Joshua 21:37 — Word Study
WLCאֶת־ קְדֵמוֹת֙ וְאֶת־ מִגְרָשֶׁ֔הָ וְאֶת־ מֵיפָ֖עַת וְאֶת־ מִגְרָשֶׁ֑הָ עָרִ֖ים אַרְבַּֽע׃ ס
BSAKedemothQᵉdêmôwth [a city in the east] and MephaathMôwphaʻath [a city near Moab] fourʼarbaʻ citiesʻîyr together withʼêth their pasturelandsmigrâsh [open lands, suburbs, or common areas]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| אֶת־ | the object marker | Particle |
| קְדֵמוֹת֙ | Kedemoth | Noun proper |
| וְאֶת־ | and the object marker | Conjunction, particle |
| מִגְרָשֶׁ֔הָ | pasture lands its | Noun common masculine plural construct, suffix |
| וְאֶת־ | and the object marker | Conjunction, particle |
| מֵיפָ֖עַת | Mephaath | Noun proper |
| וְאֶת־ | and the object marker | Conjunction, particle |
| מִגְרָשֶׁ֑הָ | pasture lands its | Noun common masculine plural construct, suffix |
| עָרִ֖ים | cities | Noun common, masculine plural absolute |
| אַרְבַּֽע׃ ס | four | Adj |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | Kedemoth, and Mephaath—four cities, together with their pasturelands. |
| KJV | Kedemoth with her suburbs, and Mephaath with her suburbs; four cities. |
| ASV | Kedemoth with its suburbs, and Mephaath with its suburbs; four cities. |
| YLT | Kedemoth and its suburbs, and Mephaath and its suburbs — four cities. |
| WEB | Kedemoth with its pasture lands, and Mephaath with its pasture lands: four cities. |
| BBE | Kedemoth and Mephaath with their grass-lands, four towns. |
The translations agree on the names and structure of the verse, with no significant differences noted.
The sentence structure presents a main clause followed by a descriptive phrase about the pasturelands.
4 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Cambridge, 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 21:37
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 — Cities Given to the Levitesgenerated
Joshua 21:37 lists Kedemoth and Mephaath as part of the cities allocated to the Levites from the tribe of Reuben. This allocation is significant as it shows how land was distributed among the tribes of Israel, particularly for the Levites who had no land of their own. The context emphasizes the importance of these cities in the region and their role in the life of the Levites.
Cross References
The Key Word — קְדֵמוֹת, ke.de.mOtgenerated
The word קְדֵמוֹת (kedemoth) is a proper noun referring to a city in eastern Palestine, specifically associated with the tribe of Reuben. It is derived from the root meaning 'east' or 'beginning', indicating its geographical significance.
Kedemoth is mentioned in the context of the Levites' cities, highlighting its role in the distribution of land among the tribes. The term emphasizes the historical and cultural importance of this location within the narrative of Israel's settlement.
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 'were given', which indicates the allocation of cities. The structure includes noun phrases for each city and their associated pasturelands.
The order of the cities emphasizes their significance, with Kedemoth and Mephaath presented first, followed by the description of pasturelands, indicating the importance of both the cities and their surrounding areas.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint uses the Greek word καὶ (kai) to translate the conjunctions in this verse, indicating a straightforward rendering of the Hebrew without significant alteration of meaning.
This choice reflects a direct correspondence to the Hebrew text, maintaining the emphasis on the cities and their pasturelands.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Joshua 21:37 lists Kedemoth and Mephaath as cities given to the Levites, along with their pasturelands. These cities were part of the land allocated to the tribe of Reuben, showing how the Levites were provided for in the Israelite community.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
Kedemoth and Mephaath are significant as they represent the cities allocated to the Levites, ensuring they had places to live and serve within the community.
'Pasturelands' refers to the open lands surrounding the cities where livestock could graze, highlighting the agricultural aspect of these settlements.
Cities were given to the Levites because they did not receive a land inheritance like the other tribes, so these cities provided them with a place to live and fulfill their priestly duties.
Four cities are mentioned in this passage, which are Kedemoth and Mephaath from the tribe of Reuben, along with additional cities from the tribe of Gad.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- What can we learn about the importance of community support from the allocation of cities to the Levites?
- How does the concept of pasturelands reflect the agricultural lifestyle of ancient Israel?
- In what ways does this allocation of cities demonstrate God's provision for His people?
- What significance do the names of these cities hold in the context of Israel's history?
Commentators on this verse — 4 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Joshua 21:37 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleKedemoth with her suburbs,.... Near to which was a wilderness of that name; see Deuteronomy 2:26; and Mephaath with her suburbs; of which [See comments on Joshua 13:18]; where the two preceding
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 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges37. Kedemoth] Joshua 13:18; Mephaath, see ch. Joshua 13:18.
Read Cambridge 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 — 16 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
Kedemoth, and Mephaath—four cities, together with their pasturelands.
Kedemoth with its pasture lands, and Mephaath with its pasture lands: four cities.
Kedemoth, and Mephaath—four cities, together with their pasturelands.
