It is probable that when the 48 cities were designated by the various tribes, they were divided into 4 lots. Then it was determined to which of the four families of the tribe of Levi these portions would be assigned. Kohath, in this instance, was considered as two families, namely, the Kohathites in the line of Aaron, who were priests, and the remainder who were not priests. The family of Aaron, from which came the priests, had for its share the 13 cities that were given by the tribes of Judah, Simeon, and Benjamin. God, in wisdom, planned that the cities that fell to the priests were those that lay next to Jerusalem, because that was to be, in the process of time, the Holy City, where the Temple would be and where the services of the priests would be needed.

The order in which distribution was made was similar to the order of march in the wilderness. The priests, with Moses and Aaron, who pitched on the east by the entrance of the tabernacle came first; the Kohathites were on the south, and in march carried the sacred vessels; the Gershonites were on the west, and followed the Kohathites carrying the curtains and various fabrics of the tent and tabernacle; the Merarites were pitched on the north, and in line of march came last, carrying the bars and boards.

 From the instruction given in Lev. 25:32-34, as well as the record of Biblical history, it is evident that these cities were not exclusively inhabited by the Levites. In view of the purpose of the distribution of the Levites, this would hardly be God’s plan. God intended the Levites to be in the midst of Israel and not to be isolated from the people whom they were to instruct and guide. Hence the cities of the Levites were also inhabited by Israelites from other tribes. Gibeah of Benjamin, here given to the Levites (Joshua 21:17), was also peopled by the Benjamites, as appears from the history of the Levite whose wife was so horribly abused by them (Judges 19). Saul dwelt there also. David and his court spent years at Hebron, another city of the Levites. The Levites probably were merely given the right to as many houses as they needed for living quarters in these cities. If they should sell, which they seemingly had a right to do (Lev. 25:32-34), they would perpetually have the right to redeem the property. The rest of the dwellings were occupied by the members of the tribe to which the country belonged. Outside the city was the pastureland for their cattle, extending up to 2,000 cu. beyond the city limits. This land was theirs for use but not for selling. It was permanently considered the Lord’s property.

 There is record later of priests and Levites living in other cities, as for instance in Nob (1 Sam. 21:1). Evidently, in the course of time, there was a modification of the original plan.

This may seem like a large number for the children of Aaron, but it must be borne in mind that these cities were probably not inhabited exclusively by the priests, and that all the cities enumerated were not as yet taken from the Canaanites.