Each of these cities had its own surrounding pasturelands; this was true for all the cities.
Parallel translations
- WEB Each of these cities included their suburbs around them. It was this way with all these cities.
- KJV These cities were every one with their suburbs round about them: thus were all these cities.
- NKJV Every one of these cities had its common-land surrounding it; thus were all these cities.
- NASB These cities individually had their surrounding pasture lands; this is how it was with all these cities.
- NLT Every one of these towns had pasturelands surrounding it.
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
Each Levitical city included its surrounding pastureland. It stresses the consistent, complete nature of the provision.
Overview
This verse emphasizes that every one of the forty-eight cities came with pasture for the Levites' flocks and herds. The repetition underscores that none was shortchanged; the provision was uniform and generous. God's care for His servants is thorough, leaving no need overlooked.
Cross-references & the web
No cross-references recorded for this verse.
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.
Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.
Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.
Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.
The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).
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 21:42 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.