Kedemoth, and Mephaath, along with the grazing areas of each – a total of four cities;
Tyndale line
Kedemoth with her suburbs, and Mephaath with her suburbs; four cities.
Kedemoth with its suburbs, and Mephaath with its suburbs; four cities.
Kedemoth with her suburbs, and Mephaath with her suburbs; four cities.
Kedemoth with its suburbs, and Mephaath with its suburbs; four cities.
Kedemoth with her suburbes, and Mephaath with her suburbes: foure cities.
Strictly literal
Kedemoth and its suburbs, and Mephaath and its suburbs: four cities;
Kedemoth and its suburbs, and Mephaath and its suburbs — four cities.
Kedemoth and its outskirts, and Mephaath and its outskirts—four cities.
Kedemoth with its pasturelands, and Mephaath with its pasturelands—four cities.
From the Latin
Of the tribe of Gad, Ramoth in Galaad, one of the cities of refuge, and Manaim and Hesebon and Jaser, four cities with their suburbs.
Simplified
Kedemoth, and Mephaath.
Kedemoth and Mephaath with their grass-lands, four towns.
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 largely agree in this verse, with seven of the ten words matched. The Septuagint's wording corresponds closely to the Hebrew, although its word order differs.
אֶת־ קְדֵמוֹת֙ וְאֶת־ מִגְרָשֶׁ֔הָ וְאֶת־ מֵיפָ֖עַת וְאֶת־ מִגְרָשֶׁ֑הָ עָרִ֖ים אַרְבַּֽע׃ ס
7 of the 10 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 21:37
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.
אֵת (eth) is primarily a grammatical marker in Hebrew, indicating the definite direct object of a verb. It is not translated into English and typically precedes nouns that are definite. The word is derived from a demonstrative sense of entity, related to the Hebrew word for 'self.' Its Aramaic equivalent is יָת (yat).
אֵת the mark of the accusative, prefixed as a rule only to nouns that are definite
base
H853 אֵת the mark of the accusative, prefixed as a rule only to nouns that are definite
853 'eth ayth
apparent contracted from 226 in the demonstrative sense of
entity; properly, self (but generally used to point out more
definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or
namely):--(as such unrepresented in English).
see HEBREW for 0226
אֵת (et) — [Obj.].
sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative
Aramaic equivalent: yat (יָת "whom" H3487)
Conj | DirObjM — ParticleHTo
קְדֵמֹת (Qdemowth) refers to a location, specifically a town in eastern Palestine associated with the tribe of Reuben. It is derived from the root meaning 'beginnings' and is noted in the context of the Merarite Levites. The entries consistently identify it as a geographical name without significant disagreement.
קְדֵמֹת n.pr.loc. in Reuben (Moab)
base
H6932 קְדֵמֹת in Reuben (Moab)
6932 Qdemowth ked-ay-mothe'
from 6923; beginnings; Kedemoth, a place in eastern
Palestine:--Kedemoth.
see HEBREW for 06923
קְדֵמוֹת (qe.de.mot) — Kedemoth.
§ Kedemoth = "eastern"
one of the towns in the district east of the Dead Sea allotted to the tribe of Reuben and given to the Merarite Levites
N-proper — Noun properHNpl
See JAHAZ.
Kedemoth
Beginnings; easternmost, a city of Reuben, assigned to the Levites of the family of Merari (Josh. 13:18). It lay not far north-east of Dibon-gad, east of the Dead Sea.
(beginnings), one of the towns in the district east of the Dead Sea allotted to the tribe of Reuben, (Joshua 13:18) given by the Merarite Levites. (Joshua 21:37; 1 Chronicles 6:79) It possibly conferred its name on the "wilderness," or uncultivated pasture land, "of Kedemoth." (Numbers 21:33; 2:26,27) etc.
אֵת (eth) is primarily a grammatical marker in Hebrew, indicating the definite direct object of a verb. It is not translated into English and typically precedes nouns that are definite. The word is derived from a demonstrative sense of entity, related to the Hebrew word for 'self.' Its Aramaic equivalent is יָת (yat).
אֵת the mark of the accusative, prefixed as a rule only to nouns that are definite
base
H853 אֵת the mark of the accusative, prefixed as a rule only to nouns that are definite
853 'eth ayth
apparent contracted from 226 in the demonstrative sense of
entity; properly, self (but generally used to point out more
definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or
namely):--(as such unrepresented in English).
see HEBREW for 0226
אֵת (et) — [Obj.].
sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative
Aramaic equivalent: yat (יָת "whom" H3487)
HC/To — Conjunction · particleHC/To
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
N-mp | Suff — Noun common masculine plural construct · suffixHNcmpc/Sp3fs
אֵת (eth) is primarily a grammatical marker in Hebrew, indicating the definite direct object of a verb. It is not translated into English and typically precedes nouns that are definite. The word is derived from a demonstrative sense of entity, related to the Hebrew word for 'self.' Its Aramaic equivalent is יָת (yat).
