Joshua 17:1-13

Territory of Manasseh

1 Now this was the lot for the tribe of ¹Manasseh, for he was the firstborn of Joseph. To Machir the firstborn of Manasseh, the father of Gilead, were allotted Gilead and Bashan, because he was a man of war.

2 So the lot was made for the rest of the sons of Manasseh according to their families: for the sons of Abiezer and for the sons of Helek and for the sons of Asriel and for the sons of Shechem and for the sons of Hepher and for the sons of Shemida; these were the male descendants of Manasseh the son of Joseph according to their families.

3 However, ²Zelophehad, the son of Hepher, the son of Gilead, the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh, had no sons, only * daughters; and these are the names of his daughters: Mahlah and Noah, Hoglah, Milcah and Tirzah.

4 They came near before Eleazar the priest and before Joshua the son of Nun and before the leaders, saying, "The LORD commanded Moses to give us an inheritance among our brothers." So ³according to the command of the LORD he gave them an inheritance among their father's brothers.

5 Thus there fell ten portions to Manasseh, besides * the land of Gilead and Bashan, which is beyond * the Jordan,

6 because the daughters of Manasseh received an inheritance among his sons. And the ⁴land of Gilead belonged to the rest of the sons of Manasseh.

7 The border of Manasseh ran from Asher to Michmethath which was east * of Shechem; then the border went southward to the inhabitants of En-tappuah.

8 The land of Tappuah belonged to Manasseh, but ⁵Tappuah on the border of Manasseh belonged to the sons of Ephraim.

9 The ⁶border went down to the brook of Kanah, southward of the brook (these cities belonged to Ephraim among the cities of Manasseh ), and the border of Manasseh was on the north side of the brook and it ended * at the sea.

10 The south side belonged to Ephraim and the north side to Manasseh, and the sea was their border; and they reached to Asher on the north and to Issachar on the east.

11 In Issachar and in Asher, ⁷Manasseh had Beth-shean and its towns and Ibleam and its towns, and the inhabitants of Dor and its towns, and the inhabitants of En-dor and its towns, and the inhabitants of Taanach and its towns, and the inhabitants of Megiddo and its towns, the third is ⁸Napheth.

12 ⁹But the sons of Manasseh could not take possession of these cities, because the Canaanites persisted in living in that land.

13 It came about when the sons of Israel became strong, ¹⁰they put the Canaanites to forced labor, but they did not drive them out completely.

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Joshua 17:1-13 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO JOSHUA 17

This chapter gives an account of the lot that fell to the half tribe of Manasseh, to the male children of Manasseh, and to the daughters of Zelophehad, Jos 17:1-6; and describes the coast of that lot, Jos 17:7-13; and relates the request of the sons of Joseph, to have their lot enlarged, which was granted, Jos 17:14-18.

Taken from John Gill's Exposition of the Bible

Cross References 10

1. Genesis 41:51; Genesis 46:20; Genesis 48:17
2. Numbers 26:33; Numbers 27:1-7
3. Numbers 27:5-7
4. Joshua 13:30, 31
5. Joshua 16:8
6. Joshua 16:8
7. 1 Chronicles 7:29
8. Joshua 11:2; Joshua 12:23
9. Judges 1:27
10. Joshua 16:10

Footnotes 11

[a]. Lit "and there was to him"
[b]. Lit "sons"
[c]. Lit "mouth"
[d]. Lit "was"
[e]. Lit "to the right hand"
[f]. Or "wadi"
[g]. Or "wadi"
[h]. Or "wadi"
[i]. Lit "goings out of it were"
[j]. Lit "its"
[k]. Or "dispossess"