Joshua 16-17
New English Translation
Joseph’s Tribal Lands
16 The land allotted to Joseph’s descendants extended from the Jordan at Jericho to the waters of Jericho to the east, through the desert and on up from Jericho into the hill country of Bethel.[a] 2 The southern border[b] extended from Bethel to Luz,[c] and crossed to Arkite territory at Ataroth. 3 It then descended westward to Japhletite territory, as far as the territory of lower Beth Horon and Gezer, and ended at the sea.
4 Joseph’s descendants, Manasseh and Ephraim, were assigned their land.[d] 5 The territory of the tribe of Ephraim by its clans included the following:[e] The border of their assigned land to the east was Ataroth Addar as far as upper Beth Horon. 6 It then extended on to the sea, with Micmethath on the north. It turned eastward to Taanath Shiloh and crossed it on the east to Janoah. 7 It then descended from Janoah to Ataroth and Naarah, touched Jericho, and extended to the Jordan River.[f] 8 From Tappuah it went westward to the Valley of Kanah and ended at the sea. This is the land assigned to the tribe of Ephraim[g] by its clans. 9 Also included were the cities set apart for the tribe of Ephraim within Manasseh’s territory, along with their towns.[h]
10 The Ephraimites[i] did not conquer the Canaanites living in Gezer. The Canaanites live among the Ephraimites to this very day and do hard labor as their servants.
17 The tribe of Manasseh, Joseph’s firstborn son, was also allotted land.[j] The descendants of Makir, Manasseh’s firstborn and the father of Gilead, received land, for they were warriors.[k] They were assigned Gilead and Bashan.[l] 2 The rest of Manasseh’s descendants were also assigned land[m] by their clans, including the descendants of Abiezer, Helek, Asriel, Shechem, Hepher, and Shemida. These are the male descendants of Manasseh son of Joseph by their clans.
3 Now Zelophehad son of Hepher, son of Gilead, son of Makir, son of Manasseh, had no sons, only daughters. These are the names of his daughters: Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah. 4 They went before Eleazar the priest, Joshua son of Nun, and the leaders and said, “The Lord told Moses to assign us land among our relatives.”[n] So Joshua[o] assigned them land among their uncles, as the Lord had commanded.[p] 5 Manasseh was allotted ten shares of land,[q] in addition to the land of Gilead and Bashan east of the Jordan, 6 for the daughters of Manasseh were assigned land among his sons. The land of Gilead belonged to the rest of the descendants of Manasseh.
7 The border of Manasseh went[r] from Asher to Micmethath, which is near[s] Shechem. It then went south toward those who live by En Tappuah.[t] 8 (The land of Tappuah belonged to Manasseh, but Tappuah, located on the border of Manasseh, belonged to the tribe of Ephraim.) 9 The border then descended southward to the Valley of Kanah. Ephraim was assigned cities there among the cities of Manasseh,[u] but the border of Manasseh was north of the valley and ended at the sea. 10 Ephraim’s territory was to the south, and Manasseh’s to the north. The sea was Manasseh’s[v] western border and their territory[w] touched Asher on the north and Issachar on the east. 11 Within Issachar’s and Asher’s territories Manasseh was assigned Beth Shean, Ibleam, the residents of Dor, the residents of Endor, the residents of Taanach, the residents of Megiddo, the three of Napheth,[x] and the towns surrounding all these cities.[y] 12 But the men[z] of Manasseh were unable to conquer these cities; the Canaanites managed[aa] to remain in those areas. 13 Whenever the Israelites were strong militarily, they forced the Canaanites to do hard labor, but they never totally conquered them.[ab]
14 The descendants of Joseph said to Joshua, “Why have you assigned us only one tribal allotment? After all, we have many people, for until now the Lord has enabled us to increase in number.”[ac] 15 Joshua replied to them, “Since you have so many people,[ad] go up into the forest and clear out a place to live in the land of the Perizzites and Rephaites, if the hill country of Ephraim is too small for you.” 16 The descendants of Joseph said, “The whole hill country[ae] is inadequate for us, and the Canaanites living down in the valley in Beth Shean and its surrounding towns and in the Valley of Jezreel have chariots with iron-rimmed wheels.”[af] 17 Joshua said to the family[ag] of Joseph—to both Ephraim and Manasseh: “You have many people and great military strength. You will not have just one tribal allotment. 18 The whole hill country[ah] will be yours; though it is a forest, you can clear it, and it will be entirely yours.[ai] You can conquer the Canaanites, though they have chariots with iron-rimmed wheels and are strong.”
Footnotes
- Joshua 16:1 tn Heb “The lot went out to the sons of Joseph from the Jordan [at] Jericho to the waters of Jericho to the east, the desert going up from Jericho into the hill country of Bethel.”
