CHAPTER 6 Sep. 23 
The Children of Levi
The sons of Levi: Gershon, Kohath and Merari. 2The sons of Kohath: Amram, Izhar, Hebron and Uzziel. 3The children of Amram: Aaron, Moses and Miriam. The sons of Aaron: Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar. 4Eleazar became the father of Phinehas, Phinehas became the father of Abishua, 5Abishua became the father of Bukki, Bukki became the father of Uzzi, 6Uzzi became the father of Zerahiah, Zerahiah became the father of Meraioth, 7Meraioth became the father of Amariah, Amariah became the father of Ahitub, 8Ahitub became the father of Zadok, Zadok became the father of Ahimaaz, 9Ahimaaz became the father of Azariah, Azariah became the father of Johanan, 10Johanan became the father of Azariah (he it is who executed the priest’s office in the house that Solomon built in Jerusalem), 11Azariah became the father of Amariah, Amariah became the father of Ahitub, 12Ahitub became the father of Zadok, Zadok became the father of Shallum, 13Shallum became the father of Hilkiah, Hilkiah became the father of Azariah, 14Azariah became the father of Seraiah, Seraiah became the father of Jehozadak. 15Jehozadak went into captivity when Yahweh carried away Judah and Jerusalem by the hand of Nebuchadnezzar. 16The sons of Levi: Gershom, Kohath and Merari. 17These are the names of the sons of Gershom: Libni and Shimei. 18The sons of Kohath were Amram, Izhar, Hebron and Uzziel. 19The sons of Merari: Mahli and Mushi. These are the families of the Levites according to their fathers’ households. 20Of Gershom: Libni his son, Jahath his son, Zimmah his son, 21Joah his son, Iddo his son, Zerah his son, Jeatherai his son. 22The sons of Kohath: Amminadab his son, Korah his son, Assir his son, 23Elkanah his son, and Ebiasaph his son and Assir his son, 24Tahath his son, Uriel his son, Uzziah his son and Shaul his son. 25The sons of Elkanah: Amasai and Ahimoth. 26As for Elkanah, the sons of Elkanah: Zophai his son, and Nahath his son, 27Eliab his son, Jeroham his son, Elkanah his son. 28The sons of Samuel: the firstborn Joel and the second Abijah. 29The sons of Merari: Mahli, Libni his son, Shimei his son, Uzzah his son, 30Shimea his son, Haggiah his son, Asaiah his son. 
The Temple Musicians
31These are they whom David set over the service of song in the house of Yahweh, after that the ark had rest. 32They ministered with song before the tabernacle of the Tent of Meeting, until Solomon had built the house of Yahweh in Jerusalem; and they served in their office according to their order. 33These are those who waited, and their sons. Of the sons of the Kohathites: Heman the singer, the son of Joel, son of Samuel, 34son of Elkanah, son of Jeroham, son of Eliel, son of Toah, 35son of Zuph, son of Elkanah, son of Mahath, son of Amasai, 36son of Elkanah, son of Joel, son of Azariah, son of Zephaniah, 37son of Tahath, son of Assir, son of Ebiasaph, son of Korah, 38son of Izhar, son of Kohath, son of Levi, the son of Israel. 39His brother Asaph, who stood on his right hand, even Asaph the son of Berechiah, son of Shimea, 40son of Michael, son of Baaseiah, son of Malchijah, 41son of Ethni, son of Zerah, son of Adaiah, 42son of Ethan, son of Zimmah, son of Shimei, 43son of Jahath, son of Gershom, the son of Levi. 44On the left hand were their brothers the sons of Merari: Ethan the son of Kishi, son of Abdi, son of Malluch, 45son of Hashabiah, son of Amaziah, son of Hilkiah, 46son of Amzi, son of Bani, son of Shemer, 47son of Mahli, son of Mushi, son of Merari, the son of Levi. 48Their brothers the Levites were appointed for all the service of the tabernacle of God’s house. 49But Aaron and his sons offered on the altar of 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. 50These are the sons of Aaron: Eleazar, Phinehas his son, Abishua his son, 51Bukki his son, Uzzi his son, Zerahiah his son, 52Meraioth his son, Amariah his son, Ahitub his son, 53Zadok his son, Ahimaaz his son. 54Now these are their dwelling places according to their encampments in their borders: to the sons of Aaron, of the families of the Kohathites (for theirs was the first lot), 55to them they gave Hebron in the land of Judah, and its suburbs around it; 56but the fields of the city, and its villages, they gave to Caleb the son of Jephunneh. 