Joshua 16

Chapter context

What is happening in Joshua 16?

inheritancerestcovenant fidelityholy war

Joshua 16 belongs to the middle movement of the book, especially the section often described as southern and northern victories with unresolved tensions. Joshua tells of the crossing into Canaan, the fall of Jericho, complex campaigns in the land, tribal allotments, and a final renewal of covenant loyalty. Read this chapter with the wider themes of inheritance, rest, and covenant fidelity in view so the individual verses keep their proper weight.

¹ And the lot of the children of Joseph fell from Jordan by Jericho, unto the water of Jericho on the east, to the wilderness that goeth up from Jericho throughout mount Bethel, ² And goeth out from Bethel to Luz, and passeth along unto the borders of Archi to Ataroth, ³ And goeth down westward to the coast of Japhleti, unto the coast of Bethhoron the nether, and to Gezer; and the goings out thereof are at the sea. ⁴ So the children of Joseph, Manasseh and Ephraim, took their inheritance. ⁵ And the border of the children of Ephraim according to their families was thus: even the border of their inheritance on the east side was Atarothaddar, unto Bethhoron the upper; ⁶ And the border went out toward the sea to Michmethah on the north side; and the border went about eastward unto Taanathshiloh, and passed by it on the east to Janohah; ⁷ And it went down from Janohah to Ataroth, and to Naarath, and came to Jericho, and went out at Jordan. ⁸ The border went out from Tappuah westward unto the river Kanah; and the goings out thereof were at the sea. This is the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Ephraim by their families. ⁹ And the separate cities for the children of Ephraim were among the inheritance of the children of Manasseh, all the cities with their villages. ¹⁰ And they drave not out the Canaanites that dwelt in Gezer: but the Canaanites dwell among the Ephraimites unto this day, and serve under tribute.

Study helps

Glossary

Bethel Place v. 1-2: House of God. (1. ) A place in Central Palestine, about 10 miles north of Jerusalem, at the head of the pass of Michmash and Ai. It was originally the royal Canaanite city of Luz ( Gen. 28:19 ). Modern identification: Beitin.
Jericho Place v. 1, 7: Biblical settlement. Modern identification: Tell es Sultan.
Jordan Place v. 1, 7: Biblical river. Modern identification: Jordan River.
Waters of Jericho Place v. 1: Biblical river. Modern identification: Ein as Sultan.
Ataroth Place v. 2: Crowns. (1. ) A city east of Jordan, not far from Gilead ( Num. 32:3 ). (2. ) A town on the border of Ephraim and Benjamin ( Josh. 16:2 , 7), called also Ataroth-adar (16:5). Now ed-Da’rieh. Modern identification: Kafr Aqab.
Luz Place v. 2: Biblical settlement. Modern identification: Beitin.
Gezer Place v. 3, 10: Biblical settlement. Modern identification: Tel Gezer.
Great Sea Place v. 3, 6, 8: (Heb. yam), signifies (1) “the gathering together of the waters,” the ocean ( Gen. 1:10 ); (2) a river, as the Nile ( Isa. 19:5 ), the Euphrates ( Isa. 21:1 ; Jer. 51:36 ); (3) the Red Sea. Modern identification: Mediterranean Sea.
Lower Beth-horon Place v. 3: Biblical settlement. Modern identification: Beit Ur al Tahta.
Ataroth-addar Place v. 5: Biblical settlement. Modern identification: Khirbet Atara.
Upper Beth-horon Place v. 5: Biblical settlement. Modern identification: Beit Ur al Fauqa.
Janoah Place v. 6-7: Or Jano’hah, rest. (1. ) A town on the north-eastern border of Ephraim, in the Jordan valley ( Josh. 16:6 , 7). Identified with the modern Yanun, 8 miles south-east of Nablus. Modern identification: Khirbet Yanun.
Michmethath Place v. 6: Hiding-place, a town in the northern border of Ephraim and Manasseh, and not far west of Jordan ( Josh. 16:6 ; 17:7 ). Modern identification: Khirbet en Nabi.
Taanath-shiloh Place v. 6: Approach to Shiloh, a place on the border of Ephraim ( Josh. 16:6 ), probably the modern T’ana, a ruin 7 miles south-east of Shechem, on the ridge east of the Mukhnah plain. Modern identification: Khirbet Tana el Fauqa.
Ataroth Place v. 7: Crowns. (1. ) A city east of Jordan, not far from Gilead ( Num. 32:3 ). (2. ) A town on the border of Ephraim and Benjamin ( Josh. 16:2 , 7), called also Ataroth-adar (16:5). Now ed-Da’rieh. Modern identification: Tel al Mazar.
Naarah Place v. 7: Girl, a town on the boundary between Ephraim and Benjamin ( Josh. 16:7 ), not far probably from Jericho, to the north ( 1 Chr. 7:28 ). Modern identification: Tell el Jisr.
Kanah Place v. 8: Reedy; brook of reeds. (1. ) A stream forming the boundary between Ephraim and Manasseh, from the Mediterranean eastward to Tappuah ( Josh. 16:8 ). Modern identification: Wadi Qana.
Tappuah Place v. 8: Apple-region. (1. ) A town in the valley or lowland of Judah; formerly a royal city of the Canaanites ( Josh. 12:17 ; 15:34 ). It is now called Tuffuh, about 12 miles west of Jerusalem. Modern identification: Tell Abu Zarad.