What Does Joshua 21:10 Mean in the King James?

Which the children of Aaron, being of the families of the Kohathites, who were of the children of Levi, had: for theirs was the first lot.

Joshua 21:10 · KJV

The analysis reads the King James wording.

King James Version The King James Version, first published in 1611. Selah Verse shows the standard text.

This verse in the Selah Decoded Version

THE KEY

The word “first” carries the root image of “head,” placing this family at the head of the allotment.

THE MEANING

The verse holds identity and portion together: Aaron’s descendants are named within the Kohathites and the children of Levi, and the first lot belongs to them. You meet a share here as something located within a line of belonging and an order of distribution.

THE ROOT

הָרִאשׁוֹן

ha-rishon

GROWS FROM

רֹאשׁ

r-ʾ-sh

Head, top, or chief; the root image behind what is first or foremost.

Rishon, “first,” comes from rosh, “head”; reshith, “beginning” or “first portion,” carries the same root. The word lets sequence and position at the head sound together: the lot is first in order, with the root image of what stands at the head beneath it.

ALSO GROWS

rosh: Head, top, chief

רֹאשׁ

The head is what stands at the top or foremost, bringing the root image of “first” into view.

reshit: Beginning, first portion

רֵאשִׁית

This branch joins what comes first with the beginning or foremost part, echoing the first lot in this verse.

THE PATTERN

A lot marks a share within a community, and its outcome rests within the LORD’s ordering.

Notwithstanding the land shall be divided by lot: according to the names of the tribes of their fathers they shall inherit.

Numbers 26:55 · KJVThe lot assigns each tribe its portion within the named community of Israel.

The lot is cast into the lap; but the whole disposing thereof is of the LORD.

Proverbs 16:33 · KJVThe verse places the outcome of a cast lot within the LORD’s ordering.

And they gave forth their lots; and the lot fell upon Matthias; and he was numbered with the eleven apostles.

Acts 1:26 · KJVA lot falls to Matthias, and the community receives him into its ordered number.

THE THREAD

The stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner.

Psalm 118:22 · KJV

Joshua’s “first” (⁨הָרִאשׁוֹן⁩, ha-rishon: first) grows from ⁨רֹאשׁ⁩ (rosh: head), the same word in the “head stone” (⁨רֹאשׁ פִּנָּה⁩, rosh pinnah: head of the corner). The shared root links first place with what stands at the head of the corner.

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