Joshua 16:7 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 16:7

And it went down from Johanan to Ataroth ,.... This is different from Ataroth before mentioned, Joshua 16:2 ; there were several places of this name, as before observed; this seems to be that which Jerom places four miles from Sebaste or Samaria; see Gill on Joshua 16:2 , and to Naarath ; Jerom F7 De loc. Heb. fol. 93. I. says, that Naarath was in his time called Naorath, a village of the Jews, five miles from Jericho; and is the village Josephus F8 Antiqu. l. 17. c. 15.... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Joshua 16:7

Ataroth . Another Ataroth, on the northern border of Ephraim. The name, which signifies crowns is a common one (see Numbers 32:3 , Numbers 32:34 , Numbers 32:35 ; 1 Chronicles 2:54 ). Came to Jericho. Or perhaps skirted Jericho. The word used (see note on Joshua 16:5 ) is akin to the Latin pango and our impinge. 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 16:6-7

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

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

Thomas Constable

Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - Joshua 16:5-10

He traced the borders of Ephraim’s allotment next. Ephraim lay north of the area later given to Dan and Benjamin, and south of western Manasseh. The Ephraimites failed to drive out the inhabitants of Gezer (Joshua 16:10). 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 16:5-8

(5-8) The border (of Ephraim’s inheritance) on the east side.—The words “on the east side” are not easy to understand. If Ataroth-addar is rightly identified as Ed-Dârieh, and Mickmethah as the plain of Mukhnah, then the line from Ataroth-addar and Beth-horon to Michmethah is a line running due north, and separating the territory of Ephraim on the east from that of Dan on the west. The line from Michmethah to Taanath-shiloh (Tana, sheet 12) and Janohah (Yânûn, south of T’ana, sheet 15), and so... read more