Joshua 16

The Allotment for Ephraim and Manasseh

1 The allotment of the people of Joseph went from the Jordan by Jericho, east of the waters of Jericho, ¹into the wilderness, going up from Jericho into the hill country to Bethel.

2 Then ²going from Bethel to Luz, it passes along to Ataroth, the territory of the Archites.

3 Then it goes down westward to the territory of the Japhletites, as far as the territory of Lower ³Beth-horon, then to ⁴Gezer, and it ends at the sea.

4 ⁵The people of Joseph, Manasseh and Ephraim, received their inheritance.

5 The territory of the people of Ephraim by their clans was as follows: the boundary of their inheritance on the east was ⁶Ataroth-addar as far as Upper Beth-horon,

6 and the boundary goes from there to the sea. On the north is ⁷Michmethath. Then on the east the boundary turns around toward Taanath-shiloh and passes along beyond it on the east to Janoah,

7 then it goes down from Janoah to Ataroth and ⁸to Naarah, and touches Jericho, ending at the Jordan.

8 From ⁹Tappuah the boundary goes westward to the brook Kanah and ends at the sea. Such is the inheritance of the tribe of the people of Ephraim by their clans,

9 together with ¹⁰the towns that were set apart for the people of Ephraim within the inheritance of the Manassites, all those towns with their villages.

10 However, ¹¹they did not drive out the Canaanites who lived in Gezer, so the Canaanites have lived in the midst of Ephraim to this day but have been made ¹²to do forced labor.

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.

Cross References

• 1. Joshua 8:15; Joshua 18:12
• 2. [Joshua 18:13; Genesis 28:19; Judges 1:23, 26]
• 3. See Joshua 10:10
• 4. See Joshua 10:33
• 5. [Joshua 17:14]
• 6. Joshua 18:13
• 7. Joshua 17:7
• 8. 1 Chronicles 7:28
• 9. Joshua 17:8, 9
• 10. [See ver. 8 above]
• 11. Judges 1:29; 1 Kings 9:16
• 12. Joshua 17:13; Genesis 49:15

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.