Joshua 14:4

Joshua 14:4 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)For the children of Joseph were two tribes, Manasseh and Ephraim: therefore they gave no part unto the Levites in the land, save cities to dwell in, with their suburbs for their cattle and for their substance.
• New International Version (NIV)for Joseph’s descendants had become two tribes—Manasseh and Ephraim. The Levites received no share of the land but only towns to live in, with pasturelands for their flocks and herds.
• English Standard Version (ESV)For the people of Joseph were two tribes, Manasseh and Ephraim. And no portion was given to the Levites in the land, but only cities to dwell in, with their pasturelands for their livestock and their substance.
• New King James Version (NKJV)For the children of Joseph were two tribes: Manasseh and Ephraim. And they gave no part to the Levites in the land, except cities to dwell in, with their common-lands for their livestock and their property.

Context of Joshua 14:4

2Their inheritance was assigned by lot for the nine and a half tribes, as the LORD had commanded through Moses. 3For Moses had given the inheritance east of the Jordan to the other two and a half tribes. But he granted no inheritance among them to the Levites. The descendants of Joseph became two tribes, Manasseh and Ephraim. And no portion of the land was given to the Levites, except for cities in which to live, along with pasturelands for their flocks and herds. 5So the Israelites did as the LORD had commanded Moses, and they divided the land. 6Then the sons of Judah approached Joshua at Gilgal, and Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite said to him, “You know what the LORD said to Moses the man of God at Kadesh-barnea about you and me.

Joshua 14:4 word by word

כִּֽי־הָי֧וּ בְנֵֽי־יוֹסֵ֛ף שְׁנֵ֥י מַטּ֖וֹת מְנַשֶּׁ֣ה וְאֶפְרָ֑יִם וְלֹֽא־נָתְנוּ֩ חֵ֨לֶק לַלְוִיִּ֜ם בָּאָ֗רֶץ כִּ֤י אִם־עָרִים֙ לָשֶׁ֔בֶת וּמִ֨גְרְשֵׁיהֶ֔ם לְמִקְנֵיהֶ֖ם וּלְקִנְיָנָֽם׃Read the interlinear

• ·כִּיkîy · forH3588
• The descendantsבֵּןbên · son: descendant/peopleH1121
• of Josephיוֹסֵףyôsêph · JosephH3130
• becameהָיָהhâyâh · to beH1961
• twoשְׁנַ֫יִםshenayim shettayim · twoH8147
• tribesמַטֶּהmaţţeh maţţâh · tribeH4294
• Manassehמְנַשֶּׁהmenashsheh · ManassehH4519
• and Ephraimאֶפְרַ֫יִם'ephrayim · EphraimH669
• And noלֹאlô' lô' lôh · notH3808
• portionחֵ֫לֶקchêleq · portionH2506
• of the landאֶ֫רֶץ'erets · land: country/planetH776
• of the landכִּי [אם]kîy · that if: exceptH3588
• was givenנָתַןnâthan · to give: giveH5414
• to the Levitesלֵוִיlêvîyîy lêvîy · LeviH3881
• except for[כִּי] אם'im · if: exceptH518
• citiesעִיר‛îyr ‛âr ‛âyar · cityH5892
• in which to liveיָשַׁבyâshab · to dwellH3427
• along with pasturelandsמִגְרָשׁmigrâsh migrâshâh · pastureH4054
• for their flocksמִקְנֶהmiqneh · livestockH4735
• and herdsקִנְיָןqinyân · acquisitionH7075

Cross-references for Joshua 14:4

• Genesis 48:5And now your two sons born to you in Egypt before I came to you here shall be reckoned as mine; Ephraim and Manasseh shall be mine, just as Reuben and Simeon are mine.
• 1 Chronicles 5:1These were the sons of Reuben the firstborn of Israel. Though he was the firstborn, his birthright was given to the sons of Joseph son of Israel, because Reuben defiled his father’s bed. So he is not reckoned according to birthright.
• Joshua 21:2at Shiloh in the land of Canaan and said to them, “The LORD commanded through Moses that we be given cities in which to live, together with pasturelands for our livestock.”
• Numbers 35:2“Command the Israelites to give, from the inheritance they will possess, cities for the Levites to live in and pasturelands around the cities.
• 1 Chronicles 6:54Now these were the territories assigned to the descendants of Aaron from the Kohathite clan for their settlements, because the first lot fell to them:

Commentaries on Joshua 14:4

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 4The children of Joseph were two tribes - This was ascertained by the prophetic declaration of their grandfather Jacob, Genesis 48:5, Genesis 48:6; and as Levi was taken out of the tribes for the service of the sanctuary, one of these sons of Joseph came in his place, and Joseph was treated as the first-born of Jacob, in the place of Reuben, who forfeited his right of primogeniture. With their suburbs for their cattle - For the meaning of this passage the…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 4Joseph, the older son of the patriarch Jacob's favorite wife Rachel, received twice as much land through his sons Manasseh and Ephraim (see study note on Genesis 48:5–7). Since the Levites did not get their own land allowance, the total number of tribes with land remained at 12 (Joshua 13:14).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 44. The children of Joseph were two tribes, Manasseh and Ephraim--As two and a half tribes were settled on the east Jordan, and the Levites had no inheritance assigned them in land, there would have been only eight and a half tribes to provide for. But Ephraim and Manasseh, the two sons of Joseph, had been constituted two tribes (Ge 48:5), and although Levi was excluded, the original number of the tribes of Israel was still preserved.Read the comment

Topics related to Joshua 14:4

• Cities
• Israel
• Suburbs

In the dictionaries

• Ephraim
• Manasseh
• Ephraim, Ephraimite
• Espy
• Melt
• Joshua (2)
• Joshua, Book of
• Palestine Exploration
• Caleb

Commentaries on Joshua 14

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings