Joshua 21, Levite Inheritance

The distribution of the land has been made for the tribes. Now we need to make sure the Levites have places to live.

Joshua 21:1-3, Towns for the Levites

Now the family heads of the Levites approached Eleazar the priest, Joshua son of Nun, and the heads of the other tribal families of Israel at Shiloh in Canaan and said to them, "The LORD commanded through Moses that you give us towns to live in, with pasturelands for our livestock."

The Levites approach the leaders and remind them of their need. The leaders are at Shiloh, which acts as the capitol of Israel at this time; the high priest and the ark of the covenant are there.  

Joshua 21:3-8, Towns distributed by lot

So, as the LORD had commanded, the Israelites gave the Levites the following towns and pasturelands out of their own inheritance: The first lot came out for the Kohathites, clan by clan. The Levites who were descendants of Aaron the priest were allotted thirteen towns from the tribes of Judah, Simeon and Benjamin. The rest of Kohath's descendants were allotted ten towns from the clans of the tribes of Ephraim, Dan and half of Manasseh.

The descendants of Gershon were allotted thirteen towns from the clans of the tribes of Issachar, Asher, Naphtali and the half-tribe of Manasseh in Bashan.

The descendants of Merari, clan by clan, received twelve towns from the tribes of Reuben, Gad and Zebulun.

So the Israelites allotted to the Levites these towns and their pasturelands, as the LORD had commanded through Moses.

We see described the precise towns for various Levite clans. The land requirements for Levite families in each town is described in Numbers 35:1-5 and comes out to about a square kilometer of land.

Joshua 21:9-12, Towns from Judah and Simeon

From the tribes of Judah and Simeon they allotted the following towns by name (these towns were assigned to the descendants of Aaron who were from the Kohathite clans of the Levites, because the first lot fell to them): They gave them Kiriath Arba (that is, Hebron), with its surrounding pastureland, in the hill country of Judah. (Arba was the forefather of Anak.) But the fields and villages around the city they had given to Caleb son of Jephunneh as his possession.

Some land is given to Caleb, as described previously in Joshua 14:6-15. Madvig identifies a "village" as a small settlement outside the walls of a city.

Joshua 21:13-19, For the descendants of Aaron

So to the descendants of Aaron the priest they gave Hebron (a city of refuge for one accused of murder), Libnah, Jattir, Eshtemoa, Holon, Debir, Ain, Juttah and Beth Shemesh, together with their pasturelands--nine towns from these two tribes.

And from the tribe of Benjamin they gave them Gibeon, Geba, Anathoth and Almon, together with their pasturelands--four towns. All the towns for the priests, the descendants of Aaron, were thirteen, together with their pasturelands.

And some land is given specifically for the descendants of Aaron.

Joshua 21:20-26, For the Kohathites

The rest of the Kohathite clans of the Levites were allotted towns from the tribe of Ephraim: In the hill country of Ephraim they were given Shechem (a city of refuge for one accused of murder) and Gezer, Kibzaim and Beth Horon, together with their pasturelands--four towns.

Also from the tribe of Dan they received Eltekeh, Gibbethon, Aijalon and Gath Rimmon, together with their pasturelands--four towns. From half the tribe of Manasseh they received Taanach and Gath Rimmon, together with their pasturelands--two towns. All these ten towns and their pasturelands were given to the rest of the Kohathite clans.

The distribution of land for the Kohathite clans (in the tribe of Levi) are given land from that of Ephraim, Dan and Manasseh.

Joshua 21:27-40, Additional distributions

The Levite clans of the Gershonites were given: from the half-tribe of Manasseh, Golan in Bashan (a city of refuge for one accused of murder) and Be Eshtarah, together with their pasturelands--two towns; from the tribe of Issachar, Kishion, Daberath, Jarmuth and En Gannim, together with their pasturelands--four towns; from the tribe of Asher, Mishal, Abdon, Helkath and Rehob, together with their pasturelands--four towns; from the tribe of Naphtali, Kedesh in Galilee (a city of refuge for one accused of murder), Hammoth Dor and Kartan, together with their pasturelands--three towns. 

