Joshua 21:4-8

General Description of the Levitical Cities

4. the lot came out As in the case of the inheritance of the other tribes, so in the apportioning of their cities to the Levites, recourse was had to the sacred lot. "It had probably been decided beforehand what cities each tribe was to give up, and therefore it only now remained for the lot to determine to which branch of the Levites each city should be given."

the families of the Kohathites The Levites were divided into three families, (a) the Gershonites, (b) the Kohathites, (c) the Merarites, so named after the three sons of Levi (Genesis 46:11). The family-tree stood as follows:

The Kohathites held the first rank, as being the family to which Aaron belonged, and while the priesthood was confined to the house of Aaron, the posterity of Moses were reckoned as Levites, on an equality with the rest of the descendants of Levi (Numbers 3; 1 Chronicles 6:48-49). It had been the duty of the Kohathites, during the wanderings, on the removal of the Tabernacle, to bear all the sacred vessels, including the Ark itself, the table of shewbread, the seven-branched candlestick, the altars of incense and of burnt-offering (Numbers 3:31; Numbers 4:6; Numbers 4:9; Numbers 4:15; Deuteronomy 31:25).

and the children of Aaron the priest As the first lot was drawn by the Kohathites, so again the first of theirs fell to the Aaronites or priests.

out of the tribe of Judah To the priests of the line of Aaron thirteen cities were assigned out of the tribes of Judah, Simeon, and Benjamin.