Leviticus 25:32

Linguistic Bible Translation from Source Texts

As for the cities of the Levites, the houses in the cities they possess have a permanent right of redemption for the Levites.

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

וְעָרֵי֙ הַלְוִיִּ֔ם בָּתֵּ֖י עָרֵ֣י אֲחֻזָּתָ֑ם גְּאֻלַּ֥ת עוֹלָ֖ם תִּהְיֶ֥ה לַלְוִיִּֽם׃

Transliteration

And wə-ʿārê [cities-of] ha-ləwiyyîm [the-Levites] bāttê [houses-of] ʿārê [cities-of] ʾăḥuzzātām [their-possession] gəʾullat [redemption-of] ʿôlām [forever] tihyeh [shall-be] la-ləwiyyîm [to-the-Levites]

Grammar Details

• *wə-ʿārê*: conjunction + noun, feminine plural construct - and cities of
• *ha-ləwiyyîm*: definite article + noun, masculine plural - the Levites
• *bāttê*: noun, masculine plural construct - houses of
• *ʿārê*: noun, feminine plural construct - cities of
• *ʾăḥuzzātām*: noun, feminine singular with 3rd person masculine plural suffix - their possession
• *gəʾullat*: noun, feminine singular construct - redemption of
• *ʿôlām*: noun, masculine singular - forever/eternity
• *tihyeh*: verb, Qal imperfect, 3rd person feminine singular - it will be
• *la-ləwiyyîm*: preposition + definite article + noun, masculine plural - to the Levites

Word Meanings

• *ʿîr*: city/town
• *lēwî*: Levite/member of priestly tribe
• *bayit*: house/home/dwelling
• *ʾăḥuzzāh*: possession/property/holding
• *gəʾullāh*: redemption/right of redemption
• *ʿôlām*: forever/eternity/distant time
• *hāyāh*: be/become/happen/exist

Other Translations

• King James Version 1769 (Standard Version)

  Notwithstanding the cities of the vites, and the houses of the cities of their possession, may the vites redeem at any time.

• KJV1611 – Modern English

  Notwithstanding the cities of the Levites, and the houses of the cities of their possession, may the Levites redeem at any time.

• King James Version 1611 (Original)

  Notwithstanding the cities of the Levites, and the houses of the cities of their possession, may the Levites redeem at any time.

• American Standard Version with Strong's Numbers

  Nevertheless the cities of the Levites, the houses of the cities of their possession, may the Levites redeem at any time.

• King James Version with Strong's Numbers

  Notwithstanding the cities of the Levites, and the houses of the cities of their possession, may the Levites redeem at any time.

• Tyndale Bible (1526/1534)

  Notwithstondynge the cityes of the leuytes and the housses in the cyties of their possessios the leuites maye redeme at all ceasons.

• Coverdale Bible (1535)

  The cities of the Leuites, and the houses in the cities that their possession is in, maye allwaye be redemed.

• Geneva Bible (1560)

  Notwithstanding, the cities of the Leuites, and the houses of the cities of their possession, may the Leuites redeeme at all seasons.

• Bishops' Bible (1568)

  Notwithstandyng, the cities of the Leuites, and the houses of the cities of their possession, may the Leuites redeeme at all seasons.

• Authorized King James Version (1611)

  Notwithstanding the cities of the Levites, [and] the houses of the cities of their possession, may the Levites redeem at any time.

• Webster's Bible (1833)

  "'Nevertheless the cities of the Levites, the houses in the cities of their possession, the Levites may redeem at any time.

• Young's Literal Translation (1862/1898)

  `As to cities of the Levites -- houses of the cities of their possession -- redemption age-during is to the Levites;

• American Standard Version (1901)

  Nevertheless the cities of the Levites, the houses of the cities of their possession, may the Levites redeem at any time.

• American Standard Version (1901)

  Nevertheless the cities of the Levites, the houses of the cities of their possession, may the Levites redeem at any time.

• Bible in Basic English (1941)

  But the houses in the towns of the Levites may be got back by the Levites at any time.

• World English Bible (2000)

  "'Nevertheless the cities of the Levites, the houses in the cities of their possession, the Levites may redeem at any time.

• NET Bible® (New English Translation)

  As for the cities of the Levites, the houses in the cities which they possess, the Levites must have a perpetual right of redemption.

