1 Chronicles 6:69
And Aijalon with her suburbs, and Gath-rimmon with her suburbs:
Original Language Analysis
וְאֶת
H853
וְאֶת
Strong's:
H853
Word #:
1 of 9
properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)
וְאֶת
H853
וְאֶת
Strong's:
H853
Word #:
3 of 9
properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)
מִגְרָשֶֽׁיהָ׃
with her suburbs
H4054
מִגְרָשֶֽׁיהָ׃
with her suburbs
Strong's:
H4054
Word #:
4 of 9
a suburb (i.e., open country whither flocks are driven from pasture); hence, the area around a building, or the margin of the sea
וְאֶת
H853
וְאֶת
Strong's:
H853
Word #:
5 of 9
properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)
Historical Context
Aijalon's valley remained strategically significant through Israel's history—site of battles under Joshua (1400 BC), Saul (1 Samuel 14:31), and later Philistine-Israelite conflicts. In the divided monarchy period (930-722 BC), Aijalon's location on the Benjamin-Dan border made it a contested frontier city. For the Chronicler's post-exilic audience, these northern Levitical cities were mostly lost, but the record preserved God's original intention for complete tribal coverage of spiritual leadership.
Questions for Reflection
- How does Levitical presence at sites of miraculous deliverance (like Aijalon) emphasize worship's role in remembering and retelling God's mighty acts?
- What does the strategic distribution of worship leaders teach about intentional church planting in underserved areas?
Analysis & Commentary
Aijalon with her suburbs, and Gath-rimmon with her suburbs—two more Levitical cities allocated to Kohathite families in Dan's and Ephraim's territories. Aijalon (אַיָּלוֹן 'place of deer') sits in the valley where Joshua commanded the moon to stand still during battle (Joshua 10:12), making it a site commemorating Yahweh's miraculous intervention. A Levitical city at this location meant regular liturgical remembrance of God's power in holy history.
Gath-rimmon (גַּת־רִמּוֹן 'winepress of pomegranate') appears in both Dan's (Joshua 19:45) and Manasseh's (Joshua 21:25) allotments, suggesting either two cities with identical names or textual confusion in transmission—a reminder that Scripture preserves authentic ancient records with their original textual challenges rather than sanitized versions. The Levites received 'winepress' cities, symbolically appropriate for those who would tread out spiritual harvest and produce the wine of joy in worship (Psalm 104:15).
These brief listings—easy to skip in reading—actually map God's intentional geographic dispersion of worship leaders. By placing Levites in strategically located cities throughout all tribal territories, God ensured no Israelite lived far from Torah instruction and covenant worship. The pattern anticipates Jesus's commission to make disciples 'in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and the ends of the earth' (Acts 1:8).