John Gill's Bible Commentary Ver. 4. And the lot came out for the family of the Kohathites , etc.] The first lot that was drawn out of the pot or urn was for the descendants of Kohath, a son of Levi: and the children of Aaron the priest, [which were] of the Levites ; who descended from Amram, the eldest son of Kohath, and these were not only Levites, but priests: these had by lot out of the tribe of Judah, and out of the tribe of Simeon , and out of the tribe of Benjamin, thirteen cities ; which are after mentioned by name; and as these were priests, whose business was to serve in the temple, and at the altar, the cities assigned them by the lot, were, by the wise disposal of divine Providence, ordered them out of those tribes which lay nearest to Jerusalem; the place God had chosen to put his name in, where the temple would be built, and the altars erected for sacrifices and incense.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 1-8 - The Levites waited till the other tribes were provided for, before the preferred their claim to Joshua. They build their claim upon a very good foundation; not their own merits or services, but the Divin precept. The maintenance of ministers is not a thing left merely to the will of the people, that they may let them starve if they please; the which preach the gospel should live by the gospel, and should liv comfortably. (Jos 21:9-42)
Original Hebrew ויצא3318 הגורל1486 למשׁפחת4940 הקהתי6956 ויהי1961 לבני1121 אהרן175 הכהן3548 מן4480 הלוים3881 ממטה4294 יהודה3063 וממטה4294 השׁמעני8099 וממטה4294 בנימן1144 בגורל1486 ערים5892 שׁלשׁ7969 עשׂרה׃6240
