16:1ffAlthough Joseph was one of Jacob’s 12 sons, he did not have a tribe named after him. This was because Joseph, as the oldest son of Jacob’s wife Rachel, received a double portion of the inheritance. Joseph's double portion was divided between his two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, whom Jacob considered as his own (Genesis 48:5). The largest territory and the greatest influence in the northern half of Israel belonged to their tribes.
Life Application Study BibleJoshuaChapter 16
Joshua 16
New Living Translation · Life Application Study Bible · Original page: 338
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16Joshua 16
The Land Given to Ephraim and West Manasseh
116 The allotment for the descendants of Joseph extended from the Jordan River near Jericho, east of the springs of Jericho, through the wilderness and into the hill country of Bethel. 2From Bethel (that is, Luz)* it ran over to Ataroth in the territory of the Arkites. 3Then it descended westward to the territory of the Japhletites as far as Lower Beth-horon, then to Gezer and over to the Mediterranean Sea.* 4This was the homeland allocated to the families of Joseph’s sons, Manasseh and Ephraim.
The Land Given to Ephraim
55The following territory was given to the clans of the tribe of Ephraim. The boundary of their homeland began at Ataroth-addar in the east. From there it ran to Upper Beth-horon, 6then on to the Mediterranean Sea. From Micmethath on the north, the boundary curved eastward past Taanath-shiloh to the east of Janoah. “From Janoah it turned southward to Ataroth and Naarah, touched Jericho, and ended at the Jordan River. ®From Tappuah the boundary extended westward, following the Kanah Ravine to the Mediterranean Sea. This is the homeland allocated to the clans of the tribe of Ephraim.. 9In addition, some towns with their surrounding villages in the territory allocated to the half-tribe of Manasseh were set aside for the tribe of Ephraim. 10They did not drive the Canaanites out of Gezer, however, so the people of Gezer live as slaves among the people of Ephraim to this day.
Life Application Notes 2 notes
16:10Occasionally this short phrase appears: “They did not drive out” the people of the land (see also 15:63; 17:12). This was contrary to God’s explicit desire and command (13:1-6). The failure to remove completely the pagan people and their gods from the land would cause many problems for the nation. The book of Judges records many of these struggles.