- Joshua 16:2 tn Heb “it”; the referent (the southern border) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
- Joshua 16:2 tn In the Hebrew text the place name “Luz” has the directive ending, indicating that the border went from Bethel to Luz. Elsewhere Luz and Bethel appear to be names for the same site (cf. Judg 1:23), but here they appear to be distinct. Note that the NIV translates “from Bethel (that is, Luz)” here, following the reading of the LXX, εἰς Βαιθηλ Λουζα (eis Baithēl Louza, “from Bethel [Luz]”).
- Joshua 16:4 tn Or “received their inheritance.”
- Joshua 16:5 tn Heb “The territory of the sons of Ephraim was for their clans.”
- Joshua 16:7 tn The word “River” is not in the Hebrew text, but has been supplied in the translation for clarity.
- Joshua 16:8 tn Heb “This is the inheritance of the tribe of the sons of Ephraim.”
- Joshua 16:9 tn Heb “and the cities set apart for the sons of Ephraim in the midst of the inheritance of the sons of Manasseh, all the cities and their towns.”
- Joshua 16:10 tn Heb “they”; the referent (the Ephraimites) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
- Joshua 17:1 tn Heb “and the lot belonged to the tribe of Manasseh, for he was the firstborn of Joseph.”
- Joshua 17:1 tn Heb “to Makir, the firstborn of Manasseh, the father of Gilead, for he was a man of war.”
- Joshua 17:1 tn Heb “Gilead and Bashan belonged to him.”sn On the assignment of Manasseh’s territory in Gilead and Bashan, see Josh 13:31.
- Joshua 17:2 tn Heb “and it belonged to the sons of Manasseh who remained.”
- Joshua 17:4 tn Heb “The Lord commanded Moses to assign to us an inheritance in the midst of our brothers.” Since Zelophehad had no sons, “brothers” must refer to their uncles, as the next sentence makes clear.
- Joshua 17:4 tn Heb “he.” The referent is probably Joshua, although Eleazar is mentioned first in the preceding list.
- Joshua 17:4 tn Heb “and he assigned to them in accordance with the mouth [i.e., command] of the Lord an inheritance in the midst of the brothers of their father.”
- Joshua 17:5 tn Heb “and the allotted portions of Manasseh fell out ten.”
- Joshua 17:7 tn Heb “was.”
- Joshua 17:7 tn Heb “in front of”; perhaps “east of.”
- Joshua 17:7 tn Or “the spring of Tappuah.”
- Joshua 17:9 tn Heb “these cities belonged to Ephraim in the midst of the cities of Manasseh.”
- Joshua 17:10 tn Heb “his”; the referent (Manasseh) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
- Joshua 17:10 tn Heb “they”; the referent (their territory) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
- Joshua 17:11 tn Or “the third [is] Napheth”; or “Napheth-dor.” The meaning of the Hebrew phrase is uncertain.
- Joshua 17:11 tn Heb “Beth Shean and its surrounding towns, Ibleam and its surrounding towns, the residents of Dor and its surrounding towns, the residents of Endor and its surrounding towns, the residents of Taanach and its surrounding towns, the residents of Megiddo and its surrounding towns, three of Nepheth.”
- Joshua 17:12 tn Heb “sons”; “men” has been used in the translation because the context involves the conquest of cities; therefore, warriors (hence males) would be in view here.
- Joshua 17:12 tn Or “were determined.”
- Joshua 17:13 sn On the Israelites’ failure to conquer the Canaanites completely, see Judg 1:27-28.
- Joshua 17:14 tn Heb “Why have you given me as an inheritance one lot and one portion, though I am a great people until [the time] which, until now the Lord has blessed me?” The construction עַד אֲשֶׁר־עַד־כֹּה (ʿad ʾasher ʿad koh, “until [the time] which, until now”) is extremely awkward. An emendation of the first עַד (ʿad) to עַל (ʿal) yields a more likely reading: “for until now” (see HALOT 787 s.v. III עַד).
- Joshua 17:15 tn Heb “If you are a great people.”
- Joshua 17:16 tn The Hebrew text has simply “the hill country,” which must here include the hill country of Ephraim and the forest regions mentioned in v. 15.
- Joshua 17:16 tn Heb “and there are iron chariots among all the Canaanites who live in the land of the valley, to those who are in Beth Shean and its daughters and to those who are in the Valley of Jezreel.” Regarding the translation “chariots with iron-rimmed wheels” see Y. Yadin, The Art of Warfare in Biblical Lands, 255 and R. Drews, “The ‘Chariots of Iron’ of Joshua and Judges,” JSOT 45 (1989): 15-23.
- Joshua 17:17 tn Heb “house.”
- Joshua 17:18 tn The Hebrew text has simply “the hill country,” which must here include the hill country of Ephraim and the forest regions mentioned in v. 15.
