Joshua 17:1

1 cecidit autem sors tribui Manasse ipse est enim primogenitus Ioseph Machir primogenito Manasse patri Galaad qui fuit vir pugnator habuitque possessionem Galaad et Basan

Joshua 17:1 Meaning and Commentary

Joshua 17:1

There was also a lot for the tribe of Manasseh
As well as for the tribe of Ephraim:

for he [was] the firstborn of Joseph;
and therefore ought to have his part and share in the lot of the children of Joseph, though Ephraim was preferred before him in the blessing of Jacob. Some think this is given as a reason why he had a double portion, one on the other side Jordan, and another in the land of Canaan:

[to wit], for Machir, the firstborn of Manasseh, the father of Gilead;
who was the only son of Manasseh, and so through him, and by his son Gilead, the whole tribe sprung from that patriarch: and

because he was a man of war, therefore he had Gilead and Bashan;
which were given to his posterity by Moses, and lay on the other side Jordan, see ( Deuteronomy 3:13 Deuteronomy 3:15 ) . This Machir very likely had shown his warlike disposition and courage in Egypt, and had fought under the kings there against the common enemy of that country; for it is highly probable he was dead before the children of Israel came out from thence, but the same warlike spirit continued in his posterity; they had their part assigned them on the other side Jordan, to defend that country, while the tribes of Reuben and Gad attended to the care of their flocks and herds.

Joshua 17:1 In-Context

1 cecidit autem sors tribui Manasse ipse est enim primogenitus Ioseph Machir primogenito Manasse patri Galaad qui fuit vir pugnator habuitque possessionem Galaad et Basan

2 et reliquis filiorum Manasse iuxta familias suas filiis Abiezer et filiis Elech et filiis Esrihel et filiis Sechem et filiis Epher et filiis Semida isti sunt filii Manasse filii Ioseph mares per cognationes suas

3 Salphaad vero filio Epher filii Galaad filii Machir filii Manasse non erant filii sed solae filiae quarum ista sunt nomina Maala et Noa Egla et Melcha et Thersa

4 veneruntque in conspectu Eleazari sacerdotis et Iosue filii Nun et principum dicentes Dominus praecepit per manum Mosi ut daretur nobis possessio in medio fratrum nostrorum deditque eis iuxta imperium Domini possessionem in medio fratrum patris earum

5 et ceciderunt funiculi Manasse decem absque terra Galaad et Basan trans Iordanem