Joshua 16: The land of Joseph's sons, and Ephraim's border
A free study, verse by verse. Text: World English Bible. Notes come from the Hebrew. How to read a study
What happens?
The lot comes out for the children of Joseph, Manasseh and Ephraim, and the text traces their border from the Jordan at Jericho up through the hill country to Bethel and down to the sea. Then it gives the border of Ephraim, with some towns set apart for Ephraim inside Manasseh's land. Ephraim does not drive out the Canaanites of Gezer, who stay among them as forced labor.
Who is speaking?
The narrator tells the whole chapter. No one speaks, and no verse is in gold. God's own words are printed in gold, and those verses are marked God speaks
1The lot came out for the children of Joseph from the Jordan at Jericho, at the waters of Jericho on the east, even the wilderness, going up from Jericho through the hill country to Bethel.
In plain English: The lot came out for the children of Joseph from the Jordan at Jericho, at the waters of Jericho on the east, through the wilderness, going up from Jericho through the hill country to Bethel.
Good to know: Joseph's land goes to his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim, as two tribes: says "the children of Joseph were two tribes" (the note there points back to Jacob's words in ).
Show the HebrewHide the Hebrew
How to say it (the stressed part in bold), the Hebrew word, and what it means. Tap a word with a dotted line to open its word study.
2It went out from Bethel to Luz, and passed along to the border of the Archites to Ataroth;
In plain English: It went out from Bethel to Luz, and passed along to the border of the Archites at Ataroth.
Good to know: Here Bethel and Luz read like two places. In the text says "Luz (also called Bethel)", and says "the name of the city was Luz at the first". The text does not explain the difference.
Show the HebrewHide the Hebrew
How to say it (the stressed part in bold), the Hebrew word, and what it means. Tap a word with a dotted line to open its word study.
3and it went down westward to the border of the Japhletites, to the border of Beth Horon the lower, and on to Gezer; and ended at the sea.
In plain English: It went down westward to the border of the Japhletites, to the border of Lower Beth Horon, and on to Gezer, and it ended at the sea.
Show the HebrewHide the Hebrew
How to say it (the stressed part in bold), the Hebrew word, and what it means. Tap a word with a dotted line to open its word study.
4The children of Joseph, Manasseh and Ephraim, took their inheritance.
In plain English: So the children of Joseph, Manasseh and Ephraim, received their inheritance.
Show the HebrewHide the Hebrew
How to say it (the stressed part in bold), the Hebrew word, and what it means. Tap a word with a dotted line to open its word study.
5This was the border of the children of Ephraim according to their families. The border of their inheritance eastward was Ataroth Addar, to Beth Horon the upper.
In plain English: This was the border of the children of Ephraim, family by family. On the east, the border of their inheritance ran from Ataroth Addar to Upper Beth Horon.
Show the HebrewHide the Hebrew
How to say it (the stressed part in bold), the Hebrew word, and what it means. Tap a word with a dotted line to open its word study.
6The border went out westward at Michmethath on the north. The border turned about eastward to Taanath Shiloh, and passed along it on the east of Janoah.
In plain English: The border went out westward at Michmethath on the north. It turned eastward to Taanath Shiloh, and passed by it on the east of Janoah.
Show the HebrewHide the Hebrew
How to say it (the stressed part in bold), the Hebrew word, and what it means. Tap a word with a dotted line to open its word study.
7It went down from Janoah to Ataroth, to Naarah, reached to Jericho, and went out at the Jordan.
In plain English: It went down from Janoah to Ataroth and to Naarah, touched Jericho, and went out at the Jordan.
Show the HebrewHide the Hebrew
How to say it (the stressed part in bold), the Hebrew word, and what it means. Tap a word with a dotted line to open its word study.
8From Tappuah the border went along westward to the brook of Kanah; and ended at the sea. This is the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Ephraim according to their families;
In plain English: From Tappuah the border went westward to the brook (or: valley) of Kanah, and it ended at the sea. This is the inheritance of the tribe of Ephraim, family by family,
Show the HebrewHide the Hebrew
How to say it (the stressed part in bold), the Hebrew word, and what it means. Tap a word with a dotted line to open its word study.
9together with the cities which were set apart for the children of Ephraim in the middle of the inheritance of the children of Manasseh, all the cities with their villages.
In plain English: together with the towns set apart for the children of Ephraim inside the inheritance of the children of Manasseh, all the towns with their villages.
Show the HebrewHide the Hebrew
How to say it (the stressed part in bold), the Hebrew word, and what it means. Tap a word with a dotted line to open its word study.
10They didn’t drive out the Canaanites who lived in Gezer; but the Canaanites dwell in the territory of Ephraim to this day, and have become servants to do forced labor.
In plain English: They did not drive out the Canaanites who lived in Gezer. The Canaanites live among Ephraim to this day, and have become servants doing forced labor.
The Hebrew word: "Forced labor" is mas, which the dictionary gives as "a burden", "a tax in the form of forced labor".
How it is translated: This Bible says "forced labor" in 15 of the 22 verses that use mas.
Good to know: also says that Ephraim did not drive out the Canaanites of Gezer. tells how, much later, a king of Egypt took Gezer and gave it to his daughter, Solomon's wife.
Show the HebrewHide the Hebrew
How to say it (the stressed part in bold), the Hebrew word, and what it means. Tap a word with a dotted line to open its word study.