Joshua 17:18

18 You will also have the central hill country. It's covered with trees. Cut them down and clear the land. That whole land from one end to the other will belong to you. The people of Canaan use chariots that have iron parts. And those people are strong. But you can drive them out."

Joshua 17:18 Meaning and Commentary

Joshua 17:18

But the mountains shall be thine
Or "for" F19 it shall be thine; thou shalt get the possession of it, though attended with difficulties that seem insuperable:

for,
or "if, though" F20

it [is] a wood;
the habitation of the Perizzites, and giants, and so dangerous to go un to it, and full of trees, and so seems unprofitable and useless:

and thou shalt cut it down;
both the inhabitants of it, and the trees of it, and clear it of both, and make it both safe and commodious to dwell in, which would be a fine enlargement for them:

and the outgoings of it shall be thine;
all it produces when cultivated, and all the parts adjacent to it:

for thou shall drive out the Canaanites;
this Joshua assures them of, to encourage them to attempt it:

though they have iron chariots, [and] though they [be] strong;
be not afraid of their chariots, though terrible, nor of their giants and mighty men, God will be on your side, and you have nothing to fear from them, see ( Joshua 11:4 Joshua 11:6 ) ; whether the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh took this advice of Joshua is not said.


FOOTNOTES:

F19 (yk) "quia", Pagninus, Montanus, Junius & Tremellius, Gussetius, p. 378.
F20 (yk) "si", Junius & Tremellius, "licet", Ar. vers. Lat.

Joshua 17:18 In-Context

16 The people in Joseph's family line replied. They said, "The hill country isn't big enough for us. And all of the people of Canaan who live in the flatlands use chariots that have iron parts. They include the people of Beth Shan and its settlements. They also include the people who live in the Valley of Jezreel."
17 Joshua spoke again to the people in Joseph's family line. He said to the people of Ephraim and Manasseh, "There are large numbers of you. And you are very powerful. You will have more than one piece of land.
18 You will also have the central hill country. It's covered with trees. Cut them down and clear the land. That whole land from one end to the other will belong to you. The people of Canaan use chariots that have iron parts. And those people are strong. But you can drive them out."
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