Joshua 17:18

18 For thou shalt have the wood, for there is a wood, and thou shalt clear it, and shall be thine; even when thou shalt have utterly destroyed the Chananite, for he has chosen cavalry; yet thou art stronger than he.

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.

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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 And they said, The mount of Ephraim does not please us, and the Chananite dwelling in it in Baethsan, and in its villages, in the valley of Jezrael, has choice cavalry and iron.

17 And Joshua said to the sons of Joseph, If thou art a great people, and hast great strength, thou shalt not have one inheritance.

18 For thou shalt have the wood, for there is a wood, and thou shalt clear it, and shall be thine; even when thou shalt have utterly destroyed the Chananite, for he has chosen cavalry; yet thou art stronger than he.