But the Levites have no part among you; for the priesthood of the LORD is their inheritance: and Gad, and Reuben, and half the tribe of Manasseh, have received their inheritance beyond Jordan on the east, which Moses the servant of the LORD gave them.
But the Levites don't get any land among you, because serving as priests for the LORD is their inheritance. And the tribes of Gad, Reuben, and half the tribe of Manasseh have already received their land on the east side of the Jordan River, which Moses the servant of the LORD gave them.
Joshua is explaining that the Levites won't receive land because their calling is to serve as priests, and some tribes have already been given their territory east of the Jordan River.
📚 Historical Context
This occurs during the division of the Promised Land among the twelve tribes of Israel after their conquest of Canaan. The Levites were set apart as the priestly tribe, responsible for temple worship and religious duties, so they received cities scattered throughout other tribes' territories instead of a large consolidated region. The tribes of Gad, Reuben, and half of Manasseh had requested and received permission from Moses to settle on the fertile land east of the Jordan River before the main conquest began.
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