Joshua 21:14
And Jattir with her suburbs, and Eshtemoa with her suburbs,
Original Language Analysis
וְאֶת
H853
וְאֶת
Strong's:
H853
Word #:
1 of 8
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 8
properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)
מִגְרָשֶֽׁהָ׃
with her suburbs
H4054
מִגְרָשֶֽׁהָ׃
with her suburbs
Strong's:
H4054
Word #:
4 of 8
a suburb (i.e., open country whither flocks are driven from pasture); hence, the area around a building, or the margin of the sea
וְאֶֽת
H853
וְאֶֽת
Strong's:
H853
Word #:
5 of 8
properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)
Historical Context
Jattir (Khirbet Attir) lies 13 miles southwest of Hebron in the Judean hill country at 2,000 feet elevation. Excavations reveal Iron Age occupation consistent with Israelite settlement. Eshtemoa (es-Semu') sits 9 miles south of Hebron. Its synagogue ruins from the Byzantine period suggest continued Jewish/Levitical presence long after Joshua's era. Both cities figured in David's network of southern support during his fugitive years.
Questions for Reflection
- Why did God strategically place priestly cities throughout Israel rather than concentrating them in one location?
- How does the preservation of these city names in Scripture demonstrate God's attention to historical detail?
- What can modern churches learn from the geographic distribution of spiritual leadership in ancient Israel?
Related Resources
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Analysis & Commentary
Jattir with her suburbs, and Eshtemoa with her suburbs (יַתִּר וְאֶת־מִגְרָשֶׁהָ וְאֶת־אֶשְׁתְּמֹעַ וְאֶת־מִגְרָשֶׁהָ, Yattir ve'et-migrashehah ve'et-Eshtemoa ve'et-migrashehah)—These Judahite hill country cities continued the allocation to Aaron's descendants. Jattir appears in David's list of cities receiving spoils from Amalekite raids (1 Samuel 30:27), suggesting ongoing priestly presence there centuries later. The repetition of ve'et-migrashehah ("with her suburbs") after each city name emphasizes the careful fulfillment of Numbers 35:2-5, which specified exact measurements for pastureland: 1,000 cubits from the city wall in each direction, with additional 2,000-cubit extensions for farming and grazing.
The geographical clustering of these priestly cities in Judah's southern highlands created a spiritual center where Torah teaching and sacrificial knowledge could be concentrated and preserved.