57To the sons of Aaron they gave the cities of refuge: Hebron; Libnah also with its suburbs, Jattir, Eshtemoa with its suburbs; 58Hilen with its suburbs; Debir with its suburbs; 59Ashan with its suburbs and Beth Shemesh with its suburbs; 60and out of the tribe of Benjamin, Geba with its suburbs; Allemeth with its suburbs and Anathoth with its suburbs. All their cities throughout their families were thirteen cities. 61To the rest of the sons of Kohath were given by lot, out of the family of the tribe, out of the half-tribe, the half of Manasseh, ten cities. 62To the sons of Gershom, according to their families, out of the tribe of Issachar, out of the tribe of Asher, out of the tribe of Naphtali and out of the tribe of Manasseh in Bashan, thirteen cities. 63To the sons of Merari were given by lot, according to their families, out of the tribe of Reuben, out of the tribe of Gad and out of the tribe of Zebulun, twelve cities. 64The children of Israel gave to the Levites the cities with their suburbs. 65They gave by lot out of the tribe of the children of Judah, 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. 66Some of the families of the sons of Kohath had cities of their borders out of the tribe of Ephraim. 67They gave to them the cities of refuge: Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim with its suburbs; Gezer also with its suburbs; 68Jokmeam with its suburbs; Beth Horon with its suburbs; 69Aijalon with its suburbs and Gath Rimmon with its suburbs; 70and out of the half-tribe of Manasseh, Aner with its suburbs and Bileam with its suburbs, for the rest of the family of the sons of Kohath. 71To the sons of Gershom were given, out of the family of the half-tribe of Manasseh: Golan in Bashan with its suburbs, and Ashtaroth with its suburbs; 72and out of the tribe of Issachar: Kedesh with its suburbs; Daberath with its suburbs; 73Ramoth with its suburbs; Anem with its suburbs; 74and out of the tribe of Asher: Mashal with its suburbs; Abdon with its suburbs; 75Hukok with its suburbs and Rehob with its suburbs; 76and out of the tribe of Naphtali: Kedesh in Galilee with its suburbs; Hammon with its suburbs and Kiriathaim with its suburbs. 77To the rest of the Levites, the sons of Merari, were given, out of the tribe of Zebulun: Rimmono with its suburbs; Tabor with its suburbs; 78and beyond the Jordan at Jericho, on the east side of the Jordan, were given them, out of the tribe of Reuben: Bezer in the wilderness with its suburbs; Jahzah with its suburbs, 79Kedemoth with its suburbs and Mephaath with its suburbs; 80and out of the tribe of Gad: Ramoth in Gilead with its suburbs; Mahanaim with its suburbs; 81Heshbon with its suburbs and Jazer with its suburbs.

Commentary

6:57,58 The cities of refuge represented Christ as the ultimate place of refuge for those like us who have sinned, deserve to die, and yet didn’t wilfully sin (Heb. 6:18). It should be noted that these cities were generally in areas which required some effort to get to- in the wilderness, in the mountains (:67) etc. This teaches that there must be some conscious effort on our side in fleeing to Christ; repentance and entry into Christ aren’t momentary actions, they are highly deliberate and conscious acts from us. 
6:61 Ten cities- The parable of the pounds describes the reward of the faithful in terms of being given ten or five cities (Lk. 19:17). This idea of dividing up groups of cities was surely meant to send the mind back to the way Israel in their wilderness years were each promised their own individual cities and villages, which they later inherited. The idea of inheriting "ten cities" occurs here and in Josh. 15:57; 21:5,26, all in the context of the priests receiving their cities, and "five cities" in 4:32. As each Israelite was promised some personal inheritance in the land, rather than some blanket reward which the while nation received, so we too have a personal reward prepared. The language of inheritance (e.g. 1 Pet. 1:4) and preparation of reward (Mt. 25:34; Jn. 14:1) in the New Testament is alluding to this Old Testament background of the land being prepared by the Angels for each person amongst God’s people to specifically inherit (Ex. 15:17; 23:20; Ps. 68:9,10). Our promised inheritance is not only eternal life; it is something being personally prepared for each of us. The language of preparation seems inappropriate if our reward is simply eternal life; it is the nature of that life which is of the essence.