Manasseh's Inheritance
Study note
Manasseh was Joseph's firstborn son. The eastern half of Manasseh had already received land east of the Jordan. Now the western half received territory in central Canaan. Machir, Manasseh's eldest, was a great warrior and had received Gilead and Bashan in the east. The rest of Manasseh's descendants received portions in the west. Notably, Zelophehad had no sons but five daughters. In an earlier ruling recorded in Numbers 27, Moses had declared that daughters could inherit land if their father had no sons. These five women came before Eleazar and Joshua and claimed their rightful inheritance.
1 Land was also given to the tribe of Manasseh, since he was Joseph's firstborn. Manasseh's oldest son Machir was the father of Gilead and a great warrior, so the regions of Gilead and Bashan were given to his family. There was also a lot for the tribe of Manasseh; for he was the firstborn of Joseph; to wit, for Machir the firstborn of Manasseh, the father of Gilead: because he was a man of war, therefore he had Gilead and Bashan.
2 The rest of Manasseh's people also received land, divided by families. This included the families of Abiezer, Helek, Asriel, Shechem, Hepher, and Shemida. These were the male family lines of Manasseh son of Joseph. There was also a lot 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 were the male children of Manasseh the son of Joseph by their families.
3 Now Zelophehad -- the son of Hepher, grandson of Gilead, great-grandson of Machir, and great-great-grandson of Manasseh -- had no sons. He only had daughters, and their names were Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah. 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 are the names of his daughters, Mahlah, and Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah.
4 These women went before Eleazar the priest, Joshua son of Nun, and the Israelite leaders. They said, "The Lord told Moses to give us land along with our male relatives." So following the Lord's command, they got land alongside their father's brothers. And they came near before Eleazar the priest, and before Joshua the son of Nun, and before the princes, saying, The LORD commanded Moses to give us an inheritance among our brethren. Therefore according to the commandment of the LORD he gave them an inheritance among the brethren of their father.
5 Manasseh gained ten portions of land, not counting the regions of Gilead and Bashan east of the Jordan. And there fell ten portions to Manasseh, beside the land of Gilead and Bashan, which were on the other side Jordan;
6 This happened because Manasseh's daughters received land alongside his sons. The region of Gilead belonged to the rest of Manasseh's descendants. Because the daughters of Manasseh had an inheritance among his sons: and the rest of Manasseh's sons had the land of Gilead.
The Borders of Manasseh
Study note
Manasseh's western territory ran from the border of Asher to Michmethath near Shechem. The border details show overlapping boundaries with Ephraim, as some of Ephraim's cities were within Manasseh's territory. Manasseh also had towns within the territories of Issachar and Asher. However, the people of Manasseh could not drive out the Canaanites from some of these towns, particularly Beth-shean, Ibleam, Dor, Endor, Taanach, and Megiddo. Even when Israel grew stronger, they only forced the Canaanites to work as laborers rather than driving them out completely.
7 Manasseh's territory stretched from the border of Asher to Michmethath, east of Shechem. The border ran southward to include the people living at En-tappuah. And the coast of Manasseh was from Asher to Michmethah, that lieth before Shechem; and the border went along on the right hand unto the inhabitants of En-tappuah.
8 The land around Tappuah belonged to Manasseh. But the town of Tappuah itself sat on Manasseh's border and belonged to the people of Ephraim. Now Manasseh had the land of Tappuah: but Tappuah on the border of Manasseh belonged to the children of Ephraim;
9 The border went down to the Kanah River. Some cities south of the river belonged to Ephraim, even though they were inside Manasseh's land. Manasseh's border ran along the north side of the river and ended at the sea. And the coast descended unto the river Kanah, southward of the river: these cities of Ephraim are among the cities of Manasseh: the coast of Manasseh also was on the north side of the river, and the outgoings of it were at the sea:
10 Ephraim had the land to the south, Manasseh had the land to the north, and the sea formed Manasseh's western edge. Manasseh's territory touched Asher on the northwest and Issachar on the northeast. Southward it was Ephraim's, and northward it was Manasseh's, and the sea is his border; and they met together in Asher on the north, and in Issachar on the east.
11 Within the areas belonging to Issachar and Asher, Manasseh controlled Beth-shean, Ibleam, Dor, Endor, Taanach, and Megiddo, along with their surrounding towns. The third city in the list is Naphoth-dor. 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 En-dor and her towns, and the inhabitants of Taanach and her towns, and the inhabitants of Megiddo and her towns, even three countries.
12 But Manasseh's people could not take over those towns. The Canaanites refused to budge from that area. Yet the children of Manasseh could not drive out the inhabitants of those cities; but the Canaanites would dwell in that land.
13 When the Israelites grew powerful enough, they forced the Canaanites into hard labor. But they never completely drove them out. 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.
The People of Joseph Ask for More Land
Study note
The combined tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh complained to Joshua that they had received only one portion of land even though they were a large people. Joshua challenged them: if they were such a great people, they should go up into the forested hill country and clear it for themselves. They objected that the hill country was not enough and that the Canaanites in the valley had iron chariots, making them hard to defeat. Joshua encouraged them, saying they were strong enough to clear the forests and drive out the Canaanites despite their chariots.
14 The descendants of Joseph complained to Joshua, "Why did you only give us one piece of land? We are a vast multitude of people -- the Lord has blessed us with great numbers." 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 Joshua told them, "If your people are so many, go up into the forested hill country. Clear land for yourselves in the territory of the Perizzites and Rephaim. Ephraim's hill country feels too small for you." 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 The descendants of Joseph replied, "The hill country is still not enough for us. On top of that, the Canaanites who live down in the valley have iron chariots -- both those near Beth-shean and its towns and those in the Jezreel Valley." 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 Joshua said to the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh, "You are indeed a large and strong people. You will not have just one portion of land. 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 The hill country will be yours as well. Even though it is covered with forest, you can chop it down and clear it all out. And you can drive out the Canaanites even though they are strong and have iron chariots." But the mountain shall be thine; for it is 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, and though they be strong.