Joshua 17:5 NIV

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Joshua 17:1-6

Manasseh was itself but one half of the tribe of Joseph, and yet was divided and subdivided. 1. It was divided into two parts, one already settled on the other side Jordan, consisting of those who were the posterity of Machir, Josh. 17:1. This Machir was born to Manasseh in Egypt; there he had signalized himself as a man of war, probably in the contests between the Ephraimites and the men of Gath, 1 Chron. 7:21. His warlike disposition descended to his posterity, and therefore Moses gave them... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Joshua 17:5

And there fell ten portions to Manasseh, beside the land of Gilead and Bashan, which were on the other side Jordan ,.... The lot which fell to the half tribe of Manasseh was divided into ten parts: according to the Jewish writers, the six families before mentioned had six parts, and the daughters of Zelophehad had four parts; one on the account of Zelophehad their father, two on the account of their grandfather Hepher, who they say was the firstborn, and one on account of their uncle,... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Joshua 17:5

There fell ten portions to Manasseh - The Hebrew word חבלי chabley , which we translate portions, signifies literally cords or cables, and intimates that by means of a cord, cable, or what we call a chain, the land was divided. We have but little account of the arts and sciences of the Hebrews, yet from the sketches which we find in different parts of the Old Testament it appears that their minds were in many respects well cultivated; nor could the division, which is mentioned in this... read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Joshua 17:5

Verse 5 5.And there fell ten portions to Manasseh, etc The children of Manasseh are in this passage classed under seven stems. Machir, the first-born, is placed apart; the other six follow. Here the question arises, How was the inheritance divided into ten parts? Some expositors cunningly disguise the difficulty; (155) others, because they are unable to solve it, indulge in the merest trifling. It is certainly very absurd that four portions should be given to five daughters; and it is not a... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Joshua 17:5

And there fell ten portions. Literally, and the measured portions of Manasseh fell ten ( in number ) . It will be observed that the descendants of Manasseh, exclusive of Hepher, are five in number. These, with the five portions allotted to the family of Zelophehad, the son of Hepher, made up ten. read more

Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Joshua 17:5

Ten portions - i. e. five for the five families descended from the male children of Gilead, and five others for the five daughters of Zelophehad, who represented the sixth family, the Hepherites. read more

Joseph Benson

Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments - Joshua 17:4-6

Joshua 17:4-6. He gave them That is, Eleazar or Joshua, with the consent of the princes appointed for that work. For after the lot had determined what land every tribe should have, these commissioners considered how many families were in the tribe, and how large they were, and accordingly divided it among them. This is implied, Numbers 26:54-56. Ten portions Five for the sons and five for the daughters; for as for Hepher, both he and his son Zelophehad were dead, and that without sons,... read more

Donald C. Fleming

Bridgeway Bible Commentary - Joshua 17:1-18

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

E.W. Bullinger

E.W. Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes - Joshua 17:5

there fell : i.e. by lot. Compare Joshua 17:1 , and note. read more

Thomas Constable

Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - Joshua 17:1-13

These verses describe the territory of the half tribe of Manasseh west of the Jordan and north of Ephraim. It extended north to the valley of Jezreel. The Manassehites also failed to exterminate all the Canaanites in their area (Joshua 17:12-13). read more