Charles Ellicott Commentary Numbers 35:5

"And ye shall measure without the city for the east side two thousand cubits, and for the south side two thousand cubits, and for the west side two thousand cubits, and for the north side two thousand cubits, the city being in the midst. This shall be to them the suburbs of the cities." — Numbers 35:5 (ASV)

And you shall measure from outside the city on the east side two thousand cubits... — The explanation of this passage commonly given by Jewish writers is that the area enclosed by four lines drawn at a distance of 1,000 cubits from the city walls was to be allotted to the Levites for their cattle, and a larger area enclosed by four lines drawn at a distance of 2,000 cubits from the inner suburbs was to be allotted to them for vineyards, etc.

The explanation by J. D. Michaelis is that only an area enclosed by four lines drawn 1,000 cubits from the city walls was to be assigned to the Levites, and that the length of the city walls, assuming the city was square, was to be added to the 2,000 cubits of the four boundary lines.

The Greek text has 2,000 in Numbers 35:4, as it does in Numbers 35:5. According to the first of these explanations (the one commonly given by Jewish writers), it is supposed that the space enclosed within the first thousand cubits from the city walls was for cattle, and the space within the 2,000 cubits beyond these walls was for vineyards, etc., or vice versa.

According to the explanation suggested by J. D. Michaelis, it is supposed that the length of the city wall was added to the 2,000 cubits in every case. Thus, e.g., for a city with walls 1,000 cubits in length and breadth, the suburbs would be 3,000 cubits in length and breadth; and for a city with walls 500 cubits in length and breadth, the suburbs would measure 2,500 cubits in length and breadth.

It is obvious that if this supposition is correct, the size of the suburbs would vary in each case with the size of the city. Consequently, the suburbs of a larger city, which would in all probability have a greater number of resident Levites, would be larger than those of a smaller city, where the number of Levites would probably be less.

At the same time, this explanation does not align as closely as the previous one (the Jewish writers' explanation) with the directive that in every case the measurement was to be 2,000 cubits.