Joshua 17:16

Joshua 17:16 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)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.
• New International Version (NIV)The people of Joseph replied, “The hill country is not enough for us, and all the Canaanites who live in the plain have chariots fitted with iron, both those in Beth Shan and its settlements and those in the Valley of Jezreel.”
• English Standard Version (ESV)The people of Joseph said, "The hill country is not enough for us. Yet all the Canaanites who dwell in the plain have chariots of iron, both those in Beth-shean and its villages and those in the Valley of Jezreel."
• New King James Version (NKJV)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.”

Context of Joshua 17:16

14Then the children of Joseph spoke to Joshua saying: “Why have you given us only one allotment and one portion for an inheritance? For we are a numerous people whom Adonai has thus far blessed?” 15So Joshua said to them, “If you have so many people, go you up to the forest and clear a place for yourself there in the land of the Perizzites and the Rephaim, since the hill country of Ephraim is too narrow for you.” “The hill country will not be enough for us,” the children of Joseph replied. “But all the Canaanites who inhabit the valley land have iron chariots—both those who are in Beth-shean and its villages and those who are in the Jezreel Valley.” 17But Joshua spoke to the house of Joseph, to Ephraim and to Manasseh saying: “You are a numerous people with great strength! You shouldn’t have just one allotment, 18because the hill country should be yours. Though it is a forest, you will clear it, and to its farthest borders it will be yours—for you will drive out the Canaanites, even though they have iron chariots and even though they are strong.”

Joshua 17:16 word by word

וַיֹּֽאמְרוּ֙ בְּנֵ֣י יוֹסֵ֔ף לֹֽא־יִמָּ֥צֵא לָ֖נוּ הָהָ֑ר וְרֶ֣כֶב בַּרְזֶ֗ל בְּכָל־הַֽכְּנַעֲנִי֙ הַיֹּשֵׁ֣ב בְּאֶֽרֶץ־הָעֵ֔מֶק לַֽאֲשֶׁ֤ר בְּבֵית־שְׁאָן֙ וּבְנוֹתֶ֔יהָ וְלַֽאֲשֶׁ֖ר בְּעֵ֥מֶק יִזְרְעֶֽאל׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And the childrenבֵּןbên · son: descendant/peopleH1121
• of Josephיוֹסֵףyôsêph · JosephH3130
• saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• The hillהַרhar · mountain: hill countryH2022
• is not enoughמָצָאmâtsâ' · to findH4672
• for us: and all the Canaanitesכְּנַעֲנִיkena‛anîy · CanaaniteH3669
• that dwellיָשַׁבyâshab · to dwellH3427
• in the landאֶ֫רֶץ'erets · land: country/planetH776
• of the valleyעֵ֫מֶק‛êmeq · Valley (of Jezreel)H6010
• have chariotsרֶ֫כֶבrekeb · chariotH7393
• of ironבַּרְזֶלbarzel · ironH1270
• of Beth–sheanבֵּית שְׁאָןbêyth she'ân bêyth shân · Beth-sheanH1052
• and her townsבַּתbath · daughter: villageH1323
• of Jezreelיִזְרְעֶאלyizre‛ê'l · (Valley of) JezreelH3157

Cross-references for Joshua 17:16

• Joshua 17:18because the hill country should be yours. Though it is a forest, you will clear it, and to its farthest borders it will be yours—for you will drive out the Canaanites, even though they have iron chariots and even though they are strong.”
• Judges 1:19Adonai was with Judah, and he possessed the hill country, but he could not drive out the inhabitants of the valley because they had iron chariots.
• Judges 4:3So Bnei-Yisrael cried out to Adonai, for he had 900 iron chariots, and had harshly oppressed Bnei-Yisrael for 20 years.
• Joshua 17:11Within Issachar and Asher, Manasseh possessed Beth-shean and its villages, Ibleam and its villages, the inhabitants of Dor and its villages, the inhabitants of En-dor and its villages, the inhabitants of Taanach and its villages, and the inhabitants of Megiddo and its villages—three regions.
• 1 Kings 4:12Baana son of Ahilud, in Taanach and Megiddo, and all Beth-shean which is beside Zarethan below Jezreel, from Beth-shean to Abel-meholah as far as beyond Jokmeam;
• Joshua 19:18Now their territory was to Jezreel, and included Chesulloth, Shunem,
• Judges 6:33Now all the Midianites, the Amalekites and the people of the east gathered together, crossed over and camped in the valley of Jezreel.
• 1 Kings 18:46Now the hand of Adonai was on Elijah, so he girded up his loins and outran Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel.
• 1 Kings 21:1Now it came about after these things that Naboth the Jezreelite had a vineyard in Jezreel, next to the palace of King Ahab of Samaria.
• 2 Kings 9:10The dogs will eat Jezebel in the field of Jezreel, and there will be none to bury her.” Then he opened the door and fled.
• Hosea 1:4Then Adonai said to him: “Name him Jezreel for in yet a little while I will visit the blood of Jezreel upon the house of Jehu, and I will destroy the kingdom of the house of Israel.

Commentaries on Joshua 17:16

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 16The hill is not enough for us - The mountain of Gilboa being that which had fallen to them by lot. Chariots of iron - We cannot possess the plain country, because that is occupied by the Canaanites; and we cannot conquer them, because they have chariots of iron, that is, very strong chariots, and armed with scythes, as is generally supposed.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 16The possession by the Canaanites of chariots strengthened and tipped with iron, such as were used by the Egyptians Exodus 14:7, is named here by the children of Joseph as a reason why they could not possess themselves of the plains. “The valley of Jezreel” is the broad low valley which sweeps from “Zerin” between the mountains of Gilboa and the range of little Hermon eastward down to the Jordan. It was most likely in this valley that the host of the…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 14-18Verses 14-18 Joshua, as a public person, had no more regard to his own tribe than to any other, but would govern without favour or affection; wherein he has left a good example to all in public trusts. Joshua tells them, that what was fallen to their share would be a sufficient lot for them, if they would but work and fight. Men excuse themselves from labour by any pretence; and nothing serves the purpose better than having rich and powerful relations…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 16As a result of the Canaanites’ iron chariots, Ephraim and Manasseh were restricted to the hill country in the early part of the settlement period (see study note on 11:4). the Valley of Jezreel: This was a break in the hill country, separating Lower Galilee in the north from Manasseh's hill country in the south. The Canaanites living in and near this valley and the valley of Beth-shan limited Manasseh's and likely Ephraim's expansion. Most towns named in…Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 14-1814-18. the children of Joseph spake unto Joshua--The two tribes join in laying a complaint before the leader, as to the narrow boundaries of their allotment and its insufficiency to be the residence of tribes so vastly increased. But Joshua's answer was full of wisdom as well as patriotism. Knowing their character, he treated them accordingly, and sarcastically turned all their arguments against themselves. Thus he rebuked their unbelief and cowardice.Read the comment

Topics related to Joshua 17:16

• Avarice
• Canaanites
• Cowardice
• Ephraim
• Iron
• Jezreel
• Petition

In the dictionaries

• Jezreel
• Gibeon
• Hitherto
• Iron
• Jezreel, Valley of
• Botany
• Esdraelon, Plain of
• Hill, Hill Country
• Hill; Mount; Mountain
• Horse

Commentaries on Joshua 17

• 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
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings