Numbers 35:4 - “The suburbs of the cities, which you shall give to the Levites, shall be from the wall of the city and outward one thousand cubits around it.
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What does "Numbers 35:4" mean?
Numbers 35:4 outlines the land allocated to the Levites around the cities they were given to dwell in. Let's break down the meaning:
"The suburbs of the cities, which you shall give to the Levites...": This establishes that the Levites, who were not given their own tribal territory like the other tribes of Israel, were instead given cities to live in scattered throughout the other tribes' lands. The "suburbs" referred to the land surrounding those cities.
"...shall be from the wall of the city and outward one thousand cubits around it.": This describes the extent of the suburbs:
"from the wall of the city": The land began at the city's wall.
"outward one thousand cubits around it": The suburbs extended 1000 cubits in all directions from the city wall. A cubit is an ancient unit of measure, roughly the length of a forearm (from elbow to fingertip). Estimates range from 18 inches to 24 inches, so 1000 cubits would be somewhere between 1500 feet and 2000 feet (or 450 to 600 meters approximately).
In essence, the verse specifies that each Levite city was to be surrounded by a zone of land, measuring 1000 cubits from the city wall, that belonged to the Levites. This land was presumably for their use, possibly for pasturing animals, gardens, or other activities connected to their service to the Tabernacle/Temple.
Significance:
Provision for the Levites: The allocation of these "suburbs" provided the Levites with land for their livelihood, as they did not have the agricultural land of the other tribes.
Space for Activities: The land around the cities likely served as space for the Levites' livestock, gardens, and other activities needed to support their lives.
Spatial Separation: It may have created a buffer zone between the Levites and the other tribes, perhaps to maintain their separation for religious purposes or to prevent conflicts.
Practical Considerations: Given the lack of advanced sanitation in those times, the buffer zone would have provided some distance from the densely packed urban environment of the cities.
Numbers 35:4 - “The suburbs of the cities, which you shall give to the Levites, shall be from the wall of the city and outward one thousand cubits around it.
What does "Numbers 35:4" mean?
Numbers 35:4 outlines the land allocated to the Levites around the cities they were given to dwell in. Let's break down the meaning:
"The suburbs of the cities, which you shall give to the Levites...": This establishes that the Levites, who were not given their own tribal territory like the other tribes of Israel, were instead given cities to live in scattered throughout the other tribes' lands. The "suburbs" referred to the land surrounding those cities.
"...shall be from the wall of the city and outward one thousand cubits around it.": This describes the extent of the suburbs:
"from the wall of the city": The land began at the city's wall.
"outward one thousand cubits around it": The suburbs extended 1000 cubits in all directions from the city wall. A cubit is an ancient unit of measure, roughly the length of a forearm (from elbow to fingertip). Estimates range from 18 inches to 24 inches, so 1000 cubits would be somewhere between 1500 feet and 2000 feet (or 450 to 600 meters approximately).
In essence, the verse specifies that each Levite city was to be surrounded by a zone of land, measuring 1000 cubits from the city wall, that belonged to the Levites. This land was presumably for their use, possibly for pasturing animals, gardens, or other activities connected to their service to the Tabernacle/Temple.
Significance:
Provision for the Levites: The allocation of these "suburbs" provided the Levites with land for their livelihood, as they did not have the agricultural land of the other tribes.
Space for Activities: The land around the cities likely served as space for the Levites' livestock, gardens, and other activities needed to support their lives.
Spatial Separation: It may have created a buffer zone between the Levites and the other tribes, perhaps to maintain their separation for religious purposes or to prevent conflicts.
Practical Considerations: Given the lack of advanced sanitation in those times, the buffer zone would have provided some distance from the densely packed urban environment of the cities.