Joshua videosBibleProject · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.

  • VideoWatch teaching on Joshua 21:40YouTube · Lay · Free

    Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.

  • CommentaryEnduring Word — verse-by-verseDavid Guzik · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.

  • CommentaryClassic commentaries for this verseBibleHub (20+ works) · Pastoral · Free

    Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.

  • CommentaryMatthew Henry on JoshuaMatthew Henry · Pastoral · Free · evangelical

    The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).

  • ReferenceInterlinear, lexicon & Strong'sBlue Letter Bible · Seminary · Free

    Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.

Christ at the center

Joshua — the same name as Jesus, 'the LORD saves' — leads God's people into their inheritance, a shadow of the greater Joshua who brings us into the true rest and the promised land that remains.

How Joshua 21:40 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.

Original language

Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.