Joshua 21:33 — Word Study
WLCכָּל־ עָרֵ֥י הַגֵּרְשֻׁנִּ֖י לְמִשְׁפְּחֹתָ֑ם שְׁלֹשׁ־ עֶשְׂרֵ֥ה עִ֖יר וּמִגְרְשֵׁיהֶֽן׃ ס
BSAIn allkôl [everything, the entirety] thirteenshâlôwsh citiesʻîyr [towns, settlements] together withʻîyr their pasturelandsmigrâsh [open lands, suburbs] [were given] to the GershoniteGêrᵉshunnîy [allotted, assigned, descendants of Gershon, Levitical clan] clansmishpâchâh [families, tribes]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| כָּל־ | all | Noun common, masculine singular construct |
| עָרֵ֥י | [the] cities of | Noun common, masculine plural construct |
| הַגֵּרְשֻׁנִּ֖י | the Gershonite[s] | Particle, noun gentilic masculine singular absolute |
| לְמִשְׁפְּחֹתָ֑ם | to clans their | Preposition, noun common feminine plural construct, suffix |
| שְׁלֹשׁ־ | [were] thir- | Adj |
| עֶשְׂרֵ֥ה | teen | |
| עִ֖יר | citi[es] | Noun common, feminine singular absolute |
| וּמִגְרְשֵׁיהֶֽן׃ ס | and pasture lands their | Conjunction, noun common masculine plural construct, suffix |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | In all, thirteen cities, together with their pasturelands, were given to the Gershonite clans. |
| KJV | All the cities of the Gershonites according to their families were thirteen cities with their suburbs. |
| ASV | All the cities of the Gershonites according to their families were thirteen cities with their suburbs. |
| YLT | all the cities of the Gershonite, for their families, [are] thirteen cities and their suburbs. |
| WEB | All the cities of the Gershonites according to their families were thirteen cities with their pasture lands. |
| BBE | All the towns of the Gershonites with their families were thirteen with their grass-lands. |
Where they part company is מִגְרְשֵׁיהֶן — see How Translations Differ.
The sentence has one main clause with additional phrases providing detail about what was given and to whom.
3 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Whedon & more — read them ›
clause
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
Every word here is used elsewhere in the Old Testament.
Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.
Deep Study — Joshua 21:33
Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.
Context — The Distribution of Cities to the Levitesgenerated
Joshua 21:33 describes the allocation of cities and pasturelands to the Gershonite clans, a part of the Levitical inheritance. This distribution emphasizes the importance of providing for the priestly families, ensuring they have both urban and rural resources. The surrounding verses detail the cities given to other clans, illustrating the overall plan for the Levites' sustenance and their role within Israelite society.
Cross References
The Key Word — כֹּל, kol-generated
The word כֹּל (kol) means 'all' or 'everything' and indicates totality. It is used to encompass the entirety of something, whether it be people, places, or situations. Its grammatical form as a masculine singular construct suggests it is modifying a following noun, in this case, the cities and pasturelands.
In this verse, כֹּל highlights the comprehensive nature of the allotment, indicating that nothing was left out of the distribution to the Gershonites.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
This study reads the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, so the BSB is the wording every comparison below is made against.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The main clause is governed by the verb נָתַן (given), which is implied in the structure, indicating the action of allotting. The sentence structure follows a noun phrase for the subject, followed by a series of noun phrases and prepositional phrases that describe what was given and to whom.
The emphasis lies on the totality of the allotment, with the order of the words placing 'thirteen cities' prominently at the beginning, followed by the additional detail of pasturelands.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates כֹּל as πᾶσαι (all), which maintains the totality expressed in the Hebrew. This choice aligns closely with the Hebrew meaning, emphasizing the comprehensive nature of the allocation.
The Greek term πόλεις for עָרֵי (cities) also aligns well, indicating a direct correspondence in the concept of urban settlements.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Joshua 21:33 states that thirteen cities and their pasturelands were given to the Gershonite clans. This allocation highlights the provision made for the Levitical families, ensuring they have both cities to live in and lands for their livestock.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
It signifies the provision for the Levitical clans, allowing them to have a place to live and resources to sustain their families.
