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Joshua 16

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The Inheritance of the Children of Joseph 1–4

1
And the lot of the children of Joseph fell from Jordan by Jericho, unto the water of Jericho on the east, to the wilderness that goeth up from Jericho throughout mount Bethel, ​
2
And goeth out from Bethel to Luz, and passeth along unto the borders of Archi to Ataroth, ​
3
And goeth down westward to the coast of Japhleti, unto the coast of Bethhoron the nether, and to Gezer: and the goings out thereof are at the sea.
4
So the children of Joseph, Manasseh and Ephraim, took their inheritance. ​

Boundaries of the Tribe of Ephraim 5–10

5
And the border of the children of Ephraim according to their families was thus: even the border of their inheritance on the east side was Atarothaddar, unto Bethhoron the upper; ​
6
And the border went out toward the sea to Michmethah on the north side; and the border went about eastward unto Taanathshiloh, and passed by it on the east to Janohah;
7
And it went down from Janohah to Ataroth, and to Naarath, and came to Jericho, and went out at Jordan.
8
The border went out from Tappuah westward unto the river Kanah; and the goings out thereof were at the sea. This is the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Ephraim by their families.
9
And the separate cities for the children of Ephraim were among the inheritance of the children of Manasseh, all the cities with their villages. ​
10
And they drave not out the Canaanites that dwelt in Gezer: but the Canaanites dwell among the Ephraimites unto this day, and serve under tribute. ​

Bible text: King James Version (1769 Blayney text) · Public domain

Study Notes for Joshua 16

Verse 1

the lot of the children of Joseph — The lot (goral) settled which portion each tribe received. Ephraim and Manasseh draw it together here, and later tell Joshua, ‘Why hast thou given me but one lot and one portion to inherit’ (Josh 17:14). The line starts at the Jordan by Jericho and climbs through the wilderness to Bethel.

Verse 2

Bethel to Luz — Luz was the city’s first name: ‘the name of that city was called Luz at the first’ (Gen 28:19), before Jacob named the place Bethel, ‘the house of God’ (Gen 28:17). Joshua 18:13 says plainly, ‘Luz, which is Bethel’, so the border passes the one town under both names.

Verse 4

Manasseh and Ephraim — Jacob had made Joseph’s two sons his own: ‘Ephraim and Manasseh… are mine; as Reuben and Simeon’ (Gen 48:5). Joseph thus ranks as two tribes, and Reuben’s forfeited birthright ‘was given unto the sons of Joseph’ (1 Chr 5:1). The ‘inheritance’ is nachal, a possession passed on by lot.

Verse 5

the border of the children of Ephraim — Ephraim’s boundary is given first and at length (vv.5–8), though Manasseh was the elder. Jacob had said of Manasseh’s younger brother that he ‘shall be greater than he’ and ‘set Ephraim before Manasseh’ (Gen 48:19–20). Manasseh’s portion follows in Joshua 17.

Verse 9

separate cities — Ephraim held towns inside Manasseh’s allotment: ‘these cities of Ephraim are among the cities of Manasseh’ (Josh 17:9), among them Tappuah, which ‘belonged to the children of Ephraim’ though the land around it was Manasseh’s (Josh 17:8). Brothers’ portions overlapped.

Verse 10

drave not out the Canaanites — ‘Drave out’ is yarash, to dispossess, the word of the command to ‘drive out all the inhabitants of the land’ (Num 33:52). Ephraim let them stay and ‘serve under tribute’ (mas); the same is said of Manasseh (Josh 17:13), and Judg 1:29 records it again. Gezer was later taken by Pharaoh and given to Solomon’s wife (1 Kgs 9:16).