Joshua 16:3

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Joshua 16:1-4

Though Joseph was one of the younger sons of Jacob, yet he was his eldest by his most just and best beloved wife Rachel, was himself his best beloved son, and had been the greatest ornament and support of his family, kept it from perishing in a time of famine, and had been the shepherd and stone of Israel, and therefore his posterity were very much favoured by the lot. Their portion lay in the very heart of the land of Canaan. It extended from Jordan in the east (Josh. 16:1) to the sea, the... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Joshua 16:3

And goeth down westward to the coast of Japhleti ,.... This place is now unknown, though no doubt well known to the sons of Joseph, when this lot fell to them, and its border was described: unto the coast of Bethhoron the nether : so called to distinguish it from Bethhoron the upper, Joshua 16:5 ; this was about twelve miles from Jerusalem; See Gill on Joshua 10:10 ; and to Gezer: which was about a day's journey from Bethhoron, as appears from the passages in the Apocrypha:"39 So... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Joshua 16:3

Beth-horon the nether - This city was about twelve miles from Jerusalem, on the side of Nicopolis, formerly Emmaus. - Calmet. See the note on Joshua 10:10 . read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Joshua 16:3

Japhleth . Rather, the Japhlethite; but it is unknown what this family was. Beth-horon the nether (see Joshua 10:10 ). In Joshua 16:5 we have Upper Beth-horon, but the places were close together. For Gezer; see Joshua 10:33 . read more

Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Joshua 16:3

Of Japhleti - Rather “of the Japhletite.” All history of the name is lost. read more

Donald C. Fleming

Bridgeway Bible Commentary - Joshua 16:1-10

The Joseph tribes (16:1-17:18)Ephraim and the western half of Manasseh together occupied most of the central portion of Canaan between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea (16:1-4). The southern part of this territory belonged to Ephraim (5-10), the northern part to Manasseh (17:1). (The other half of Manasseh had already received its allotment east of Jordan.)Western Manasseh was divided between six major family groups. No details are given concerning portions received by five of these... read more

Thomas Constable

Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - Joshua 16:1-4

The writer described the whole territory of Joseph first. read more

Thomas Constable

Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - Joshua 16:1-10

4. Joseph’s inheritance chs. 16-17The writer may have dealt with the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh together since Jacob had given Joseph the second largest blessing after Judah (Genesis 49). Moreover half the tribe of Manasseh had already received its inheritance, and the remaining half would have been small compared with the other tribes. These one and one-half tribes together formed a large group of Israelites. Their lot fell in central Canaan, and their territory consisted of two parts with... read more

John Dummelow

John Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible - Joshua 16:1-10

The Lot of JosephChs. 16, 17 describe the territories of Ephraim and the W. half of Manasseh. Vv. 1-4 of Joshua 16 give the general frontiers of the combined tribes, the rest of the chapter (Joshua 16:5-10) the frontiers of Ephraim as distinct from W. Manasseh. The territory allotted to the two tribes comprised the central and most fertile part of Palestine. The S. border ran from Jericho through Bethel to Beth-horon and the sea; and the N. border from Mt. Carmel, along the S. border of the... read more

Charles John Ellicott

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers - Joshua 16:1-4

XVI.INHERITANCE OF JOSEPH—i.e., of Ephraim and Manasseh (Joshua 16:1 to Joshua 18:1, inclusive).(1) The lot of the children of Joseph.—The order of precedence among the tribes of Israel was always Judah first and the sons of Joseph second. In the words of 1 Chronicles 5:2, “Judah prevailed above his brethren, and of him came the chief ruler; but the birthright was Joseph’s.” Accordingly in the division of the land of Canaan under Joshua, there are three successive stages: first, the settlement... read more

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