mh_parser/vol_split/6 - Joshua/Chapter 17.xml

<div2 id="Jos.xviii" n="xviii" next="Jos.xix" prev="Jos.xvii" progress="7.78%" title="Chapter XVII">
<h2 id="Jos.xviii-p0.1">J O S H U A</h2>
<h3 id="Jos.xviii-p0.2">CHAP. XVII.</h3>
<p class="intro" id="Jos.xviii-p1">The half tribe of Manasseh comes next to be
provided for; and here we have, I. The families of that tribe that
were to be portioned, <scripRef id="Jos.xviii-p1.1" osisRef="Bible:Josh.17.1-Josh.17.6" parsed="|Josh|17|1|17|6" passage="Jos 17:1-6">ver.
1-6</scripRef>. II. The country that fell to their lot, <scripRef id="Jos.xviii-p1.2" osisRef="Bible:Josh.17.7-Josh.17.13" parsed="|Josh|17|7|17|13" passage="Jos 17:7-13">ver. 7-13</scripRef>. III. The joint request
of the two tribes that descended from Joseph, for the enlargement
of their lot, and Joshua's answer to that request, <scripRef id="Jos.xviii-p1.3" osisRef="Bible:Josh.17.14-Josh.17.18" parsed="|Josh|17|14|17|18" passage="Jos 17:14-18">ver. 14-18</scripRef>.</p>
<scripCom id="Jos.xviii-p0.1_1" osisRef="Bible:Josh.17" parsed="|Josh|17|0|0|0" passage="Jos 17" type="Commentary"/>
<scripCom id="Jos.xviii-p0.2_1" osisRef="Bible:Josh.17.1-Josh.17.6" parsed="|Josh|17|1|17|6" passage="Jos 17:1-6" type="Commentary"/><div class="Commentary" id="Bible:Josh.17.1-Josh.17.6">
<h4 id="Jos.xviii-p1.6">The Inheritance of Joseph's
Children. (<span class="smallcaps" id="Jos.xviii-p1.7">b. c.</span> 1444.)</h4>
<p class="passage" id="Jos.xviii-p2">1 There was also a lot for the tribe of
Manasseh; for he <i>was</i> the firstborn of Joseph; <i>to wit,</i>
for Machir the firstborn of Manasseh, the father of Gilead: because
he was a man of war, therefore he had Gilead and Bashan.   2
There was also <i>a lot</i> 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 <i>were</i> the male children of
Manasseh the son of Joseph by their families.   3 But
Zelophehad, the son of Hepher, the son of Gilead, the son of
Machir, the son of Manasseh, had no sons, but daughters: and these
<i>are</i> the names of his daughters, Mahlah, and Noah, Hoglah,
Milcah, and Tirzah.   4 And they came near before Eleazar the
priest, and before Joshua the son of Nun, and before the princes,
saying, The <span class="smallcaps" id="Jos.xviii-p2.1">Lord</span> commanded Moses to
give us an inheritance among our brethren. Therefore according to
the commandment of the <span class="smallcaps" id="Jos.xviii-p2.2">Lord</span> he gave
them an inheritance among the brethren of their father.   5
And there fell ten portions to Manasseh, beside the land of Gilead
and Bashan, which <i>were</i> on the other side Jordan;   6
Because the daughters of Manasseh had an inheritance among his
sons: and the rest of Manasseh's sons had the land of Gilead.</p>
<p class="indent" id="Jos.xviii-p3">Manasseh was itself but one half of the
tribe of Joseph, and yet was divided and subdivided. 1. It was
divided into two parts, one already settled on the other side
Jordan, consisting of those who were the posterity of Machir,
<scripRef id="Jos.xviii-p3.1" osisRef="Bible:Josh.17.1" parsed="|Josh|17|1|0|0" passage="Jos 17:1"><i>v.</i> 1</scripRef>. This Machir
was born to Manasseh in Egypt; there he had signalized himself as a
man of war, probably in the contests between the Ephraimites and
the men of Gath, <scripRef id="Jos.xviii-p3.2" osisRef="Bible:1Chr.7.21" parsed="|1Chr|7|21|0|0" passage="1Ch 7:21">1 Chron. vii.
