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, Joshua 17:1; and describes the coast of that lot,
Joshua 17:7; and relates the request of the sons of Joseph, to have
th... [ Continue Reading ]
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
gi... [ Continue Reading ]
THERE WAS ALSO [A LOT] FOR THE REST OF THE CHILDREN OF MANASSEH BY
THEIR FAMILIES,.... For such that had no part in Gilead and Bashan on
the other side Jordan, even for the other half tribe, whose families
are particularly mentioned, as follows:
FOR THE CHILDREN OF ABIEZER; who is called Jeezer in... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT ZELOPHEHAD, THE SON OF HEPHER, THE SON OF GILEAD, THE SON OF
MACHIR, THE SON OF MANASSEH, HAD NO SONS, BUT DAUGHTERS,.... The
descent of this man is particularly given, to show the truth and
reality of it, upon which his daughters made their request, and that
granted and now claimed:
AND THESE... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THEY CAME NEAR BEFORE ELEAZAR THE PRIEST, AND BEFORE JOSHUA THE
SON OF NUN, AND BEFORE THE PRINCES,.... The ten princes, who, with
Eleazar and Joshua, were appointed to divide the land,
Numbers 34:17; and were now met together for that purpose,
Joshua 14:1;
SAYING, THE LORD COMMANDED MOSES TO... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THERE FELL TEN PORTIONS TO MANASSEH, BESIDE THE LAND OF GILEAD AND
BASHAN, WHICH [WERE] ON THE OTHER SIDE JORDAN,.... The lot which fell
to the half tribe of Manasseh was divided into ten parts: according to
the Jewish writers, the six families before mentioned had six parts,
and the daughters o... [ Continue Reading ]
BECAUSE THE DAUGHTERS OF MANASSEH HAD AN INHERITANCE AMONG HIS
SONS,.... Which occasioned such a number of portions; the daughters of
Zelophehad are meant, who descended from Manasseh:
AND THE REST OF MANASSEH, SOME HAD THE LAND OF GILEAD; that is, those
besides the six families before expressed, n... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE COAST OF MANASSEH WAS FROM ASHER,.... Not from the border of
the tribe of Asher, as Kimchi, in which he is followed by Vatablus;
for that was at too great a distance; but a city of the tribe of
Manasseh; and in Jerom's l time a village of this name was shown
fifteen miles from Neapolis or Sh... [ Continue Reading ]
[NOW] MANASSEH HAD THE LAND OF TAPPUAH,.... The whole territory that
went by that name, from a city of note in it, next mentioned; all the
fields and villages in it belonged to the tribe of Manasseh:
BUT TAPPUAH ON THE BORDER OF MANASSEH [BELONGED] TO THE CHILDREN OF
EPHRAIM; and was one of those s... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE COAST DESCENDED UNTO THE RIVER KANAH, SOUTHWARD OF THE
RIVER,.... The same mentioned in the account of the coast of Ephraim,
Joshua 16:8; which was north of that river, as Manasseh was to the
south of it:
THESE CITIES OF EPHRAIM [ARE] AMONG THE CITIES OF MANASSEH; that is,
the cities befor... [ Continue Reading ]
SOUTHWARD [IT WAS] EPHRAIM'S, AND NORTHWARD [IT WAS] MANASSEH'S,....
As Ephraim lay to the south of Manasseh, Manasseh lay to the north of
Ephraim:
AND THE SEA IS HIS BORDER; the Mediterranean sea was their boundary on
the west:
AND THEY MET TOGETHER IN ASHER ON THE NORTH; that is, on the northwes... [ Continue Reading ]
AND MANASSEH HAD IN ISSACHAR, AND IN ASHER, BETHSHEAN, AND HER
TOWNS,.... As Ephraim had cities in Manasseh, so had Manasseh cities
in these two tribes, which in some parts bordered on it, before
described, even the cities following, and the first that is named is
Bethshean: this lay in the tribe of... [ Continue Reading ]
YET THE CHILDREN OF MANASSEH COULD NOT DRIVE OUT [THE INHABITANTS] OF
THESE CITIES,.... Mentioned in Joshua 17:11; they had not strength at
first to do it, or either were negligent and slothful, and suffered
them to dwell among them, and did not take the advantage they might
have done; and afterward... [ Continue Reading ]
YET IT CAME TO PASS, WHEN THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL WERE WAXED
STRONG,.... Increased in numbers, and became superior to the
Canaanites, not only those of the tribe of Manasseh, but of the other
tribes also:
THAT THEY PUT THE CANAANITES TO TRIBUTE; they did not take away their
lives, as they were comma... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE CHILDREN OF JOSEPH SPAKE UNTO JOSHUA,.... Which some
understand of the children of Manasseh only; and, indeed, the
complaint and arguments used, as well as some circumstances in the
account, best agree with them; yet certain it is, that the children of
Ephraim accompanied the children of Man... [ Continue Reading ]
AND JOSHUA ANSWERED THEM,.... By retorting their own argument upon
them:
IF THOU [BE] A GREAT PEOPLE; which he does not deny, as they were for
numbers and power:
[THEN] GET THEE UP TO THE WOOD [COUNTRY]; which was near them, and
within their borders, and lay on hills and mountains, perhaps the
mou... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE CHILDREN OF JOSEPH SAID, THE HILL IS NOT ENOUGH FOR US,....
Meaning either Mount Ephraim, and all included in it; or it may be
rather the wood country on the hills and mountains they were bid to go
up to; signifying, that if they could gain that out of the hands of
the Perizzites and giants,... [ Continue Reading ]
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... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT THE MOUNTAINS SHALL BE THINE,.... Or "for" s it shall be thine;
thou shalt get the possession of it, though attended with difficulties
that seem insuperable:
FOR, or "if, though" t
IT [IS] A WOOD; the habitation of the Perizzites, and giants, and so
dangerous to go un to it, and full of trees,... [ Continue Reading ]