- Joshua 17:18 tn Heb “and its limits will be yours.”
Joshua 16-17
Amplified Bible
Territory of Ephraim
16 Then the lot (allotment) for the sons of Joseph went from the Jordan Valley at Jericho to the waters of Jericho on the east into the wilderness, going up from Jericho through the hill country to Bethel. 2 Then it went from Bethel to Luz, and continued to Ataroth, the border of the Archites. 3 It went down westward to the territory of the Japhletites, as far as the outskirts of lower Beth-horon, then to Gezer, and it ended at the sea.
4 The sons of Joseph, Manasseh and Ephraim, received their inheritance. 5 Now this was the territory of the sons of Ephraim according to their families: on the east side the border of their inheritance was Ataroth-addar, as far as upper Beth-horon. 6 Then the border went westward at Michmethath on the north, and turned eastward to Taanath-shiloh and continued beyond it to the east of Janoah. 7 It went down from Janoah to Ataroth and to Naarah, touched Jericho and ended at the Jordan. 8 The border continued from Tappuah westward to the Brook Kanah, and it ended at the [Mediterranean] sea. This is the inheritance of the tribe of the sons of Ephraim according to their families (clans), 9 with the cities which were set apart for the sons of Ephraim within the inheritance of the sons of Manasseh, all the cities with their villages. 10 But they did not drive out the Canaanites who lived in Gezer, so the Canaanites live among Ephraim to this day, and they became forced laborers.
Territory of Manasseh
17 Now this was the lot (allotment) for the tribe of Manasseh, for he was the firstborn of Joseph. To Machir the firstborn of Manasseh, the father of Gilead, were allotted Gilead and Bashan, because he was a man of war. 2 So the lot was also made for the rest of the sons of Manasseh according to their families—for the sons of Abiezer and for the sons of Helek and for the sons of Asriel and for the sons of Shechem and for the sons of Hepher and for the sons of Shemida; these were the male descendants of Manasseh the son of Joseph according to their families (clans).
3 But Zelophehad the son of Hepher, the son of Gilead, the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh, had no sons, only daughters; and these are the names of his daughters: Mahlah and Noah, Hoglah, Milcah and Tirzah. 4 They came before Eleazar the priest and before Joshua the son of Nun and before the leaders and said, “The Lord commanded Moses to give us an inheritance among our brothers.” So according to the command of the Lord Joshua gave them an inheritance among their father’s brothers. 5 So ten portions fell to Manasseh, besides the land of Gilead and Bashan, which is beyond the Jordan [on the east side of the river], 6 because the daughters of [Zelophehad, a descendant of] Manasseh had received an inheritance among his [other] sons [whose inheritance went to their male descendants]. The land of Gilead belonged to the rest of the sons of Manasseh.(A)
7 The territory of Manasseh reached from Asher to Michmethath which was east of Shechem; then the border went southward to the inhabitants of En-tappuah. 8 The land of Tappuah belonged to Manasseh, but [the city of] Tappuah on the border of Manasseh belonged to the sons of Ephraim. 9 Then the border went down to the brook of Kanah, south of the brook (these cities belonged to Ephraim, among the cities of Manasseh), and Manasseh’s border was on the north side of the brook and it ended at the sea. 10 The land on the south side belonged to Ephraim and that on the north side was Manasseh’s, and the sea was their border; they reached to [the territory of] Asher on the north and to [the territory of] Issachar on the east. 11 Also, in Issachar and in Asher, Manasseh had Beth-shean and its towns and Ibleam and its towns, and the inhabitants of Dor and its towns, and the inhabitants of En-dor and its towns, and the inhabitants of Taanach and its towns, and the inhabitants of Megiddo and its towns; the third is Napheth. 12 But the sons of Manasseh were not able to [drive out the inhabitants and] take possession of these cities, because the Canaanites persisted in living in that land. 13 When the Israelites became strong, they put the Canaanites to forced labor, but they did not drive them out completely.
14 The sons of Joseph spoke to Joshua, saying, “Why have you given us only one lot and one portion as an inheritance, when we are a numerous people whom the Lord has so far blessed?” 15 Then Joshua replied, “If you are a numerous people, go up to the forest and clear ground for yourselves there in the land of the Perizzites and the Rephaim, since the hill country of Ephraim is too narrow for you.” 16 The sons of Joseph said, “The hill country is not enough for us, and all the Canaanites who live in the valley have iron chariots, both those who are in Beth-shean and its towns and those in the Valley of Jezreel.” 17 Joshua said to the house of Joseph, to Ephraim and to Manasseh, “You are a numerous people and have great power; you shall not have only one lot, 18 but the hill country shall be yours. For though it is a forest, you shall clear it and possess it to its farthest borders; for you shall drive out the Canaanites, even though they have iron chariots and though they are strong.”
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