21</scripRef>. His warlike disposition descended to his posterity,
and therefore Moses gave them Gilead and Bashan, on the other side
Jordan, of which before, <scripRef id="Jos.xviii-p3.3" osisRef="Bible:Josh.13.31" parsed="|Josh|13|31|0|0" passage="Jos 13:31"><i>ch.</i>
xiii. 31</scripRef>. It is here said that the lot came to Manasseh,
<i>for he was the first-born of</i> Joseph. Bishop Patrick thinks
it should be translated, <i>though he was the first-born of</i>
Joseph, and then the meaning is plain, that the second lot was for
Manasseh, because, though he was the first-born, yet Jacob had
preferred Ephraim before him. See the names of those heads of the
families that settled on the other side Jordan, <scripRef id="Jos.xviii-p3.4" osisRef="Bible:1Chr.5.24" parsed="|1Chr|5|24|0|0" passage="1Ch 5:24">1 Chron. v. 24</scripRef>. 2. That part on this side
Jordan as subdivided into ten families, <scripRef id="Jos.xviii-p3.5" osisRef="Bible:Josh.17.5" parsed="|Josh|17|5|0|0" passage="Jos 17:5"><i>v.</i> 5</scripRef>. There were six sons of Gilead
here named (<scripRef id="Jos.xviii-p3.6" osisRef="Bible:Josh.17.2" parsed="|Josh|17|2|0|0" passage="Jos 17:2"><i>v.</i> 2</scripRef>),
the same that are recorded <scripRef id="Jos.xviii-p3.7" osisRef="Bible:Num.26.30-Num.26.32" parsed="|Num|26|30|26|32" passage="Nu 26:30-32">Num.
xxvi. 30-32</scripRef>, only that he who is there called
<i>Jezeer</i> is here called <i>Abiezer.</i> Five of these sons had
each of them their portion; the sixth, which was Hepher, had his
male line cut off in his son Zelophehad, who left daughters only,
five in number, of whom we have often read, and these five had each
of them a portion; though perhaps, they claiming under Hepher, all
their five portions were but equal to one of the portions of the
five sons. Or if Hepher had other sons besides Zelophehad, in whom
the name of his family was kept up, their posterity married to the
daughters of Zelophehad the elder brother, and in their right had
these portions assigned them. See <scripRef id="Jos.xviii-p3.8" osisRef="Bible:Num.36.12" parsed="|Num|36|12|0|0" passage="Nu 36:12">Num.
xxxvi. 12</scripRef>. Here is, (1.) The claim which the daughters
of Zelophehad made, grounded upon the command God gave to Moses
concerning them, <scripRef id="Jos.xviii-p3.9" osisRef="Bible:Josh.17.4" parsed="|Josh|17|4|0|0" passage="Jos 17:4"><i>v.</i>
4</scripRef>. They had themselves, when they were young, pleaded
their own cause before Moses, and obtained the grant of an
inheritance with their brethren, and now they would not lose the
benefit of that grant for want of speaking to Joshua, but
seasonably put in their demand themselves, as it should seem, and
not their husbands for them. (2.) The assignment of their portions
according to their claim. Joshua knew very well what God had
ordered in their case, and did not object that they having not
served in the wars of Canaan there was no reason why they should
share in the possessions of Canaan, but readily <i>gave them as
inheritance among the brethren of their father.</i> And now they
reaped the benefit of their own pious zeal and prudent forecast in
this matter. Thus those who take care in the wilderness of this
world to make sure to themselves a place in the inheritance of the
saints in light will certainly have the comfort of it in the other
world, while those that neglect it now will lose it for ever.</p>
</div><scripCom id="Jos.xviii-p0.3" osisRef="Bible:Josh.17.7-Josh.17.13" parsed="|Josh|17|7|17|13" passage="Jos 17:7-13" type="Commentary"/><div class="Commentary" id="Bible:Josh.17.7-Josh.17.13">
<p class="passage" id="Jos.xviii-p4">  7 And the coast of Manasseh was from
Asher to Michmethah, that <i>lieth</i> before Shechem; and the
border went along on the right hand unto the inhabitants of
En-tappuah.   8 <i>Now</i> Manasseh had the land of Tappuah:
but Tappuah on the border of Manasseh <i>belonged</i> to the
children of Ephraim;   9 And the coast descended unto the
river Kanah, southward of the river: these cities of Ephraim
<i>are</i> among the cities of Manasseh: the coast of Manasseh also
<i>was</i> on the north side of the river, and the outgoings of it
were at the sea:   10 Southward <i>it was</i> Ephraim's, and
northward <i>it was</i> Manasseh's, and the sea is his border; and
they met together in Asher on the north, and in Issachar on the
east.   11 And 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 Endor and
her towns, and the inhabitants of Taanach and her towns, and the
inhabitants of Megiddo and her towns, <i>even</i> three countries.
