Yehoshua 17:17

17 And Yehoshua spoke unto Bais Yosef, even to Ephrayim and to Menasheh, saying, Thou art an am rav, and hast ko’ach gadol; thou shalt not have goral echad only;

Yehoshua 17:17 Meaning and Commentary

Joshua 17:17

And Joshua spake unto the house of Joseph, [even] to Ephraim
and to Manasseh
From whence it is clear that some of both were present; and they being brethren, and their interests united, and their cities intermixed, it would be to their mutual advantage to have an enlargement; which the tribe of Manasseh wanted more especially, more of their cities that fell to their lot being in the hands of the Canaanites, than of any other:

saying, thou [art] a great people, and hast great power;
were very numerous, and so able to contend with the Canaanites, and make themselves more room:

thou shalt not have one lot [only];
or only have what they were possessed of, but should have more; and, as they wanted more, they were able enough to get more; and if they exerted their power, relying on the providence of God, through his blessing on their endeavours, they would certainly have an increase of their portion.

Yehoshua 17:17 In-Context

15 And Yehoshua answered them, If thou be an am rav, then get thee up to the wood country, and cut down for thyself there in the Eretz HaPerizzi and HaRepha’im, if Har Ephrayim be too small for thee.

16 And the Bnei Yosef said, The har is not enough for us; and all the Kena’ani that dwell in the eretz haemek have chariots of barzel (iron), both they who are of Beit Sh’an and her towns, and they who are of the emek Yizre’el.

17 And Yehoshua spoke unto Bais Yosef, even to Ephrayim and to Menasheh, saying, Thou art an am rav, and hast ko’ach gadol; thou shalt not have goral echad only;

18 But the har shall be thine; for it is a forest, and thou shalt cut it down; and the rest of the cleared land shall be thine; for thou shalt drive out the Kena’ani, though they have chariots of barzel (iron), and though they be chazak.