Caleb had been a great example to Israel of faith. However, the rest of Israel was reluctant to follow his example. Seeing this, Joshua called the tribes of Israel to Shiloh, the place of worship where the Tabernacle was set up. In sight of the tabernacle that represented God's presence among His people, Joshua called the nation to take action. The elements of this call to action were simple but powerful. He posed a question that logically only had one answer. This question forced the people to face themselves (18:3). There could be no excuse, no reason to postpone possessing the land God had promised. Joshua went so far as to say that God had already given them the land. It was theirs; they just needed to step into action and take it. Next, he put them to work by actually sending representatives of each tribe to survey the land. He got them started. He helped them get a taste of what their own land could be like. This account can be a great help to any one of us when we struggle to motivate others or ourselves to action. Like Joshua, stop and force yourself or others to honestly justify why you or they do not take action to make the promises of God your own. Just like these seven tribes, we can be living far below our potential in God. These people were still living as homeless wanderers. They had known nothing else over their 40-year sojourn in the wilderness and expected nothing more. It is tragic when we leave untouched all that Christ has made available for us. The peace of God, His answered prayers, the work of the Holy Spirit, and so much more is waiting to be possessed. "We have been blessed with every spiritual blessing in heavenly places in Christ" (Eph. 1:3). Don't you think it is time to take possession? 1 There was also a lot for the tribe of Manasseh, for he was the firstborn of Joseph: namely for Machir the firstborn of Manasseh, the father of Gilead, because he was a man of war; therefore he was given Gilead and Bashan. 2 And there was a lot for the rest of the children of Manasseh according to their families: for the children of Abiezer, the children of Helek, the children of Asriel, the children of Shechem, the children of Hepher, and the children of Shemida; these were the male children of Manasseh the son of Joseph according to their families. 3 But Zelophehad the son of Hepher, the son of Gilead, the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh, had no sons, but only daughters. And these are the names of his daughters: Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah. 4 And they came near before Eleazar the priest, before Joshua the son of Nun, and before the rulers, saying, "The LORD commanded Moses to give us an inheritance among our brothers." Therefore, according to the commandment of the LORD, he gave them an inheritance among their father's brothers. 5 Ten shares fell to Manasseh, besides the land of Gilead and Bashan, which were on the other side of the Jordan, 6 because the daughters of Manasseh received an inheritance among his sons; and the rest of Manasseh's sons had the land of Gilead.
"Then Joshua said to the children of Israel: 'How long will you neglect to go and possess the land which the LORD God of your fathers has given you?'" –Joshua 18:3
The Other Half-Tribe of Manasseh (West)
v. 1 Manasseh – This refers only to half of the tribe of Manasseh, as the other half had already received their inheritance on the other side of the Jordan River along with the Reubenites and the Gadites. Firstborn – As the firstborn son of Joseph, Manasseh had the privilege of possessing the birthright (a position of preeminence, which carried with it a greater inheritance). However, when Israel chose to adopt these two grandsons of his as his own, he laid his right hand upon Ephraim, the younger of the two, and gave the birthright to him (Gen. 48:14-22). Amongst the tribes of Israel, Ephraim is typically accorded the second position of honor behind Judah. Namely for Machir the firstborn of Manasseh – This verse is awkwardly worded in the New King James Version. When considering this verse, it is important to remember that the tribes of Israel were each divided into families according to the grandsons of Israel (Even though Manasseh was technically Israel's grandson, he was adopted by him; and therefore, his children were considered Israel's grandsons and each one represented a family