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Joshua 17:1-11 King James Version with Strong's Concordance (STRONG)

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1 There was also a lot H1486 for the tribe H4294 of Manasseh; H4519 for he was the firstborn H1060 of Joseph; H3130 to wit, for Machir H4353 the firstborn H1060 of Manasseh, H4519 the father H1 of Gilead: H1568 because he was a man H376 of war, H4421 therefore he had Gilead H1568 and Bashan. H1316

2 There was also a lot for the rest H3498 of the children H1121 of Manasseh H4519 by their families; H4940 for the children H1121 of Abiezer, H44 and for the children H1121 of Helek, H2507 and for the children H1121 of Asriel, H844 and for the children H1121 of Shechem, H7928 and for the children H1121 of Hepher, H2660 and for the children H1121 of Shemida: H8061 these were the male H2145 children H1121 of Manasseh H4519 the son H1121 of Joseph H3130 by their families. H4940

3 But Zelophehad, H6765 the son H1121 of Hepher, H2660 the son H1121 of Gilead, H1568 the son H1121 of Machir, H4353 the son H1121 of Manasseh, H4519 had no sons, H1121 but daughters: H1323 and these are the names H8034 of his daughters, H1323 Mahlah, H4244 and Noah, H5270 Hoglah, H2295 Milcah, H4435 and Tirzah. H8656

4 And they came near H7126 before H6440 Eleazar H499 the priest, H3548 and before H6440 Joshua H3091 the son H1121 of Nun, H5126 and before H6440 the princes, H5387 saying, H559 The LORD H3068 commanded H6680 Moses H4872 to give H5414 us an inheritance H5159 among H8432 our brethren. H251 Therefore according to the commandment H6310 of the LORD H3068 he gave H5414 them an inheritance H5159 among H8432 the brethren H251 of their father. H1

5 And there fell H5307 ten H6235 portions H2256 to Manasseh, H4519 beside the land H776 of Gilead H1568 and Bashan, H1316 which were on the other side H5676 Jordan; H3383

6 Because the daughters H1323 of Manasseh H4519 had H5157 an inheritance H5159 among H8432 his sons: H1121 and the rest H3498 of Manasseh's H4519 sons H1121 had the land H776 of Gilead. H1568

7 And the coast H1366 of Manasseh H4519 was from Asher H836 to Michmethah, H4366 that lieth before H6440 Shechem; H7927 and the border H1366 went along H1980 on the right hand H3225 unto the inhabitants H3427 of Entappuah. H5887

8 Now Manasseh H4519 had the land H776 of Tappuah: H8599 but Tappuah H8599 on the border H1366 of Manasseh H4519 belonged to the children H1121 of Ephraim; H669

9 And the coast H1366 descended H3381 unto the river H5158 Kanah, H7071 southward H5045 of the river: H5158 these cities H5892 of Ephraim H669 are among H8432 the cities H5892 of Manasseh: H4519 the coast H1366 of Manasseh H4519 also was on the north side H6828 of the river, H5158 and the outgoings H8444 of it were at the sea: H3220

10 Southward H5045 it was Ephraim's, H669 and northward H6828 it was Manasseh's, H4519 and the sea H3220 is his border; H1366 and they met together H6293 in Asher H836 on the north, H6828 and in Issachar H3485 on the east. H4217

11 And Manasseh H4519 had in Issachar H3485 and in Asher H836 Bethshean H1052 and her towns, H1323 and Ibleam H2991 and her towns, H1323 and the inhabitants H3427 of Dor H1756 and her towns, H1323 and the inhabitants H3427 of Endor H5874 and her towns, H1323 and the inhabitants H3427 of Taanach H8590 and her towns, H1323 and the inhabitants H3427 of Megiddo H4023 and her towns, H1323 even three H7969 countries. H5316

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Commentary on Joshua 17 Matthew Henry Commentary

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Chapter 17

The half tribe of Manasseh comes next to be provided for; and here we have,

  • I. The families of that tribe that were to be portioned (v. 1-6).
  • II. The country that fell to their lot (v. 7-13).
  • III. The joint request of the two tribes that descended from Joseph, for the enlargement of their lot, and Joshua's answer to that request (v. 14-18).

