Numbers 35:2

“Command the Israelites to give, from the inheritance they will possess, cities for the Levites to live in and pasturelands around the cities.

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — The LORD speaks to Moses on the plains of Moab by the Jordan opposite Jericho, issuing a directive for the upcoming tribal land distribution.

The words — צַו֮ (tzav) means "command," and מִֽ/נַּחֲלַ֛ת (mi./na.cha.Lat) denotes "some of the inheritance."

The thread — This allocation mandate appears in Joshua 14:3 regarding Moses' prior grants east of the Jordan, aligns with Leviticus 25:32 on Levitical property rights, and parallels Ezekiel 48:8's vision of set-apart portions for temple service.

Why it lands — The text requires Israel to subtract specific urban and agricultural resources from their tribal inheritance to sustain the Levite tribe, who receive no territorial allotment of their own.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Hebrew words

צַו֮tzavcommand אֶת־'et-<obj.>בְּנֵ֣יbe.Nei[the] people of יִשְׂרָאֵל֒Yis.ra.'ElIsrael וְנָתְנ֣וּve./na.te.Nuand/ they will give לַלְוִיִּ֗םla/l.vi.Yimto the/ Levites מִֽנַּחֲלַ֛תmi./na.cha.Latsome of/ [the] inheritance of אֲחֻזָּתָ֖ם'a.chu.za.Ta/mpossession/ their עָרִ֣ים'a.Rimcities לָשָׁ֑בֶתla./Sha.vetto/ dwell in וּמִגְרָ֗שׁu./mig.Rashand/ pasture land לֶֽעָרִים֙le./'a.Rimfor the/ cities סְבִיבֹ֣תֵיהֶ֔םse.vi.Vo.tei./Hemaround/ them תִּתְּנ֖וּti.te.Nuyou will give לַלְוִיִּֽם׃la/l.vi.Yimto the/ Levites

King James Version

Command the children of Israel, that they give unto the Levites of the inheritance of their possession cities to dwell in; and ye shall give also unto the Levites suburbs for the cities round about them.

Cross-references

Joshua 14:3 For Moses had given the inheritance east of the Jordan to the other two and a half tribes. But he granted no inheritance among them to the Levites.
Ezekiel 48:8 Bordering the territory of Judah, from east to west, will be the portion you are to set apart. It will be 25,000 cubits wide, and the length of a tribal portion from east to west. In the center will be the sanctuary.
Leviticus 25:32 As for the cities of the Levites, the Levites always have the right to redeem their houses in the cities they possess.
Joshua 21:2 at Shiloh in the land of Canaan and said to them, “The LORD commanded through Moses that we be given cities in which to live, together with pasturelands for our livestock.”
Ezekiel 45:1 “When you divide the land by lot as an inheritance, you are to set aside a portion for the LORD, a holy portion of the land 25,000 cubits long and 20,000 cubits wide. This entire tract of land will be holy.
Ezekiel 48:22 So the Levitical property and the city property will lie in the center of the area belonging to the prince—the area between the borders of Judah and Benjamin.
1 Corinthians 9:10 Isn’t He actually speaking on our behalf? Indeed, this was written for us, because when the plowman plows and the thresher threshes, they should also expect to share in the harvest.