CHAPTER 17

(1444 B.C.)

BORDERS OF MANASSEH

¹There was also a lot for the Tribe of Manasseh; for he was the firstborn of Joseph; to wit, for Machir the firstborn of Manasseh, the father of Gilead: because he was a man of war, therefore he had Gilead and Bashan. (The whole land was, in effect, first given to Judah and Joseph, the other Tribes receiving their portions according as they stood in relationship to the Royal and firstborn sons of Jacob. These sons, united, typify Christ, to Whom the whole land is promised [Ps. 2; 110].

All was according to the Word of the Lord. The casting of lots, the men who were to cast them, the divisions by families, by Tribes, and by names all was Divine nothing was left either to the will or wisdom of man.

The portions were allotted according to their families. This expressed the measure of their need; and it was richly supplied. In Ephesians, the Believers lot is given, not necessarily in proportion to either faith or need, but according to His riches [Eph., Chpt. 1].

Williams says, The meanings of the Hebrew names of the towns and mountains, etc., which, on the one side, separated a Tribe from the world, and, on the other side, from a brother-Tribe, are full of valuable teaching for the Believer. They plainly show how fellowship with evil, on the one hand, or a lack of fellowship with truth, on the other hand, sap faith and rob the servant of God of power to drive out the inhabitants of the Land.)

²There was also a lot for the rest of the Children of Manasseh by their families; for the Children of Abiezer, and for the Children of Helek, and for the Children of Asriel, and for the Children of Shechem, and for the Children of Hepher, and for the Children of Shemida: these were the male Children of Manasseh the son of Joseph by their families.

³But Zelophehad, the son of Hepher, the son of Gilead, the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh, had no sons, but daughters: and these are the names of his daughters, Mahlah, and Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah.

⁴And they came near before Eleazar the Priest, and before Joshua the son of Nun, and before the princes, saying, The LORD commanded Moses to give us an inheritance among our brethren. Therefore according to the Commandment of the LORD he gave them an inheritance among the brethren of their father. (Some four times the Holy Spirit records the Faith of the five daughters of Zelophehad [Num. 26:33; 27:1; 36:11; Josh. 17:4]. Even though they were women, and no provision had been made for them in the Law, as it regards inheritance, their Faith claimed such just the same as their male counterparts. As well, through Faith, they forged a path, not only for themselves, but for all other families in Israel where all the offspring were females.)

⁵And there fell ten portions to Manasseh, beside the land of Gilead and Bashan, which were on the other side Jordan;

⁶Because the daughters of Manasseh had an inheritance among his sons: and the rest of Manassehs sons had the land of Gilead. (We are told here where the daughters of Manasseh had their inheritance. It was on the west side of the Jordan River. [Manasseh had a portion on both sides of the Jordan River.])

⁷And the coast of Manasseh was from Asher to Michmethah, that lies before Shechem; and the border went along on the right hand unto the inhabitants of En-tappuah.

⁸Now Manasseh had the land of Tappuah: but Tappuah on the border of Manasseh belonged to the Children of Ephraim;

⁹And the coast descended unto the river Kanah, southward of the river: these cities of Ephraim are among the cities of Manasseh: the coast of Manasseh also was on the north side of the river, and the outgoings of it were at the sea:

¹⁰Southward it was Ephraims, and northward it was Manassehs, and the sea is his border; and they met together in Asher on the north, and in Issachar on the east.

¹¹And Manasseh had in Issachar and in Asher Beth-shean and her towns, and Ibleam and her towns, and the inhabitants of Dor and her towns, and the inhabitants of En-dor and her towns, and the inhabitants of Taanach and her towns, and the inhabitants of Megiddo and her towns, even three countries.

¹²Yet the Children of Manasseh could not drive out the inhabitants of those cities; but the Canaanites would dwell in that land.

¹³Yet it came to pass, when the Children of Israel were waxed strong, that they put the Canaanites to tribute; but did not utterly drive them out. (Once again, we have the Word of God being compromised, which would fall out to tremendous problems and trouble later on for Israel.)

COMPLAINTS

¹⁴And the Children of Joseph spoke unto Joshua, saying, Why have you given me but one lot and one portion to inherit, seeing I am a great people, forasmuch as the LORD has blessed me hitherto?

¹⁵And Joshua answered them, If you be a great people, then get thee up to the wood country, and cut down for yourself there in the land of the Perizzites and of the giants, if Mount Ephraim be too narrow for you.

¹⁶And the Children of Joseph said, The hill is not enough for us: and all the Canaanites who 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.

¹⁷And Joshua spoke unto the house of Joseph, even to Ephraim and to Manasseh, saying, You are a great people, and have great power: you shall not have one lot only:

¹⁸But the mountain shall be yours; for it is a wood, and you shall cut it down: and the outgoings of it shall be yours: for you shall drive out the Canaanites, though they have iron chariots, and though they be strong. (The boasting, discontent, unbelief, selfishness, and cowardice of the Children of Joseph was, with fine scorn, rebuked by Joshua, who was himself of the Tribe of Joseph. Despite the encouragement given by Joshua, the Children of Joseph did not drive the Canaanites out, as Verses 11-13 show. The reason for this was that they did not trust in God, but preferred an unworthy compromise with neighbors, who, however rich in warlike material, were sunk in sensuality and sloth Pulpit.)