יהושע, פרק כ״א, פסוק ל״ו

The allocation of cities to the Levites involves careful counting and distribution among the tribes, but occasionally the final totals present a puzzle. When detailing the inheritance given to the descendants of Merari, a clear numerical gap emerges. Initially, the account states that this family received twelve cities from the tribes of Zebulun, Gad, and Reuben. However, the actual list names only eight: four from Zebulun and four from Gad. The expected cities from the tribe of Reuben are entirely absent [רד״ק, מנחת שי].

Because of this missing information, significant variations exist among different biblical manuscripts and older printings. To correct the math, some versions include two additional sentences that list four specific cities from Reuben: Bezer, Jahaz, Kedemoth, and Mephaath. A few old manuscripts go even further, adding a phrase that identifies the first city, Bezer, as a designated city of refuge for the slayer [מנחת שי]. These added details perfectly match a parallel record found in the Book of Chronicles [רד״ק, מנחת שי].

Despite this neat solution, commentators emphasize that these extra lines are later edits. In the oldest and most accurate manuscripts, these details about Reuben's cities do not appear at all [רד״ק]. To explain the contradiction between the promised twelve cities and the eight actually listed, a perspective from Rav Hai Gaon is brought forward. He explains that the missing details were never part of the original text in the Book of Joshua. Instead, the narrative relies on the fact that these specific cities are fully documented in the Book of Chronicles, making it unnecessary to repeat the list [רד״ק, מנחת שי].