Joshua 17:1

This and the preceding chapters deal with the inheritance of Ephraim and Manasseh, Ephraim's having been outlined in Joshua 16, and Manasseh's boundaries are given in this.

"And this was the lot for the tribe of Manasseh; for he was the first-born of Joseph. As for Machir the first-born of Manasseh, the father of Gilead, because he was a man of war, therefore he had Gilead and Bashan. So the lot was for the rest of the children of Manasseh according to their families: for the children of Abiezer, and for the children of Helek, and for the children of Ariel, and for the children of Shechem, and for the children of Hepher, and for the children of Shemida: these were the male children of Manasseh the son of Joseph according to their families.

When given the PROPER RESPECT and READ THOUGHTFULLY AND CAREFULLY, the Bible is a unified, extremely informative, cohesive, and well-organized book. If critics would spend half as much time trying to understand what the Bible SAYS, instead of flipping through its pages with eyes only for something to support their destructive theories, there would be a lot fewer criticisms. The passage before us presents no problem whatever. Ephraim was blessed by Jacob and given precedence over Manasseh, but here we are not dealing with the sons of Jacob (adopted), but with the sons of MANASSEH. Manasseh was the firstborn of Joseph; and Jacob could NOT possibly have had anything to do with who received the birthright from Joseph. That was none of Jacob's business! That is why Manasseh is here designated as "the firstborn of Joseph." Thus, there is no justification whatever for the fact that, "Many interpreters consider that this reference to Manasseh as `firstborn,' is an indication that this relation (Manasseh-Ephraim) was different."[1]

The bearing of this on the distribution of the land is seen at once when it is remembered that Manasseh's DOUBLE PORTION (as was his right as the first-born) was already ONE-HALF expended in the settlement of Manasseh's first-born (who was Machir) who possessed Gilead and Bashan eastward of the Jordan. In that light, how logical and necessary is the next declaration that, "the lot was for the rest of the children of Manasseh." There were six of these "other male children" of Manasseh, the names of which are listed here. The six cited here are actually GRANDSONS of Machir through Gilead (Numbers 26:30-42). Hepher was deceased, leaving only five "sons."

"Gilead ..." This was primarily the name of a fertile district east of the Jordan river, but here it appears as a man's name. Such double uses of names is universal. There are a number of persons named `Dallas.'