Chapter 17
Land Allotment for Manasseh
17:1 Then allotment was made to the people of Manasseh, for he was the firstborn of Joseph. To Machir the firstborn of Manasseh, the father of Gilead, were allotted Gilead and Bashan, because he was a man of war.
This verse reviews the land inheritance already allocated on the east side of the Jordan River (see Joshua 13:29-31). Although the reason given here as Machir being a man of war was not the reason described earlier (see Numbers 32:1-5). The name Machir is occasionally used to describe the half tribe of Manasseh that settled on the east side.
17:2 And allotments were made to the rest of the people of Manasseh by their clans, Abiezer, Helek, Asriel, Shechem, Hepher, and Shemida. These were the male descendants of Manasseh the son of Joseph, by their clans.
The genealogy of Manasseh has been interpreted in a number of ways. The “rest of the people of Manasseh” were the members of the tribe that settled on the west side of the Jordan. The sons of Gilead were Helen, Asriel, Shechem, Hepher, and Shemida (see Numbers 26:29-34; 32:39-40; 1 Chronicles 7:14-19). Abiezer was a son of Hammolecheth, the sister of Gilead (unknown father, see 1 Chronicles 7:18).
17:3 Now Zelophehad the son of Hepher, son of Gilead, son of Machir, son of Manasseh, had no sons, but only daughters, and these are the names of his daughters: Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah. 4 They approached Eleazar the priest and Joshua the son of Nun and the leaders and said, “The LORD commanded Moses to give us an inheritance along with our brothers.” So according to the mouth of the LORD he gave them an inheritance among the brothers of their father. 5 Thus there fell to Manasseh ten portions, besides the land of Gilead and Bashan, which is on the other side of the Jordan, 6 because the daughters of Manasseh received an inheritance along with his sons. The land of Gilead was allotted to the rest of the people of Manasseh.
The name Zelophehad should sound familiar as the five daughters of Zelophehad earlier approached Moses about inheritances since their father died without any sons (see Numbers 27:1-11). Here the same five daughters approach Eleazar, Joshua, and the leaders to remind them of what God commanded Moses regarding their inheritances. Ten portions of land were allocated (five allotments to the sons of Gilead and five to the daughters of Zelophehad which was Gilead’s sixth son). The remaining portion went to the people of Manasseh.
17:7 The territory of Manasseh reached from Asher to Michmethath, which is east of Shechem. Then the boundary goes along southward to the inhabitants of En-tappuah. 8 The land of Tappuah belonged to Manasseh, but the town of Tappuah on the boundary of Manasseh belonged to the people of Ephraim. 9 Then the boundary went down to the brook Kanah. These cities, to the south of the brook, among the cities of Manasseh, belong to Ephraim. Then the boundary of Manasseh goes on the north side of the brook and ends at the sea, 10 the land to the south being Ephraim’s and that to the north being Manasseh’s, with the sea forming its boundary. On the north Asher is reached, and on the east Issachar. 11 Also in Issachar and in Asher Manasseh had Beth-shean and its villages, and Ibleam and its villages, and the inhabitants of Dor and its villages, and the inhabitants of En-dor and its villages, and the inhabitants of Taanach and its villages, and the inhabitants of Megiddo and its villages; the third is Naphath.
The territory of Manasseh was directly north of Ephraim with some southern areas touching Dan near the Mediterranean and Benjamin near the Jordan. In the north it bordered with Asher, Zebulun, and Issachar, to the west the Mediterranean Sea, and to the east the Jordan River.
17:12 Yet the people of Manasseh could not take possession of those cities, but the Canaanites persisted in dwelling in that land. 13 Now when the people of Israel grew strong, they put the Canaanites to forced labor, but did not utterly drive them out.
In each of the cities listed in verse eleven: Beth-shean, Ibleam, Dor, End-dor, Taanach, Megiddo, and Naphath they still had Canaanite remnants, even though they were slaves to the Israelites, they did not kill or drive them out (see also Judges 1:27).
17:14 Then the people of Joseph spoke to Joshua, saying, “Why have you given me but one lot and one portion as an inheritance, although I am a numerous people, since all along the LORD has blessed me?” 15 And Joshua said to them, “If you are a numerous people, go up by yourselves to the forest, and there clear ground for yourselves in the land of the Perizzites and the Rephaim, since the hill country of Ephraim is too narrow for you.”
The people of Joseph (combined tribes of Manasseh and Ephraim) complained that their allocations were too small. So Joshua told them if they were so numerous to go to the forest and clear ground for themselves in the land of the Perizzites and the Rephaim in the hill country.
17:16 The people of Joseph said, “The hill country is not enough for us. Yet all the Canaanites who dwell in the plain have chariots of iron, both those in Beth-shean and its villages and those in the Valley of Jezreel.” 17 Then Joshua said to the house of Joseph, to Ephraim and Manasseh, “You are a numerous people and have great power. You shall not have one allotment only, 18 but the hill country shall be yours, for though it is a forest, you shall clear it and possess it to its farthest borders. For you shall drive out the Canaanites, though they have chariots of iron, and though they are strong.”
Joshua’s recommendation was quickly rejected as the true issue emerges, their problem was not the size of the allotment, it was the fact that it was inhabited by Canaanites with iron chariots! Joshua then reminds them that even though an iron chariot is no match for men on foot, they will be successful in driving out the Canaanites. The text does not state anything about YHWH doing the fighting but it was likely mentioned, as the people had nothing to fear.