Joshua 16

16:1–17:18 Joseph had two sons,Manasseh and Ephraim (Gen 41:50-52). Half of Manasseh’s descendants had received their inheritance east of the Jordan River. The tribe of Ephraim and the rest of the tribe of Manasseh now received their allotments. This brought the total number of allotments to twelve and fulfilled the blessing Jacob had pronounced upon Joseph (Gen 49:22-26). Like Judah in the south, Joseph’s tribes exercised leadership from their central position in the north.16:1 Jericho was assigned to the tribe of Benjamin (18:21).

16:3 Ephraim’s border followed the ascent from lower to upper Beth-horon (see 16:5), giving this tribe control of one of the two main roads to Jerusalem from the west. • Gezer, a large and important Canaanite town at the juncture of the coastal plain and the hill country, apparently did not come into Israel’s possession until the time of Solomon (see Judg 1:29; 1 Kgs 9:16).

16:5-8 This description of Ephraim’s northern boundary with Manasseh is general and incomplete. Because Shechem belonged to Manasseh, the border between the two tribes ran south of that town.