Joshua 17:1

1 There was also a lot for the tribe of Manasseh; for he was the firstborn of Joseph. Machir, the firstborn of Manasseh and father of Gilead, who was a man of war, had Gilead and Bashan.

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 There was also a lot for the tribe of Manasseh; for he was the firstborn of Joseph. Machir, the firstborn of Manasseh and father of Gilead, who was a man of war, had Gilead and Bashan.
2 There was also a lot for the rest of the sons of Manasseh by 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 sons of Manasseh, the son of Joseph, by their families.
3 But Zelophehad, the son of Hepher, the son of Gilead, the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh, had no sons, but daughters, and these are the names of his daughters: Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah.
4 And they came near before Eleazar the priest and before Joshua, the son of Nun, and before the princes and said, The LORD commanded Moses to give us an inheritance among our brethren. Therefore, according to the commandment of the LORD he gave them an inheritance among the brethren of their father.
5 And there fell ten portions to Manasseh besides the land of Gilead and Bashan, which were on the other side of the Jordan,
The Jubilee Bible (from the Scriptures of the Reformation), edited by Russell M. Stendal, Copyright © 2000, 2001, 2010