UNROLL
Dawn over the wooded hills of Manasseh: oak and pine forest on the near slopes, a newly cleared patch with stumps and fresh terraces, and the wide green Valley of Jezreel below in mist.

The Book of

Joshua 17

Five sisters claim God’s word, and Joseph’s sons want more land than they’ll work for.

18 verses≈ 4 min3 peopleBSB

Images are artistic interpretations.

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In this chapter

Where we are

  1. 1–5Crossing overInto the land
  2. 6–12Taking the landThe LORD fights for Israel
  3. 13–21Dividing the landAn inheritance for each tribeChapter 17
  4. 22–24Choose this dayServe the LORD

Manasseh’s Western Inheritance

Late afternoon in the camp: five young sisters in plain wool dresses and head cloths stand together at the door of a black goat-hair tent, the eldest with her hand on the tent pole.

Family line

Manasseh’s clans

  1. Machir

    Manasseh’s firstborn

    a man of war

    Now this was the allotment for the tribe of Manasseh as Joseph’s firstborn son, namely for Machir the firstborn of Manasseh and father of the Gileadites, who had received Gilead and Bashan because Machir was a man of war.

    • Abiezer
    • Helek
    • Asriel
    • Shechem
    • Hepher
    • Shemida

    The other clans

    So this allotment was for the rest of the descendants of Manasseh—the clans of Abiezer, Helek, Asriel, Shechem, Hepher, and Shemida. These are the other male descendants of the clans of Manasseh son of Joseph.

  3. Zelophehad

    Son of Hepher

    no sons, only daughters

    But Zelophehad son of Hepher (the son of Gilead, the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh) had no sons but only daughters.

    • Mahlah
    • Noah
    • Hoglah
    • Milcah
    • Tirzah

    His daughters

    These are the names of his daughters: Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah.

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The daughters of Zelophehad
The daughters of Zelophehad

They approached Eleazar the priest, Joshua son of Nun, and the leaders, and said, “The LORD commanded Moses to give us an inheritance among our brothers.” So Joshua gave them an inheritance among their father’s brothers, in keeping with the command of the LORD.

Reflect

Taking God at His word

The five sisters did not argue or plead. They reminded the leaders what God had already said: “The LORD commanded Moses to give us an inheritance among our brothers.” And Joshua kept it, “in keeping with the command of the LORD.” Which promise of God do you need to stand on like that? Write it down, and next to it one way you will hold on to it this week.

Thus ten shares fell to Manasseh, in addition to the land of Gilead and Bashan beyond the Jordan, because the daughters of Manasseh received an inheritance among his sons. And the land of Gilead belonged to the rest of the sons of Manasseh.

On a terraced hillside, two neighboring family plots of green barley, one wide and one narrow, divided by a low line of fieldstones with one upright boundary stone.

The borders

Manasseh’s border

  1. Asher to Michmethath, near Shechem

    Now the border of Manasseh went from Asher to Michmethath near Shechem, then southward to include the inhabitants of En-tappuah.

  2. Tappuah’s land, Ephraim’s town

    The region of Tappuah belonged to Manasseh, but Tappuah itself, on the border of Manasseh, belonged to Ephraim.

  3. South

    South to the Brook of Kanah

    From there the border continued southward to the Brook of Kanah.

  4. Ephraim’s towns, Manasseh’s land

    There were cities belonging to Ephraim among the cities of Manasseh, but the border of Manasseh was on the north side of the brook and ended at the Sea.

  5. Neighbors

    Asher north, Issachar east

    Ephraim’s territory was to the south, and Manasseh’s was to the north, having the Sea as its border and adjoining Asher on the north and Issachar on the east.

Question

Quick question

Manasseh west of the Jordan was shared out in ten parts.

Why were there ten shares for Manasseh west of the Jordan?

The house of Joseph

Then the sons of Joseph said to Joshua, “Why have you given us only one portion as an inheritance? We have many people, because the LORD has blessed us abundantly.”

Joshua

Joshua answered them, “If you have so many people that the hill country of Ephraim is too small for you, go to the forest and clear for yourself an area in the land of the Perizzites and the Rephaim.”

The house of Joseph

“The hill country is not enough for us,” they replied, “and all the Canaanites who live in the valley have iron chariots, both in Beth-shean with its towns and in the Valley of Jezreel.”

Seen from the wooded hills, far off across the flat green Valley of Jezreel at midday: a row of light two-wheeled Canaanite chariots with dark iron fittings standing idle outside a walled town, their horses harnessed, drivers standing by.
A dense oak and pine forest on the hills of Manasseh in morning light, mist between the trunks, and at the bottom a first small clearing with fresh-cut stumps and felled trees.

So Joshua said to the house of Joseph—to Ephraim and Manasseh—“You have many people and great strength. You shall not have just one allotment, because the hill country will be yours as well. It is a forest; clear it, and its farthest limits will be yours. Although the Canaanites have iron chariots and although they are strong, you can drive them out.”

0:21

Narrated by Bob Souer · BSB audio, public domain

Men of Manasseh in plain tunics clearing a wooded hillside: bronze axes, oxen dragging a stump, stones piled into a new terrace wall, a patch of burned brush smoking, forest behind.

It is a forest; clear it, and its farthest limits will be yours.

Joshua 17:18

Pray

Strength for the work

Joseph’s sons boasted, “the LORD has blessed us abundantly,” and then asked for an easier share. Joshua told them, “You have many people and great strength.” Thank God for the strength He has already given you. Ask Him for faith to see His blessing as strength for the work, and for courage to take up the hard ground He has placed in front of you.

You’ve experienced

Joshua 17

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A verse to carry with you

It is a forest; clear it, and its farthest limits will be yours.

Joshua 17:18

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