The Meaning of Joshua 21:10 Explained

Joshua 21:10

KJV: Which the children of Aaron, being of the families of the Kohathites, who were of the children of Levi, had: for theirs was the first lot.

YLT: and they are for the sons of Aaron, of the families of the Kohathite, of the sons of Levi, for theirs hath been the first lot;

Darby: and which the children of Aaron, of the families of the Kohathites, of the children of Levi had (for theirs was the first lot);

ASV: and they were for the children of Aaron, of the families of the Kohathites, who were of the children of Levi; for theirs was the first lot.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Which the children  of Aaron,  [being] of the families  of the Kohathites,  [who were] of the children  of Levi,  had: for theirs was the first  lot. 

What does Joshua 21:10 Mean?

Chapter Summary: Joshua 21

1  Forty-eight cities given by lot, out of the other tribes unto the Levites
43  God gives the land, and rest unto the Israelites, according to his promise

What do the individual words in Joshua 21:10 mean?

and which were for the sons of Aaron one of the families of the Kohathites [who were] of the sons of Levi for theirs was the lot first
וַֽיְהִי֙ לִבְנֵ֣י אַהֲרֹ֔ן מִמִּשְׁפְּח֥וֹת הַקְּהָתִ֖י מִבְּנֵ֣י לֵוִ֑י כִּ֥י לָהֶ֛ם הָיָ֥ה הַגּוֹרָ֖ל רִיאשֹׁנָֽה

וַֽיְהִי֙  and  which  were 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
לִבְנֵ֣י  for  the  sons 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
אַהֲרֹ֔ן  of  Aaron 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אַהֲרֹון  
Sense: brother of Moses, a Levite and the first high priest.
מִמִּשְׁפְּח֥וֹת  one  of  the  families  of 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, feminine plural construct
Root: מִשְׁפָּחָה  
Sense: clan, family.
הַקְּהָתִ֖י  the  Kohathites  [who  were] 
Parse: Article, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: קְהָתִי  
Sense: the descendants of Kohath, the 2nd son of Levi.
מִבְּנֵ֣י  of  the  sons 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
לֵוִ֑י  of  Levi 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: לֵוִי 
Sense: the 3rd son of Jacob by Leah and progenitor of tribe of Levites.
לָהֶ֛ם  theirs 
Parse: Preposition-l, Pronoun, third person masculine plural
Root: הֵם 
Sense: they, these, the same, who.
הַגּוֹרָ֖ל  the  lot 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: גֹּורָל  
Sense: lot.
רִיאשֹׁנָֽה  first 
Parse: Adjective, feminine singular
Root: רִאשֹׁון  
Sense: first, primary, former.