אֵת the mark of the accusative, prefixed as a rule only to nouns that are definite
base
H853 אֵת the mark of the accusative, prefixed as a rule only to nouns that are definite
853 'eth ayth
apparent contracted from 226 in the demonstrative sense of
entity; properly, self (but generally used to point out more
definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or
namely):--(as such unrepresented in English).
see HEBREW for 0226
אֵת (et) — [Obj.].
sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative
Aramaic equivalent: yat (יָת "whom" H3487)
HC/To — Conjunction · particleHC/To
מֵיפַ֫עַת (Mowpha`ath) refers to a location, specifically a Levitical city in the territory of Reuben. It is associated with meanings like 'splendour' or 'height' and is mentioned in Jeremiah 48:21. The word is derived from a root meaning 'illuminative,' indicating its significance in the region.
מֵיפַ֫עַת n.pr.loc.—Levitical city in Reuben
base
H4158 מֵיפַ֫עַת, מוֹפַעַת
4158 Mowpha`ath mo-fah'-ath
(Jer. 48:21 or meyphaath {may-fah'-ath}; or mephaath
{may-fah'-ath; from 3313; illuminative; Mophaath or Mephaath,
a place in Palestine:--Mephaath.
see HEBREW for 03313
מֵיפַ֫עַת (mo.pha.at) — Mephaath.
§ Mephaath = "splendour" or "height"
a city of Reuben allotted to the Merarite Levites lying in the district of the Mishor, near Moab
N-proper — Noun properHNpl
mef'-a-ath, me-fa'-ath (mepha`ath and meypha`ath, mopha`ath; Codex Vaticanus, Maiphaath, Mephaath): A city of the Amorites in the territory allotted to Reuben, named with Kedemoth and Kiriathaim (Jos 13:18), and given to the Merarite Levites (Jos 21:37; 1Ch 6:79). It appears again as a Moabite town in Jer 48:21. It was known to Eusebius and Jerome (Onom) as occupied by a Roman garrison, but the site has been lost.
Mephaath
Splendour, a Levitical city (Josh. 21:37) of the tribe of Reuben (13:18).
(splendor height), city of the Reubenites, one of the towns independently an Heshhon, (Joshua 13:18) lying in the district of the Mishor comp. ver. (Joshua 13:17) and Jere 48:21 Authorized Version "plain," which probably answered to the modern Belka . It was one of the cities allotted with their suburbs to the Merarite Levites. (Joshua 21:37; 1 Chronicles 6:79) Its site is uncertain.
appearance, or force, of waters
אֵת (eth) is primarily a grammatical marker in Hebrew, indicating the definite direct object of a verb. It is not translated into English and typically precedes nouns that are definite. The word is derived from a demonstrative sense of entity, related to the Hebrew word for 'self.' Its Aramaic equivalent is יָת (yat).
אֵת the mark of the accusative, prefixed as a rule only to nouns that are definite
base
H853 אֵת the mark of the accusative, prefixed as a rule only to nouns that are definite
853 'eth ayth
apparent contracted from 226 in the demonstrative sense of
entity; properly, self (but generally used to point out more
definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or
namely):--(as such unrepresented in English).
see HEBREW for 0226
אֵת (et) — [Obj.].
sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative
Aramaic equivalent: yat (יָת "whom" H3487)
HC/To — Conjunction · particleHC/To
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
HNcmpc/Sp3fs — Noun common masculine plural construct · suffixHNcmpc/Sp3fs
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 absoluteHNcmpa
The earliest notice in Scripture of city-building is of Enoch by Cain, in the land of his exile. (Genesis 4:17) After the confusion of tongues the descendants of Nimrod founded Babel, Erech, Accad and Calneh, in the land of Shinar, and Asshur, a branch from the same stock, built Nineveh, Rehoboth-by-the-river, Calah and Resen, the last being "a great city." The earliest description of a city, properly so called, is that of Sodom, (Genesis 19:1-22) Even before the time of Abraham there were cities in Egypt, (Genesis 12:14,15; Numbers 13:22) and the Israelites, during their sojourn there, were employed in building or fortifying the "treasure cities" of Pithom and Raamses.…
אַרְבַּע (arba) means 'four' in Hebrew. It is a masculine noun derived from the root associated with the number four. The entries consistently affirm this meaning without any significant disagreement among lexicons.
אַרְבַּע, אַרְבָּעָה four
base
H702 אַרְבַּע, אַרְבָּעָה four
702 'arba` ar-bah'
masculine oarbaah {ar-baw-aw'}; from 7251; four:--four.
see HEBREW for 07251
אַרְבַּע (ar.ba) — four.
four
Adj — AdjHAcbsa
for ('arba`; tessares): "Four" (cardinal number) was a sacred and complete number with the Hebrews, as well as with several other peoples. It occurs very frequently in the Old Testament and the New Testament.
(1) It indicates completeness. We have the four rivers of Paradise (Ge 2:10); the four winds of heaven (Eze 37:9; Da 7:2; 8:8; 11:4; Zec 6:5, the Revised Version, margin "spirits"; /APC 2Esdras 13:5); "the four winds" (Mt 24:31; Mr 13:27); "the four corners of the earth" (Isa 11:12;