The big picture
Joshua 21 finishes the distribution by giving the Levites what a tribe without a territorial block still needs: cities in which to live and surrounding land for livestock. The allocations are carefully organized among Aaron's priestly descendants, the remaining Kohathites, Gershon, and Merari, and the contributing cities come from tribes on both sides of Jordan. Repeated place-names require distinctions rather than confusion. Hebron can remain connected to Caleb's fields and villages, serve as a Levitical city, and function as a city of refuge because the chapter specifies the different claims. The six refuge cities reappear inside the Levitical network, tying provision for worship and provision for justice together geographically. The chapter then steps back from forty-eight individual cities to the whole promise: the LORD gave land, rest, and victory, and "all came to pass." The book's measure is fulfilled divine speech, not a monument to Joshua's reputation.
Central truth
Joshua 20–21 turns Torah instructions into a functioning network of refuge and Levitical towns, providing due process for the unintentional manslayer, distributing forty-eight cities to Levi, and closing with the declaration that none of the LORD’s good promises to Israel failed.
The study notes have a page of their own
The movement by movement analysis, the words to trace, the verse by verse notes and where readers differ are written for someone studying alone. They are on the Deep Personal Reflections page for this chapter. This page is the lesson.
A chapter-specific teaching brief
These anchors come from this chapter itself. They help a teacher use the Level 1 overview, the Level 2 study, and the Scripture text as one lesson.
Open with the chapter’s first image
Joshua 21:1: “Then came near the heads of the fathers of the Levites unto Eleazar the priest, and unto Joshua the son of Nun, and unto the heads of the fathers of the…”
Slow down at the turning point
Joshua 21:12: “But the fields of the city, and the villages thereof, gave they to Caleb the son of Jephunneh for his possession.”
Keep this word trail visible
suburbs, cities, tribe, children, families, gave
What to explain, in order
Teach the passage in this order. Each step names the verses it rests on, so every point can be shown in the text before it is applied.
Joshua 20:1-3
A refuge already promised
Begin with the LORD's words: "Appoint out for you cities of refuge, whereof I spake unto you by the hand of Moses". Point to Numbers 35 and Deuteronomy 19 so the class sees that this is the fulfilment of an earlier word. Explain "avenger of blood" as the near relative whose duty was to avenge a killing, a role known across the ancient world. Explain "unawares and unwittingly" as accidental and unintended. Teach this first because the chapter assumes a world where blood feud was the normal response to death, and the LORD is setting limits on it.
Joshua 20:4-6
The gate, the hearing and the high priest
Walk through the procedure with the verbs on the board: flee, stand, declare, be received, dwell, stand trial, wait, return. Explain the gate as the place of the elders' judgment. Show that the elders must protect the refugee from the avenger once his case is heard. Then read the time limit of verse 6. Note that the slayer still loses something real: years away from home. Teach this as the heart of the chapter because it shows justice and mercy working together, with neither the accused nor the bereaved ignored.
Joshua 20:7-9
Six cities within reach
Read the names and show them on a map, three west and three east, north, middle and south. Point out that they include Shechem and Hebron, important cities, and that Kedesh, Shechem and Hebron are in the hill country, easy to see. Then read verse 9: the cities are "for all the children of Israel, and for the stranger that sojourneth among them". Teach this to show that the system is designed for access, and that the foreigner has the same protection as the Israelite.
Joshua 21:1-8
The Levites ask
Read the Levites' request at Shiloh. Like Caleb and the daughters of Zelophehad, they appeal to what "The LORD commanded by the hand of Moses" (21:2). Show that the tribes give out of their own inheritance (21:3), so that every tribe shares. Explain the three Levite clans, Kohath, Gershon and Merari, and that the priests, Aaron's line within Kohath, receive cities in Judah, Simeon and Benjamin, near where the temple will stand. Teach this so the class sees the tribes making room for those who serve the LORD among them.
