Joshua 16:1-8

1 And the lot, either part, of the sons of Joseph felled from (the) Jordan against Jericho, and to the waters thereof, from the east; (that) is, (to) the wilderness, that goeth up from Jericho to the hill of Bethel,
2 and it goeth out from Bethel into Luz, and it passeth the term of Archi (to) Ataroth, (and it goeth out from Bethel to Luz, and then it passeth the border of the Archites at Atarothaddar,)
3 and it goeth down to the west, beside the term of Japhleti, unto the terms of the lower Bethhoron, and of Gezer; and the countries thereof be ended with the great sea, (and it goeth down to the west, beside the border of the Japhletites, unto the border of Lower Bethhoron, and Gezer; and their land endeth at the Mediterranean Sea,)
4 which countries Manasseh and Ephraim, the sons of Joseph, wielded. (which lands the tribes of western Manasseh and of Ephraim, the sons of Joseph, took.)
5 And the term of the sons of Ephraim, by their families, and the possession of them was made against the east, (from) Atarothaddar till to the higher Bethhoron. (And the border of the possession of the sons of Ephraim, by their families, on the east, went from Atarothaddar unto Upper Bethhoron.)
6 And the coasts go out into the sea; for Michmethah beholdeth the north, and it compasseth the terms against the east in Taanathshiloh, and it passeth from the strand of Janohah; (And then the border goeth out to the west, to Michmethah in the north, and then out to the east of Taanathshiloh, and passeth by it on the east to Janohah;)
7 and it goeth down from Janohah into Ataroth(addar), and into Naarath, and it cometh into Jericho; and it goeth out to (the) Jordan(;)
8 (and it goeth forth) from Tappuah, and passeth against the sea into the valley of the place of reeds; and the goings out thereof be unto the saltiest sea. This is the possession [of the lineage] of the sons of Ephraim, by their families; (and from Tappuah it goeth west by the Kanah River; and its end, or its limit, is the Mediterranean Sea. This is the possession of the tribe of the sons of Ephraim, by their families;)

Joshua 16:1-8 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO JOSHUA 16

This chapter gives us an account of the lot of the children of Joseph, Ephraim, and the half tribe of Manasseh, one half having settled on the other side Jordan; and first the borders of the whole lot in general are given, Jos 16:1-4; and then the borders of the tribe of Ephraim in particular, Jos 16:4-8; and it is observed, that this tribe had besides separate cities among the children of Manasseh, and that there were some Canaanites, particularly in Gezer, not driven out by the Ephraimites, Jos 16:9,10.

Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.