of Manasseh). Machir, the firstborn son of Manasseh, was one of the families of Israel. The family of Machir had already taken an inheritance to the east of the Jordan River (Num. 32). This Scripture says that that plot of land in Gilead and Bashan was given as a reward to Machir because of his bravery in battle. v. 2 Rest of the children of Manasseh – This chapter describes the allotment of land that was given to the rest of the tribe of Manasseh on the west of the Jordan. Thus, the two half tribes of Manasseh were separated in their inheritance. Abiezer...Shemida – These names, along with all of those in between, were the children of Manasseh, and from them springs each of the families of Manasseh. | v. 3 Zelophehad – The author of Joshua recounts a story recorded in Numbers 27: 1-11. Zelophehad was a descendant of Manasseh who died during the 40 years of wandering and left no sons to inherit his family's land. His daughters had gone to Moses and asked him to give them the land that would have gone to their father. Moses sought the Lord on this issue, and the Lord answered him by giving a series of laws regarding the inheritance of land when there is no male heir. In such a circumstance, the land was to pass to the daughters. v. 4 They came near – The daughters of Zelophehad came to Eleazar the high priest as well as Joshua and asked them to give them the inheritance that Moses had promised them. v. 5 Ten shares – The land that being described was divided into ten portions and given out to the families of Manasseh. These ten shares were located on the west of the Jordan and were in addition to the shares that the half tribe of Manasseh that had remained on the east of the Jordan had inherited. The land of Gilead and Bashan – This land was allotted to the descendants of Machir and his son Gilead on the east of the Jordan. v. 6 Because – The author explains what he meant in describing the land allotment the way he did, pointing out that the daughters of Zelophehad had an inheritance along with Manasseh's sons on the western side of the Jordan, whereas the descendants of Machir had an inheritance to the east. |
7 And the territory of Manasseh was from Asher to Michmethath, that lies east of Shechem; and the border went along south to the inhabitants of En Tappuah. 8 Manasseh had the land of Tappuah, but Tappuah on the border of Manasseh belonged to the children of Ephraim. 9 And the border descended to the Brook Kanah, southward to the brook. These cities of Ephraim are among the cities of Manasseh. The border of Manasseh was on the north side of the brook; and it ended at the sea. 10 Southward it was Ephraim's, northward it was Manasseh's, and the sea was its border. Manasseh's territory was adjoining Asher on the north and Issachar on the east. 11 And in Issachar and in Asher, Manasseh had Beth Shean and its towns, Ibleam and its towns, the inhabitants of Dor and its towns, the inhabitants of En Dor and its towns, the inhabitants of Taanach and its towns, and the inhabitants of Megiddo and its towns—three hilly regions. 12 Yet the children of Manasseh could not drive out the inhabitants of those cities, but the Canaanites were determined to dwell in that land. 13 And it happened, when the children of Israel grew strong, that they put the Canaanites to forced labor, but did not utterly drive them out.
v. 7 Territory – a geographical description of the land of Manasseh on the west of the Jordan. Shechem – one of the principal cities of Israel in Old Testament times where Joshua gave his final charge to the people (Josh. 24) v. 8 Tappuah – a border city between the regions of Manasseh and Ephraim that counted as a city of the Ephraimites v. 9 These cities – refers to a number of the cities that fell within the territory of Manasseh, but which belonged to Ephraim (16:9) v. 10 Asher on the north and Issachar on the east – The author is clearly writing after the land had been divided among all the tribes and is assuming that the reader knows where the territories of Asher and Issachar are, even though those tribes had not received their allotments by this time. This figure of speech in which a writer takes information from his day and applies it to an earlier time period that he is writing about is called anachronism. v. 11 Beth Shean and its towns – Just as in the previous chapter, the author refers to the townships