Joshua 21:9-42
Forty eight cities across the land
Do not read every city aloud. Summarise the distribution with a map and point out that some refuge cities, Hebron and Shechem among them, appear again here. Read 21:41-42. Explain that the scattering of the Levites means that the people who taught the law lived among every tribe. Connect this to Genesis 49:7, where Jacob says Levi will be scattered; what was spoken as a judgment becomes a service. Teach this to show how the inheritance of Levi works in practice, and why it matters for Israel's life with God.
Joshua 21:43-45
Not one good word failed
Close with the summary. Read it slowly, phrase by phrase, and let the class hear that every sentence names the LORD as the actor. Then put it beside 13:1 and 15:63, and explain that the Book of Joshua sees no contradiction: the LORD has kept every promise, and Israel still has land to take. Teach this last because it is one of the great confessions of the Old Testament, repeated by Joshua in 23:14 and by Solomon in 1 Kings 8:56, and it gives the class a sentence to carry home.
Where learners get stuck
The misreadings this passage tends to produce, and how to answer each from the text.
"The cities of refuge let killers escape justice."
Only the one who killed "unawares and unwittingly" (20:3), who "hated him not beforetime" (20:5), may stay. He must declare his cause to the elders (20:4) and "stand before the congregation for judgment" (20:6). Numbers 35:16-21 says the deliberate murderer is to be put to death. The cities protected the innocent from blood feud while keeping the trial in place; they did not shelter the guilty.
"The refuge was a punishment, because the slayer had to leave home."
The slayer does lose years at home, which the law treats seriously, because a life was lost. But the city receives him and gives him "a place, that he may dwell among them" (20:4), and the elders "shall not deliver the slayer up into his hand" of the avenger (20:5). After the high priest dies he returns "unto his own house" (20:6). The arrangement is a protection, with a cost that honours the life that was lost.
"Joshua 21:45 says every promise was fulfilled, but the book says land was left, so it contradicts itself."
The Book of Joshua places both statements deliberately. In 13:1 the LORD says "there remaineth yet very much land", and in 23:5 Joshua says the LORD "shall expel them". The summary in 21:43-45 confesses that the LORD has done all he promised: he gave the land, gave rest, and defeated every enemy that stood. What remains is Israel's part, to take possession. The text sees God's faithfulness as complete and Israel's obedience as ongoing.
"The Levites got the leftovers."
Each tribe gave cities "out of their inheritance" (21:3), including major cities such as Hebron and Shechem. The priests received cities near the future site of the sanctuary. Numbers 35:8 said each tribe would give in proportion to its size. Far from leftovers, the Levitical cities placed the servants of the LORD across the whole land.
Learning objectives
- Explain who may flee to a city of refuge and why the city gate is the first place named in the procedure.
- Trace the legal sequence from flight and explanation to congregation judgment and eventual return after the high priest’s death.
- Name the six refuge cities and distinguish the three west of Jordan from the three east of Jordan.
- Explain why the Levites receive cities and pasture lands rather than one continuous tribal territory.
- Identify the total number of Levitical cities given with their suburbs.
- Read Joshua 21:43–45 as the theological summary of the allotment section while keeping it consistent with earlier notices of remaining local possession.
Teacher preparation
- Read Numbers 35:9–34 and Deuteronomy 19:1–13.
- Locate all six refuge cities: Kedesh, Shechem, Hebron, Bezer, Ramoth in Gilead, and Golan in Bashan.
- Mark the procedural verbs in Joshua 20:4–6: flee, stand at the gate, declare the cause, be received, dwell, stand before the congregation, remain until the high priest dies, return home.
- Read Joshua 13:14 and 13:33 beside chapter 21.
- Prepare to explain the closing “not one thing hath failed” language without erasing Joshua 13:1 or other remaining-inhabitant notices.
Evidence and interpretation checks
Explicit
Joshua 20:3 identifies the refugee as one who kills a person “unawares and unwittingly,” and verses 4–6 describe reception at the city gate, protection from the avenger of blood, congregation judgment, and residence until the high priest’s death.
Scripture-supported
Numbers 35 supplies the fuller legal framework distinguishing murder from unintentional killing and requiring refuge cities, while Numbers 35:1–8 commands cities and suburbs for the Levites.
