Joshua 17:14

E.W. Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes - Joshua 17:14

children of Joseph = sons of Joseph, i.e. Manasseh. Note their selfishness, so well reproved by Joshua (verses: Joshua 17:15-18 ), who was of that tribe himself. portion. Hebrew "line", put by Figure of speech Metonymy (of Cause), for the territory marked out by it ( App-6 ). forasmuch = to such a degree. read more

James Burton Coffman

Coffman Commentaries on the Bible - Joshua 17:14

"And the children of Joseph spake unto Joshua, saying, Why has thou given me but one lot and one part for an inheritance, seeing I am a great people, forasmuch as hitherto Jehovah hath blessed me. And Joshua said unto them, If thou be a great people get thee up to the forest and cut down for thyself there in the land of the Perizzites and that of the Rephaim; since the hill-country of Ephraim is too narrow for thee. And the children of Joseph said, The hill-country is not enough for us: and all... read more

Thomas Coke

Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible - Joshua 17:14

Ver. 14. And the children of Joseph spake unto Joshua, &c.— The children of Ephraim and Manasseh, just spoken of, came to Joshua, and complained, that the portion which had fallen to them in common was hardly sufficient for one of their tribes, by reason of their great numbers: not that the country assigned to those tribes was so scanty; but it is remarked, that there were many forests to fell towards the mountains, and a number of Canaanites to subdue in the valley. Upon the whole, it is... read more

Robert Jamieson; A. R. Fausset; David Brown

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible - Joshua 17:14

14-18. the children of Joseph spake unto Joshua—The two tribes join in laying a complaint before the leader, as to the narrow boundaries of their allotment and its insufficiency to be the residence of tribes so vastly increased. But Joshua's answer was full of wisdom as well as patriotism. Knowing their character, he treated them accordingly, and sarcastically turned all their arguments against themselves. Thus he rebuked their unbelief and cowardice. read more

Thomas Constable

Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - Joshua 17:14-18

The extent of the territory given these two tribes was not sufficient for them, in their opinion, so they asked Joshua for more land. He dealt with them very diplomatically by complimenting and encouraging them (Joshua 17:18). Their complaint seems to have sprung from a spirit of carnality (cf. Joshua 17:16). [Note: See John H. Paterson, "The Touchy Tribe," Toward the Mark 16:6 (November-December 1987):110-13.] They did not share Caleb’s spirit (Joshua 14:6-15). Evidently they counted as their... read more

John Dummelow

John Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible - Joshua 17:1-18

The Lot of Joseph (continued)Inheritance of Western Manasseh. The Complaint of the children of Joseph, and Joshua’s Reply.1-6. The inheritance of Manasseh especially (Joshua 17:2) of the Western half-tribe. 1. The father of Gilead] The expression is rather geographical than strictly genealogical, according to Oriental usage. Cp. the table of the generations of the sons of Noah in Genesis 10.3f The daughters of Zelophehad] Their case comes up for judgment before Moses in Numbers 27:1-7 and again... read more

William Nicoll

Expositor's Bible Commentary - Joshua 17:1-18

CHAPTER XXV.THE INHERITANCE OF JOSEPH.Joshua Chs. 16, 17.NEXT to Judah, the most important tribe was Joseph; that is, the double tribe to which his two sons gave names, Ephraim and Manasseh. In perpetual acknowledgment of the service rendered by Joseph to the family, by keeping them alive in the famine, it was ordained by Jacob that his two sons should rank with their uncles as founders of tribes (Genesis 48:5). It was also prophetically ordained by Jacob that Ephraim, the younger son, should... read more

Arno Clemens Gaebelein

Arno Gaebelein's Annotated Bible - Joshua 17:1-18

5. The Portion of Manasseh CHAPTER 17 1. Their names (Joshua 17:1-6 ) 2. Their border (Joshua 17:7-13 ) 3. The complaint and the answer (Joshua 17:14-18 ) Half of the tribe of Manasseh had their inheritance on the other side of Jordan, having joined themselves to Reuben and Gad. The rest of Manasseh are now named according to their families. These are: Abiezer, Helek, Asriel, Shechem, Hepher and Shemida, The son of Hepher, Zelophehad, had no sons (see Numbers 27:1-11 ); the names of the... read more

John Calvin

Geneva Study Bible - Joshua 17:14

17:14 And the children of Joseph spake unto Joshua, saying, Why hast thou given me [but] one lot and one portion to inherit, seeing I [am] a great people, forasmuch as the LORD hath {h} blessed me hitherto?(h) According to my father Jacob’s prophecy, Genesis 48:19. read more

L.M. Grant

L. M. Grant's Commentary on the Bible - Joshua 17:1-18

BOLD IDOLATRY IN ISRAEL (vv. 1-13) Samson was the last judge in Israel. The last five chapters of Judges -- 17 to 21 -- deal with conditions during the time of the Judges, so do not necessarily take place after Samson.The history of Micah and the Danites (chapters 17 and 18) illustrates the spiritual corruption (idolatry) into which Israel sank so soon after coming into their land, while chapters 19-21 emphasize the mora l corruption of the people. Certainly idolatry is the worst of these... read more

Group of Brands