as belonging to the major cities near them. This is very similar to the current practice of referring to "metropolitan areas" as consisting of major cities and the surrounding municipalities. | Megiddo – This city is famous for being the future site of the great battle of Armageddon. Armageddon is a Greek transliteration of the Hebrew phrase Har Megiddo which translates as the mountain of Megiddo, where the great battle is to be fought (Rev. 16:16). Three hilly regions – It was common to build cities on hills or other kinds of high places because it made it more difficult for enemies to attack. v. 12 Could not – Interestingly, it says here that the people of Manasseh could not successfully drive the Canaanites out of their territories. Exodus 23:28-29 tells us that the Lord had determined to remove the Canaanites from the land slowly, not all at once, because if they were suddenly removed, there would not be enough people to tend the land and it would be overrun with weeds and wild beasts. It was the Lord's intention that the Israelites should multiply and grow in number so that they could fill the land and, over time, destroy the Canaanites. Thus the Lord did not allow Manasseh to destroy all of the Canaanites immediately. v. 13 When the children of Israel grew strong – Over time, the children of Israel grew in strength and came to the point where they could drive the Canaanites from the land, but they did not. Forced Labor – The people of Manasseh made slaves out of the Canaanites that they had conquered. This was disobedience to the Lord's command to destroy everything in the land (Deut. 20:16-18). |
More Land for Ephraim and Manasseh 14 Then the children of Joseph spoke to Joshua, saying, "Why have you given us only one lot and one share to inherit, since we are a great people, inasmuch as the LORD has blessed us until now?" 15 So Joshua answered them, "If you are a great people, then go up to the forest country and clear a place for yourself there in the land of the Perizzites and the giants, since the mountains of Ephraim are too confined for you."
v. 14 Children of Joseph – Although this chapter seems to indicate that both Ephraim and Manasseh had a hand in this complaint, it was likely that the Ephraimites were the ones who were truly dissatisfied with their allotment of land because, given the size of the tribe, theirs was a very small allotment. A great people – A census of each of the tribes was taken in Numbers chapter 1 and would have preceded the dividing up of the land by 40 years. But it gives us some insight into the problem that the tribes of Joseph dealt with. Combined, Ephraim and Manasseh had 72,700 men of fighting age, the second highest total among all the tribes of Israel behind Judah, which had 74,600. This number would have undoubtedly increased during the desert wanderings. The sons of Joseph felt that their allotment was too small, given the vast size of their tribes. | v. 15 If you are a great people – Joshua uses a bit of sarcasm because the sons of Joseph described themselves as a great people. By "great" the Ephraimites seemed to have meant that they were very numerous. Joshua turned it around on them and interpreted "great" qualitatively as though they were describing themselves as great warriors. He then says that they can get more land for themselves by going throughout the land and destroying the giants living therein. Forest country – Joshua told the Ephraimites to clear the forests that lay within their inheritance so that they could build new cities. Mountains – The land of Ephraim was known for its mountainous terrain. The phrase "the mountains of Ephraim" is used frequently throughout the Scriptures. Too confined – Again Joshua is using sarcasm here. |
16 But the children of Joseph said, "The mountain country is not enough for us; and all the Canaanites who dwell in the land of the valley have chariots of iron, both those who are of Beth Shean and its towns and those who are of the Valley of Jezreel." 17 And Joshua spoke to the house of Joseph—to Ephraim and Manasseh—saying, "You are a great people and have great power; you shall not have only one lot, 18 but the mountain country shall be yours. Although it is wooded, you shall cut it down, and its farthest extent shall be yours; for you shall drive out the Canaanites, though they have iron chariots and are strong."
