Joshua Chapter 17
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Remember the following truth from our beloved Torah!
“Ye
shall NOT ADD
TO THE WORD which I command
you, NEITHER SHALL YE DIMINISH FROM IT,
that ye may keep the commandments of יְהוָה
אֱלֹהֵיכֶם - the LORD your Eloleichem,
which I command you”. Davarim - Deuteronomy
4:2. (JPS-1917).
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With Rabbi, Dr. Reuven Ben Avraham-Goossens, PhD.
Introduction:
Joshua Chapter 17 details the distribution of
land to the remaining half of the tribe of ‘Manasseh’, the firstborn of Joseph.
This chapter is significant as it highlights the geographical expansion of the ‘Josephite tribes’ into the central and northern hill country
of
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Below
are the verses of Joshua Chapter 17, verses 1 to 18: Whilst below the verses
are the Explanation’s and more. (The Chapter is from JPS-1917 version
of the Tanakh).
Verses 1-2: “And this was the lot for the tribe of
Manasseh; for he was the first-born of Joseph. As for Machir
the first-born of Manasseh, the father of Gilead, because he was a man of war,
therefore he had Gilead and
Explanation:
Verses 1-2 establish the genealogy of Manasseh, noting that Machir,
as a man of war, had already received Gilead and
Verses 3-4: But Zelophehad,
the son of Hepher, the son of
Explanation:
Verses 3-4 recount the petition of the daughters of Zelophehad,
Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah. They approach
Joshua and the priest Eleazar, citing the command
given to Moses to grant them an inheritance among their father’s kinsmen.
Verses 5-6: And there fell ten parts to Manasseh,
beside the
Explanation:
Verses 5-6 confirm that ten portions were allotted to Manasseh west of the
Verses 7-9: And the border of Manasseh was, beginning
from Asher, Michmethath, which is before Shechem; and the border went along to the right hand, unto
the inhabitants of En-tappuah. The
Explanation:
Verses 7-9 describe the borders of Manasseh, running from Asher to Michmethath and southward toward the spring of Tappuah. The
Verses 10-11: southward it was Ephraim’s, and
northward it was Manasseh’s, and the sea was his border; and they reached to
Asher on the north, and to Issachar on the east. And
Manasseh had in Issachar and in Asher Beth-shean and
its towns, and Ibleam and its towns, and the
inhabitants of Dor and its towns, and the inhabitants
of En-dor and its towns, and the inhabitants of Taanach and its towns, and the inhabitants of Megiddo and
its towns, even the three regions.
Explanation:
Verses 10-11 clarify the overlapping borders with Ephraim to the south and
Asher and Issachar to the north. Manasseh is also granted significant enclaves
within Issachar and Asher, including Beth’shean, Ibleam, and Dor.
Verses 12-13: Yet the children of Manasseh could not
drive out the inhabitants of those cities; but the Canaanites were resolved to
dwell in that land. And it came to pass, when the children
of
Explanation:
Verses 12-13 acknowledge that the children of Manasseh were initially unable to
drive out the inhabitants of these specific cities. However, as
Verses 14-15: And the children of Joseph spoke unto
Joshua, saying: ‘Why hast thou given me but one lot and one part for an
inheritance, seeing I am a great people, forasmuch as יְהוָה - the LORD hath blessed me thus?’ And Joshua said
unto them: ‘If thou be a great people, get thee up to the forest, and cut down
for thyself there in the land of the Perizzites and
of the Rephaim; since the hill-country of Ephraim is
too narrow for thee’.
Explanation:
Verses 14-15 record the complaint of the house of Joseph, who argue that they
are a numerous people and that one single allotment is insufficient for their
size. Joshua responds by challenging them to prove their strength by clearing
the forest lands of the Perizzites and Rephaim.
Verses 16-18: And the children of Joseph said: ‘The
hill-country will not be enough for us; and all the Canaanites that dwell in
the land of the valley have chariots of iron, both they who are in Beth-shean and its towns, and they who are in the valley of
Jezreel’. And Joshua spoke unto the house of Joseph, even
to Ephraim and to Manasseh, saying: ‘Thou art a great people, and hast great
power; thou shalt not have one lot only; but the
hill-country shall be thine; for though it is a
forest, thou shalt cut it down, and the goings out thereof shall be thine; for thou shalt drive out the Canaanites, though they
have chariots of iron, and though they be strong’”.
Explanation:
Verses 16-18 detail the tribe's hesitation due to the Canaanites’ iron chariots
in the
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My Closing Message:
The narrative of Joshua 17 serves as a powerful
lesson in both ‘legal justice’ and ‘spiritual fortitude’. Through the daughters
of Zelophehad, we see the Torah’s concern for the
continuity of the family unit and the fair distribution of the Land.
Furthermore, Joshua’s dialogue with the house of Joseph reminds us that while a
blessing may grant us potential, it is our own industry and courage that
actualise it. Rather than being deterred by the “iron chariots” of our lives,
we are called to expand
our borders by transforming the wilderness into a home.
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