The History of the Old Testament Methodized, Chapter 4 · Section 109
SECT. CIX.
JOſhua now with Eleazar the High Spirit, and the Elders of the Tribes (who were expreſly choſen and named by the Lord for this purpoſe, Numb. 34.17, &c.) at Gilgal ſet upon this great Work of dividing the Land on this ſide Jordan among the nine Tribes and an half. And accordingly firſt they caſt the Land into ſo many ſeveral Portions or Provinces as were the number of the Tribes that were to inhabit it, yet ſo as the certain bounds of each Portion or Province were not certainly limited, and appointed till they knew which Tribes the Lord would by the deſignation of the lot ſettle in each of them; and then they were to inlarge or leſſen the Portion, according as the number of the Tribe that was there to be ſetled was greater or leſs; ſo that the lots were only to determine in what part of the Country each Tribe ſhould be planted, and afterwards the quantity of the Land which each Tribe was to enjoy, was to be ſet out by Joſhua, Eleazar, and the Heads of the Tribes as was appointed, Numb. 26.55, 56. What manner of Lottery they uſed in this buſineſs is no where expreſſed. The common Opinion of the Hebrew Writers is, That there were two Pots or Ʋrnes ſet before the Tabernacle, the one having the Names of the Tribes in it, that were to have their portion of Land aſſigned to them; the other had juſt ſo many lots, in each of which ſuch and ſuch a part of the Land was deſcribed, and that ſome man appointed to that Service (probably Eleazar the High Prieſt) drew out firſt out of one Pot, one of the Tribes, then out of the other Pot, one of the lots there, and ſo that Tribe had their portion aſſigned them in that part of the Land, deſcribed and ſet forth in that lot, and accordingly they did by the reſt. And though this way and method be not any where particularly expreſſed in this Book, yet the phraſe that is often uſed in the following Chapters, that ſuch a lot came out, and ſuch a lot came up, may ſeem covertly to imply it, ſee Ch. 19.1, 10, 17. And herein the Hand of God in ordering the lots was the more wonderful, and the Propheſies of Jacob and Moſes concerning the ſeveral Inheritances of the Tribes were more evidenced to be of God. Joſhua therefore and the Elders now ſetting upon this Work, the firſt lot came out for the Tribe of Judah, and his lot fell out in the richeſt and beſt part of the Kingdom, whereby the purpoſe of God in exalting this Tribe above the reſt was made very apparent. The largeneſs of Judah's lot, and the bounds of it, and the Cities thereof are ſet forth, Chap. 15. The next two lots that were drawn were for Ephraim and Manaſſeh, the Sons of Joſeph, immediately one after the other, upon whom God transferred a part of Reuben's Birth-right, as is expreſſed, 1 Chron. 5.1, 2. The Writer of this Book firſt ſhews joyntly where the Inheritance of thoſe two Tribes lay, and then afterwards ſhews ſeverally what each of them had for their portion, Chap. 16. at verſ. 5. He begins the Diſcription of Ephraim's lot, which came out before the other. For though he was younger than Manaſſeh, yet he was prefer'd before him by Jacob's appointment, Gen. 48, 19. and beſides the Cities that ſtood within his own lot, he had many Cities allotted him within the portion of Manaſſeh, verſ. 9. The lot that fell to Manaſſeh is deſcribed Ch. 17. and 'tis ſaid to be for Machir, the only Son of Manaſſeh, whence the whole Tribe beareth the Name of Machir, Judg. 5.14. and becauſe Machir, that is the Machirites his Poſterity, were a Warlike people, they had Gilead and Baſhan allotted to them; that is, half of it, which they did win by diſpoſſeſſing the Enemy of it, ſee Numb. 32.39, 40. Therefore half of the Poſterity of Machir being ſetled on the Eaſt-ſide of Jordan, the other half were according to Gods appointment to have their portion and lot on the Weſt-ſide. And there fell ten portions to Manaſſeh; that is, their Land was divided into ſix parts, according to the number of the Sons of Gilead, mentioned verſ. 2. And Hepher's part (who was one of them) was divided into five parts or portions, and given to his Son Zelophehad's five Daughters, and ſo they were ten portions in all, ſee Numb. 26.33. The Cities and Country of Ephraim and Manaſſeh were much intermixed one with the other. Theſe two Tribes complained to Joſhua, that the quantity of Land aſſign'd to them for their portion was not ſufficient for them; They alledged that it was no more than might have been well aſſigned to one Tribe; Why haſt thou (ſay they) given us but one lot, and one portion to inherit, ſeeing we are a great people? But Joſhua and the reſt of the Commiſſioners had not given them too little circuit of Land to inhabit, but indeed part of it was over-grown with Woods, and a great part of it was yet in the poſſeſſion of the Canaanites, who had the advantage of Iron-Chariots to fight with; Alſo in their portion there were the Perizzites (a wild and ſavage people much given to Spoil and Prey) and the Rephaims or Giants with whom they were not very willing to encounter: Theſe things conſidered, theſe two Tribes thought they had reaſon to alledge, That they had no more given them than would well ſerve for one populous Tribe. Joſhua retorts the ſtrength of their argument upon themſelves. If (ſays he) ye be ſo great a people as you alledge, then you are the more able to drive out the Canaanites out of thoſe places allotted to you for your portion, and the greater will be your ſhame if you let them alone, and yet complain of the narrowneſs of your lot; If you are ſo great a people, get you up to the Wood-Country and cut down the Woods, and make the ground fit for Tillage, and build Houſes and Cities upon it, and drive out and deſtroy the Canaanites that lurk there; and ſo you may have Land enough to dwell in, and need not complain that your portion is too ſtraight for you. The Children of Joſeph reply, That if thoſe woody Hills and Mountains were made fit to inhabit, and were added to their portion, yet there would not be Land enough for them. And as for the Canaanites that dwelt in the Valleys and Champion-Countries, they were not ſo eaſily to be conquered, for they were a formidable people, and uſed Iron-Chariots in their Wars, which having Hooks and Sythes faſtened to them, did uſually do great Execution in a Fight, and mowed down all before them. Joſhua tells them, He could give them no other Anſwer than he had done. They were a great people, and had great Power, they excelled in number and ſtrength, and had no cauſe to complain that they had but only one lot, or that their portion was too ſtraight for them; for if their own Sloth, Cowardize and Diffidence of Gods Power and Providence did not hinder them, they might inlarge it when they would; If they were not wanting to themſelves, they would find the portion allotted to them was more than one lot; for if they took the courſe he preſcribed them, the mountainous Country would be theirs, they might plant it and poſſeſs it from one end to the other, and all the adjacent Vallies and Champion-Country would be theirs alſo, ſeeing if they did with Courage and Faith in God attempt to gain it, God would ſurely enable them to drive out the Canaanites, notwithſtanding all their ſtrength, and the advantage they had by their Iron-Chariots. Thus we ſee how uprightly Joſhua carried himſelf in this matter, being no ways partial to his own Tribe, (the Tribe of Ephraim) nor to that of Manaſſeh, ſo nearly allied to him.
Joſhua 14.1. to 6. Ch. 15. from 1. to 13. and from 20. to 63. Ch. 16. from 1. to 10.
Ch. 17. from 1. to 12. from verſ. 14. to the end.