Annotations Upon the Historical Books Part 2, Joshua · Chapter 17
CHAP. XVII.
Verſ. 1. THere was alſo a lot for the tribe of Manaſſeh, (for he was the firſt-born of Joſeph) to wit, for Machir the firſt born of Manaſſeh, &c.] This clauſe, for he was the first born of Joſeph, is added, to imply that though Jacob had propheſied that Ephraims dignitie ſhould be the greater, Gen. 49.19. His younger brother ſhall be greater then he, and his ſeed ſhall become a multitude of nations, yet Manaſſeh being one of Joſephs ſonnes, yea his firſt born, he was alſo to have the portion of a tribe as well as Ephraim, according as Jacob had propheſied of them, Gen. 48.5, 6. And now thy two ſonnes Ephraim and Manaſſeh, which were born unto thee in the land of Egypt, before I came unto thee into Egypt, are mine: As Reuben and Simeon, they ſhall be mine. And thy iſſue which thou begetteſt after them ſhall be thine. Now the lot that fell to Manaſſeh is ſaid to have been for Machir the firſt born of Manaſſeh, becauſe Manaſſeh had no other ſonnes but Machir onelyonly, and therefore ſometimes Machir ſeems to be put for the whole tribe of Manaſſeh, Judges 5.14. Out of Machir came down gov…rnours; and amongſt his poſterity it ſeems that Manaſſehs portion was now wholly divided. But then it may be queſtioned by ſome why Machir is here called the firſt born of Manaſſeh. To which I anſwer, that the child that firſt openeth the wombe is uſually in the Scripture called the firſt born, though there were no more born after him.
Becauſe he was a man of war therefore he had Gilead and Baſhan.] That is, becauſe Machir the father of Gilead was a man of warre Many conceive that Machir had no other ſonnes but Gilead, and that all Manaſſehs portion was divided amongſt Gileads poſteritie. But this we may well doubt, 1. Becauſe Gen. 50.23. there is mention made of Machirs children. 2. Becauſe Num. 26.29. we reade of a family of the Machirites diſtinct from thoſe that were called by the names of the ſonnes of Gilead; concerning which, ſee the note on the place. However, the poſterity of Machir had the land of Gilead and Baſhan, that is, the half of it, ſettled upon them (which is here mentioned by the way, that after he might proceed to ſpeak of their dividing to the other half of this tribe, their portion of the land within Jordan) and that becauſe Machir was a man of warre, that is, becauſe the Machirites were men of warre, and did themſelves win Gilead and diſpoſſeſſe the enemie of it. See the notes, Numb. 32.39, 40.
Verſ. 4. Therefore according to the commandment of the Lord, he gave them an inheritance, &c.] See Numb. 27.7.
Verſ. 5. And there fell ten portions to Manaſſeh.] That is, the land was divided into ſix parts according to the number of the ſonnes of Gilead mentioned verſe 2. and Hephers part was divided into five parts, and given to his ſonne Zelophehads five daughters; and ſo there were ten portions in all.
Verſ. 7. And the coaſt of Manaſſeh was from Aſher to Michmethah, &c.] If Aſher was a town ſeated at the ſouth-eaſt end of Manaſſehs lot (as ſome conceive it was) then in this and the following verſes, we have onelyonly the deſcription of the ſouthern bounds of this tribe of Manaſſeh, which were alſo the north bounds of Ephraims portion, as is evident becauſe Michmethah and the other following places here mentioned, as Tappuah and the river Kanah, are the ſame that were named before in the north border of Ephraim; But if Aſher ſtood, as others think, in the north-eaſt of Manaſſehs portion, then in the firſt words we have the eaſt bounds of this half tribe of Manaſſeh, to wit, that they were drawn from Aſher on the north all along by the river Jordan to Michmethah on the ſouth that lyeth before Shechem, and then in the next words, we have the ſouthern bounds deſcribed from Michmethah to the midland ſea, to wit, that from Michmethah it went a long on the right hand turning weſtward to Tappuah, and ſo on the ſouth of the river Kanah, verſe 9. and ſo right on to the ſea: and thus, as is noted in that ninth verſe, the land was Manaſſehs both on the north and ſouth ſide of the river Kanah, though the cities that ſtood on the ſouth ſide of that river belonged to Ephraim, which is intended in thoſe words, theſe cities of Ephraim are among the cities of Manaſſeh, that is, the cities on the ſouth ſide of the river belonged to Ephraim, though they were within the coaſts of Manaſſeh.