Pasturelands were essential for the Gershonites as they were responsible for livestock, which was a significant part of their livelihood.
This verse illustrates God's provision for the Levites, ensuring they have cities and lands despite not receiving a territorial inheritance like the other tribes.
We learn about the importance of community and support within the Israelite tribes, as well as God's care for those dedicated to His service.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- How does understanding the allocation of cities to the Gershonites enhance your view of God's provision?
- In what ways can you see parallels between the support given to the Levites and the support systems in your own community?
- What responsibilities do you think the Gershonites had in their cities and pasturelands?
- How can you apply the principle of providing for those who serve in your own life?
Commentators on this verse — 3 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Joshua 21:33 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleAll the cities of the Gershonites, according to their families,.... Which were divided among them, according to the number of their families: [were] thirteen cities with their suburbs; two out of the
Read John Gill on Joshua 21 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryAnd out of the tribe of Benjamin, Gibeon with her suburbs, Geba with her suburbs, No JFB commentary on these verses.
Read Robert Jamieson on Joshua 21 →Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the Bible28-39. Dabareh — Joshua 19:12. En-gannim — Joshua 19:21.Kedesh — Joshua 12:22. Jokneam — Joshua 12:22. Ramoth — Joshua 13:26. Heshbon — Joshua 13:17; Joshua 13:26. Jazer — Joshua 13:25.
Read Daniel Denison Whedon on Joshua 21 →The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company
Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.
Modern formal
In all, thirteen cities, together with their pasturelands, were given to the Gershonite clans.
All the cities of the Gershonites according to their families were thirteen cities with their pasture lands.
In all, thirteen cities, together with their pasturelands, were given to the Gershonite clans.
The Gershonite clans received thirteen cities and their grazing areas.
Tyndale line
All the cities of the Gershonites according to their families were thirteen cities with their suburbs.
All the cities of the Gershonites according to their families were thirteen cities with their suburbs.
All the cities of the Gershonites according to their families were thirteen cities with their suburbs.
All the cities of the Gershonites, according to their families, were thirteen cities with their suburbs.
Al the cities of the Gershonites according to their families, were thirteene cities with their suburbes.
Strictly literal
All the cities of the Gershonites according to their families were thirteen cities and their suburbs.
all the cities of the Gershonite, for their families, [are] thirteen cities and their suburbs.
all the cities of the Gershonite, for their families, [are] thirteen cities and their outskirts.
All the cities of the Gershunites according to their families were thirteen cities with their open spaces.
There were thirteen cities in all, out of the clans of Gershon, including their pasturelands.
From the Latin
All the cities of the families of Gerson, were thirteen, with their suburbs.
Simplified
So in total thirteen towns and their pastures were allotted to the families of Gershon.
All the towns of the Gershonites with their families were thirteen with their grass-lands.
Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.
The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank
This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.
Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.
The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran
The Masoretic Text and the Septuagint agree on the core content of this verse, with five out of the eight words matched in the Septuagint. The differences lie primarily in word order and style, but the essential meaning remains consistent.
כָּל־ עָרֵ֥י הַגֵּרְשֻׁנִּ֖י לְמִשְׁפְּחֹתָ֑ם שְׁלֹשׁ־ עֶשְׂרֵ֥ה עִ֖יר וּמִגְרְשֵׁיהֶֽן׃ ס
5 of the 8 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.
Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.
The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with
This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.
Lexicons — every word in Joshua 21:33
One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.
Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.
כֹּל (kol) means 'all' or 'the whole.' It can refer to totality, including every person or thing, and is often used with a following genitive to specify what is included. The term can also denote a broader sense of everything in existence or all circumstances of life. The lexicons do not show significant disagreement on its meanings.