Jos 17:1-6

Manasseh was itself but one half of the tribe of Joseph, and yet was divided and subdivided.

  • 1. It was divided into two parts, one already settled on the other side Jordan, consisting of those who were the posterity of Machir, v. 1. This Machir was born to Manasseh in Egypt; there he had signalized himself as a man of war, probably in the contests between the Ephraimites and the men of Gath, 1 Chr. 7:21. His warlike disposition descended to his posterity, and therefore Moses gave them Gileaxdand Bashan, on the other side Jordan, of which before, ch. 13:31. It is here said that the lot came to Manasseh, for he was the first-born of Joseph. Bishop Patrick thinks it should be translated, though he was the first-born of Joseph, and then the meaning is plain, that the second lot was for Manasseh, because, though he was the first-born, yet Jacob had preferred Ephraim before him. See the names of those heads of the families that settled on the other side Jordan, 1 Chr. 5:24.
  • 2. That part on this side Jordan as subdivided into ten families, v. 5. There were six sons of Gilead here named (v. 2), the same that are recorded Num. 26:30-32, only that he who is there called Jezeer is here called Abiezer. Five of these sons had each of them their portion; the sixth, which was Hepher, had his male line cut off in his son Zelophehad, who left daughters only, five in number, of whom we have often read, and these five had each of them a portion; though perhaps, they claiming under Hepher, all their five portions were but equal to one of the portions of the five sons. Or if Hepher had other sons besides Zelophehad, in whom the name of his family was kept up, their posterity married to the daughters of Zelophehad the elder brother, and in their right had these portions assigned them. See Num. 36:12. Here is,
    • (1.) The claim which the daughters of Zelophehad made, grounded upon the command God gave to Moses concerning them, v. 4. They had themselves, when they were young, pleaded their own cause before Moses, and obtained the grant of an inheritance with their brethren, and now they would not lose the benefit of that grant for want of speaking to Joshua, but seasonably put in their demand themselves, as it should seem, and not their husbands for them.
    • (2.) The assignment of their portions according to their claim. Joshua knew very well what God had ordered in their case, and did not object that they having not served in the wars of Canaan there was no reason why they should share in the possessions of Canaan, but readily gave them as inheritance among the brethren of their father. And now they reaped the benefit of their own pious zeal and prudent forecast in this matter. Thus those who take care in the wilderness of this world to make sure to themselves a place in the inheritance of the saints in light will certainly have the comfort of it in the other world, while those that neglect it now will lose it for ever.

Jos 17:7-13

We have here a short account of the lot of this half tribe. It reached from Jordan on the east to the great sea on the west; on the south it lay all along contiguous to Ephraim, but on the north it abutted upon Asher and Issachar. Asher lay north-west, and Issachar north-east, which seems to be the meaning of that (v. 10), that they (that is, Manasseh and Ephraim, as related to it, both together making the tribe of Joseph) met in Asher on the north and Issachar on the east, for Ephraim itself reached not those tribes. Some things are particularly observed concerning this lot:-

  • 1. That there was great communication between this tribe and that of Ephraim. The city of Tappuah belonged to Ephraim, but the country adjoining to Manasseh (v. 8); there were likewise many cities of Ephraim that lay within the border of Manasseh (v. 9), of which before, ch. 16:9.
  • 2. That Manasseh likewise had cities with their appurtenances in the tribes of Issachar and Asher (v. 11), God so ordering it, that though every tribe had its peculiar inheritance, which might not be alienated from it, yet they should thus intermix one with another, to keep up mutual acquaintance and correspondence among the tribes, and to give occasion for the doing of good offices one to another, as became those who, though of different tribes, were all one Israel, and were bound to love as brethren.