Strong inference
The geographical spread of the six refuge cities makes the legal protection a national system rather than a single remote sanctuary available only to those living nearby.
Possible or traditional reading
Christian interpreters have often used the refuge cities typologically as pictures of salvation or refuge in Christ.
Limit
Joshua 20 does not provide every evidentiary rule for homicide cases, and Joshua 21 does not erase unresolved local possession mentioned earlier.
Discussion with answer guidance
1. What kind of killer is eligible for refuge according to Joshua 20:3?
What a good answer contains
Only one kind: "the slayer that killeth any person unawares and unwittingly" (20:3), and verse 5 adds that "he smote his neighbour unwittingly, and hated him not beforetime." A good answer sees two tests: the killing was not intended, and there was no prior hatred. Numbers 35:16-21 and Deuteronomy 19:11-13 make clear that the deliberate murderer has no refuge. A weak answer thinks the cities protected all killers, or misses that the law distinguishes between accident and intent.
Show teacher guidance
The KJV says one who kills “unawares and unwittingly.” Bring in Numbers 35 only to clarify the distinction from intentional murder, not to replace Joshua’s wording.
2. What happens at the gate before the refugee is given a place in the city?
What a good answer contains
He "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" (20:4). Then "they shall take him into the city unto them, and give him a place, that he may dwell among them." A good answer sees that refuge begins with a hearing, not with automatic admission, and ends with a home. The elders do not hand him to the avenger (20:5). A weak answer misses the role of the gate and the elders, where justice was done in Israel.
Show teacher guidance
Verse 4 says he stands at the entering of the gate and declares his cause in the ears of the elders; they receive him and give him a place to dwell among them.
3. What two events determine how long the manslayer remains in the refuge city?
What a good answer contains
Two limits, both in one verse: he stays "until he stand before the congregation for judgment, and until the death of the high priest that shall be in those days" (20:6). A good answer sees two limits: a trial before the community, and a period tied to the high priest's life. Explain that the high priest's death marked a new era, and many readers have seen in it a picture of release through a death. A weak answer misses the trial and thinks the refugee simply waited.
Show teacher guidance
Verse 6 names standing before the congregation for judgment and remaining until the death of the high priest who is in office in those days.
4. Which six cities are appointed as refuges?
What a good answer contains
West of the Jordan: "Kedesh in Galilee in mount Naphtali, and Shechem in mount Ephraim, and Kirjath-arba, which is Hebron, in the mountain of Judah" (20:7). East: "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" (20:8). A good answer sees the spread, north, centre and south on each side, so that no one was too far from refuge. A weak answer lists them without seeing the plan.
Show teacher guidance
West: Kedesh in Galilee, Shechem in Ephraim, Hebron in Judah.
5. How many Levitical cities does Joshua 21:41 total?
What a good answer contains
The total is "forty and eight cities with their suburbs" (21:41). Explain "suburbs" as pasture land around each city. A good answer connects this to Numbers 35:7 and sees that the six cities of refuge are among the forty eight. It also notes that Levi, who had "none inheritance" in territory (13:14), now has homes in every tribe, so that teachers of the law live throughout Israel. A weak answer gives the number without its purpose.
Show teacher guidance
Forty-eight cities with their suburbs.
6. What three claims close Joshua 21:43–45?
What a good answer contains
Three claims, each with the LORD as subject: "the LORD gave unto Israel all the land which he sware to give unto their fathers" (21:43); "the LORD gave them rest round about" (21:44); and "There failed not ought of any good thing which the LORD had spoken unto the house of Israel; all came to pass" (21:45). A good answer sees that every claim names the LORD as the one who acted. It also holds this beside 13:1 and 15:63: the promise is faithfully kept, and the work of possession continues. A weak answer sees a contradiction instead of a confession.
Show teacher guidance
The LORD gives Israel the land, gives them rest round about, and brings to pass all the good things he spoke, with “not one thing” failing.