כֹּל once כּוֹל n.m. the whole, all
with foll. gen. (as usually) the whole of, to be rendered, however, often in our idiom, to avoid stiffness, any or every
Absolutely:
without the art., all things, all
with the art. הַכֹּל
where the sense is limited by the context to things (or persons) just mentioned
in a wider sense, all, whether of all mankind or of all living things, the universe, or of all the circumstances of life (chiefly late)
base
H3605 כֹּל once כּוֹל the whole, all . with foll. gen. (as usually) the whole of, to be rendered, however, often in our idiom, to avoid stiffness, any or every
. Absolutely: . without the art., all things, all
. with the art. הַכֹּל . where the sense is limited by the context to things (or persons) just mentioned
. in a wider sense, all, whether of all mankind or of all living things, the universe, or of all the circumstances of life (chiefly late)
3605 kol kole
or (Jer. 33:8) kowl {kole}; from 3634; properly, the whole;
hence, all, any or every (in the singular only, but often in a
plural sense):--(in) all (manner, (ye)), altogether, any
(manner), enough, every (one, place, thing), howsoever, as
many as, (no-)thing, ought, whatsoever, (the) whole,
whoso(-ever).
see HEBREW for 03634
כֹּל (kol) — all.
1) all, the whole
1a) all, the whole of
1b) any, each, every, anything
1c) totality, everything
Aramaic equivalent: kol (כֹּל "all" H3606)
N-ms — Noun common · masculine singular constructHNcmsc
ol: Used in various combinations, and with different meanings.
(1) All along, "Weeping all along as he went" (Jer 41:6), i.e. throughout the whole way he went, feigning equal concern with the men from Shiloh, etc., for the destruction of the Temple, so as to put them off their guard.
(2) All in all, "That God may be all in all" (1Co 15:28, Greek: panta en pasin, "all things in all (persons and) things"). "The universe, with all it comprises, will wholly answer to God's will and reflect His mind" (Dummelow).
The Hebrew word עִיר (*'iyr*) has meanings related to both excitement and city. It can denote excitement, particularly of terror or rage, as well as refer to a city or town, indicating a place that is guarded or inhabited. The entries suggest a broad application, from fortified cities to simple encampments. There is a specific mention of a man named Ir in 1 Chronicles 4:12.
עִיר n.[m.] excitement;—of terror; of rage
base
עִיר 1092 n.f. city, town
city, town, abode of men
of fortress in a city
appar. fortified place, of any size
base
H5892a עִיר excitement;—of terror; of rage H5892b עִיר city, town . city, town, abode of men
. of fortress in a city
. appar. fortified place, of any size
5892 `iyr eer
or (in the plural) par {awr}; or ayar (Judges 10:4)
{aw-yar'}; from 5782 a city (a place guarded by waking or a
watch) in the widest sense (even of a mere encampment or
post):--Ai (from margin), city, court (from margin), town.
see HEBREW for 05782
עִיר (ir) — excitement.
1) excitement, anguish
1a) of terror
עִיר (ir) — city.
1) city, town (a place of waking, guarded)
1a) city, town (a place of waking, guarded)
1a) city, town
עִיר (ir) — City (of On).
Combined with on (אֹן "On" H0204)
This name means city, town
Another name of on (אֹן "On" H0204)
עִיר (ir) — Ir-.
#A man of the tribe of Judah living at the time of Divided Monarchy, only mentioned at 1Ch.4.12;
son of: Tehinnah (H8468)
N-fp — Noun common · masculine plural constructHNcmpc
ov:
(1) In Anglo-Saxon, had the meaning "from," "away from" (as the strengthened form "off" has still), and was not used for genitive or possessive relations, these being expressed by special case-forms. In the Norman period, however, "of" was taken to represent the French de (a use well developed by the time of Chaucer), and in the Elizabethan period both senses of "of" were in common use. But after about 1600 the later force of the word became predominant, and in the earlier sense (which is now practically obsolete) it was replaced by other prepositions. In consequence the King James Version (and in some cases the Revised Version (British and American)) contains many uses of "of" that are no longer familiar--most of them, to be sure, causing no difficulty, but there still being a few responsible for real obscurities.
