Joshua 14:4
For the children of Joseph were two tribes, Manasseh and Ephraim: therefore they gave no part unto the Levites in the land, save cities to dwell in, with their suburbs for their cattle and for their substance. For the children of Joseph were two tribes, Manasseh and Ephraim: therefore they gave no part unto the Levites in the land, save cities to dwell in, with their suburbs for their cattle and for their substance.
In its setting, the verse belongs to the account of how the land was distributed among Israel's tribes. The children of Joseph were counted as two distinct tribes, Manasseh and Ephraim, in the allotment. Because Joseph thus received two shares, the Levites were given no tribal territory of their own in the land. The Levites instead received cities to dwell in, with surrounding pastureland for their cattle and possessions. Their grazing lands supported the sanctuary service by supplying cattle for the daily national offerings.