Joshua 17:16

16 And the children of Joseph said, "The hill is not enough for us; and all the Canaanites who dwell in the land of the valley have chariots of iron, both those who are of Bethshean and her towns, and those who are of the Valley of Jezreel."

Joshua 17:16 Meaning and Commentary

Joshua 17:16

And the children of Joseph said, the hill is not enough for
us
Meaning either Mount Ephraim, and all included in it; or it may be rather the wood country on the hills and mountains they were bid to go up to; signifying, that if they could gain that out of the hands of the Perizzites and giants, and clear it of the wood, and make it habitable, even that would not be sufficient for them; or that hill and mountain cannot be "found by us" ^F18 or obtained and possessed by us; we are not able to get it into our hands; there being a valley between us and that:

and all the Canaanites that dwell in the land of the valley have
chariots of iron;
not chariots made of iron, but chariots with iron scythes fastened to the sides, or axle trees of them, which when driven with great force and fury, would cut down the infantry in battle, as grass is cut down with scythes, see ( Judges 4:2 Judges 4:3 ) ;

[both they] who [are] of Bethshean and her towns, and [they] who [are]
of the valley of Jezreel;
both which belonged to the tribe of Manasseh, or were on the borders of it, though as yet they had not got possession, see ( Joshua 17:11 ) ; and this circumstance seems to favour the notion, that tribe of Manasseh were at least chiefly concerned in this address.

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FOOTNOTES:

F18 (wnl aumy al) "non invenietur nobis", Montanus; "non possumus montem istum assequi", Tigurine version; "non obtinebitur a nobis", Masius.

Joshua 17:16 In-Context

14 And the children of Joseph spoke unto Joshua, saying, "Why hast thou given me but one lot and one portion to inherit, seeing I am a great people, forasmuch as the LORD hath blessed me hitherto?"

15 And Joshua answered them, "If thou be a great people, then get thee up to the wood country and cut down for thyself there in the land of the Perizzites and of the giants, if Mount Ephraim be too narrow for thee."

16 And the children of Joseph said, "The hill is not enough for us; and all the Canaanites who dwell in the land of the valley have chariots of iron, both those who are of Bethshean and her towns, and those who are of the Valley of Jezreel."

17 And Joshua spoke unto the house of Joseph, even to Ephraim and to Manasseh, saying, "Thou art a great people and hast great power. Thou shalt not have one lot only;

18 but the mountain shall be thine, for it is a wood and thou shalt cut it down. And the boundaries of it shall be thine; for thou shalt drive out the Canaanites, though they have iron chariots and though they be strong."