Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary

on the Whole Bible

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Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible (1708)

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J O S H U A

CHAP. XVII.

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The half tribe of Manasseh comes next to be provided for; and here we

have,

I. The families of that tribe that were to be portioned,

ver. 1-6.

II. The country that fell to their lot,

ver. 7-13.

III. The joint request of the two tribes that descended from Joseph,

for the enlargement of their lot, and Joshua’s answer to that request,

ver. 14-18.

The Inheritance of Joseph’s Children.	B. C. 1444.

     

1 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 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 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 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 And there fell ten portions to Manasseh, beside the land of

Gilead and Bashan, which were on the other side Jordan;

  6 Because the daughters of Manasseh had an inheritance among

his sons: and the rest of Manasseh’s sons had the land of Gilead.

     

Manasseh was itself but one half of the tribe of Joseph, and yet was

divided and subdivided.

1. It was divided into two parts, one already settled on the other side

Jordan, consisting of those who were the posterity of Machir,

v. 1.

This Machir was born to Manasseh in Egypt; there he had signalized

himself as a man of war, probably in the contests between the

Ephraimites and the men of Gath,

1 Chron. vii. 21.

His warlike disposition descended to his posterity, and therefore Moses

gave them Gilead and Bashan, on the other side Jordan, of which before,

ch. xiii. 31.

It is here said that the lot came to Manasseh, for he was the

first-born of Joseph. Bishop Patrick thinks it should be

translated, though he was the first-born of Joseph, and then the

meaning is plain, that the second lot was for Manasseh, because, though

he was the first-born, yet Jacob had preferred Ephraim before him. See

the names of those heads of the families that settled on the other side

Jordan,

1 Chron. v. 24.

2. That part on this side Jordan as subdivided into ten families,

v. 5.

There were six sons of Gilead here named

(v. 2),

the same that are recorded

Num. xxvi. 30-32,

only that he who is there called Jezeer is here called

Abiezer. Five of these sons had each of them their portion; the

sixth, which was Hepher, had his male line cut off in his son

Zelophehad, who left daughters only, five in number, of whom we have

often read, and these five had each of them a portion; though perhaps,

they claiming under Hepher, all their five portions were but equal to

one of the portions of the five sons. Or if Hepher had other sons

besides Zelophehad, in whom the name of his family was kept up, their

posterity married to the daughters of Zelophehad the elder brother, and

in their right had these portions assigned them. See

Num. xxxvi. 12.

Here is,

(1.) The claim which the daughters of Zelophehad made, grounded upon

the command God gave to Moses concerning them,

v. 4.

They had themselves, when they were young, pleaded their own cause

before Moses, and obtained the grant of an inheritance with their

brethren, and now they would not lose the benefit of that grant for

want of speaking to Joshua, but seasonably put in their demand

themselves, as it should seem, and not their husbands for them.

(2.) The assignment of their portions according to their claim. Joshua

knew very well what God had ordered in their case, and did not object

that they having not served in the wars of Canaan there was no reason

why they should share in the possessions of Canaan, but readily gave

them as inheritance among the brethren of their father. And now

they reaped the benefit of their own pious zeal and prudent forecast in

this matter. Thus those who take care in the wilderness of this world

to make sure to themselves a place in the inheritance of the saints in

light will certainly have the comfort of it in the other world, while

those that neglect it now will lose it for ever.

     

  7 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 Now Manasseh had the land of Tappuah: but Tappuah on the

border of Manasseh belonged to the children of Ephraim;

  9 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 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 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 Endor and her towns, and the

inhabitants of Taanach and her towns, and the inhabitants of

Megiddo and her towns, even three countries.

  12 Yet the children of Manasseh could not drive out the

inhabitants of those cities; but the Canaanites would dwell in

that land.

  13 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.

     

We have here a short account of the lot of this half tribe. It reached

from Jordan on the east to the great sea on the west; on the south it

lay all along contiguous to Ephraim, but on the north it abutted upon

Asher and Issachar. Asher lay north-west, and Issachar north-east,

which seems to be the meaning of that

(v. 10),

that they (that is, Manasseh and Ephraim, as related to it, both

together making the tribe of Joseph) met in Asher on the north and

Issachar on the east, for Ephraim itself reached not those tribes. Some

things are particularly observed concerning this lot:–

1. That there was great communication between this tribe and that of

Ephraim. The city of Tappuah belonged to Ephraim, but the country

adjoining to Manasseh

(v. 8);

there were likewise many cities of Ephraim that lay within the border

of Manasseh

(v. 9),

of which before,

ch. xvi. 9.

