7:1-11. Manasseh. Possessed.

e  g¹  1,2. Manasseh. East and West of Jordan.
    h¹  3,4. Daughters of Zelophehad.
   g²  5. Manasseh. West of Jordan.
    h²  6-. Daughters of Zelophehad.
   g³  -6-11. Manasseh. West and East of Jordan.

1444-1443 B.C.

Joshua 17)

1: There was also the lot (cp. 16:1) for the tribe of Manasseh (= forgetful); for he was the firstborn of Joseph (Gen.41:51; 46:20; 50:23. Num.32:39); to wit, for Machir the firstborn of Manasseh, the father of Gilead: because he was a man of war, therefore he had Gilead (= rocky region) and Bashan (= fruitful).
2: There was also a lot for the rest of the sons of Manasseh by their families; for the sons of Abiezer (= father of help, helpful), and for the sons of Helek (= portion), and for the sons of Asriel (= vow of El [God]), and for the sons of Shechem (= back, or shoulder), and for the sons of Hepher (= a well), and for the sons of Shemida (= wise): these were the male sons of Manasseh the son of Joseph by their families.

3: But Zelophehad (= first-born. Cp. Num. 26:33; 27:1; 36:2), the son of Hepher, the son of Gilead, the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh, had no sons, but he had daughters: and these are the names of his daughters, Mahlah (= disease), and Noah (= motion), and Hoglah (= partridge), and Milcah (= queen, or counsel), and Tirzah (= delight).
4: And they came near before Eleazar the priest (his presence necessary for the casting of the lots, with the Urim and Thummim. See. Ex. 28:30, and Num. 26:55), and before Joshua the son of Nun, and before the princes, saying, “Yehovah commanded Moses (some codices read "by the hand of Moses": "hand" being put for what is done by it) to give us an inheritance among our brethren.” Therefore according to the commandment of the Lord he gave them an inheritance among the brethren of their father.

5: And there fell (i.e. by lot. Cp. v.1) ten portions to Manasseh, beside the land of Gilead and Bashan, which were on the other side Jordan;

6: Because the daughters of Manasseh had an inheritance among his sons:

and the rest of Manasseh's sons had the land of Gilead.
7: And the boundary of Manasseh was from Asher (= blessed) to Michmethah (= hiding-place), that lies before Shechem (= back or shoulder); and the border went along on the right hand to the inhabitants of En-tappuah (= fount of the apple-city).
8: Now Manasseh had the land of Tappuah: but Tappuah on the border of Manasseh belonged to the sons of Ephraim;
9: And the boundary descended to the river Kanah, southward of the river: these cities of Ephraim are among the cities of Manasseh: the coast of Manasseh also was on the north side of the river, and the utmost limits of it were at the sea:
10: Southward it was Ephraim's, and northward it was Manasseh's, and the sea is his border; and they met together in Asher on the north, and in Issachar on the east.
11: And Manasseh had in Issachar (= reward) and in Asher Beth-shean (= house of rest) and her towns (Heb. daughters. Fig. Prosopopœia = villages), and Ibleam (= devouring the people) and her villages, and the inhabitants of Dor (= dwelling) and her villages, and the inhabitants of Endor (= fountain of dwelling) and her villages, and the inhabitants of Taanach (= sandy) and her villages, and the inhabitants of Megiddo (= place of crowds) and her villages, even three countries.
12: Yet the sons of Manasseh could not drive out the inhabitants of those cities (cp. 15:63; 16:10; and see Ex. 23:31. Deut. 7:2, &c.); but the Canaanites would dwell in that land.
13: Yet it came to pass, when the sons of Israel were waxen strong, that they put the Canaanites to tribute; but did not utterly drive them out.
14: And the sons of Joseph spoke to Joshua (i.e. Manasseh. Note their selfishness, so well reproved by Joshua [vv.15-18], who was of that tribe himself), saying, “Why have you given me but one lot and one portion to inherit (Heb. "line", put for the territory marked out by it), seeing I am a great people, to such a degree as the Lord has blessed me hitherto?”
15: And Joshua answered them, “If you be a great people, then get you go up to the wood country, and cut down (= carve out, or create as in Gen. 1:1) for yourself there in the land of the Perizzites and of the giants (= Rephiam. See Num. 13:22. Deut. 1:28, and Gen. 6:2,4), if mount Ephraim be too narrow for you.”
16: And the sons of Joseph said, “The hill is not enough for us: and all the Canaanites that dwell in the land of the valley have chariots of iron, both they who are of Beth-shean and her towns, and they who are of the valley of Jezreel.”
17: And Joshua spoke to the house of Joseph, even to Ephraim and to Manasseh, saying, “You are a great people, and have great power: you shall not have one lot only:
18: But the mountain shall be yours; for it is a wood, and you shall cut it down: and the outgoings of it shall be yours: for you shall drive out the Canaanites, though they have iron chariots, and though they be strong.

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