All the towns of the Gershonite clans were thirteen, together with their pasturelands.

 

The Merarite clans (the rest of the Levites) were given: from the tribe of Zebulun, Jokneam, Kartah, Dimnah and Nahalal, together with their pasturelands--four towns; from the tribe of Reuben, Bezer, Jahaz, Kedemoth and Mephaath, together with their pasturelands--four towns; from the tribe of Gad, Ramoth in Gilead (a city of refuge for one accused of murder), Mahanaim, Heshbon and Jazer, together with their pasturelands--four towns in all.

All the towns allotted to the Merarite clans, who were the rest of the Levites, were twelve.

Land distributions are described for the Gershonites and Merarites (subtribes of Levi.)  The distribution includes sanctuary cities.

Joshua 21:41-45, Summary

The towns of the Levites in the territory held by the Israelites were forty-eight in all, together with their pasturelands. Each of these towns had pasturelands surrounding it; this was true for all these towns.

So the LORD gave Israel all the land he had sworn to give their forefathers, and they took possession of it and settled there. The LORD gave them rest on every side, just as he had sworn to their forefathers. Not one of their enemies withstood them; the LORD handed all their enemies over to them.

Not one of all the LORD's good promises to the house of Israel failed; every one was fulfilled.

The anticipated result now is "rest on every side" -- the Israelites have literally taken over the promised land and so have the Promised Rest that YHWH gives them. This ending, with its emphasis on rest, echoes the last sentence in Joshua 14:15, where the land distributions of Caleb were previously described.

First published June 19, 2023; updated June 18, 2026

Joshua 20, Cities of Refuge

Another short chapter. (Remember, chapter divisions were determined in the Middle Ages and were never part of the original text.)

We have divided the land. Now we work on cities of refuge, an important justice concept for ancient Israel.

Joshua 20:1-6, The refuge city concept

Then the LORD said to Joshua: Tell the Israelites to designate the cities of refuge, as I instructed you through Moses, so that anyone who kills a person accidentally and unintentionally may flee there and find protection from the avenger of blood.

"When he flees to one of these cities, he is to stand in the entrance of the city gate and state his case before the elders of that city. Then they are to admit him into their city and give him a place to live with them. If the avenger of blood pursues him, they must not surrender the one accused, because he killed his neighbor unintentionally and without malice aforethought. He is to stay in that city until he has stood trial before the assembly and until the death of the high priest who is serving at that time. Then he may go back to his own home in the town from which he fled."

The city of refuge deals with accidental killing, that is, manslaughter, and allows the right of trial.    Madvig, in his commentary on Joshua, claims that this is extraordinary --  although the "right of sanctuary" was common in the ancient Near East, the concept of a city of refuge was not.

Joshua 20:7-9, Refuge cities

So they set apart Kedesh in Galilee in the hill country of Naphtali, Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim, and Kiriath Arba (that is, Hebron) in the hill country of Judah. On the east side of the Jordan of Jericho they designated Bezer in the desert on the plateau in the tribe of Reuben, Ramoth in Gilead in the tribe of Gad, and Golan in Bashan in the tribe of Manasseh.

Any of the Israelites or any alien living among them who killed someone accidentally could flee to these designated cities and not be killed by the avenger of blood prior to standing trial before the assembly.

The cities of refuge are spread out across Canaan so that everyone has a good chance of getting to one. Kedesh is in Galilee, that is, northern Israel, Shechem is in the center and Kiriath Arba, the town given to Caleb (Joshua 14:13-15), is in the south.

One notes that aliens in the land had the same right as any Israelite to a city of refuge. Israel is to always be conscious of the status of "alien", recalling their own time as aliens in Egypt.

