⁶³Unto the sons of Merari were given by lot, according to their families, out of the tribe of Reuben, and out of the tribe of Gad, and out of the tribe of Zebulun, twelve cities. ⁶⁴And the children of Israel gave to the Levites the cities with their suburbs.
63. twelve cities] The total number of Levitic cities (verse 60 thirteen, verse 61 ten, verse 62 thirteen, verse 63 twelve) was forty-eight (so Joshua xxi. 41), of which the Kohathites, as the largest division (compare xv. 5, note), received twenty-three or nearly half.
⁶⁵And they gave by lot out of the tribe of the children of Judah, and out of the tribe of the children of Simeon, and out of the tribe of the children of Benjamin, these cities which are mentioned by name.
65. by lot] as a means of gaining Divine sanction for the assignment of cities. This verse (= Joshua xxi. 9) is plainly unsuitable in its present context. In Joshua it is the introduction to the list of Aaronic cities (here verses 54–60). The Chronicler, having rearranged the material of his source, nevertheless preferred to transcribe this verse, despite the lack of harmony with the context; or possibly, if verses 66–81 are an addition to the original text of Chronicles (see the head-note on verses 54–81), verse 65 may also be a later insertion intended to help as a connecting link between verses 64 and 66 ff.
66–81.
Cities of the Levites.
66–70 (= Joshua xxi. 20–25).
The [ten] cities of the non-Aaronite Kohathites.
⁶⁶And some of the families of the sons of Kohath had cities of their borders out of the tribe of Ephraim.
66. of their borders] rather, as Joshua xxi. 20, of their lot (the difference in Hebrew is very slight).
⁶⁷And they gave unto them the cities of refuge, Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim with her suburbs; Gezer also with her suburbs;
67. the cities of refuge, Shechem] Read (a slight change in Hebrew) the city of refuge, Shechem. Compare verse 57, note.