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

2The land inherited by the nine-and-a-half tribes was determined by drawing lots as the Lord had commanded through Moses. 3Moses had given the two-and-a-half tribes their inheritance east of the Jordan River. He did not give any land as an inheritance to Levi’s tribe, because Joseph’s descendants, Manasseh and Ephraim, formed two tribes. The Levites were not given a share of the land. Joseph’s descendants gave the Levites cities to live in with pasturelands for their cattle and everything they had. 5So the people of Israel divided the land as the Lord had commanded Moses. 6Then the people of Judah came to Joshua at Gilgal. Caleb, son of Jephunneh and grandson of Kenaz, 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

Words taken from the KJV.

• For the childrenבֵּןbên · son: descendant/peopleH1121
• of Josephיוֹסֵףyôsêph · JosephH3130
• were twoשְׁנַ֫יִםshenayim shettayim · twoH8147
• tribesמַטֶּהmaţţeh maţţâh · tribeH4294
• Manassehמְנַשֶּׁהmenashsheh · ManassehH4519
• and Ephraimאֶפְרַ֫יִם'ephrayim · EphraimH669
• therefore they gaveנָתַןnâthan · to give: giveH5414
• no partחֵ֫לֶקchêleq · portionH2506
• unto the Levitesלֵוִיlêvîyîy lêvîy · LeviH3881
• in the landאֶ֫רֶץ'erets · land: country/planetH776
• save citiesעִיר‛îyr ‛âr ‛âyar · cityH5892
• to dwellיָשַׁבyâshab · to dwellH3427
• with their suburbsמִגְרָשׁmigrâsh migrâshâh · pastureH4054
• for their cattleמִקְנֶהmiqneh · livestockH4735
• and for their substanceקִנְיָןqinyân · acquisitionH7075

Cross-references for Joshua 14:4

• Genesis 48:5“So your two sons, who were born in Egypt before I came here, are my sons. Ephraim and Manasseh will be mine just as Reuben and Simeon are.
• 1 Chronicles 5:1These are the sons of Reuben, Israel’s firstborn. (Although he was the firstborn, his rights as firstborn were given to his nephews, Joseph’s sons, because he dishonored his father’s bed. However, Joseph couldn’t be listed in the genealogy as the firstborn son.
• Joshua 21:2at Shiloh in Canaan. They said to them, “The Lord commanded through Moses that we should receive cities to live in and pasturelands for our livestock.”
• Numbers 35:2“Tell the Israelites to give the Levites some cities from their own property. They must also give the Levites the pastureland around those cities.
• 1 Chronicles 6:54These are the places where Levi’s descendants lived, the places where they settled in the territory chosen for them when lots were drawn: The ⌞first⌟ lot was drawn for the descendants of Aaron from the family descended from Kohath.

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