Joshua 17:18

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 17:18. _THE OUTGOINGS OF IT SHALL BE THINE_] Clear away the wood, occupy the mountain, and you shall soon be able to command all the valleys; and, possessing all the defiles of the country, you shall drive out the Canaanites, though they have chariots of iron: your situation will be advantageous, your numbers very respectable, and the hand of God will be upon you for good. 1. FROM the whole history of the Israelites we find that it was difficult to please them; they had a dissatisfied mind, and hence were rarely contented. From the above account we learn that the children of Joseph were much inclined to quarrel with Joshua, because they had not such a lot as they wished; though they could not be ignorant that their lot, as that of the others, had been determined by the especial providence of God. 2. Joshua treats them with great firmness; h

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

BUT THE MOUNTAINS SHALL BE THINE,.... Or "for" s it shall be thine; thou shalt get the possession of it, though attended with difficulties that seem insuperable: FOR, or "if, though" t IT [IS] A WOOD; the habitation of the Perizzites, and giants, and so dangerous to go un to it, and full of trees, and so seems unprofitable and useless: AND THOU SHALT CUT IT DOWN; both the inhabitants of it, and the trees of it, and clear it of both, and make it both safe and commodious to dwell in, which would be a fine enlargement for them: AND THE OUTGOINGS OF IT SHALL BE THINE; all it produces when cultivated, and all the parts adjacent to it: FOR THOU SHALL DRIVE OUT THE CANAANITES; this Joshua assures them of, to encourage them to attempt it: THOUGH THEY HAVE IRON CHARIOTS, [AND] THOUGH THEY [BE] STRONG; be not afraid of their chariots, though terrible, nor of their gia

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

CUT DOWN. carve out, or create as in Genesis 1:1. GIANTS. Hebrew. _Rephaim_. See note on Numbers 13:22.Deuteronomy 1:28, and App-23 and App-25....

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._ 17, 18. _AND JOSHUA SPAKE,_ &C.— Joshua replies to the solicitations of the children of Joseph, by repeating, that it is not his intention that they should have but one lot, as if they were but one single tribe: nor that they should dwell pent up in a portion too much confined; but that he chose they should make use of their arms, for extending their habitations, and possessing more than the lot which had fallen to them. "Use your strength," he means to tell them; "shew a courage suited to your numbers: go, master the mountains which confine you; cut down the woods, make ye openings for going still further into all the adjacent valleys; and remember, that so long as you make not yourselves unworthy of the Divine assistance, neither the Canaanites, nor their formidable chariots, ought in the least to intimidate you: if God be for you, all shall bend before you." Thus, equally firm,...

_The Complaint of the Children of Joseph Joshua 17:14-18_ 14 And the children of Joseph spake unto Joshua, saying, Why hast thou given me but one lot and one portion to inherit, seeing I am a great people, forasmuch as the Lord hath blessed me hitherto? 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. 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, both they who are of Beth-shean and her towns, and they who are of the valley of Jezreel. 17 And Joshua spake 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: 18

17:18 outgoings (d-19) Or 'even to its extremities.' for (e-34) Or 'though.'...