OF, preposition ov. [Gr.]
1. From or out of; proceeding from, as the cause, source, means, author or agent bestowing.
I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered to you. 1 Corinthians 11:1.
For it was of the Lord to harden their hearts. Joshua 11:1.
It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed.
Lamentations 3:1.
The whole disposing thereof is of the Lord. Proverbs 16:1.
Go, inquire of the Lord for me. 2 Chronicles 34:2.
That holy thing that shall be born of thee. Luke 1:1.
Hence of is the sign of the genitive case, the case that denotes production; as the son of man, the son proceeding from man, produced from man. This is the primary sense, although we now say, produced by man. 'Part of these were slain; ' that is, a number separate, for part denotes a division; the sense then is, a number from or out of the whole were slain. So also, 'some of these were slain; ' that is…
גֵּרְשֻׁנִּי (Gershunniy) refers to a Gershonite, a descendant of Gershon, the firstborn son of Levi. This term is used to describe members of the Levitical tribe, specifically those related to Gershon, and is linked to the family structure in the Old Testament, particularly in Genesis 46:11.
גֵּרְשֻׁנִּי adj.gent. c. art. as subst. collect.
base
H1649 גֵּרְשֻׁנִּי
1649 Gershunniy gay-resh-oon-nee'
patronymically from 1648; a Gereshonite or descendant of
Gereshon:--Gershonite, sons of Gershon.
see HEBREW for 01648
גֵּרְשֻׁנִּי (ge.re.shun.ni) — Gershonite.
Someone descended from Gershon who was a man of the tribe of Levi living at the time of Egypt and Wilderness, first mentioned at Gen.46.11;
son of: Levi (H3878);
brother of: Kohath (H6955), Merari (H4847) and Jochebed (H3115);
father of: Libni (H3845) and Shimei (H8096); also called Gershom at 1Ch.6.16,17,20,43,62,71; 15.7;
Group of ge.re.shon (גֵּרְשׁוֹן "Gershon" H1648)
§ Gershonite , of Geshur
a descendant of Gershon, firstborn son of Levi
Art | Ngmsa — Particle · noun gentilic masculine singular absoluteHTd/Ngmsa
מִשְׁפָּחָה (mishpachah) refers to a clan or family, encompassing a circle of relatives and extending to tribes or peoples. It can also denote a class of persons, species of animals, or kinds of things. The entries highlight its various uses, including guilds and aristocrats, but do not present any significant disagreement.
מִשְׁפָּחָה 303 n.f. clan
clan
= guild
= species, kind
pl. = aristocrats
base
H4940 מִשְׁפָּחָה clan . clan
. = guild
. = species, kind
. pl. = aristocrats
4940 mishpachah mish-paw-khaw'
from 8192 (compare 8198); a family, i.e. circle of relatives;
figuratively, a class (of persons), a species (of animals) or
sort (of things); by extens. a tribe or people:--family,
kind(-red).
see HEBREW for 08192
see HEBREW for 08198
מִשְׁפָּחָה (mish.pa.chah) — family.
1) clan, family
1a) clan
1a1) family
1a2) tribe
1a3) people, nation
1b) guild
1c) species, kind
1d) aristocrats
Prep | N-fp | Suff — Preposition · noun common feminine plural construct · suffixHR/Ncfpc/Sp3mp
The Hebrew word שָׁלֹשׁ (*shalosh*) means 'three' or 'triad.' It can also refer to the ordinal 'third' and is used in various contexts, including multiplication as 'thrice.' The entries consistently define it as a primitive number without significant disagreement.
