Joshua 17:18

18 but thou shalt pass to the hill, and thou shalt cut down to thee trees; and thou shalt cleanse spaces to dwell in (but thou shalt go into the hill country, and thou shalt cut down the trees; and thou shalt clear out space for thyselves to live in). And thou shalt be able to go forth further, when thou hast destroyed (the) Canaanites, whom thou sayest to have iron chariots, and to be most strong.

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 To whom the sons of Joseph answered, We may not ascend to the hilly places, since Canaanites, that dwell in the land of the field, use iron chariots; in which land Bethshean, with his towns, and Jezreel, wielding the middle valley, be set. (To whom Joseph's sons answered, The hill country is still not large enough; and also, the Canaanites, who live there in the land of the valley, have iron chariots; yea, all those who live in Bethshean, and its towns, and who live in the Jezreel Valley.)

17 And Joshua said to the house of Joseph, and of Ephraim, and of Manasseh (And Joshua said to the house of Joseph, that is, to the tribes of Ephraim, and of Manasseh), Thou art [a] much people, and of great strength; thou shalt not have (only) one lot,

18 but thou shalt pass to the hill, and thou shalt cut down to thee trees; and thou shalt cleanse spaces to dwell in (but thou shalt go into the hill country, and thou shalt cut down the trees; and thou shalt clear out space for thyselves to live in). And thou shalt be able to go forth further, when thou hast destroyed (the) Canaanites, whom thou sayest to have iron chariots, and to be most strong.