49 And Aaron and his sons offered upon the altar of the burnt-offering, and on the altar of incense, for all the work of the most holy place, and to make atonement for Israel, according to all that Moses the servant of God had commanded. 50 And these are the sons of Aaron: Eleazar his son, Phinehas his son, Abishua his son, 51 Bukki his son, Uzzi his son, Zerahiah his son, 52 Meraioth his son, Amariah his son, Ahitub his son, 53 Zadok his son, Ahimaaz his son.
54 And these are their dwelling-places according to their encampments, within their borders. For the sons of Aaron, of the family of the Kohathites, for theirs was the lot; 55 and they gave them Hebron in the land of Judah, and its suburbs round about it; 56 but the fields of the city, and the hamlets thereof gave they to Caleb the son of Jephunneh. 57 And to the children of Aaron they gave the city of refuge, Hebron; and Libnah and its suburbs, and Jattir, and Eshtemoa and its suburbs, 58 and Hilen and its suburbs, Debir and its suburbs, 59 and Ashan and its suburbs, and Beth-shemesh and its suburbs; 60 and, out of the tribe of Benjamin, Geba and its suburbs, and Allemeth and its suburbs, and Anathoth and its suburbs: all their cities, thirteen cities, according to their families. 61 And to the children of Kohath that remained [were given] by lot out of the families of the tribe [of Ephraim and of the tribe of Dan and] of the half tribe, half Manasseh, ten cities. 62 And to the children of Gershom according to their families out of the tribe of Issachar, and out of the tribe of Asher, and out of the tribe of Naphtali, and out of the tribe of Manasseh in Bashan, thirteen cities. 63 To the children 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. 64 And the children of Israel gave to the Levites the cities and their suburbs. 65 And 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 were mentioned by name. 66 And to the families of the children of Kohath who had the cities of their territory out of the tribe of Ephraim, 67 they gave the city of refuge, Shechem and its suburbs in mount Ephraim; and Gezer and its suburbs, 68 and Jokmeam and its suburbs, and Beth-horon and its suburbs, 69 and Ajalon and its suburbs, and Gath-Rimmon and its suburbs; 70 and out of the half tribe of Manasseh: Aner and its suburbs, and Bileam and its suburbs,—for the families of the children of Kohath that remained. 71 To the children of Gershom [were given] out of the family of the half tribe of Manasseh: Golan in Bashan and its suburbs, and Ashtaroth and its suburbs; 72 and out of the tribe of Issachar: Kedesh and its suburbs, Dobrath and its suburbs, 73 and Ramoth and its suburbs, and Anem and its suburbs; 74 and out of the tribe of Asher: Mashal and its suburbs, and Abdon and its suburbs, 75 and Hukok and its suburbs, and Rehob and its suburbs; 76 and out of the tribe of Naphtali: Kedesh in Galilee and its suburbs, and Hammon and its suburbs, and Kirjathaim and its suburbs. 77 To the children of Merari that remained [were given] out of the tribe of Zebulun, Rimmono and its suburbs, [and] Tabor and its suburbs; 78 and on the other side of the Jordan by Jericho, on the east side of the Jordan, out of the tribe of Reuben: Bezer in the wilderness and its suburbs, and Jahzah and its suburbs, 79 and Kedemoth and its suburbs, and Mephaath and its suburbs; 80 and out of the tribe of Gad: Ramoth in Gilead and its suburbs, and Mahanaim and its suburbs, 81 and Heshbon and its suburbs, and Jaazer and its suburbs.
Matthew Henry's Commentary on 1 Chronicles 6:49-81
Chapter Contents
Genealogies.
We have an account of Levi in this chapter. The priests and Levites were more concerned than any other Israelites, to preserve their descent clear, and to be able to prove it; because all the honours and privileges of their office depended upon their descent. Now, the Spirit of God calls ministers to their work, without any limit as to the families they came from; and then, as now, though believers and ministers may be very useful to the church, none but our great High Priest can make atonement for sin, nor can any be accepted but through his atonement.