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Joshua 16

Joseph's territory divided

The inheritance of the children of Joseph is marked from Jordan by Jericho to the wilderness; the southern border goes to Luz and the northern border is described.

10 verses. The 16th of 24 chapters in Joshua, in History.

1The lot came out for the children of Joseph from the Jordan at Jericho, at the waters of Jericho on the east, even the wilderness, going up from Jericho through the hill country to Bethel.

2It went out from Bethel to Luz, and passed along to the border of the Archites to Ataroth;

3and it went down westward to the border of the Japhletites, to the border of Beth Horon the lower, and on to Gezer; and ended at the sea.

4The children of Joseph, Manasseh and Ephraim, took their inheritance.

5This was the border of the children of Ephraim according to their families. The border of their inheritance eastward was Ataroth Addar, to Beth Horon the upper.

6The border went out westward at Michmethath on the north. The border turned about eastward to Taanath Shiloh, and passed along it on the east of Janoah.

7It went down from Janoah to Ataroth, to Naarah, reached to Jericho, and went out at the Jordan.

8From Tappuah the border went along westward to the brook of Kanah; and ended at the sea. This is the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Ephraim according to their families;

9together with the cities which were set apart for the children of Ephraim in the middle of the inheritance of the children of Manasseh, all the cities with their villages.

10They didn’t drive out the Canaanites who lived in Gezer; but the Canaanites dwell in the territory of Ephraim to this day, and have become servants to do forced labor.

Matthew Henry on Joshua 16

1,153 words, in 2 passages.

  1. Verses 1–4The Lot of Joseph. (b. c. 1444.)
  2. Verses 5–10The Inheritance of Joseph's Children. (b. c. 1444.)

World English Bible. Public domain. Set as prose throughout, including the poetry, because the text is published to us without its lines.