Responsible application
Heart and habits
Study the refuge procedure before drawing an application.
Relationships and community
Map the Levite and refuge cities across tribal territories.
Read fulfillment precisely
Place Joshua 21:45 beside Joshua 13:1.
Session plans
Two timings of the same lesson. The shorter keeps the reading, the central discussion and one response; the longer gives the confusions and the application their own time.
45 minutes
Avenger of blood
Read 20:1-3. Explain the avenger and take question one.
At the gate
Read 20:4-6. Take questions two and three, and the first confusion.
Six cities
Read 20:7-9 with a map. Take question four.
The Levites' cities
Read 21:1-3 and 21:41-42. Take question five and the fourth confusion.
Not one good word failed
Read 21:43-45. Take question six and the third confusion.
Close
Hand out the sheet, read 21:45 together, and pray.
90 minutes
When something goes terribly wrong
Ask what a community should do when someone causes a death by accident. Keep answers general and handle with care.
A refuge promised
Read Numbers 35:9-15 and Joshua 20:1-3. Take question one.
The gate and the high priest
Read 20:4-6. Take questions two and three, and the first two confusions.
Six cities within reach
Read 20:7-9 with a map. Take question four.
The Levites ask
Read 21:1-8. Note the appeal to Moses and the shared giving.
Forty eight cities
Read 21:41-42, Numbers 35:7-8 and Genesis 49:7. Take question five and the fourth confusion.
Not one good word failed
Read 21:43-45, then 23:14 and 1 Kings 8:56. Take question six and the third confusion.
Close
Complete the read fulfilment precisely application, read the key verse together and pray.
Adapting the lesson
Children
Set up six safe chairs around the room as cities of refuge. One child plays someone who had an accident, and another plays a relative who is very angry. The first child runs to a chair and explains to the elders what happened, and is protected. Teach that God cared for people who made terrible mistakes by accident. Do not focus on the death. End with the promise that not one good thing failed.
Youth
Ask what happens online when someone makes a mistake: does anyone wait for a hearing? Read 20:4-6 and talk about a system that slowed down revenge and insisted on a fair hearing. Discuss why the stranger was included. Then read 21:45 and ask them to name promises of God they have seen kept.
Adults
Adults may want to compare the cities of refuge with modern justice; let them, but keep the focus on the text's balance of mercy and justice. Some in the room may carry grief or guilt from an accidental death, so speak with care. Spend time on 21:43-45 and on how a church can confess that God has kept his word while knowing there is still work to do.
One to one
If the person carries guilt over something they did not intend, read 20:3-5 together and let them hear that God made a place for such people. Do not make light of what happened. If they doubt God's promises, read 21:45 slowly and ask them to name one good word they have seen him keep. Pray together.
Song and video learning lab
A song or video may interpret, compress, or dramatize the text. Its value becomes clearer when its choices are compared with Scripture.
- Before the media: the exact passage and its central movement.
- During the media: the words, people, events, and emotions the artist emphasizes.
- After the media: what it clarifies, what it leaves out, and what belongs back in the biblical text.
Handout
One page for learners to take home. The print button prints this section alone.
Joshua 20:1–21:45
The passage in brief
The LORD tells Joshua to set apart six cities of refuge, three on each side of the Jordan. Anyone who kills someone by accident can run to one of these cities, explain what happened to the elders at the gate, and be protected from the dead person's relatives until a fair trial. The Levites, who received no tribal land, are given forty eight cities spread through all the tribes. The section ends by saying that the LORD kept every good promise he had made to Israel.
A verse to keep
There failed not ought of any good thing which the LORD had spoken unto the house of Israel; all came to pass.
Joshua 21:45 · King James Version
Questions to take home
Who could find safety in a city of refuge (20:3-5)?
What did the person have to do at the city gate (20:4)?
What does 21:45 say about God's promises?
This week
Write down one promise of God you have seen kept, and thank him for it each day this week.
Music and video connected to the passage
Related media appears when its Scripture reference overlaps this study. Music and video can illuminate a theme while the biblical text remains the foundation.
