Joshua 17:3-13

3 Now Zelophehad son of Hepher, the son of Gilead, the son of Makir, the son of Manasseh, had no sons but only daughters, whose names were Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milkah and Tirzah.
4 They went to Eleazar the priest, Joshua son of Nun, and the leaders and said, “The LORD commanded Moses to give us an inheritance among our relatives.” So Joshua gave them an inheritance along with the brothers of their father, according to the LORD’s command.
5 Manasseh’s share consisted of ten tracts of land besides Gilead and Bashan east of the Jordan,
6 because the daughters of the tribe of Manasseh received an inheritance among the sons. The land of Gilead belonged to the rest of the descendants of Manasseh.
7 The territory of Manasseh extended from Asher to Mikmethath east of Shechem. The boundary ran southward from there to include the people living at En Tappuah.
8 (Manasseh had the land of Tappuah, but Tappuah itself, on the boundary of Manasseh, belonged to the Ephraimites.)
9 Then the boundary continued south to the Kanah Ravine. There were towns belonging to Ephraim lying among the towns of Manasseh, but the boundary of Manasseh was the northern side of the ravine and ended at the Mediterranean Sea.
10 On the south the land belonged to Ephraim, on the north to Manasseh. The territory of Manasseh reached the Mediterranean Sea and bordered Asher on the north and Issachar on the east.
11 Within Issachar and Asher, Manasseh also had Beth Shan, Ibleam and the people of Dor, Endor, Taanach and Megiddo, together with their surrounding settlements (the third in the list is Naphoth[a] ).
12 Yet the Manassites were not able to occupy these towns, for the Canaanites were determined to live in that region.
13 However, when the Israelites grew stronger, they subjected the Canaanites to forced labor but did not drive them out completely.

Joshua 17:3-13 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO JOSHUA 17

This chapter gives an account of the lot that fell to the half tribe of Manasseh, to the male children of Manasseh, and to the daughters of Zelophehad, Jos 17:1-6; and describes the coast of that lot, Jos 17:7-13; and relates the request of the sons of Joseph, to have their lot enlarged, which was granted, Jos 17:14-18.

Cross References 22

  • 1. S Numbers 27:1
  • 2. S Numbers 26:33
  • 3. Numbers 27:5-7
  • 4. Joshua 13:30-31
  • 5. ver 10; Joshua 19:24,31; Joshua 21:6,30; Judges 1:31; Judges 5:17; Judges 6:35; Judges 7:23
  • 6. Joshua 16:6
  • 7. S Genesis 12:6; Joshua 21:21; Joshua 24:25; Judges 9:1
  • 8. S Joshua 12:17; Joshua 16:8
  • 9. S Joshua 16:8
  • 10. S ver 7
  • 11. S Genesis 30:18
  • 12. Ezekiel 48:5
  • 13. ver 10
  • 14. ver 16; Judges 1:27; 1 Samuel 31:10; 2 Samuel 21:12; 1 Kings 4:12; 1 Chronicles 7:29
  • 15. 2 Kings 9:27
  • 16. S Joshua 11:2
  • 17. 1 Samuel 28:7; Psalms 83:10
  • 18. S Joshua 12:21
  • 19. 1 Kings 9:15
  • 20. Ezekiel 48:4
  • 21. S Joshua 15:63; Judges 1:27
  • 22. Judges 1:27-28; Joshua 16:10

Footnotes 1

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