v. 16 Chariots of Iron – The Ephraimites responded by pointing out that they could not simply go and drive the people out of the land because they were far more militarily advanced . The Israelites would not have had advanced weapons such as chariots of iron and would have been at a distinct disadvantage when facing the Canaanites. v. 17 Great – Joshua lost his sarcastic touch here and began to try to motivate the people by pointing out that they were in fact a great people, not merely in size, but also in quality, and would be able to drive the giants out of the land. | You shall not have only one lot – Joshua pointed out that their lot of land would not be small once they drive out the enemy. Though they have chariots and are strong – Joshua expressed his belief that the sons of Joseph could drive the people from the land. |
The Remainder of the Land Divided 1 Now the whole congregation of the children of Israel assembled together at Shiloh, and set up the tabernacle of meeting there. And the land was subdued before them. 2 But there remained among the children of Israel seven tribes which had not yet received their inheritance. 3 Then Joshua said to the children of Israel: "How long will you neglect to go and possess the land which the LORD God of your fathers has given you? 4 Pick out from among you three men for each tribe, and I will send them; they shall rise and go through the land, survey it according to their inheritance, and come back to me. 5 And they shall divide it into seven parts. Judah shall remain in their territory on the south, and the house of Joseph shall remain in their territory on the north. 6 You shall therefore survey the land in seven parts and bring the survey here to me, that I may cast lots for you here before the LORD our God. 7 But the Levites have no part among you, for the priesthood of the LORD is their inheritance. And Gad, Reuben, and half the tribe of Manasseh have received their inheritance beyond the Jordan on the east, which Moses the servant of the LORD gave them." 8 Then the men arose to go away; and Joshua charged those who went to survey the land, saying, "Go, walk through the land, survey it, and come back to me, that I may cast lots for you here before the LORD in Shiloh." 9 So the men went, passed through the land, and wrote the survey in a book in seven parts by cities; and they came to Joshua at the camp in Shiloh. 10 Then Joshua cast lots for them in Shiloh before the LORD, and there Joshua divided the land to the children of Israel according to their divisions.
Joshua 18 v. 1 Whole congregation...assembled – Throughout the history of Israel, both during the Exodus and after the conquest of the Promise Land, the children of Israel congregated for various reasons. They always assembled as one body at least three times a year for the three great feasts of Israel (Passover, Pentecost, and Tabernacles (Ex. 23:17)). At other times, one of the national leaders of Israel called the congregation together for a time of worship or national decision-making. This was one of those times. Shiloh – This, in effect, became the capital of Israel for the first 400 years of her history. This was where the Tabernacle was set up and the High Priest ministered before the Lord. Shiloh was centrally located in land of Ephraim and was easily accessed by the rest of the tribes of Israel. Tabernacle – This word means "tent" and was commonly used for a temporary dwelling place where nomadic peoples (those without permanent homes, who wandered from place to place) dwelt when settling down for a time. Tabernacle of meeting – This phrase was originally used for a tent that Moses pitched outside of the Israelite camp where he consulted the Lord on behalf of the people (Ex. 33:7). When the people had a request of the Lord, they would come to Moses, who then went into the Tabernacle of Meeting to seek an answer. The tent was called a place of "meeting" because it was there that Moses would meet with the Lord. When Moses entered, the glory of God descended on the tent in the form of a cloud. God would then converse audibly with Moses. The phrase "the Tabernacle of Meeting" was also used of the Tabernacle that was set up in the midst of the camp. It was far larger than the one Moses pitched and was built according to specifications that God showed to him when he was on Mount Sinai. This Tabernacle was divided into three basic parts: The Outer Court, the Holy Place, and the Most Holy Place. The Outer Court held the brazen altar and the brass laver where public sacrifices and ritual cleanings were to be done. All of the children of Israel were welcomed into this court and worshipped God there. The Menorah (the seven-branched lamp stand), the Table of Showbread, and the Altar of Incense were located in the Holy Place. Each of these held a spiritual significance and was tended by the