for want of speaking to Joshua, but seasonable 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 an 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 they 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 out-goings 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 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. 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. 16. 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 each 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 between 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. 16. 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 Josh ua 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 showed 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
