Numbers 35:8

The cities that you apportion from the territory of the Israelites should be given to the Levites in proportion to the inheritance of each tribe: more from a larger tribe and less from a smaller one.”

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — The LORD addresses Moses, continuing the directive to allocate forty-eight Levitical cities with pasturelands following the census of Israel.

The words — The text employs תִּתְּנוּ (ti.te.Nu), meaning “you will give,” and אֲחֻזָּה ('a.chu.Zah), rendered “possession,” to define the legal transfer of urban territory.

The thread — The principle of scaling distribution by group size appears in Numbers 26:54 and Numbers 33:54, where land allotments adjust according to tribal or clan population.

Why it lands — It requires the reader to recognize that biblical resource allocation is calibrated to the capacity of the receiving group rather than applied uniformly.

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

וְהֶֽעָרִ֗יםve./he./'a.Rimand/ the/ cities אֲשֶׁ֤ר'a.Sherwhich תִּתְּנוּ֙ti.te.Nuyou will give מֵאֲחֻזַּ֣תme./'a.chu.Zatfrom/ [the] possession of בְּנֵי־be.nei-[the] people of יִשְׂרָאֵ֔לYis.ra.'ElIsrael מֵאֵ֤תme./'Etfrom/ with הָרַב֙ha./Ravthe/ many תַּרְבּ֔וּtar.Buyou will increase וּמֵאֵ֥תu./me./'Etand/ from/ with הַמְעַ֖טha/m.'Atthe/ few תַּמְעִ֑יטוּtam.'I.tuyou will decrease אִ֗ישׁ'Isheach one כְּפִ֤יke./Fiaccording to/ [the] mouth of נַחֲלָתוֹ֙na.cha.la.T/oinheritance/ its אֲשֶׁ֣ר'a.Sherwhich יִנְחָ֔לוּyin.Cha.luthey will inherit יִתֵּ֥ןyi.Tenit will give מֵעָרָ֖יוme./'a.Ra/vsome of/ cities/ its לַלְוִיִּֽם׃ פla/l.vi.Yimto the/ Levites

King James Version

And the cities which ye shall give shall be of the possession of the children of Israel: from them that have many ye shall give many; but from them that have few ye shall give few: every one shall give of his cities unto the Levites according to his inheritance which he inheriteth.

Cross-references

Numbers 26:54 Increase the inheritance for a large tribe and decrease it for a small one; each tribe is to receive its inheritance according to the number of those registered.
Numbers 33:54 And you are to divide the land by lot according to your clans. Give a larger inheritance to a larger clan and a smaller inheritance to a smaller one. Whatever falls to each one by lot will be his. You will receive an inheritance according to the tribes of your fathers.
Exodus 16:18 When they measured it by the omer, he who gathered much had no excess, and he who gathered little had no shortfall. Each one gathered as much as he needed to eat.
Joshua 21:1 Now the family heads of the Levites approached Eleazar the priest, Joshua son of Nun, and the heads of the other tribes of Israel
Genesis 49:7 Cursed be their anger, for it is strong, and their wrath, for it is cruel! I will disperse them in Jacob and scatter them in Israel.
Exodus 32:28 The Levites did as Moses commanded, and that day about three thousand of the people fell dead.
Deuteronomy 33:8 Concerning Levi he said: “Give Your Thummim to Levi and Your Urim to Your godly one, whom You tested at Massah and contested at the waters of Meribah.
2 Corinthians 8:13 It is not our intention that others may be relieved while you are burdened, but that there may be equality.