Verſ. 10. And they met together in Aſher on the north, and on Iſſachar on the east.] That is, the north bounds of Joſephs portion, to wit, Ephraims and Manaſſehs conſidered joyntly in one, was the tribe of Aſher on the north, and Iſſachar on the eaſt. For otherwiſe then thus it cannot be conceived how they ſhould meet together in Aſher on the north, ſince Ephraim no where could reach to Aſher, being bounded as Manaſſeh alſo was on the weſt by the main ſea.
Verſ. 11. And Manaſſeh had in Iſſachar and in Aſher Beth-ſhean and her towns, &c. even three countreys.] This is added, to intimate that theſe towns, to wit, Bethſhean, Ibl…am, Dor, and En-dor (whither Saul went to a witch) and Taanach and Megiddo being in the confines of Aſher and Iſſachar, and yet belonging to Manaſſeh, ſtood not all in one place, but were in three ſeverall tracts of ground: Or elſe it may be added, to ſhew that three of the countreys before mentioned were in Aſhers portion, and three in Iſſachars; and ſo Manaſſeh had in each of them three countreys.
Verſ. 12. Yet the children of Manaſſeh could not drive out the inhabitants of thoſe cities, &c.] This is ſpoken of the times after the death of Joſhua, and therefore the ſame is repeated, Judg. 1.27, 28. Partly through cowardlineſſe, and partly through Gods withdrawing his help, at firſt they could not drive them out; afterwards when their fear could not ſo much blind their judgements, but that they muſt needs then acknowledge themſelves ſtrong enough, yet they put them to tribute; which did much aggravate their ſinne.
Verſ. 14. And the children of Joſeph ſpake unto Joſhua, ſaying, Why haſt thou given me but one lot, &c.] Here the ſtory relates how the ſonnes of Joſeph, that is, the two tribes of Ephraim and Manaſſeh, came to Joſhua, and made a great complaint (and it was doubtleſſe after they had entred upon the land which fell to them by lot) that there was not a convenient portion of land aſſigned to them for their inheritance, no more indeed then was fitting to be the lot of one tribe: for that is the meaning of thoſe words, Why haſt thou given me but one lot, and one portion to inherit, that is, why haſt thou given us no more of the land, then if we had been to be accounted but as one tribe, and ſo to have but one lot? Queſtionleſſe, Joſhua and the reſt that were intruſted in this buſineſſe had not, either through ignorance or partiality, ſet forth a leſſe portion of land for theſe ſonnes of Joſeph then was fitting: But becauſe a part of the land allotted them was over-grown with wood, and a great part of it was ſtill in the poſſeſſion of the Perizzites, and the Rephaims or giants, with whom through infidelity and ſloth they affraid to encounter; therefore they judging this as nothing, conclude they had no more given them to dwell in, then might well be reckoned the portion of one tribe. The moſt queſtionable paſſage in this complaint of theirs is this, that to make good that they had not a competent portion of land aſſigned them, they alledge the extraordinary encreaſe of their people in number, through the ſpeciall bleſſing of God upon them, 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, ſince it is evident, as is noted Num. 26.37. that the ſonnes of Ephraim, when they were numbred the ſecond time, a little before their entrance into Canaan were eight thouſand fewer then when they were numbred the firſt time at their firſt coming out of Egypt; but for this we muſt know, that though the tribe of Ephraim was ſo much decreaſed at that laſt numbring of the people, yet ſince that time, under the government of Joſhua, they might be greatly encreaſed again; but however, though at that time the ſonnes of Ephraim were eight thouſand fewer then when they came out of Egypt, yet even at that time on the other ſide, of the tribe of Manaſſeh there were twenty thouſand and five hundred more then at the firſt numbring, Num. 26.34. and therefore the ſonnes of Joſeph ſpeaking here of themſelves joyntly together, both Ephraim and Manaſſeh, they might well ſay they were a great people, and that God had greatly bleſſed them, in regard of their number.
