J
O S H U A
CHAP. XVII.
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, ver. 1-6. II. The country
that fell to their lot, ver. 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, ver. 14-18.
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The
Inheritance of Joseph's Children.
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B.
C. 1444.
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1 There was also a lot
for the tribe of Manasseh; for he was the firstborn of Joseph; to
wit, for Machir the firstborn of Manasseh, the father of Gilead: because
he was a man of war, therefore he had Gilead and Bashan. 2 There
was also a lot for the rest of the children of Manasseh by their
families; for the children of Abiezer, and for the children of Helek, and for
the children of Asriel, and for the children of Shechem, and for the children
of Hepher, and for the children of Shemida: these were the male
children of Manasseh the son of Joseph by 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 daughters: and these are the names of his
daughters, Mahlah, and Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah. 4 And
they came near before Eleazar the priest, and before Joshua the son of Nun,
and before the princes, saying, The LORD
commanded Moses 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 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.
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 Chron. vii. 21. His warlike disposition descended to his posterity,
and therefore Moses gave them Gilead and Bashan, on the other side Jordan, of
which before, ch. xiii. 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 Chron.
v. 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. xxvi. 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.
xxxvi. 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.
7 And the coast of Manasseh was from Asher to Michmethah, that lieth
before Shechem; and the border went along on the right hand unto the
inhabitants of En-tappuah. 8 Now Manasseh had the land of
Tappuah: but Tappuah on the border of Manasseh belonged to the children
of Ephraim; 9 And the coast descended unto 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 outgoings 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 and in Asher Beth-shean and
her towns, and Ibleam and her towns, and the inhabitants of Dor and her towns,
and the inhabitants of Endor and her towns, and the inhabitants of Taanach and
her towns, and the inhabitants of Megiddo and her towns, even three
countries. 12 Yet the children of Manasseh could not drive out the
inhabitants of those cities; but the Canaanites would dwell in that
land. 13 Yet it came to pass, when the children of Israel were
waxen strong, that they put the Canaanites to tribute; but did not utterly
drive them out.
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. xvi. 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. 3. That they suffered the
Canaanites to live among them, contrary to the command of God, serving their
own ends by conniving at them, for they made them tributaries, v. 12,
13. The Ephraimites had done the same (ch. xvi. 10), and from them
perhaps the Manassites learned it, and with their example excused themselves
in it. The most remarkable person of this half tribe in after-time was Gideon,
whose great actions were done within this lot. He was of the family of Abiezer;
Cesarea was in this lot, and Antipatris, famed in the latter ages of the
Jewish state.
14 And the children of Joseph spake unto Joshua, saying, Why hast thou given
me but one lot and one portion to inherit, seeing I am a great
people, forasmuch as the LORD
hath blessed me hitherto? 15 And Joshua answered them, If thou be
a great people, then get thee up to the wood country, and cut
down for thyself there in the land of the Perizzites and of the giants, if
mount Ephraim be too narrow for thee. 16 And the children 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 spake unto the house of Joseph, even
to Ephraim and to Manasseh, saying, Thou art a great people, and hast
great power: thou shalt not have one lot only: 18 But the
mountain shall be thine; for it is a wood, and thou shalt cut it down:
and the outgoings of it shall be thine: for thou shalt drive out the
Canaanites, though they have iron chariots, and though they be
strong.
Here, I. The children of Joseph quarrel with their lot; if they had had any
just cause to quarrel with it, we have reason to think Joshua would have
relieved them, by adding to it, or altering it, which it does not appear he
did. It is probable, because Joshua was himself of the tribe of Ephraim, they
promised themselves that they should have some particular favour shown them,
and should not be confined to the decision of the lot so closely as the other
tribes; but Joshua makes them know that in the discharge of his office, as a
public person, he had no more regard to his own tribe than to any other, but
would administer impartially, without favour or affection, wherein he has left
an excellent example to all in public trusts. It was a very competent
provision that was made for them, as much, for aught that appears, as they
were able to manage, and yet they call it in disdain but one lot, as if
that which was assigned to them both was scarcely sufficient for one. The word
for complainers (Jude 16) is memyimoiroi,
blamers of their lot:-- 1. That they were very numerous, through the blessing
of God upon them (v. 14): I am a great people, for the Lord has
blessed me; and we have reason to hope that he that hath sent mouths will
send meat. "I am a great people, and in so small a lot shall not
have room to thrive." Yet observe, when they speak thankfully of
their present increase, they do not speak confidently of the continuance of
it. "The Lord has blessed me hitherto, however he may see fit to deal
with me for the future." The uncertainty of what may be must not make us
unthankful for what has been and is done in kindness to us. 2. That a good
part of that country which had now fallen to their lot was in the hands of the
Canaanites, and that they were formidable enemies, who brought into the field
of battle chariots of iron (v. 16), that is, chariots with long
scythes fastened to the sides of them, or the axle-tree, which made great
destruction of all that came in their way, mowing them down like corn. They
urge that though they had a good portion assigned them, yet it was in bad
hands, and they could not come to the possession of it, wishing to have their
lot in those countries that were more thoroughly reduced than this was.
II. Joshua endeavours to reconcile them to their lot. He owns they were a great
people, and being two tribes ought to have more than one lot only (v.
17), but tells them that what had fallen to their share would be a sufficient
lot for them both, if they would but work and fight. They desired a lot in
which they might indulge themselves in ease and luxury. "No," says
Joshua, "you must not count upon that; in the sweat of thy face shalt
thou eat bread is a sentence in force even in Canaan itself." He
retorts their own argument, that they were a great people. "If so,
you are the better able to help yourselves, and have the less reason to expect
help from others. If thou hast many mouths to be filled, thou hast twice as
many hands to be employed; earn, and then eat." 1. He bids them work for
more (v. 15): "Get thee up to the wood-country, which is
within thy own border, and let all hands be set to work to cut down the trees,
rid the rough lands, and make them, with art and industry, good arable
ground." Note, Many wish for larger possessions who do not cultivate and
make the best of what they have, think they should have more talents given
them who do not trade with those with which they are entrusted. Most people's
poverty is the effect of their idleness; would they dig, they need not beg. 2.
He bids them fight for more (v. 17, 18), when they pleaded that they
could not come at the wood-lands he spoke of because in the valley between
them and it were Canaanites whom they durst not enter the lists with.
"Never fear them," said Joshua, "thou hast God on thy side, and
thou shalt drive out the Canaanites, if thou wilt set about it in good
earnest, though they have iron chariots." We straiten ourselves by
apprehending the difficulties in the way of our enlargement to be greater than
really they are. What can be insuperable to faith and holy resolution?
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