  12 Yet the children of Manasseh could not drive out <i>the
inhabitants of</i> those cities; but the Canaanites would dwell in
that land.   13 Yet it came to pass, when the children of
Israel were waxen strong, that they put the Canaanites to tribute;
but did not utterly drive them out.</p>
<p class="indent" id="Jos.xviii-p5">We have here a short account of the lot of
this half tribe. It reached from Jordan on the east to the great
sea on the west; on the south it lay all along contiguous to
Ephraim, but on the north it abutted upon Asher and Issachar. Asher
lay north-west, and Issachar north-east, which seems to be the
meaning of that (<scripRef id="Jos.xviii-p5.1" osisRef="Bible:Josh.17.10" parsed="|Josh|17|10|0|0" passage="Jos 17:10"><i>v.</i>
10</scripRef>), that they (that is, Manasseh and Ephraim, as
related to it, both together making the tribe of Joseph) met in
Asher on the north and Issachar on the east, for Ephraim itself
reached not those tribes. Some things are particularly observed
concerning this lot:—1. That there was great communication
between this tribe and that of Ephraim. The city of Tappuah
belonged to Ephraim, but the country adjoining to Manasseh
(<scripRef id="Jos.xviii-p5.2" osisRef="Bible:Josh.17.8" parsed="|Josh|17|8|0|0" passage="Jos 17:8"><i>v.</i> 8</scripRef>); there were
likewise many cities of Ephraim that lay within the border of
Manasseh (<scripRef id="Jos.xviii-p5.3" osisRef="Bible:Josh.17.9" parsed="|Josh|17|9|0|0" passage="Jos 17:9"><i>v.</i> 9</scripRef>), of
which before, <scripRef id="Jos.xviii-p5.4" osisRef="Bible:Josh.16.9" parsed="|Josh|16|9|0|0" passage="Jos 16:9"><i>ch.</i> xvi.
9</scripRef>. 2. That Manasseh likewise had cities with their
appurtenances in the tribes of Issachar and Asher (<scripRef id="Jos.xviii-p5.5" osisRef="Bible:Josh.17.11" parsed="|Josh|17|11|0|0" passage="Jos 17:11"><i>v.</i> 11</scripRef>), God so ordering it,
that though every tribe had its peculiar inheritance, which might
not be alienated from it, yet they should thus intermix one with
another, to keep up mutual acquaintance and correspondence among
the tribes, and to give occasion for the doing of good offices one
to another, as became those who, though of different tribes, were
all one Israel, and were bound to love as brethren. 3. That they
suffered the Canaanites to live among them, contrary to the command
of God, serving their own ends by conniving at them, for they made
them tributaries, <scripRef id="Jos.xviii-p5.6" osisRef="Bible:Josh.17.12-Josh.17.13" parsed="|Josh|17|12|17|13" passage="Jos 17:12,13"><i>v.</i> 12,
13</scripRef>. The Ephraimites had done the same (<scripRef id="Jos.xviii-p5.7" osisRef="Bible:Josh.16.10" parsed="|Josh|16|10|0|0" passage="Jos 16:10"><i>ch.</i> xvi. 10</scripRef>), and from them
perhaps the Manassites learned it, and with their example excused
themselves in it. The most remarkable person of this half tribe in
after-time was Gideon, whose great actions were done within this
lot. He was of the family of Abiezer; Cesarea was in this lot, and
Antipatris, famed in the latter ages of the Jewish state.</p>
</div><scripCom id="Jos.xviii-p0.4" osisRef="Bible:Josh.17.14-Josh.17.18" parsed="|Josh|17|14|17|18" passage="Jos 17:14-18" type="Commentary"/><div class="Commentary" id="Bible:Josh.17.14-Josh.17.18">
<p class="passage" id="Jos.xviii-p6">  14 And the children of Joseph spake unto
Joshua, saying, Why hast thou given me <i>but</i> one lot and one
portion to inherit, seeing I <i>am</i> a great people, forasmuch as
the <span class="smallcaps" id="Jos.xviii-p6.1">Lord</span> hath blessed me hitherto?