Verſ. 15. And Joſhua anſwered them, If thou be a great people, then get thee up to the wood countrey, &c.] Thus he covertly retorts their plea upon them, as making more for him then for them; for, ſayes he, being a great people, the more able art thou to drive the Canaanites out of thoſe parts allotted you for your proportion, and the more ſhame is it that you ſhould let them alone and yet complain of the narrowneſſe of your lot; Get thee up (ſaith Joſhua) to the wood countrey, and cut down for thyſelf there in the land of the Perizzites, and the giants, that is, cut down the woods, and drive out and deſtroy the inhabitants that lurk there in their faſtneſſes, and ſtrong holds, and then if mount Ephraim be to narrow for thee, that is, the mountains out of which the Canaanites are already expelled, whereof you have the poſſeſſion at preſent, you may by this means have land enough to dwell in, and need not complain that your portion is too ſtreight for you. It is likely, that when the ſonnes of Joſeph came to make their complaint to Joſhua, they aſſured themſelves that they ſhould find the more favour, becauſe he was of the tribe of Ephraim: But in a point of juſtice, we ſee they found Joſhua farre from yielding to them in the leaſt degree upon that ground.
Verſ. 16. And the children of Joſeph ſaid, The hill is not enough for us, &c.] Theſe firſt words ſeem to have been ſpoken with ſome kind of anger and diſcontent. Joſhua had told them what they ſhould do, if mount Ephraim were too narrow for them: now as men diſcontented are wont to do, they ſnap at thoſe laſt words of Joſhua; yes, ſay they, the hill is not enough for us, meaning that mount Ephraim whereof Ioſhua had ſpoken; and then they adde, And all the Canaanites that dwell in the land of the valley have chariots of iron: as if they ſhould have ſaid, Whereas you call upon us to enlarge our dwellings in the wood countrey, by cutting down the wood, by expelling and deſtroying the Perizzites and the giants that dwell there, you may know that this we cannot do, and that becauſe the valleys we muſt paſſe through ere we can come to that mountainous wood countrey, which you referre us to, are inhabited by the Canaanites that have chariots of iron, ſo that there is no hope for us to prevail over them. This I conceive to be the beſt expoſition of this place. Yet ſome underſtand thoſe firſt words, The hill is not enough for us, of that mountainous wood countrey, to which Ioſhua had referred them for the enlarging of their dwellings, and ſo conceive the ſcope of this reply of the ſonnes of Ioſeph to be, that even that mountainous countrey, if they had it in their poſſeſſion, would not be enough for them; and for the valleys, there was no hope to ſubdue them, becauſe the Canaanites that dwelt there had chariots of iron; that is, as all Expoſitours agree, chariots whoſe wheels were armed with ſythes, as I may ſay, or hooks of iron, wherewith when they broke in amongſt their enemies, they muſt needs mightily tear, cut, and mow down thoſe that ſtood in their way; and indeed theſe chariots could onelyonly be uſefull in the valleys and plains, in the mountains and wood countreys they could not be uſed.
Verſ. 17. And Joſhua ſpake unto the houſe of Joſeph, even to Ephraim, and to Manaſſeh, ſaying, Thou art a great people, &c.] As if he ſhould have ſaid, What I anſwered before I muſt anſwer again, Thou art a great people by thine own confeſſion, and hast great power, and therefore beſides Gods promiſe, ye have otherwiſe no cauſe of diſtruſt, thou ſhalt not have one lot onelyonly, that is, thou ſhalt, if thou wilt not be failing to thy ſelf, prevail over thoſe places, and then thou ſhalt find the portion allotted thee is more then one lot, fully enough for two ſuch numerous tribes.
Verſ. 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, &c.] That is, not onelyonly the mountain ſhall be thine, which when thou haſt cut down the wood, will be found good ground, but alſo the outgoings of it, that is, the valleys round about the mountains ſhall be thine too.