(NIV footnotes: In verse 8, "Jordan of Jericho" was possibly an ancient name for the Jordan River.)

First published June 17, 2023; updated June 17, 2026

Joshua 19, The Inheritance of Simeon, Zebulun, Issachar, Asher, Naphtali, Dan

As this chapter begins, there are still six more tribes that are to be assigned land under the authority of Joshua with the guidance of the high priest, Eleazar. The reporting on these last six tribes is somewhat shorter than the reports on other tribes. 

On the left, below, I have a map that attempts to show the possessions of the twelve tribes at the time of Joshua. On the right I have a map of modern Israel.  One notes that the land of the transjordan (east of Jordan) tribes is in modern Jordan and southwest Syria. The central cisjordan (west of Jordan) tribes fall across what is now the West Bank, territory controlled by Israel but claimed by Palestinians. The tribe of Dan appears twice, first at the lower right, against the Mediterranean Sea, but later much further north. (Maps were found here and here.)

Here is the description, in Joshua, of the distributions for five more tribes, Simeon, Zebulun, Asher, Naphtali, Dan.

Joshua 19:1-9, Distribution for Simeon

The second lot came out for the tribe of Simeon, clan by clan. Their inheritance lay within the territory of Judah. It included: Beersheba (or Sheba), Moladah, Hazar Shual, Balah, Ezem, Eltolad, Bethul, Hormah, Ziklag, Beth Marcaboth, Hazar Susah, Beth Lebaoth and Sharuhen--thirteen towns and their villages;

Ain, Rimmon, Ether and Ashan--four towns and their villages-- and all the villages around these towns as far as Baalath Beer (Ramah in the Negev). This was the inheritance of the tribe of the Simeonites, clan by clan.

The inheritance of the Simeonites was taken from the share of Judah, because Judah's portion was more than they needed. So the Simeonites received their inheritance within the territory of Judah.

An adjustment is made since the distribution for Judah was so large.

(NIV footnotes: In verse 2 there is some confusion. The text could be "Beersheba, Sheba"; 1 Chronicles 4:28 does not list Sheba.)

Joshua 19:10-16, Distribution for Zebulun

The third lot came up for Zebulun, clan by clan: The boundary of their inheritance went as far as Sarid. Going west it ran to Maralah, touched Dabbesheth, and extended to the ravine near Jokneam. It turned east from Sarid toward the sunrise to the territory of Kisloth Tabor and went on to Daberath and up to Japhia. Then it continued eastward to Gath Hepher and Eth Kazin; it came out at Rimmon and turned toward Neah.  There the boundary went around on the north to Hannathon and ended at the Valley of Iphtah El.

Included were Kattath, Nahalal, Shimron, Idalah and Bethlehem. There were twelve towns and their villages. These towns and their villages were the inheritance of Zebulun, clan by clan.

We have the boundaries and towns of Zebulun. The given count of twelve towns must include some of the border towns listed before verse 15.

Joshua 19:17-23, The distribution for Issachar

The fourth lot came out for Issachar, clan by clan. Their territory included: Jezreel, Kesulloth, Shunem, Hapharaim, Shion, Anaharath, Rabbith, Kishion, Ebez, Remeth, En Gannim, En Haddah and Beth Pazzez. The boundary touched Tabor, Shahazumah and Beth Shemesh, and ended at the Jordan. There were sixteen towns and their villages.

These towns and their villages were the inheritance of the tribe of Issachar, clan by clan.

We have the boundaries and towns of Issachar.

Joshua 19:24-31, The distribution for Asher

The fifth lot came out for the tribe of Asher, clan by clan. Their territory included: Helkath, Hali, Beten, Acshaph, Allammelech, Amad and Mishal. 

On the west the boundary touched Carmel and Shihor Libnath. It then turned east toward Beth Dagon, touched Zebulun and the Valley of Iphtah El, and went north to Beth Emek and Neiel, passing Cabul on the left. It went to Abdon, Rehob, Hammon and Kanah, as far as Greater Sidon. The boundary then turned back toward Ramah and went to the fortified city of Tyre, turned toward Hosah and came out at the sea in the region of Aczib, Ummah, Aphek and Rehob. There were twenty-two towns and their villages.

