Tyndale Open Study NotesJoshua 17

• As he had promised, God brought Israel into the land. Joshua then focused on dividing the land among Israel's tribes.

• The tribal allowances made the covenant of the Israelites with God real. It showed the fulfillment of God's promise to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Since God owned the land, giving it to the tribes was a gift. God gave them the land to live in and guided its distribution.

• In these lists of tribal allowances, the author describes some borders in great detail, allowing them to be mapped. With others, they are less plainly defined.

• The allotment of land to the tribes on the west side of the Jordan describes what God intended for each tribe to possess.

• The one narrating the story begins this section with Caleb receiving land and ends with Joshua receiving land (14:6–15; 19:49–51). Only Caleb and Joshua had shown faith in God that Israel could conquer the land (Numbers 13:30; 14:6–9).

Joseph had two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim (Genesis 41:50–52). Half of those descended from Manasseh received their inheritance east of the Jordan River. The tribe of Ephraim and the rest of Manasseh's tribe now received their land. This made the total number of land portions twelve, fulfilling Jacob's blessing to Joseph (Genesis 49:22–26). Like Judah in the south, Joseph’s tribes led from their central position in the north.

See 13:29–33 and study note.

In ancient Israel, inheritance usually passed from a father to his sons. Without sons, a man’s name could pass into oblivion. However, Zelophehad’s daughters had petitioned Moses, Moses had inquired of God, and God had ruled that they should inherit their father’s portion (see Numbers 27:1–11). God’s ruling established a general principle, declaring that no family would be excluded from a portion of God’s material blessings.

As with the tribe of Ephraim, Manasseh’s territory was defined by a general description of its borders.

Asher was north-northwest of Manasseh, across the Jezreel Valley.

This general description of Manasseh’s southern border with the land given to the tribe of Ephraim provides more detail than the description of Ephraim’s northern border in 16:8.

All the towns mentioned here except Endor were important, but the military strength of the Canaanites prevented the tribe of Manasseh from inhabiting them for a time.

Throughout the period of the judges and beyond, the Israelites gradually grew stronger and the Canaanite people weaker. After the time of Joshua, the Israelites forced the Canaanites to work as slaves.

Eventually, the Canaanites became part of the nation of Israel, contributing to Israel worshiping their false gods. This idolatry ultimately led to the Israelites losing the land.

Joshua 16:1–4 describes Joseph’s portion. Those descended from Ephraim and Manasseh received portions. When combined, these were larger than any other tribe's allotment.

• The Perizzites lived in Canaan when Israel's conquest started.

• Rephaim: See study note on 12:4; see also Deuteronomy 2:10–11, 20–21; 3:11.

• As 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 17:11 were at the edges of these valleys.

Rather than rebuking the people for their fear, Joshua repeated his instructions to clear forest land for settlement. He promised that the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh would eventually drive out the Canaanites. This promise gave them hope. It also helped them grow in faith and overcome their fear.

Much of the hill country was covered with forests, and only a few Canaanites lived there. If Ephraim and Manasseh had settled only on land that was already cleared, they would have had little room to grow. Around this time, people began to use iron tools, including iron axe heads. With these tools, the tribes could cut down the forests and prepare new land for settlement.

Joshua may have set an example by doing this himself. He settled at Timnath-serah, which was in a forested area of the hill country of Ephraim (19:50).