priests. Only priests were allowed into this chamber. Beyond the Holy Place was the "Most Holy Place" where the glory of the Lord rested above the Ark of the Covenant. Only the High Priest was allowed into this chamber, and he could come only once a year on the Day of Atonement. This Tabernacle was often referred to as the "Tabernacle of Meeting" because the Lord's presence resided there and the people would meet together there to worship Him. This is the "Tabernacle of Meeting" that is referred to here in Joshua 18:1. Set up...there – The place where the Tabernacle of Meeting was set up was considered the dwelling place of the Lord and functioned, more or less, as the capital of Israel. In calling the entire congregation to Shiloh and setting up the Tabernacle there, Joshua was, in effect, making Shiloh the capital of the nation. It functioned in this capacity, and the Tabernacle resided there for over 300 years until the time when the Philistines captured the Ark of the Covenant in the days of the High Priest Eli (1 Sam. 4). Subdued – As noted previously, many of the Canaanites dwelt in the land throughout the lifetime of Joshua and on into the lives of his successors, even down to the times of the kings. Therefore, this verse does not imply that the Israelites had completely driven out all of the Canaanites. Rather, this is saying that the children of Israel were firmly in control of the land and could now be called its possessors. The Israelites controlled the majority of the territory and functioned in a more unified manner than the Canaanite tribes still present. The remaining Canaanite tribes were disconnected from one another and were often subject to the Israelites. | v. 2 Seven – Reuben, Gad, and the half tribe of Manasseh had already received their lands to the east of the Jordan River before entering the Promised Land. Judah, Ephraim, and the other half of Manasseh had already been allotted their lands in chapters 15-17. This left seven more tribes yet to receive their inheritance. In this chapter, the remaining lands were divided among the rest of the seven tribes. v. 3 Neglect – We do not know for certain how much time had passed since the children of Israel crossed the Jordan into the Land, but we see here that the Israelites had failed to divide the land and settle down. Although they were firmly in control of the land of Canaan, they had not apportioned the land among the people in the way the Lord had wanted them to. They had not settled down and built homes and begun farms and ranches like they were supposed to. Nor had they been diligent to drive the remaining Canaanites from their lands. possess – Joshua exhorted them to go and do these things. has given you – Joshua never failed to remind the people that the Land was a gift from God, not something they earned or deserved or conquered in their own power. v. 4 Three men for each tribe – Each of the remaining tribes contributed three men to survey the land and divide it into seven distinct allotments. v. 5 Divide it into seven parts – The divided land was further divided up among the remaining tribes. Judah...Joseph shall remain – Remember the Ephraim and Manasseh were the biological sons of Joseph, but had been adopted by Israel. Thus Ephraim and Manasseh are often call "Joseph." Here Joshua pointed out that Judah, Ephraim, and Manasseh had already received their lands and would not be receiving anymore. v. 6 Cast lots – Rough edged stones or sticks were rolled like dice in order to make random determinations. This practice was very much like the modern practices of rolling dice, flipping coins, and drawing straws. Before the Lord our God – However the lot landed, it was considered the will of the Lord (Prov. 16:33). v. 7 Levites – The tribe of Levi was given no allotment of land. Instead, they were given special cities dispersed throughout the tribes of Israel. Their wages were provided for through tithes and offerings, for their job was to serve the Lord among the people (Num. 18:20-32). Gad, Reuben, and half tribe of Manasseh – In verses 5 and 7, Joshua explained why the remainder of the land was to be divided up among the seven remaining tribes of Simeon, Dan, Naphtali, Asher, Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin. Thus he reminded the people that Ephraim, Manasseh, Judah, Gad, and Reuben had already received their lands and Levi would not get any. v. 9 Wrote the survey in a book – These land surveyors kept a written record of the land and the divisions thereof. |
