Yehoshua 16

1 6 And the goral (lot) of the Bnei Yosef ran from the Yarden by Yericho, east of the spring at Yericho, to the midbar that goeth up from Yericho into the hill country of Beit-El,

2 And goeth out from Beit-El to Luz, and passeth along unto the territory of Arkhi to Atarot,

3 And goeth down westward to the territory of Yaphleti, unto the territory of Lower Beit Choron, and to Gezer; ending at the Yam [Mediterranean Sea].

4 So the Bnei Yosef, Menasheh and Ephrayim, inherited their nachalah.

5 And the boundary of the Bnei Ephrayim according to their mishpekhot was thus: the boundary of their nachalah on the east side was Atarot Addar, unto Upper Beit Choron;

6 And the boundary ran toward the Yam to Michmetat on the north side; and the boundary ran eastward unto Taanat Shiloh, and passed by it on the east to Yanochah;

7 And it ran down from Yanochah to Atarot, and to Naarah, and came to Yericho, and ran to an end at the Yarden.

8 The boundary ran from Tapuach westward unto the Wadi Kanah; and the end thereof ran to the Yam. This is the nachalah of the tribe of the Bnei Ephrayim by their mishpekhot.

9 And the towns set aside for the Bnei Ephrayim were inside the Bnei Menasheh, all the towns with their villages.

10 And they drove not out the Kena’ani that dwelt in Gezer: but the Kena’ani dwell among the Ephrayim unto yom hazeh, and serve under forced labor.

Yehoshua 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.

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.