Bible Study Joshua 17
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Joshua 17 · WEB

Territory Allotted to Manasseh

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This was the lot for the tribe of Manasseh, for he was the firstborn of Joseph. As for Machir the firstborn of Manasseh, the father of Gilead, because he was a man of war, therefore he had Gilead and Bashan.
2So this was for the rest of the children of Manasseh according to their families: for the children of Abiezer, for the children of Helek, for the children of Asriel, for the children of Shechem, 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.
3But Zelophehad, the son of Hepher, the son of Gilead, the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh, had no sons, but only daughters. These are the names of his daughters: Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah.
4They came near before Eleazar the priest, and before Joshua the son of Nun, and before the princes, saying, "Yahweh commanded Moses to give us an inheritance among our brothers." Therefore according to the commandment of Yahweh he gave them an inheritance among the brothers of their father.
5Ten portions fell to Manasseh, in addition to the land of Gilead and Bashan, which is beyond the Jordan;
6because the daughters of Manasseh had an inheritance among his sons. The land of Gilead belonged to the rest of the sons of Manasseh.
7The border of Manasseh was from Asher to Michmethath, which is before Shechem. The border went along to the right hand, to the inhabitants of En Tappuah.
8The land of Tappuah belonged to Manasseh; but Tappuah on the border of Manasseh belonged to the children of Ephraim.
9The border went down to the brook of Kanah, southward of the brook. These cities of Ephraim are among the cities of Manasseh. The border of Manasseh was on the north side of the brook, and ended at the sea.
10Southward it was Ephraim's, and northward it was Manasseh's, and the sea was his border. They reached to Asher on the north, and to Issachar on the east.
11Manasseh had in Issachar and in Asher, Beth Shean and its towns, Ibleam and its towns, the inhabitants of Dor and its towns, the inhabitants of En Dor and its towns, the inhabitants of Taanach and its towns, the inhabitants of Megiddo and its towns, and the third is Napheth.
12Yet the children of Manasseh couldn't drive out the inhabitants of those cities; but the Canaanites would dwell in that land.
13However it happened, when the children of Israel had grown strong, that they put the Canaanites to forced labor, and didn't utterly drive them out.
14The children of Joseph spoke to Joshua, saying, "Why have you given me only one lot and one part for an inheritance, since I am a great people, because Yahweh has blessed me so far?"
15Joshua said to them, "If you are a great people, go up to the forest, and clear land for yourself there in the land of the Perizzites and of the Rephaim, since the hill country of Ephraim is too small for you."
16The children of Joseph said, "The hill country is not enough for us. All the Canaanites who dwell in the land of the valley have chariots of iron, both those who are in Beth Shean and its towns, and those who are in the valley of Jezreel."
17Joshua spoke to the house of Joseph, even to Ephraim and to Manasseh, saying, "You are a great people and have great power. You shall not have one lot only;
18but the hill country shall be yours. Although it is a forest, you shall cut it down, and its farthest extent shall be yours; for you shall drive out the Canaanites, though they have chariots of iron, and though they are strong."
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Summary

Manasseh, as the firstborn of Joseph, receives territory on both sides of the Jordan — the eastern half-tribe taking Gilead and Bashan, while the western half is allotted the fertile lands of the northern central highlands including the Jezreel Valley region. A landmark moment occurs when the five daughters of Zelophehad boldly claim their right to inherit, citing the commandment God gave Moses — and their claim is honored. Like Ephraim before them, the western Manassites fail to drive out the Canaanites from their key cities. When they complain to Joshua that their allotment is too small, he refuses to simply give them more land, instead challenging them to be the great people they claim to be: go clear the forests and drive out the Canaanites, iron chariots and all.

Themes

  • Justice and inclusion — women receiving their rightful inheritance before God
  • The principle that claiming greatness requires willingness to work and fight for it
  • Faith over fear — Joshua refuses to excuse the tribes from facing iron chariots
  • Incomplete conquest as a recurring failure in the distribution narrative

Key verses

  • Josh 17:15 — “If you are a great people, go up to the forest, and clear land for yourself there...since the hill country of Ephraim is too small for you.”
  • Josh 17:18 — “You shall drive out the Canaanites, though they have chariots of iron, and though they are strong.”
  • Josh 17:4 — “Yahweh commanded Moses to give us an inheritance among our brothers. Therefore according to the commandment of Yahweh he gave them an inheritance among the brothers of their father.”

Context & background

Manasseh's western territory spans the northern portion of the modern West Bank and extends into the fertile Jezreel Valley (also called the Valley of Megiddo) in modern northern Israel. Key cities in this region — Megiddo, Taanach, Beth Shean, and En Dor — are all identifiable today; Megiddo is an Israeli national park and UNESCO World Heritage Site. Shechem, located at modern Nablus in the West Bank, was in the heart of Manasseh's territory and was one of the most important cities in Canaan. The daughters of Zelophehad's case was originally argued before Moses in Numbers 27, where God ruled in their favor; Joshua's honoring of that ruling connects this chapter to that earlier precedent. The iron-chariot technology of the Canaanites gave them a military advantage in open valleys — which is why controlling the highlands first made strategic sense.

Cross-references

  • Joshua 14:4 — Joseph's double portion through Ephraim and Manasseh is the reason Levi received no land
  • Judges 1:27–28 — Manasseh's failure to drive out the Canaanites is listed again in the pattern of incomplete conquest
  • Judges 5:19 — The battle of Megiddo (in Manasseh's territory) is later fought against Canaanite kings under Deborah
  • Numbers 27:1–11 — The daughters of Zelophehad first argue their case before Moses and God rules in their favor
  • Numbers 36:1–12 — God adds the condition that they must marry within their own tribe to keep the inheritance

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  1. Observe

    Who are the daughters of Zelophehad and on what basis do they make their claim for inheritance?

  2. Observe

    What excuse do the children of Joseph give for needing more land, and how does Joshua respond?

  3. Interpret

    What does the daughters of Zelophehad's appeal teach about the nature of inheritance in God's economy?

  4. Interpret

    How does Joshua's response to the Josephites' complaint reflect God's characteristic way of dealing with His people?

  5. Apply

    What is one way to respond to the example of the daughters of Zelophehad?

  6. Apply

    How should we respond to the "iron chariots" we use as excuses to avoid God-assigned tasks?

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