The Land of Benjamin 11 Now the lot of the tribe of the children of Benjamin came up according to their families, and the territory of their lot came out between the children of Judah and the children of Joseph. 12 Their border on the north side began at the Jordan, and the border went up to the side of Jericho on the north, and went up through the mountains westward; it ended at the Wilderness of Beth Aven. 13 The border went over from there toward Luz, to the side of Luz (which is Bethel) southward; and the border descended to Ataroth Addar, near the hill that lies on the south side of Lower Beth Horon. 14 Then the border extended around the west side to the south, from the hill that lies before Beth Horon southward; and it ended at Kirjath Baal (which is Kirjath Jearim), a city of the children of Judah. This was the west side. 15 The south side began at the end of Kirjath Jearim, and the border extended on the west and went out to the spring of the waters of Nephtoah. 16 Then the border came down to the end of the mountain that lies before the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, which is in the Valley of the Rephaim on the north, descended to the Valley of Hinnom, to the side of the Jebusite city on the south, and descended to En Rogel. 17 And it went around from the north, went out to En Shemesh, and extended toward Geliloth, which is before the Ascent of Adummim, and descended to the stone of Bohan the son of Reuben. 18 Then it passed along toward the north side of Arabah, and went down to Arabah. 19 And the border passed along to the north side of Beth Hoglah; then the border ended at the north bay at the Salt Sea, at the south end of the Jordan. This was the southern boundary. 20 The Jordan was its border on the east side. This was the inheritance of the children of Benjamin, according to its boundaries all around, according to their families. 21 Now the cities of the tribe of the children of Benjamin, according to their families, were Jericho, Beth Hoglah, Emek Keziz, 22 Beth Arabah, Zemaraim, Bethel, 23 Avim, Parah, Ophrah, 24 Chephar Haammoni, Ophni, and Gaba: twelve cities with their villages; 25 Gibeon, Ramah, Beeroth, 26 Mizpah, Chephirah, Mozah, 27 Rekem, Irpeel, Taralah, 28 Zelah, Eleph, Jebus (which is Jerusalem), Gibeath, and Kirjath: fourteen cities with their villages. This was the inheritance of the children of Benjamin according to their families.
v. 11 Benjamin – At this point, the author of Joshua gives a geographical layout of the land allotted to the tribe of Benjamin, the youngest of Israel's children. Families – As with each of the previous tribes, Benjamin was divided into families — one family for each of Benjamin's sons. Between the children of Judah and the children of Joseph – This land was wedged between the territories of Judah and Ephraim. Many of the places and cities described in this section are included in the description of the lands of Judah in chapter 15 since these two regions bordered each other. v. 12 Jordan...Jericho...Beth Aven – These marked the boundaries of Benjamin's territories. v. 13 Luz (which is Bethel) – This place was significant, as it was the place where Israel had the vision of a ladder stretching to heaven from which angels ascended and descended (Gen. 28:10-22). v. 14 Kirjath Baal – A phrase which means City of Baal, named for the most revered and worshipped of the Canaanite gods, Baal, the Israelites changed its name to Kirjath Jearim. v. 16 The border – Each of these verses is simply providing a layout of the borders of the territory of Benjamin. The Valley of the Son of Hinnom – This was a gulch near Jerusalem that, throughout the Old Testament, was a place of idol worship. Often this valley was identified as a place where the people sacrificed their children to the Canaanite god Molech (2 Chr. 33:6). After the Babylonian captivity, this valley was turned into a trash heap where the children of Israel burned their garbage. The Hebrew phrase Gai ben-Hinnom (the Valley of the Son of Hinnom) would be shortened to Gehenna. Jews eventually used this term as a word signifying hell. It is also one of three words used in the New Testament translated in English as Hell (Luke 12:5). | Rephaim – a Hebrew word meaning "Giants" Jebusite city – Jerusalem v. 18 Arabah – a word that means desert, but here signifies a township in the territory of Benjamin v. 19 Salt Sea – the Dead Sea, located at the southern end of the Jordan River v. 21 Jericho – the first of the Canaanite cities taken in the conquest (Josh. 6) v. 24 Twelve cities with their villages – Cities were large metropolitan areas typically surrounded by a wall. Various townships and villages that were considered part of the greater metropolitan area surrounded each city. v. 28 Jebus (which is Jerusalem) – This is also reckoned as belonging to the children of Judah (Josh. 15:63). A number of the cities and villages given as an inheritance to one tribe would also fall within the inheritance of another. These border cities were often reckoned as belonging to both tribes. This has often been practiced throughout history and can be seen today with cities such as Kansas City, which falls in both Kansas and Missouri. |
