Josua 17:11 Kommentar

The half tribe of Manasseh comes next to be provided for; and here we have, I. The families of that tribe that were to be portioned (Jos 17:1-6). II. The country that fell to their lot (Jos 17:7-13). III. The joint request of the two tribes that descended from Joseph, for the enlargement of their lot, and Joshua's answer to that request (Jos 17:14-18).

INTRODUCTION TO JOSHUA 17 This chapter gives an account of the lot that fell to the half tribe of Manasseh, to the male children of Manasseh, and to the daughters of Zelophehad, Jos 17:1; and describes the coast of that lot, Jos 17:7; and relates the request of the sons of Joseph, to have their lot enlarged, which was granted, Jos 17:14.

And Manasseh had in Issachar, and in Asher, Bethshean, and her towns,.... As Ephraim had cities in Manasseh, so had Manasseh cities in these two tribes, which in some parts bordered on it, before described, even the cities following, and the first that is named is Bethshean: this lay in the tribe of Issachar, and was the uttermost border of Manasseh that way; it was, as Josephus (m) says, called Scythopolis; but not from the Scythians, as Pliny (n) suggests, but from Succoth, a place where Jacob resided, and which was not far from it, Gen 33:17; it lay before the great plain of Jezreel, and was at the entrance into it,"After this went they over Jordan into the great plain before Bethsan.'' (1 Maccabees 5:52)and was six hundred furlongs, or seventy five miles, from Jerusalem, according to:"From thence they departed to Scythopolis, which lieth six hundred furlongs from Jerusalem,'' (2 Maccabees 12:29)and was one of the cities of Decapolis, from whence our Lord had hearers, Mat 4:25. It was such a pleasant place, that it is said in the Talmud (o), that if the garden of Eden was in the land of Israel, Bethshean was the gate of it; on which the gloss says, that its fruits were the sweetest in the land of Israel: and Ibleam and her towns; it seems to be the same with Bileam, by a transposition of the two first letters, Ch1 6:70; and was a place not far from Megiddo, after mentioned, as appears from Kg2 9:27, and the inhabitants of Dor and her towns; this had been a royal city; see Gill on Jos 11:2 and See Gill on Jos 12:23, and the inhabitants of Endor and her towns; this place became famous for a witch there in the times of Saul, Sa1 28:7; in the times of Jerom (p) it was a large village near Mount Tabor, four miles to the south, which he calls Aeudor, of or in Jezreel; and elsewhere (q) he speaks of Endor, as near the town of Nain, where our Lord raised the widow's son the dead, and is about: Scythopolis: and the inhabitants of Taanach and her towns; this had been a royal city; see Gill on Jos 12:22, and the inhabitants of Megiddo and her towns: this was another royal city mentioned with the former; See Gill on Jos 12:21; there even three countries; the three last cities, with their towns, that are mentioned, Endor, Taanach, and Megiddo; all which perhaps belonged to Dor, and may be the Naphothdor spoken of Jos 11:2; where the same word is used as here; so Jarchi interprets it. (m) Antiqu l. 12. c. 8. sect. 5. (n) Nat. Hist. l. 5. c. 18. (o) T. Bab. Eruvin, fol. 19. 1. (p) De loc. Heb. fol. 88. L. (q) lbid. fol. 91. E.

The lot of the half tribe of Manasseh, Jos 17:1, Jos 17:2. Case of the daughters of Zelophehad, Jos 17:3-6. The borders of Manasseh described, Jos 17:7-11. The Canaanites dwell among them, but are laid under tribute, Jos 17:12, Jos 17:13. The children of Joseph complain of the scantiness of their lot, Jos 17:14-16. Joshua authorizes them to possess the mountainous wood country of the Perizzites, and gives them encouragement to expel them, though they were strong and had chariots of iron, Jos 17:17, Jos 17:18.

Beth-shean - Called afterwards Scythopolis; the city of the Scythians or Cuthites, those who were sent into the different Samaritan cities by the kings of Assyria. Dor - On the Mediterranean Sea, about eight miles from Caesarea, on the road to Tyre. En-dor - The well or fountain of Dor, the place where Saul went to consult the witch; Sa1 28:7, etc.

LOT OF MANASSEH. (Jos 17:1-6) There was also a lot for the tribe of Manasseh--Ephraim was mentioned, as the more numerous and powerful branch of the family of Joseph (Gen 48:19-20); but Manasseh still retained the right of primogeniture and had a separate inheritance assigned. Machir--his descendants. the father of Gilead--Though he had a son of that name (Num 26:29; Num 27:1), yet, as is evident from the use of the Hebrew article, reference is made, not to the person, but the province of Gilead. "Father" here means lord or possessor of Gilead. This view is confirmed by the fact that it was not Machir, but his descendants, who subdued Gilead and Bashan (Num 32:41; Deu 3:13-15). These Machirites had their portion on the east side of Jordan. The western portion of land, allotted to the tribe of Manasseh, was divided into ten portions because the male descendants who had sons consisted of five families, to which, consequently, five shares were given; and the sixth family, namely, the posterity of Hepher, being all women, the five daughters of Zelophehad were, on application to the valuators, endowed each with an inheritance in land (see on Num 27:4).

Beth-shean and her towns--Greek, "Scythopolis" (now Beisan), in the valley of the Jordan, towards the east end of the plain of Jezreel. "Beth-shean" means "house of rest," so called from its being the halting place for caravans travelling between Syria or Midian, and Egypt, and the great station for the commerce between these countries for many centuries. Ibleam and her towns--in the neighborhood of Megiddo (Kg2 9:27). the inhabitants of Dor and her towns--(now Tantoura), anciently a strong fortress; a wall of wild precipitous rock defended the shore fortifications against attack from the land side. En-dor and her towns--situated on a rocky eminence, four Roman miles south of Tabor. Taanach and . . . Megiddo--These were near to each other, and they are generally mentioned in Scripture together. They were both royal and strongly fortified places (see on Jdg 1:27). three countries--districts or provinces. It is computed that Manasseh possessed in Asher and Issachar portions of ground to the extent of more than two hundred square miles.