These towns and their villages were the inheritance of the tribe of Asher, clan by clan.

Here we have the boundaries and towns of Asher.  

(NIV footnotes: The NIV translation "Abdon" in verse 28 follows some Hebrew manuscripts (see also Joshua 21:30); but most ancient Hebrew manuscripts have "Ebron".)

Joshua 19:32-39, The distribution for Naphtali

The sixth lot came out for Naphtali, clan by clan: Their boundary went from Heleph and the large tree in Zaanannim, passing Adami Nekeb and Jabneel to Lakkum and ending at the Jordan. The boundary ran west through Aznoth Tabor and came out at Hukkok. It touched Zebulun on the south, Asher on the west and the Jordan on the east.

The fortified cities were Ziddim, Zer, Hammath, Rakkath, Kinnereth, Adamah, Ramah, Hazor, Kedesh, Edrei, En Hazor, Iron, Migdal El, Horem, Beth Anath and Beth Shemesh. There were nineteen towns and their villages.

These towns and their villages were the inheritance of the tribe of Naphtali, clan by clan.

Here we have the boundaries and towns of Naphtali. Note "the large tree" identified as a landmark! 

The tribes of Asher, Zebulun, Napthali and Issachar possess land in norther Canaan, between the Sea of Galilee and the Mediterranean Sea. The tribe of Dan will later join them there. The map below is an insert from the leftmost map above.

Joshua 19:40-48, The distribution for Dan

The seventh lot came out for the tribe of Dan, clan by clan. The territory of their inheritance included: Zorah, Eshtaol, Ir Shemesh, Shaalabbin, Aijalon, Ithlah, Elon, Timnah, Ekron, Eltekeh, Gibbethon, Baalath,  Jehud, Bene Berak, Gath Rimmon,  Me Jarkon and Rakkon, with the area facing Joppa.

(But the Danites had difficulty taking possession of their territory, so they went up and attacked Leshem, took it, put it to the sword and occupied it. They settled in Leshem and named it Dan after their forefather.)

These towns and their villages were the inheritance of the tribe of Dan, clan by clan.

We have the boundaries and towns of Dan.

Joshua 19:49-51, Joshua's portion

When they had finished dividing the land into its allotted portions, the Israelites gave Joshua son of Nun an inheritance among them, as the LORD had commanded. They gave him the town he asked for--Timnath Serah in the hill country of Ephraim. And he built up the town and settled there.

These are the territories that Eleazar the priest, Joshua son of Nun and the heads of the tribal clans of Israel assigned by lot at Shiloh in the presence of the LORD at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. And so they finished dividing the land.

NIV footnotes: In verse 50, Timnath Serah is also known as Timnath Heres (see Judges 2:9.)  Heres may have been an ancient word for "sun" leftover from worship of the sun and one of the gods of nature.

First published June 16, 2023; updated June 16, 2026

Joshua 18, The Inheritance of Benjamin

As we divide up the land, there are still seven tribes waiting for their allotment. (I am reminded of a part of American history in which land was distributed -- the Oklahoma land rush of 1889.)

Joshua 18:1-7, Tribes told to map out the land

The whole assembly of the Israelites gathered at Shiloh and set up the Tent of Meeting there. The country was brought under their control, but there were still seven Israelite tribes who had not yet received their inheritance.

So Joshua said to the Israelites: "How long will you wait before you begin to take possession of the land that the LORD, the God of your fathers, has given you? Appoint three men from each tribe. I will send them out to make a survey of the land and to write a description of it, according to the inheritance of each. Then they will return to me. You are to divide the land into seven parts. Judah is to remain in its territory on the south and the house of Joseph in its territory on the north. After you have written descriptions of the seven parts of the land, bring them here to me and I will cast lots for you in the presence of the LORD our God.

