Chapter 17:
| Darby
| Geneva
| Gill
| Jamieson Faussett Brown
| Matthew Henry
| Matthew Henry Concise
| Wesley
| Index
| Bible Gateway |
Introduction 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 Deuteronomy Judges
Joshua 17
The families of Manasseh, ver. 1-6. The country that fell to
their lot, ver. 7-18. Their request for more land, ver. 14-18.
Verse 1. The first born of Joseph - The sense is, though Ephraim was to
be more potent and numerous, yet Manasseh was the first-born,
and had the privilege of the first-born, which was translated to
Joseph, namely, a double portion; and therefore though this was
but half the tribe of Manasseh, yet they are not made intimates to
Ephraim, but have a distinct lot of their own, as their brethren, or
other half tribe had beyond Jordan. For Machir - The only son of
Manasseh, who therefore is here, put for the whole tribe. The
first-born - So even only sons are sometimes called, as Matt. i, 25.
He - That is, Machir, had given great proof of his valour (though
the particular history be not mentioned) and his posterity were no
degenerate sons, but had his valiant blood still running in their
veins. Gilead and Bashan - Part of these countries; for part of
them was also given to the Reubenites, and part to the Gadites.
This may be added as a reason, either,
1. why he got those places from the Amorites: or
2. why they were allotted to him or his posterity, because this was
a frontier country, and the out-works to the land of Canaan, and
therefore required valiant persons to defend it.
Verse 2. A Lot - A distinct inheritance. The rest - Namely, those of them
which had not received their possessions beyond Jordan. Male-
children - This expression is used to bring in what follows,
concerning his female children.
Verse 4. He - That is, Eleazar, or Joshua, with the consent of the princes
appointed for that work.
Verse 5. Ten portions - Five for the sons, and five for the daughters; for
as for Hepher, both he and his son Zelophehad was dead, and that
without sons, and therefore had no portion; but his daughters had
several portions allotted to them.
Verse 6. The daughters - Not less than the son, so the sex was no bar to
their inheritance.
Verse 9. Three cities - Tappuah, and the cities upon the coast descending
to the river, &c. last mentioned. Among the cities of Manasseh -
That is, are intermixed with their cities, which was not strange nor
unfit, these two being linked together by a nearer alliance than the
rest.
Verse 10. His border - Manasseh's, whose portion is here described, and
whose name was last mentioned. In Asher - That is, upon the tribe
of Asher; for though Zebulon came between Asher and them for
the greatest part of their land; yet it seems there was some necks
of land, both of Ephraim's and of Manasseh's, which jutted out
farther than the rest, and touched the borders of Asher. And it is
certain there were many such incursions of the land of one tribe
upon some parcels of another, although they were otherwise
considerably distant one from the other.
Verse 11. Manasseh had in Issachar and in Asher - As Ephraim had
some cities in the tribe of Manasseh, and as it was not unusual,
when the place allotted to any tribe was too narrow for it, and the
next too large, to give away part from the larger to the less
portion; nay, sometimes one whole tribe was taken into another;
as Simeon's was into Judah's portion, when it was found too large
for Judah. Inhabitants of Dor - Not the places only, but the people;
whom they spared and used for servants. Three countries - The
words may be rendered, the third part of that country; and so the
meaning may be, that the cities and towns here mentioned are a
third part of that country, that is, of that part of Issachar's and
Asher's portion, in which those places lay.
Verse 14. Children of Joseph - That is, of Ephraim and Manasseh. Spake
unto Joshua - That is, expostulated with him, when they went and
saw that portion which was allotted them, and found it much short
of their expectation. One portion - Either,
1. because they really had but one lot, which was afterwards
divided by the arbitrators between them. Or,
2. because the land severally allotted to them, was but little
enough for one of them.
Verse 15. A great people - He retorts their own argument; seeing thou
art a great and numerous people, turn thy complaints into action,
and enlarge thy borders by thy own hand, to which thou mayest
confidently expect God's assistance. The wood-country - To the
mountain, as it is called, ver. 18, where among some towns there
is much wood-land, which thou mayest without much difficulty
possess, and so get the more room. And cut down - The wood, for
thy own advantage; in building more cities and towns; and
preparing the land for pasture and tillage. The Perizzites -
Supposed to be a savage and brutish kind of people, that lived in
woods and mountains. Giants - Who lived in caves and
mountains, now especially when they were driven out of their
cities. If mount Ephraim - Or, seeing mount Ephraim is too
narrow for thee, as thou complainest; take to thyself the rest of
that hilly and wood country. Mount Ephraim was a particular
portion of the land, belonging to the tribe of Ephraim. And this
seems to be here mentioned, for all the portion allotted to Ephraim
and Manasseh, as appears from their complaint, which was not,
that this part, but that their whole portion was too strait for them.
Verse 16. Is not enough - Hebrew. the hill will not be found, that is,
obtained by us; those fierce and strong people the Perizzites and
the giants will easily defend themselves, and frustrate our
attempts, having the advantage of the woods and mountains. The
Canaanites that dwell - That is, and if thou sayest, that if the hill
either cannot be conquered, or is not sufficient for us, we may go
down and take more land out of the pleasant and fruitful valleys,
we shall meet with no less difficulty there than in the mountains.
Chariots of iron - Not all made of iron, but armed with iron, not
only for defense, but for offense also, having as it were scythes
and swords fastened to them, to cut down all that stood in their
way.
Verse 17. One lot only - Thou needest and deservedst more than that lot,
of which thou art actually possessed, and thou hast power to get
more; which if thou endeavourest to do, God will bless thee, and
give thee more.
Verse 18. The out-goings of it - The valleys and fields belonging or
adjoining to it, for there the Canaanites were, ver. 16.
Chapter 17:
| Darby
| Geneva
| Gill
| Jamieson Faussett Brown
| Matthew Henry
| Matthew Henry Concise
| Wesley
| Index
| Bible Gateway |
Introduction 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 Deuteronomy Judges
This version of Wesley's Notes on the Bible is a derivative of an electronic version, Copyright 1997, by Sulu D. Kelley. All rights reserved. Used by permission. It may not be modified or used commercially without permission of Wesleyan Heritage Publishing and Sulu Kelley. A special thanks to Mr. Kelley and Wesleyan Heritage Publishing for permission to create and post this version of Wesley's Notes on the Bible.
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