Joshua 17:15

_AND JOSHUA ANSWERED THEM, IF THOU BE A GREAT PEOPLE, THEN GET THEE UP TO THE WOOD COUNTRY, AND CUT DOWN FOR THYSELF THERE IN THE LAND OF THE PERIZZITES AND OF THE GIANTS, IF MOUNT EPHRAIM BE TOO NARROW FOR THEE._ Cut down for thyself there, х_ UWBEEREE'TAA_ (H1254) _ LªKAA_ (H3807a) _ SHAAM_ (H8033)] - and hew out; i.e., make for thyself a place there (Keil). (The verb is used in the same sense-cut; i:e., make for thyself - Joshua 17:18). THE LAND OF THE PERIZZITES, х_ HA-PªRIZIY_ (H6522)] - the peasants, inhabitants of open, unwalled villages (cf. 1 Samuel 6:18). AND OF THE GIANTS, х wªhaa-Rª

14-18 Joshua, as a public person, had no more regard to his own tribe than to any other, but would govern without favour or affection; wherein he has left a good example to all in public trusts. Joshua tells them, that what was fallen to their share would be a sufficient lot for them, if they would but work and fight. Men excuse themselves from labour by any pretence; and nothing serves the purpose better than having rich and powerful relations, able to provide for them; and they are apt to desire a partial and unfaithful disposal of what is intrusted to those they think able to give such help. But there is more real kindness in pointing out the advantages within reach, and in encouraging men to make the best of them, than in granting indulgences to sloth and extravagance. True religion gives no countenance to these evils. The rule is, They shall not eat who will not work; and many of o...

Verse Joshua 17:15. _IF THOU BE A GREAT PEOPLE_] Joshua takes them at their own word; they said, Joshua 17:14, that they were a great people; then said he, _If thou be a great people_ or _seeing thou art a great_ _people, go to the wood country, and clear away for thyself_. Joshua would not reverse the decision of the lot; but as there was much woodland country, he gave them permission to clear away as much of it as they found necessary to extend themselves as far as they pleased....

Joshua was himself of the tribe of Ephraim, but far from supporting the demands of his kinsmen he reproves them, and calls upon them to make good their great words by corresponding deeds of valor. He bids them clear the country of its woods and thus make room for settling their people. The “wood country” means probably the range which runs along the northern border of Manasseh, and which connects the mountains of Gilboa with Carmel. Mount Ephraim, (a name perhaps used by anticipation) called “the hill” Joshua 17:16, and “the mountain of Israel” Joshua 11:16, is the eastern portion of the territory of Ephraim and Manasseh extending toward the Jordan. This was a hilly, though by no means barren, district....

EXPOSITION JOSHUA 17:1 THERE WAS ALSO A LOT. The preferable translation is, "_and_ _the lot for the tribe of Manasseh—for he was the firstborn of Joseph—was _(_or fell_)_ to Machir the son of Manasseh. _That is to say, the proper possession of the tribe of Manasseh fell to Machir and his descendants only, because of their warlike spirit, and possibly on account of their numbers also. They were sufficient to occupy the land of Gilead and Bashan, extensive and powerful though it was, while the rest of the tribe had a share in the inheritance westward of Jordan (see also Joshua 13:29-6). FOR HE WAS THE FIRSTBORN OF JOSEPH. There has been much discussion why these words were introduced. It is probable that they a

AND JOSHUA ANSWERED THEM,.... By retorting their own argument upon them: IF THOU [BE] A GREAT PEOPLE; which he does not deny, as they were for numbers and power: [THEN] GET THEE UP TO THE WOOD [COUNTRY]; which was near them, and within their borders, and lay on hills and mountains, perhaps the mountains of Gilboa, and therefore are bid to go up: AND CUT DOWN FOR THYSELF THERE; cut down the trees of the wood, clear the ground of them, and so make it habitable, and by that means enlarge the places of their habitation: IN THE LAND OF THE PERIZZITES, AND OF THE GIANTS; or Rephaim; the former of these were one of the seven nations of the Canaanites, who from their name seem to have dwelt not in the cities, and walled towns, but in villages, and scattered houses, in desert places, and among the woods, where also the giants had retired and dwelt after Joshua had driven them out of the citie...

GIANTS Or, Rephaims....

5. THE PORTION OF MANASSEH CHAPTER 17 _ 1. Their names (Joshua 17:1)_ 2. Their border (Joshua 17:7) 3. The complaint and the answer (Joshua 17:14) Half of the tribe of Manasseh had their inheritance on the other side of Jordan, having joined themselves to Reuben and Gad. The rest of Manasseh are now named according to their families. These are: Abiezer, Helek, Asriel, Shechem, Hepher and Shemida, The son of Hepher, Zelophehad, had no sons (see Numbers 27:1); the names of the five daughters are given here again. They claim now the inheritance which the Lord had given to them. They, too, exhibit the cour

Complaint of the Children of Joseph 14. _And the children of Joseph_ The descendants of Joseph, i.e. the patriarchs of the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh, were not satisfied with the portion which Joshua had assigned them. The preponderating tribe from the earliest times, and since the Egyptian period the dominant one, they did not deem it sufficient that they had been divided into two, and so obtained a double voice in the national assembly, they claimed more than "one lot and one portion to inherit." _seeing I am a great people_ At the census in the wilderness of Sinai (Numbers 1:32-33; Numbers 2:19) the numbers of Ephraim were 40,500, which placed it at the head of the children of Rachel. The number of Manasseh was 32,200. But forty years later, on the eve of the conquest, whil

_VER._ 15. _AND JOSHUA ANSWERED THEM, IF THOU BE A GREAT PEOPLE,_ &C.— Joshua was not a man calculated to sacrifice his duty to the caprice of the people of his own tribe, and to abuse the authority deposited with him, in order to gratify their inclinations. He answers them, that the will of God, as specified by lot, was to be the rule of his conduct, and ought to be of their desires; and that indeed the very thing they urged, namely, their being so many in number, gave them the means of settling themselves at large, by felling down the thick forests of the country, and driving the Perizzites and the Rephaims from their residence there; and thus by their valour enlarging the portion which had fallen to them, if they were not content with mount Ephraim, and the fine country about it....