שָׁלֹשׁ, שָׁלוֹשׁ, שְׁלֹשָׁה 430 n.m. et f. a three, triad
base
H7969 שָׁלֹשׁ, שָׁלוֹשׁ, שְׁלֹשָׁה a three, triad
7969 shalowsh shaw-loshe'
or shalosh {shaw-loshe'}; masculine shlowshah {shel-o-shaw'};
or shloshah {shel-o-shaw'}; a primitive number; three;
occasionally (ordinal) third, or (multipl.) thrice:--+ fork,
+ often(-times), third, thir(-teen, -teenth), three, + thrice.
Compare 7991.
see HEBREW for 07991
שָׁלֹשׁ (sha.losh) — three.
1) three, triad
1a) 3, 300, third
Aramaic equivalent: te.lat (תְּלָת "three" H8532)
Adj — AdjHAcbsc
עָשָׂר (asar) means 'ten' and is used exclusively in combination with other numbers to form the teen numbers (11-19), both as cardinal and ordinal forms. The entries indicate that it is derived from another Hebrew root, but do not elaborate on its etymology.
עָשָׂר, עֶשְׂרֵה ten, only after units to make num. 11-19, both cardinal and ordinal
base
H6240 עָשָׂר, עֶשְׂרֵה ten, only after units to make num. 11-19, both cardinal and ordinal
6240 `asar aw-sawr'
for 6235; ten (only in combination), i.e. -teen; also
(ordinal) -teenth:--(eigh-, fif-, four-, nine-, seven-,
six-, thir-)teen(-th), + eleven(-th), + sixscore thousand, +
twelve(-th).
see HEBREW for 06235
עָשָׂר (a.sar) — ten.
1) ten, -teen (in combination with other numbers)
1a) used only in combination to make the numbers 11-19
HAcbsa — HAcbsa
The Hebrew word עִיר (*'iyr*) has meanings related to both excitement and city. It can denote excitement, particularly of terror or rage, as well as refer to a city or town, indicating a place that is guarded or inhabited. The entries suggest a broad application, from fortified cities to simple encampments. There is a specific mention of a man named Ir in 1 Chronicles 4:12.
עִיר n.[m.] excitement;—of terror; of rage
base
עִיר 1092 n.f. city, town
city, town, abode of men
of fortress in a city
appar. fortified place, of any size
base
H5892a עִיר excitement;—of terror; of rage H5892b עִיר city, town . city, town, abode of men
. of fortress in a city
. appar. fortified place, of any size
5892 `iyr eer
or (in the plural) par {awr}; or ayar (Judges 10:4)
{aw-yar'}; from 5782 a city (a place guarded by waking or a
watch) in the widest sense (even of a mere encampment or
post):--Ai (from margin), city, court (from margin), town.
see HEBREW for 05782
עִיר (ir) — excitement.
1) excitement, anguish
1a) of terror
עִיר (ir) — city.
1) city, town (a place of waking, guarded)
1a) city, town (a place of waking, guarded)
1a) city, town
עִיר (ir) — City (of On).
Combined with on (אֹן "On" H0204)
This name means city, town
Another name of on (אֹן "On" H0204)
עִיר (ir) — Ir-.
#A man of the tribe of Judah living at the time of Divided Monarchy, only mentioned at 1Ch.4.12;
son of: Tehinnah (H8468)
N-fs — Noun common · feminine singular absoluteHNcfsa
מִגְרָשׁ (migrash) refers to common or open land, often associated with areas where flocks are driven for pasture. It can denote a suburb or the space around a building, and is noted in Ezekiel 27:28. The term is derived from a root meaning to drive out.
מִגְרָשׁ n.m. common, common-land, open land
base
H4054 מִגְרָשׁ
4054 migrash mig-rawsh'
also (in plural) feminine (Ezek. 27:28) migrashah
{mig-raw-shaw'}; from 1644; a suburb (i.e. open country
whither flocks are driven from pasture); hence, the area
around a building, or the margin of the sea:--cast out,
suburb.
see HEBREW for 01644
מִגְרָשׁ (mig.rash) — pasture.
common, common land, open land, suburb
Conj | N-mp | Suff — Conjunction · noun common masculine plural construct · suffixHC/Ncmpc/Sp3fp