The allotment for the descendants of Joseph extended from the Jordan at Jericho to the waters of Jericho on the east, through the wilderness that goes up from Jericho into the hill country of Bethel.
Joshua Chapter 16
Joshua 16 Summary: Meaning, Themes & Reflection
Source & study notes
It went on from Bethel (that is, Luz) and proceeded to the border of the Archites in Ataroth.
Then it descended westward to the border of the Japhletites as far as the border of Lower Beth-horon and on to Gezer, and it ended at the Sea.
So Ephraim and Manasseh, the sons of Joseph, received their inheritance.
This was the territory of the descendants of Ephraim by their clans: The border of their inheritance went from Ataroth-addar in the east to Upper Beth-horon
and out toward the Sea. From Michmethath on the north it turned eastward toward Taanath-shiloh and passed by it to Janoah on the east.
From Janoah it went down to Ataroth and Naarah, and then reached Jericho and came out at the Jordan.
From Tappuah the border went westward to the Brook of Kanah and ended at the Sea. This was the inheritance of the clans of the tribe of Ephraim,
along with all the cities and villages set apart for the descendants of Ephraim within the inheritance of Manasseh.
But they did not drive out the Canaanites who lived in Gezer. So the Canaanites dwell among the Ephraimites to this day, but they are forced laborers.
After reading
A closer reading of Joshua 16.
Read Joshua 16 as a whole before choosing one verse. Notice who is speaking, what happens, and which words or images recur. Keep your observations separate from questions you want to explore further.
- Joshua 16:1 — What does the opening establish about the people, subject, or setting?
- Joshua 16:6 — What has developed since the opening? Read the surrounding verses before deciding what this line means.
- Joshua 16:10 — How does this ending connect with the opening? Which question would you carry into your next reading?
Read Joshua 15 to follow what came before. Continue to Joshua 17 to see what follows.
How many verses are in Joshua 16?
Joshua 16 contains 10 verses in the BSB translation displayed above.
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