Joshua 16

Joseph's Inheritance

1 The allotment for the descendants of Joseph^[a] went from the Jordan at Jericho to the waters of Jericho on the east, through the wilderness ascending from Jericho into the hill country of Bethel.

2 From Bethel it went to Luz and proceeded to the border of the Archites by Ataroth.

3 It then descended westward to the border of the Japhletites as far as the border of lower Beth-horon, then to Gezer, and ended at the Mediterranean Sea.

4 So Ephraim and Manasseh, the sons of Joseph, received their inheritance.

Ephraim's Inheritance

5 This was the territory of the descendants of Ephraim by their clans: The border of their inheritance went from Ataroth-addar on the east of Upper Beth-horon.

6 In the north the border went westward from Michmethath; it turned eastward from Taanath-shiloh and passed it east of Janoah.

7 From Janoah it descended to Ataroth and Naarah, and then reached Jericho and went to the Jordan.

8 From Tappuah the border^[b] went westward along the Brook of Kanah and ended at the Mediterranean Sea. This was the inheritance of the tribe of the descendants of Ephraim by their clans, together with

9 the cities set apart for the descendants of Ephraim within the inheritance of the descendants of Manasseh-all these cities with their villages.

10 But, they did not drive out the Canaanites who lived in Gezer. So the Canaanites live in Ephraim to this day, but they are forced laborers.

Joshua 16 Commentary

Chapter 16

The sons of Joseph.

- This and the following chapter should not be separated. They give the lots of Ephraim and Manasseh, the children of Joseph, who, next to Judah, were to have the post of honour, and therefore had the first and best portion in the northern part of Canaan, as Judah in the southern part. God's people now, as of old, suffer his enemies to remain. Blessed Lord, when will all ( 1 Corinthians. 15:26 ) thou alone canst do it. These settled boundaries may remind us, that our situation and provision in this life, as well as our future inheritance, are appointed by the only wise and righteous God, and we should be content with our portion, since he knows what is best for us, and all we have is more than we deserve.

Footnotes

• [a]. The tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh
• [b]. Ephraim's northern border

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO JOSHUA 16

This chapter gives us an account of the lot of the children of Joseph, Ephraim, and the half tribe of Manasseh, one half having settled on the other side Jordan; and first the borders of the whole lot in general are given, Jos 16:1-4; and then the borders of the tribe of Ephraim in particular, Jos 16:4-8; and it is observed, that this tribe had besides separate cities among the children of Manasseh, and that there were some Canaanites, particularly in Gezer, not driven out by the Ephraimites, Jos 16:9,10.