Joshua 16:5

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

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

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

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

E.W. Bullinger

E.W. Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes - Joshua 16:5

the border, or boundary. Note the Figure of speech Topographia ( App-6 ). in Joshua 16:5 and Joshua 16:6 . was thus = turned out to be. read more

James Burton Coffman

Coffman Commentaries on the Bible - Joshua 16:5

"And the border of the children of Ephraim according to their families was thus: the border of their inheritance eastward was Ataroth-addar, unto Beth-horon the upper; and the border went out westward at Michmethath on the north; and the border turned about eastward unto Taanath-shiloh, and passed along it on the east of Janoah; and it went down from Janoah to Ataroth, and to Naarah, and reached unto Jericho, and went out at the Jordan. From Tappuah the border went along westward to the brook... read more

Thomas Coke

Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible - Joshua 16:5

Ver. 5. And the border of the children of Ephraim, &c.— After marking out the south, east, and west boundaries of the tribe of Ephraim, and the half-tribe of Manasseh, referring to ch. Jos 17:7 the description of its northern limits, the author proceeds to a more exact designation of the extent of the territories of Ephraim; and first he sets out at large the breadth from south to north, or the north-east borders at the broadest part: All we can say respecting which is, that Ataroth-addar... read more

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