Joshua 20

Chapter context

What is happening in Joshua 20?

inheritancerestcovenant fidelityholy war

Joshua 20 belongs to the middle movement of the book, especially the section often described as allotment, refuge cities, and Joshua’s farewell covenants. Joshua tells of the crossing into Canaan, the fall of Jericho, complex campaigns in the land, tribal allotments, and a final renewal of covenant loyalty. Read this chapter with the wider themes of inheritance, rest, and covenant fidelity in view so the individual verses keep their proper weight.

¹ The LORD also spake unto Joshua, saying, ² Speak to the children of Israel, saying, Appoint out for you cities of refuge, whereof I spake unto you by the hand of Moses: ³ That the slayer that killeth any person unawares and unwittingly may flee thither: and they shall be your refuge from the avenger of blood. ⁴ And when he that doth flee unto one of those cities shall stand at the entering of the gate of the city, and shall declare his cause in the ears of the elders of that city, they shall take him into the city unto them, and give him a place, that he may dwell among them. ⁵ And if the avenger of blood pursue after him, then they shall not deliver the slayer up into his hand; because he smote his neighbour unwittingly, and hated him not beforetime. ⁶ And he shall dwell in that city, until he stand before the congregation for judgment, and until the death of the high priest that shall be in those days: then shall the slayer return, and come unto his own city, and unto his own house, unto the city from whence he fled. ⁷ And they appointed Kedesh in Galilee in mount Naphtali, and Shechem in mount Ephraim, and Kirjatharba, which is Hebron, in the mountain of Judah. ⁸ And on the other side Jordan by Jericho eastward, they assigned Bezer in the wilderness upon the plain out of the tribe of Reuben, and Ramoth in Gilead out of the tribe of Gad, and Golan in Bashan out of the tribe of Manasseh. ⁹ These were the cities appointed for all the children of Israel, and for the stranger that sojourneth among them, that whosoever killeth any person at unawares might flee thither, and not die by the hand of the avenger of blood, until he stood before the congregation.

Study helps

Glossary

Joshua Tribe v. 1: Jehovah is his help, or Jehovah the Saviour. The son of Nun, of the tribe of Ephraim, the successor of Moses as the leader of Israel. He is called Jehoshua in Num. 13:16 (A. V. ), and Jesus in Acts 7:45 and Heb. 4:8 .
City People v. 4, 6: The earliest mention of city-building is that of Enoch, which was built by Cain ( Gen. 4:17 ). After the confusion of tongues, the descendants of Nimrod founded several cities (10:10-12).
Galilee Place v. 7: Biblical region. Modern identification: Galilee.
Hebron Place v. 7: A community; alliance. (1. ) A city in the south end of the valley of Eshcol, about midway between Jerusalem and Beersheba, from which it is distant about 20 miles in a straight line. Modern identification: Tel Rumeida.
Kedesh Place v. 7: Sanctuary. (1. ) A place in the extreme south of Judah ( Josh. 15:23 ). Probably the same as Kadesh-barnea (q. v. ). (2. ) A city of Issachar ( 1 Chr. 6:72 ). Possibly Tell Abu Kadeis, near Lejjun. Modern identification: Tel Kedesh.
Naphtali Person v. 7: My wrestling, the fifth son of Jacob. His mother was Bilhah, Rachel’s handmaid ( Gen. 30:8 ). When Jacob went down into Egypt, Naphtali had four sons ( Gen. 46:24 ). Little is known of him as an individual.
Shechem Place v. 7: Biblical settlement. Modern identification: Tell Balatah.
Bashan Place v. 8: Biblical region. Modern identification: Saham al Jawlan.
Bezer Place v. 8: Ore of gold or silver. (1. ) A city of the Reubenites; one of the three cities of refuge on the east of Jordan (Deut. 4: 43; Josh. 20:8 ). Modern identification: Umm el Amad.
Gad Person v. 8: Fortune; luck. (1. ) Jacob’s seventh son, by Zilpah, Leah’s handmaid, and the brother of Asher ( Gen. 30:11-13 ; 46:16 , 18). In the Authorized Version of 30:11 the words, “A troop cometh: and she called,” etc.
Gilead Place v. 8: Biblical region. Modern identification: Tell edh Dhahab esh Sherqiyeh.
Golan Place v. 8: Exile, a city of Bashan ( Deut. 4:43 ), one of the three cities of refuge east of Jordan, about 12 miles north-east of the Sea of Galilee ( Josh. 20:8 ). There are no further notices of it in Scripture. Modern identification: Saham al Jawlan.
Jericho Place v. 8: Biblical settlement. Modern identification: Tell es Sultan.
Jordan Place v. 8: Biblical river. Modern identification: Jordan River.
Ramoth Place v. 8: Biblical settlement. Modern identification: Tall er Rumeith.
Reuben Person v. 8: Behold a son!, the eldest son of Jacob and Leah ( Gen. 29:32 ). His sinful conduct, referred to in Gen. 35:22 , brought down upon him his dying father’s malediction (48:4).