Joshua 16:5-6 NIV

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Joshua 16:5-10

Here, 1. The border of the lot of Ephraim is set down, by which it was divided on the south from Benjamin and Dan, who lay between it and Judah, and on the north from Manasseh; for east and west it reached from Jordan to the great sea. The learned, who aim to be exact in drawing the line according to the directions here, find themselves very much at a loss, the description being short and intricate. The report of those who in these latter ages have travelled those countries will not serve to... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Joshua 16:5

And the border of the children of Ephraim, according to their families, was thus ,.... Or what follows is the description of it: even the border of their inheritance on the east side was Atarothaddar, unto Bethhoron the upper ; the first was on the south of the inheritance, and the latter on the north, as Masius has placed them: who has given us a type of this description, by which it appears that this lot is here described in its breadth from south to north. read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Joshua 16:6

And the border went out towards the sea ,.... The Mediterranean sea: to Michmethah on the north side ; of the border, the same on which Bethhoron was, from whence the border proceeded on to this place, of which we have no other account but in Joshua 17:7 ; by which it appears to have been near Shechem, and in sight of it: and the border went about eastward unto Taanathshiloh ; this seems to be the same Jerom F5 De loc. Heb. fol. 95. C. calls Thenath in the tribe of Joseph;... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Joshua 16:5

Ataroth-addar - See the note on Joshua 16:2 . Beth-horon the upper - The situation of this town is little known. It was eastward of Beth-horon the nether, and consequently not far from it. read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Joshua 16:5

The border of the children of Ephraim. The Hebrew word is translated indifferently by coast and border in our translation. The border of Joseph is very slightly traced out by the historian. It is difficult to give a reason for this fact, when we remember that Joseph, consisting as it did of the preponderating tribe of Ephraim, together with half the tribe of Manasseh, constituted by far the most important portion of Jewish territory. See, however, Introduction for the bearing of this... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Joshua 16:6

And the border went out towards the sea. Or, "and the western border." On the north side. Or, "northward." Apparently a line is drawn from the sea, which ( Joshua 16:3 ) is given as the termination of the southern boundary to Michmethah, near Shechem ( Joshua 17:7 ). Knobel thinks that Michmethah (the signification of which is perhaps hiding place ) was upon the watershed, and thus served as a dividing point. Went about. Rather, deflected. The border ran m a northeasterly... read more

Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Joshua 16:5-8

From the abrupt manner in which the statements are introduced, as well as from their imperfect character, there is probability in the conjecture that some words have, in these verses, fallen out of the text. Few of the places are known for certain. read more

Joseph Benson

Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments - Joshua 16:5

Joshua 16:5. East side That is, the north-east side. It is no wonder if some of these descriptions are dark to us at this distance of time; there having been so many alterations made in places, and so many circumstances being now altogether undiscoverable. But this is certain, that all the descriptions here mentioned were then evident to the Israelites, because these were the foundation of all the possessions which then they took, and peaceably possessed in succeeding ages. read more

Joseph Benson

Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments - Joshua 16:6-7

Joshua 16:6-7. Toward the sea The midland sea, toward the west. To Jericho Not to the city of Jericho, which belonged to Benjamin’s lot, (Joshua 18:21,) but to its territory. 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