The Levites, however, do not get a portion among you, because the priestly service of the LORD is their inheritance. And Gad, Reuben and the half-tribe of Manasseh have already received their inheritance on the east side of the Jordan. Moses the servant of the LORD gave it to them."

Joshua delegates the mapping of the land, having three men from each tribe survey the portions of Canaan which remain.

Joshua 18:8-10, Mappings and lots

As the men started on their way to map out the land, Joshua instructed them, "Go and make a survey of the land and write a description of it. Then return to me, and I will cast lots for you here at Shiloh in the presence of the LORD."

So the men left and went through the land. They wrote its description on a scroll, town by town, in seven parts, and returned to Joshua in the camp at Shiloh. Joshua then cast lots for them in Shiloh in the presence of the LORD, and there he distributed the land to the Israelites according to their tribal divisions.

As the surveyors return, the land is apparently divided by lot (by random chance.) It is likely that the lots were really cast by Eleazar.

Joshua 18:11-20  Distributions for Benjamin

The lot came up for the tribe of Benjamin, clan by clan. Their allotted territory lay between the tribes of Judah and Joseph: On the north side their boundary began at the Jordan, passed the northern slope of Jericho and headed west into the hill country, coming out at the desert of Beth Aven. From there it crossed to the south slope of Luz (that is, Bethel) and went down to Ataroth Addar on the hill south of Lower Beth Horon. From the hill facing Beth Horon on the south the boundary turned south along the western side and came out at Kiriath Baal (that is, Kiriath Jearim), a town of the people of Judah. This was the western side.

The southern side began at the outskirts of Kiriath Jearim on the west, and the boundary came out at the spring of the waters of Nephtoah. The boundary went down to the foot of the hill facing the Valley of Ben Hinnom, north of the Valley of Rephaim. It continued down the Hinnom Valley along the southern slope of the Jebusite city and so to En Rogel. It then curved north, went to En Shemesh, continued to Geliloth, which faces the Pass of Adummim, and ran down to the Stone of Bohan son of Reuben. It continued to the northern slope of Beth Arabah and on down into the Arabah. It then went to the northern slope of Beth Hoglah and came out at the northern bay of the Salt Sea,at the mouth of the Jordan in the south. This was the southern boundary.

The Jordan formed the boundary on the eastern side. These were the boundaries that marked out the inheritance of the clans of Benjamin on all sides.

As we divide up the land, finally there is the inheritance of the descendants of the youngest son of Jacob. Considerable detail is given for this small tribe.

Joshua 18:21-28, Cities of Benjamin

The tribe of Benjamin, clan by clan, had the following cities: Jericho, Beth Hoglah, Emek Keziz, Beth Arabah, Zemaraim, Bethel, Avvim, Parah, Ophrah, Kephar Ammoni, Ophni and Geba--twelve towns and their villages.

Gibeon, Ramah, Beeroth, Mizpah, Kephirah, Mozah, Rekem, Irpeel, Taralah, Zelah, Haeleph, the Jebusite city (that is, Jerusalem), Gibeah and Kiriath--fourteen towns and their villages. 

This was the inheritance of Benjamin for its clans.

We finalize the distribution for Benjamin by listing cities. The future Jerusalem is one of these towns. Jerusalem is barely within the region assigned to Benjamin and will, at times, be part of Judah. 

The first king of Israel, Saul, will come out of Benjamin. He will be buried in Zelah (2 Samuel 21:14.)

An old map (found here) attempts to draw the region of Benjamin.

First published June 15, 2023; updated June 15, 2026

Segulla, A Special Possession

The Hebrew language is rich with many words and concepts that do not carry over directly into English and so must be translated with a variety of English words or phrases. We will look at some of these as we go through the Old Testament. One special word, used by YHWH in Exodus, is segulla, a word that is repeated (in Greek) in the New Testament.

