Joshua

CHAPTER 16

The Joseph Tribes.^* 1The lot that fell to the Josephites extended from the Jordan at Jericho to the waters of Jericho east of the wilderness; then the boundary went up from Jericho to the heights at Bethel.^* 2Leaving Bethel for Luz, it crossed the ridge to the border of the Archites at Ataroth, 3and descended westward to the border of the Japhletites, to that of the Lower Beth-horon, and to Gezer, and from there to the sea.^a

Ephraim. 4Within the heritage of Manasseh and Ephraim, sons of Joseph, 5the dividing line^* for the heritage of the Ephraimites by their clans ran from east of Ataroth-addar to Upper Beth-horon^b 6and thence to the sea. From Michmethath^c on the north, their boundary curved eastward around Taanath-shiloh, and continued east of it to Janoah; 7from there it descended to Ataroth and Naarah, and reaching Jericho, it ended at the Jordan. 8From Tappuah the boundary ran westward to the Wadi Kanah and ended at the sea. This was the heritage of the Ephraimites by their clans, 9including the villages that belonged to each city set aside for the Ephraimites within the heritage of the Manassites. 10But they did not dispossess the Canaanites living in Gezer;^d they live within Ephraim to the present day, though they have been put to forced labor.

* [16:1–17:18] After the boundaries and cities of Judah, the most important tribe, are given, the land of the next most important group, the two Joseph tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh, is described, though it was separated from Judah by the territories of Benjamin (18:11–20) and Dan (19:40–48).

* [16:1–3] This line formed the southern boundary of Ephraim and the northern boundaries of Benjamin and of Dan.

* [16:5] The dividing line: separating Ephraim from Manasseh. Ephraim’s northern border (v. 5) is given in an east-to-west direction; its eastern border (vv. 6–7) in a north-to-south direction.

a. [16:3] Jos 10:10, 33.

b. [16:5] Jos 18:13.

c. [16:6–9] Jos 17:7–9.

d. [16:10] Jgs 1:29.