  15 And Joshua answered them, If thou <i>be</i> a great
people, <i>then</i> get thee up to the wood <i>country,</i> and cut
down for thyself there in the land of the Perizzites and of the
giants, if mount Ephraim be too narrow for thee.   16 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, <i>both they</i> who <i>are</i> of Beth-shean and her towns,
and <i>they</i> who <i>are</i> of the valley of Jezreel.   17
And Joshua spake unto the house of Joseph, <i>even</i> to Ephraim
and to Manasseh, saying, Thou <i>art</i> a great people, and hast
great power: thou shalt not have one lot <i>only:</i>   18 But
the mountain shall be thine; for it <i>is</i> a wood, and thou
shalt cut it down: and the outgoings of it shall be thine: for thou
shalt drive out the Canaanites, though they have iron chariots,
<i>and</i> though they <i>be</i> strong.</p>
<p class="indent" id="Jos.xviii-p7">Here, I. The children of Joseph quarrel
with their lot; if they had had any just cause to quarrel with it,
we have reason to think Joshua would have relieved them, by adding
to it, or altering it, which it does not appear he did. It is
probable, because Joshua was himself of the tribe of Ephraim, they
promised themselves that they should have some particular favour
shown them, and should not be confined to the decision of the lot
so closely as the other tribes; but Joshua makes them know that in
the discharge of his office, as a public person, he had no more
regard to his own tribe than to any other, but would administer
impartially, without favour or affection, wherein he has left an
excellent example to all in public trusts. It was a very competent
provision that was made for them, as much, for aught that appears,
as they were able to manage, and yet they call it in disdain but
<i>one lot,</i> as if that which was assigned to them both was
scarcely sufficient for one. The word for <i>complainers</i>
(<scripRef id="Jos.xviii-p7.1" osisRef="Bible:Jude.1.16" parsed="|Jude|1|16|0|0" passage="Jude 1:16">Jude 16</scripRef>) is
<b><i>mempsimoiroi,</i></b> blamers of their lot:—1. That they
were very numerous, through the blessing of God upon them
(<scripRef id="Jos.xviii-p7.2" osisRef="Bible:Josh.17.14" parsed="|Josh|17|14|0|0" passage="Jos 17:14"><i>v.</i> 14</scripRef>): <i>I am a
great people, for the Lord has blessed me;</i> and we have reason
to hope that he that hath sent mouths will send meat. "<i>I am a
great people,</i> and in so small a lot shall not have <i>room to
thrive.</i>" Yet observe, when they speak thankfully of their
present increase, they do not speak confidently of the continuance
of it. "The Lord has blessed me hitherto, however he may see fit to
deal with me for the future." The uncertainty of what may be must
not make us unthankful for what has been and is done in kindness to
us. 2. That a good part of that country which had now fallen to
their lot was in the hands of the Canaanites, and that they were
formidable enemies, who brought into the field of battle
<i>chariots of iron</i> (<scripRef id="Jos.xviii-p7.3" osisRef="Bible:Josh.17.16" parsed="|Josh|17|16|0|0" passage="Jos 17:16"><i>v.</i>
16</scripRef>), that is, chariots with long scythes fastened to the
sides of them, or the axle-tree, which made great destruction of
all that came in their way, mowing them down like corn. They urge
that though they had a good portion assigned them, yet it was in
bad hands, and they could not come to the possession of it, wishing
to have their lot in those countries that were more thoroughly
reduced than this was.</p>
<p class="indent" id="Jos.xviii-p8">II. Joshua endeavours to reconcile them to
their lot. He owns they were a <i>great people,</i> and being two
tribes ought to have more than <i>one lot only</i> (<scripRef id="Jos.xviii-p8.1" osisRef="Bible:Josh.17.17" parsed="|Josh|17|17|0|0" passage="Jos 17:17"><i>v.</i> 17</scripRef>), but tells them that
what had fallen to their share would be a sufficient lot for them
both, if they would but work and fight. They desired a lot in which
they might indulge themselves in ease and luxury. "No," says
Joshua, "you must not count upon that; <i>in the sweat of thy face
shalt thou eat bread</i> is a sentence in force even in Canaan
itself." He retorts their own argument, that they were a <i>great
people.</i> "If so, you are the better able to help yourselves, and
have the less reason to expect help from others. If thou hast many
mouths to be filled, thou hast twice as many hands to be employed;
earn, and then eat." 1. He bids them work for more (<scripRef id="Jos.xviii-p8.2" osisRef="Bible:Josh.17.15" parsed="|Josh|17|15|0|0" passage="Jos 17:15"><i>v.</i> 15</scripRef>): "<i>Get thee up to
the wood-country,</i> which is within thy own border, and let all
hands be set to work to cut down the trees, rid the rough lands,
and make them, with art and industry, good arable ground." Note,
Many wish for larger possessions who do not cultivate and make the
best of what they have, think they should have more talents given
them who do not trade with those with which they are entrusted.
Most people's poverty is the effect of their idleness; would they
dig, they need not beg. 2. He bids them fight for more (<scripRef id="Jos.xviii-p8.3" osisRef="Bible:Josh.17.17-Josh.17.18" parsed="|Josh|17|17|17|18" passage="Jos 17:17,18"><i>v.</i> 17, 18</scripRef>), when they
pleaded that they could not come at the wood-lands he spoke of
because in the valley between them and it were Canaanites whom they
durst not enter the lists with. "Never fear them," said Joshua,
"thou hast God on thy side, and <i>thou shalt drive out the
Canaanites,</i> if thou wilt set about it in good earnest,
<i>though they have iron chariots.</i>" We straiten ourselves by
apprehending the difficulties in the way of our enlargement to be
greater than really they are. What can be insuperable to faith and
holy resolution?</p>
</div></div2>