סְגֻלָּה

In Exodus 19:4-6, God tells Moses that Israel has been carried on eagles' wings out of Egypt and set aside as a "particular people", a "treasured possession." Carmen Imes, in her class on Exodus, focuses on the phrase "treasured possession." It is the Hebrew word segulla, appearing eight times in the Old Testament. It means a special personal treasure, maybe a favorite piece of jewelry. In the Old Testament, prior to the First Temple period, it appears as a description, by YHWH, of His special covenant people and is a sweet term of endearment. (Wealthy king Solomon, with too many wives, uses the word in Ecclesiastes 2:8 for material objects like gold and silver he has collected.) 

In the Septuagint the Hebrew word segulla is translated as the Greek peripoiesis. This Greek word, signifying God's love for the people of Israel, is then used in 1 Peter 2:9 to describe the followers of Messiah Yeshua (Jesus):

But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.

The term segulla is affectionate. Sarah E. Fisher, in this blog on Hebrew words, recalls a letter from her mother in which her mother calls Sarah her segulla. (I recommend that article and Sarah's blog, hebrewwordlessons.com in general.) Ben Frostad, another follower of Yeshua, traces the Scripture's use of segulla here. 

The God who carried Israel on eagles' wings, who promised to make them a royal priesthood and a holy nation, continues that work through Messiah Yeshua. The beloved treasure of YHWH is His followers. As one of those treasures, I am trying to better understand this strange Old Testament, God's covenant with Israel!

First published June 4, 2023; updated June 14, 2026

Joshua 17, The Inheritance of Manasseh

We continue to divide up the land of Canaan. The tribes of Gad, Reuben and half of the tribe of Manasseh have been given land east of the Jordan.  After that, land was distributed to Judah and Ephraim. Now we move on to the distribution for the rest of Manasseh.

Joshua 17:1-6, The allotment for Manasseh

This was the allotment for the tribe of Manasseh as Joseph's firstborn, that is, for Makir, Manasseh's firstborn. Makir was the ancestor of the Gileadites, who had received Gilead and Bashan because the Makirites were great soldiers.

So this allotment was for the rest of the people of Manasseh--the clans of Abiezer, Helek, Asriel, Shechem, Hepher and Shemida. These are the other male descendants of Manasseh son of Joseph by their clans. Now Zelophehad son of Hepher, the son of Gilead, the son of Makir, the son of Manasseh, had no sons but only daughters, whose names were Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah and Tirzah. 

They went to 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 along with the brothers of their father, according to the LORD's command.

Manasseh's share consisted of ten tracts of land besides Gilead and Bashan east of the Jordan, because the daughters of the tribe of Manasseh received an inheritance among the sons. The land of Gilead belonged to the rest of the descendants of Manasseh.

Makir was apparently the only son of Manasseh, according to Genesis 50:22-23. Madvig, in his commentary, says that Makir was sometimes the name given for those descendants of Manasseh who settled east of the Jordan.

Note, even in these very patriarchal times, there was an understanding that if one only had daughters, there still should be some type of inheritance for one's descendants.

Joshua 17:7-13, The allotment for Manasseh, continued

The territory of Manasseh extended from Asher to Micmethath east of Shechem. The boundary ran southward from there to include the people living at En Tappuah. (Manasseh had the land of Tappuah, but Tappuah itself, on the boundary of Manasseh, belonged to the Ephraimites.)

Then the boundary continued south to the Kanah Ravine. There were towns belonging to Ephraim lying among the towns of Manasseh, but the boundary of Manasseh was the northern side of the ravine and ended at the sea.  On the south the land belonged to Ephraim, on the north to Manasseh. The territory of Manasseh reached the sea and bordered Asher on the north and Issachar on the east.

