The Meaning of Joshua 21:21 Explained

Joshua 21:21

KJV: For they gave them Shechem with her suburbs in mount Ephraim, to be a city of refuge for the slayer; and Gezer with her suburbs,

YLT: and they give to them the city of refuge for the man-slayer, Shechem and its suburbs, in the hill-country of Ephraim, and Gezer and its suburbs,

Darby: and they gave them the city of refuge for the slayer, Shechem and its suburbs in mount Ephraim; and Gezer and its suburbs,

ASV: And they gave them Shechem with its suburbs in the hill-country of Ephraim, the city of refuge for the manslayer, and Gezer with its suburbs,

KJV Reverse Interlinear

For they gave  them Shechem  with her suburbs  in mount  Ephraim,  [to be] a city  of refuge  for the slayer;  and Gezer  with her suburbs, 

What does Joshua 21:21 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 21:21 mean?

For they gave them - a city of refuge for the slayer Shechem and with its common-land in the mountains of Ephraim and Gezer its common-land
וַיִּתְּנ֨וּ לָהֶ֜ם אֶת־ עִ֨יר מִקְלַ֧ט הָרֹצֵ֛חַ שְׁכֶ֥ם וְאֶת־ מִגְרָשֶׁ֖הָ בְּהַ֣ר אֶפְרָ֑יִם וְאֶת־ גֶּ֖זֶר מִגְרָשֶֽׁהָ

וַיִּתְּנ֨וּ  For  they  gave 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: יָתַן 
Sense: to give, put, set.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
עִ֨יר  a  city 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: עִיר 
Sense: excitement, anguish.
מִקְלַ֧ט  of  refuge  for 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: מִקְלָט  
Sense: refuge, asylum.
הָרֹצֵ֛חַ  the  slayer 
Parse: Article, Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: רָצַח  
Sense: to murder, slay, kill.
שְׁכֶ֥ם  Shechem 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: שְׁכֶם 
Sense: son of Hamor, the chieftain of the Hivites at Shechem at the time of Jacob’s arrival.
וְאֶת־  and  with 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
מִגְרָשֶׁ֖הָ  its  common-land 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, third person feminine singular
Root: מִגְרָשׁ 
Sense: common, common land, open land, suburb.
בְּהַ֣ר  in  the  mountains 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: הַר  
Sense: hill, mountain, hill country, mount.
אֶפְרָ֑יִם  of  Ephraim 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אֶפְרַיִם  
Sense: second son of Joseph, blessed by him and given preference over first son, Manasseh.
גֶּ֖זֶר  Gezer 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: גֶּזֶר  
Sense: a Levitical city on the border of Ephraim.
מִגְרָשֶֽׁהָ  its  common-land 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, third person feminine singular
Root: מִגְרָשׁ 
Sense: common, common land, open land, suburb.