Referenced Verses

• Num 35:1-8 : 1 The LORD spoke to Moses in the plains of Moab, by the Jordan at Jericho, saying: 2 Command the Israelites to give the Levites cities to live in from their inheritance, and give them pasture lands around the cities. 3 The cities will be places for them to live, and the pasture lands will be for their livestock, their property, and all their animals. 4 The pasture lands of the cities that you give the Levites shall extend from the city wall outward a distance of a thousand cubits all around. 5 You shall measure from outside the city: two thousand cubits on the east side, two thousand on the south side, two thousand on the west side, and two thousand on the north side, with the city in the middle. This shall be their pasture lands for the cities. 6 The cities that you give to the Levites shall include six cities of refuge for someone who kills another unintentionally to flee to; in addition, give them forty-two more cities. 7 The total number of cities you give to the Levites will be forty-eight, along with their pasture lands. 8 The cities you give from the inheritance of the Israelites shall be proportionate: from larger tribes give more, and from smaller tribes give less. Each tribe shall give cities to the Levites in accordance with the inheritance it receives.
• Josh 21:1-9 : 1 The heads of the families of the Levites approached Eleazar the priest, Joshua son of Nun, and the heads of the families of the Israelite tribes. 2 They spoke to them at Shiloh in the land of Canaan, saying, 'The LORD commanded through Moses to give us cities to live in, with pasture lands for our livestock.' 3 So the Israelites gave the Levites, according to the LORD’s command, the following cities and pasture lands from their inheritance. 4 The lot came out for the Kohathite clans. The descendants of Aaron, the priest, who were from the Levites, received, by lot, thirteen cities from the tribes of Judah, Simeon, and Benjamin. 5 The remaining Kohathites received, by lot, ten cities from the clans of the tribes of Ephraim, Dan, and half the tribe of Manasseh. 6 The descendants of Gershon received, by lot, thirteen cities from the tribes of Issachar, Asher, Naphtali, and the half-tribe of Manasseh in Bashan. 7 The descendants of Merari, by their families, received twelve cities from the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and Zebulun. 8 So the Israelites gave these cities with their pasture lands to the Levites, as the LORD had commanded through Moses, by lot. 9 From the tribes of Judah and Simeon, they gave the following cities by name. 10 These cities were for the descendants of Aaron, who were from the Kohathite clans of the Levites, for the first lot was for them. 11 They gave them Kiriath Arba (that is, Hebron), in the hill country of Judah, along with its surrounding pasture lands. Arba was the ancestor of the Anakites. 12 However, the fields and villages around the city were given to Caleb son of Jephunneh as his possession. 13 To the descendants of Aaron, the priest, they gave Hebron (a city of refuge for one who had killed someone), along with its pasture lands, and Libnah with its pasture lands. 14 Jattir with its pasture lands, Eshtemoa with its pasture lands, 15 Holon with its pasture lands, Debir with its pasture lands. 16 Ain with its pasture lands, Juttah with its pasture lands, Beth-shemesh with its pasture lands—nine cities from these two tribes. 17 From the tribe of Benjamin: Gibeon with its pasture lands, Geba with its pasture lands, 18 Anathoth with its pasture lands, and Almon with its pasture lands—four cities in total. 19 In total, the descendants of Aaron, the priests, received thirteen cities with their pasture lands. 20 The rest of the Kohathite clans of the Levites received cities allotted to them from the tribe of Ephraim. 21 They were given Shechem (a city of refuge for one who had killed someone) with its pasture lands in the hill country of Ephraim, Gezer with its pasture lands, 22 Kibzaim with its pasture lands, and Beth-horon with its pasture lands—four cities. 23 From the tribe of Dan: Elteke with its pasture lands, Gibbethon with its pasture lands, 24 Aijalon with its pasture lands, and Gath-rimmon with its pasture lands—four cities. 25 From half the tribe of Manasseh: Taanach with its pasture lands and Gath-rimmon with its pasture lands—two cities. 26 In total, the remaining Kohathite clans received ten cities with their pasture lands. 27 To the descendants of Gershon, from the families of the Levites, they gave from the half-tribe of Manasseh: Golan in Bashan (a city of refuge for one who had killed someone) with its pasture lands, and Be-eshterah with its pasture lands—two cities. 28 From the tribe of Issachar: Kishion with its pasture lands, Daberath with its pasture lands, 29 Jarmuth with its pasture lands, and En-gannim with its pasture lands—four cities. 30 From the tribe of Asher: Mishal with its pasture lands, Abdon with its pasture lands, 31 Helkath with its pasture lands and Rehob with its pasture lands—four cities. 32 From the tribe of Naphtali: Kedesh in Galilee (a city of refuge for one who had killed someone) with its pasture lands, Hammoth-dor with its pasture lands, and Kartan with its pasture lands—three cities. 33 In total, the families of the Gershonites received thirteen cities with their pasture lands. 34 To the families of the Merarites, the remaining Levites, they gave from the tribe of Zebulun, Jokneam with its pasture lands, and Kartah with its pasture lands, 35 Dimnah with its pasture lands, and Nahalal with its pasture lands—four cities in total. 36 From the tribe of Reuben: Bezer with its pasture lands, and Jahzah with its pasture lands, 37 Kedemoth with its pasture lands, and Mephaath with its pasture lands—four cities in total. 38 From the tribe of Gad: Ramoth in Gilead (a city of refuge for one who had killed someone) with its pasture lands, Mahanaim with its pasture lands, 39 Heshbon with its pasture lands, and Jazer with its pasture lands—four cities in total. 40 In total, the families of the Merarites, the remaining Levite families, received twelve cities by lot. 41 In total, the cities of the Levites within the possession of the Israelites numbered forty-eight cities along with their pasture lands. 42 Each of these cities had its surrounding pasture lands. This was true for all these cities. 43 So the LORD gave Israel all the land He had sworn to give to their ancestors, and they took possession of it and settled there. 44 The LORD gave them rest on every side, just as He had sworn to their fathers. Not one of their enemies could stand against them; the LORD delivered all their enemies into their hands. 45 Not one of the good promises the LORD had made to the house of Israel failed; they all came to pass.