Within Issachar and Asher, Manasseh also had Beth Shan, Ibleam and the people of Dor, Endor, Taanach and Megiddo, together with their surrounding settlements (the third in the list is Naphoth). Yet the Manassites were not able to occupy these towns, for the Canaanites were determined to live in that region. However, when the Israelites grew stronger, they subjected the Canaanites to forced labor but did not drive them out completely.

(In verse 11, Naphoth by itself does not really make sense and is probably Naphoth Dor.  Naphoth Dor  means "the heights of Dor.")

Like other tribes, Manasseh, west of the Jordan, did not fully conquer the land. After some time they were able to control the land but the Canaanites remained in the land as servants.

Joshua 17:14-18, The people of Joseph challenged to extend their land

The people of Joseph said to Joshua, "Why have you given us only one allotment and one portion for an inheritance? We are a numerous people and the LORD has blessed us abundantly."

"If you are so numerous," Joshua answered, "and if the hill country of Ephraim is too small for you, go up into the forest and clear land for yourselves there in the land of the Perizzites and Rephaites."

The people of Joseph replied, "The hill country is not enough for us, and all the Canaanites who live in the plain have iron chariots, both those in Beth Shan and its settlements and those in the Valley of Jezreel."

But Joshua said to the house of Joseph--to Ephraim and Manasseh--"You are numerous and very powerful. You will have not only one allotment but the forested hill country as well. Clear it, and its farthest limits will be yours; though the Canaanites have iron chariots and though they are strong, you can drive them out."

The Bronze Age has morphed into the Iron Age; those able to work with iron have power. Here the people of Joseph are intimidated by Canaanites with iron chariots.

Joshua reacts to the request for more land by telling the people of Ephraim to go forward and get the land.  One presumes that the Ephraimites were hoping to be given more land already conquered. Joshua's challenge confronts this.

First published June 14, 2023; updated June 13, 2026

Joshua 16, The Inheritance of Ephraim

After the conquest, the land is divided. We continue to record these divisions among the twelve tribes. After working through a long chapter of 62 verses, consisting mainly of Hebrew names, today we suddenly get a bit of a rest with a short chapter of only ten verses!

Joshua 16:1-4, The allotment for Joseph

The allotment for Joseph began at the Jordan of Jericho, east of the waters of Jericho, and went up from there through the desert into the hill country of Bethel. It went on from Bethel (that is, Luz), crossed over to the territory of the Arkites in Ataroth, descended westward to the territory of the Japhletites as far as the region of Lower Beth Horon and on to Gezer, ending at the sea.

So Manasseh and Ephraim, the descendants of Joseph, received their inheritance.

(NIV footnotes, the literal Hebrew in verse 2 is "Bethel to Luz" but apparently Bethel is Luz. See Genesis 28:19 or Genesis 35:6 for example.)

Joshua 16: 5-10, The territory of Ephraim

This was the territory of Ephraim, clan by clan: The boundary of their inheritance went from Ataroth Addar in the east to Upper Beth Horon and continued to the sea. From Micmethath on the north it curved eastward to Taanath Shiloh, passing by it to Janoah on the east. Then it went down from Janoah to Ataroth and Naarah, touched Jericho and came out at the Jordan. From Tappuah the border went west to the Kanah Ravine and ended at the sea. This was the inheritance of the tribe of the Ephraimites, clan by clan.

It also included all the towns and their villages that were set aside for the Ephraimites within the inheritance of the Manassites.

They did not dislodge the Canaanites living in Gezer; to this day the Canaanites live among the people of Ephraim but are required to do forced labor.

Some Canaanites live in the region "to this day", a recognition that the land was not completely conquered. Eventually Gezer will be conquered by a king of Egypt and then given to Solomon as a bridal dowry, see 1 Kings 9:15-19.

This chapter, focusing on the inheritance of Ephraim, is much shorter than the previous chapter, which focused on the more important tribe of Judah.

Below, according to one website, is a map of the portions ascribed to the tribes Manasseh and Ephraim, the descendants of Joseph.

First published June 13, 2023; updated June 12, 2026