The Meaning of Joshua 21:2 Explained

Joshua 21:2

KJV: And they spake unto them at Shiloh in the land of Canaan, saying, The LORD commanded by the hand of Moses to give us cities to dwell in, with the suburbs thereof for our cattle.

YLT: and they speak unto them in Shiloh, in the land of Canaan, saying, 'Jehovah commanded by the hand of Moses to give to us cities to dwell in, and their suburbs for our cattle.'

Darby: and they spoke to them at Shiloh in the land of Canaan, saying, Jehovah commanded through Moses to give us cities to dwell in, and their suburbs for our cattle.

ASV: and they spake unto them at Shiloh in the land of Canaan, saying, Jehovah commanded Moses to give us cities to dwell in, with the suburbs thereof for our cattle.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And they spake  unto them at Shiloh  in the land  of Canaan,  saying,  The LORD  commanded  by the hand  of Moses  to give  us cities  to dwell in,  with the suburbs  thereof for our cattle. 

What does Joshua 21:2 Mean?

Context Summary

Joshua 21:1-3 - 40-45, The Lord's Promises Fulfilled
After the cities of refuge had been provided, those to be set apart for priests and Levites were next allotted, Numbers 35:1-8. Forty-two cities were set apart in addition to the six cities of refuge. The priests and the Levites were not the sole possessors of those towns, but dwelled in them, receiving freely their dwellings and pasture-lands. The closing verses represent the position of affairs at Joshua's death. So far as God's promises went, there had been no failure. The chronicler repeatedly affirms that. It is right to distinguish, says Calvin, between the clear, certain and unwavering fidelity of God, and the weakness and the indolence of His people, which cause God's gifts to slip from their hands.
At the end of life, when we review it from our last halting-place, we shall accept as absolutely true the conclusion of Joshua 21:45, and much more; but alas, for our failures to use His gifts to the full! [source]

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 21:2 mean?

and they spoke to them at Shiloh in the land of Canaan saying Yahweh commanded through Moses to give us cities to dwell in and with their common-lands for our livestock
וַיְדַבְּר֨וּ אֲלֵיהֶ֜ם בְּשִׁלֹ֗ה בְּאֶ֤רֶץ כְּנַ֙עַן֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר יְהוָה֙ צִוָּ֣ה בְיַד־ מֹשֶׁ֔ה לָֽתֶת־ לָ֥נוּ עָרִ֖ים לָשָׁ֑בֶת וּמִגְרְשֵׁיהֶ֖ן לִבְהֶמְתֵּֽנוּ

וַיְדַבְּר֨וּ  and  they  spoke 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Piel, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: דָּבַר 
Sense: to speak, declare, converse, command, promise, warn, threaten, sing.
אֲלֵיהֶ֜ם  to  them 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine plural
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).
בְּשִׁלֹ֗ה  at  Shiloh 
Parse: Preposition-b, Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: שִׁילֹו 
Sense: a city in Ephraim and temporary home of the Ark of the Covenant and the Tabernacle, the place where Samuel grew up.
בְּאֶ֤רֶץ  in  the  land 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
כְּנַ֙עַן֙  of  Canaan 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: כְּנַעַן 
Sense: the 4th son of Ham and the progenitor of the Phoenicians and of the various nations who peopled the seacoast of Palestine.
לֵאמֹ֔ר  saying 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
יְהוָה֙  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
צִוָּ֣ה  commanded 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: צָוָה  
Sense: to command, charge, give orders, lay charge, give charge to, order.
בְיַד־  through 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: יָד  
Sense: hand.
מֹשֶׁ֔ה  Moses 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: מֹשֶׁה  
Sense: the prophet and lawgiver, leader of the exodus.
לָֽתֶת־  to  give 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: יָתַן 
Sense: to give, put, set.
לָ֥נוּ  us 
Parse: Preposition, first person common plural
עָרִ֖ים  cities 
Parse: Noun, feminine plural
Root: עִיר 
Sense: excitement, anguish.
לָשָׁ֑בֶת  to  dwell  in 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: יָשַׁב 
Sense: to dwell, remain, sit, abide.
וּמִגְרְשֵׁיהֶ֖ן  and  with  their  common-lands 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine plural construct, third person feminine plural
Root: מִגְרָשׁ 
Sense: common, common land, open land, suburb.
לִבְהֶמְתֵּֽנוּ  for  our  livestock 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, feminine singular construct, first person common plural
Root: בְּהֵמָה  
Sense: beast, cattle, animal.