Tafsiran yang Mengutip untuk Yosua 21:20

An Efrati:. This is said about two facets. The one relates to the tribe, concerning one who is from the tribe of Ephraim, or someone who lives in the Land of Ephraim - as in, "Are you an Efrati" (Judges 12:5). And the [other] relates to Beit Lechem-Efrat - as in, "and David was an Efrati" (I Samuel 17:12); "Machlon and Khiliyon were Efrati" (Ruth 1:2). And this concerns Mount Ephraim, as it stated (here), "from Mount Ephraim." And that is why, it called him an Efrati. For we can not explain that he was an Efrati concerning the tribe of Ephraim, since he was a Levite. If so, that which it stated, "an Efrati," is that he was from Mount Ephraim. But it is a wonder - after it stated, "from Mount Ephraim," why did it state, "an Efrati," afterwards? And it is possible that it also said it because he and his forefathers lived there. So it stated, "Efrati," about Tzuf, not about Elkanah. For it already explained about Elkanah, "from Mount Ephraim." This is correct, according to the simple understanding. And that which it stated that he and his forefathers had lived in Mount Ephraim appears to be because their inheritance was there, as they were from the sons of Kehat. And the sons of Kehat had cities in Mount Ephraim, as it stated in the book of Yehoshua (Joshua 21:20), "And to the sons of Kehat, the Levites, etc. Shechem and its fields on Mount Ephraim." But the homiletical teaching explains it as an expression of greatness and importance:

FROM THE MANY YE SHALL TAKE MANY, AND FROM THE FEW YE SHALL TAKE FEW. Here too,⁶⁶See 26:54 where Ramban presents a similar explanation about the allocation of the whole Land amongst the twelve tribes; he now applies the same principles to the manner in which the tribes contributed to the number of cities given to the Levites. in the opinion of our Rabbis [the meaning is that] from the paternal families which received a large amount as their inheritance, they should take many [cities], as He mentioned according to your families,⁶⁷Above, 33:54. while each tribe received exactly the same amount of land [and therefore had to provide an equal number of cities for the Levites]. And although you will find in the Book of Joshua that the number of cities which they gave to the Levites was not equal,⁶⁸In Joshua Chapter 21, where a list of all these cities is given, it is stated that while most of the tribes each gave four cities to the Levites, the tribe of Judah gave eight, Shimon one, the half tribe of Menasheh in Canaan two, and Naphtali three [thus totalling thirty-eight cities in the land of Canaan and ten on the eastern side of the Jordan]. Ramban’s statement that “the number of cities which they gave to the Levites was not equal” is thus clear, as is proven in the cases of Judah, Shimon, and Naphtali. according to the number of tribes, that was because of the [different] value of the particular cities, since some were more important than the others, for the Land was divided according to its value.⁶⁹Baba Bathra 122a. Thus, land nearer to Jerusalem was appraised more valuable than land further away, both because it was nearer to the Sanctuary and also it was further away from the border of the nations (Rashbam, ibid.). A proof to this is the fact that from [the tribes of] Judah, Shimon and Benjamin they gave thirteen cities [to the Levites],⁷⁰Thus: Judah gave eight, Shimon one, Benjamin four, totalling thirteen cities. Similarly: Issachar and Asher each gave four, Naphtali three, the half-tribe of Menasheh two, totalling thirteen cities. and from the tribes of Issachar, Asher, Naphtali, and the half-tribe of Menasheh, [also] thirteen [cities were given],⁷⁰Thus: Judah gave eight, Shimon one, Benjamin four, totalling thirteen cities. Similarly: Issachar and Asher each gave four, Naphtali three, the half-tribe of Menasheh two, totalling thirteen cities. and yet these [latter tribes] were larger than the former ones in their population.⁷¹The figures used here are those of the census, above Chapter 26. Judah (Verse 22 ibid.), Shimon (Verse 14), and Benjamin (Verse 41) totalled 144,300. Issachar (Verse 25), Asher (Verse 47), and Naphtali (Verse 50) totalled 163,100. The complete tribe of Menasheh (Verse 34) totalled 52,700. Assuming that the half-tribe of Menasheh mentioned in Joshua was exact half [i.e., 26,350] we have a total for the latter group mentioned of 189,450, which is far more than the 144,300 of the first group. And from the tribe of Ephraim they gave four cities [to the Levites],⁷²Joshua 21:20-22. and from the tribe of Dan four cities,⁷³Ibid., Verses 23-24. and yet the children of Dan were double [the population] of the children of Ephraim.⁷⁴The children of Ephraim totalled 32,500 (above, 26:37), while Dan totalled 64,400 (ibid., Verse 43)! Thus we must say that the cities were not given in proportion to the population of the tribes, but according to the appraised value of the city.