2. That Manasseh likewise had cities with their appurtenances in the

tribes of Issachar and Asher

(v. 11),

God so ordering it, that though every tribe had its peculiar

inheritance, which might not be alienated from it, yet they should thus

intermix one with another, to keep up mutual acquaintance and

correspondence among the tribes, and to give occasion for the doing of

good offices one to another, as became those who, though of different

tribes, were all one Israel, and were bound to love as brethren.

3. That they suffered the Canaanites to live among them, contrary to

the command of God, serving their own ends by conniving at them, for

they made them tributaries,

v. 12, 13.

The Ephraimites had done the same

(ch. xvi. 10),

and from them perhaps the Manassites learned it, and with their example

excused themselves in it. The most remarkable person of this half tribe

in after-time was Gideon, whose great actions were done within this

lot. He was of the family of Abiezer; Cesarea was in this lot, and

Antipatris, famed in the latter ages of the Jewish state.

     

  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 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.

     

Here,

I. The children of Joseph quarrel with their lot; if they had had any

just cause to quarrel with it, we have reason to think Joshua would

have relieved them, by adding to it, or altering it, which it does not

appear he did. It is probable, because Joshua was himself of the tribe

of Ephraim, they promised themselves that they should have some

particular favour shown them, and should not be confined to the

decision of the lot so closely as the other tribes; but Joshua makes

them know that in the discharge of his office, as a public person, he

had no more regard to his own tribe than to any other, but would

administer impartially, without favour or affection, wherein he has

left an excellent example to all in public trusts. It was a very

competent provision that was made for them, as much, for aught that

appears, as they were able to manage, and yet they call it in disdain

but one lot, as if that which was assigned to them both was

scarcely sufficient for one. The word for complainers

(Jude 16)

is mempsimoiroi, blamers of their lot:–

1. That they were very numerous, through the blessing of God upon them

(v. 14):

I am a great people, for the Lord has blessed me; and we have

reason to hope that he that hath sent mouths will send meat. “I am a

great people, and in so small a lot shall not have room to

thrive.” Yet observe, when they speak thankfully of their present

increase, they do not speak confidently of the continuance of it. “The

Lord has blessed me hitherto, however he may see fit to deal with me

for the future.” The uncertainty of what may be must not make us

unthankful for what has been and is done in kindness to us.

2. That a good part of that country which had now fallen to their lot

was in the hands of the Canaanites, and that they were formidable

enemies, who brought into the field of battle chariots of iron

(v. 16),

that is, chariots with long scythes fastened to the sides of them, or

the axle-tree, which made great destruction of all that came in their

way, mowing them down like corn. They urge that though they had a good

portion assigned them, yet it was in bad hands, and they could not come

to the possession of it, wishing to have their lot in those countries

that were more thoroughly reduced than this was.

     

II. Joshua endeavours to reconcile them to their lot. He owns they were

a great people, and being two tribes ought to have more than

one lot only

(v. 17),

but tells them that what had fallen to their share would be a

sufficient lot for them both, if they would but work and fight. They

desired a lot in which they might indulge themselves in ease and

luxury. “No,” says Joshua, “you must not count upon that; in the

sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread is a sentence in force even

in Canaan itself.” He retorts their own argument, that they were a

great people. “If so, you are the better able to help

yourselves, and have the less reason to expect help from others. If

thou hast many mouths to be filled, thou hast twice as many hands to be

employed; earn, and then eat.”

1. He bids them work for more

(v. 15):

“Get thee up to the wood-country, which is within thy own

border, and let all hands be set to work to cut down the trees, rid the

rough lands, and make them, with art and industry, good arable ground.”

Note, Many wish for larger possessions who do not cultivate and make

the best of what they have, think they should have more talents given

them who do not trade with those with which they are entrusted. Most

people’s poverty is the effect of their idleness; would they dig, they

need not beg.

2. He bids them fight for more

(v. 17, 18),

when they pleaded that they could not come at the wood-lands he spoke

of because in the valley between them and it were Canaanites whom they

durst not enter the lists with. “Never fear them,” said Joshua, “thou

hast God on thy side, and thou shalt drive out the Canaanites,

if thou wilt set about it in good earnest, though they have iron

chariots.” We straiten ourselves by apprehending the difficulties

in the way of our enlargement to be greater than really they are. What

can be insuperable to faith and holy resolution?

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Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible (1708)

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