Joshua 16:8-9 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 16:8

The border went out from Tappuah westward ,.... Which was different from the Tappuah in the tribe of Judah, Joshua 15:34 ; this was in the tribe of Ephraim on the border of Manasseh, Joshua 17:8 , unto the river Kanah ; supposed by some to be the brook Cherith, by which Elijah hid himself, 1 Kings 17:3 ; though objected to by others; it seems to have had its name from the reeds which grew in it, or on the banks of it: and the goings out thereof were at the sea ; if the river... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Joshua 16:9

And the separate cities for the children of Ephraim ,.... The tribe of Ephraim, being much larger than the half tribe of Manasseh, besides the lot that fell to it, described before by its boundaries, had several particular and distinct cities given to it: which were among the inheritance of the children of Manasseh ; some that were upon the borders of Ephraim, and within the territory of Manasseh, and it may be where it jetted out in a nook or corner, see Joshua 17:8 , all the... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Joshua 16:8

Tappuah - This was a city in the tribe of Manasseh, and gave name to a certain district called the land of Tappuah. See Joshua 17:8 . The sea - The Mediterranean, as before. read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Joshua 16:9

And the separate cities - That is, the cities that were separated from the tribe of Manasseh to be given to Ephraim; see Joshua 17:9 . read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Joshua 16:8

The border went out from Tappuah westward. This would seem to be a more minute description of the border line drawn from the sea to Michmethah above. Tappuah seems to have been near Mich-methah, and on the border ( Joshua 17:8 ) of Manasseh. According to Knobel, Tappuah signifies plain, which is a little inconsistent with his idea that Michmethah, close by, was the watershed. Tappuah elsewhere signifies apple. Unto the river Trench. The winter-bound torrent Kanah, so named from its... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Joshua 16:9

And the separate cities. Literally, and the cities divided off. The word "were," in our version, is misplaced. It should be read thus: "And there were cities divided off and assigned to the tribe of Ephraim in the midst of the inheritance of the sons of Manasseh" (see note on verse 5). This fact, together with the compensation given to Manasseh, may serve to explain the cohesion of the ten tribes in opposition to Judah. The boundaries of the latter tribe were more strictly defined, her... 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

Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Joshua 16:9

The verb “were,” introduced by the King James Version in this verse should be omitted; and the full stop after Joshua 16:8 replaced by a colon. The purport of Joshua 16:9 is simply to add to the inheritance of Ephraim, defined by the preceding context, “the separate cities” or more properly “single cities” which were allotted to them in addition within the borders of Manasseh. The reasons for granting these additional cities to the Ephraimites can only be conjectured. Perhaps the territory... read more

Joseph Benson

Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments - Joshua 16:9

Joshua 16:9. The separate cities That is, besides those cities which were within Ephraim’s bounds, he had some other cities out of Manasseh’s portion, because his tribe was all here, and was larger than Manasseh’s. read more