The Pulpit Commentary — Joshua — Section 314

EXPOSITION. CHAPTER XVII. 1-18. Moses just referred to, to whioh they appeal Ver. 1.-There was also a lot. The prefer. in support of their claim (see also Num, .ible translation is, " amd the lot fo,· tM xxvii. 1-7) . ,1'ibe of Manasseh-for lie was the firstborn Ver. 6.-And there fell ten portions. o_( ,Joseph-10a.s (or .fell) to },fa,;hfr the son of Literally, and tM measu,·ed portions of Mana.s,e/1. That is to se.y, the proper pos- Manasseh fell ten (in number). It will be 1ession of the tribe of Mana.sseh fell to observed that the descendants of Manasseh, l\fachir and his descendants only, because exclusive of Hepher, ore five iu number. of their warlike spirit, and possibly on These, with the five portions allotted to the aeconnt of their numbers also. They were family of Zelophehad, the son of Hepher, sufficient to occupy the land of Gilead e.nd mitde up ten. Basha.n. extensive and powerful though it Ver. 6.-The rest of Ma.nasseh's sons, we.s, while the rest of the tribe had a. share Namely, the descendants of Ma.chir (see ver. in the inherita.nce westward of Jordan (see 1). The e.mbiguity is due to the indefinite also eh. xiii. 29-31). For he was the first- way in which "son " is used in Scripture, born of Joseph. There has been much dis- Thus the B'ne Israel, which we translate cussion why these words were introduced. " children of Israel," is literally, "sons of Israel," or Ja.cob. So the sons of Ma- It is probable that they are intended as e.n nasseh, in like manner, a.re Ma.na.sseh's de- explanation of the existence of Ephraim scendants. and Manasseh as separate tribes; or possibly Ver. 7.-Coast. Rather, border. Asher. this is introduced to suggest the reason for This has bean supposed not to be the mentioning the tribes in this order since tribe of Asher, for this was on the north, Ephraim was not the firstborn (see Gen. but a city which has been identified with xhiii. 5, 14). The father of Gilead. There the modern Ya.sir, a.bout five hours' distance seems no reason to accept Keil's dktum, from Nablous, or Nea.polis, on the road to that because Gilead here has the article, Beisan,or Beth-shee.n, where,says Delitzsch, whereas in other places where it signifies there a.re " magnificent ruins" now to be Ma.chir's son it has not, the country and seen. See, however, note ver. 10. Mlch• not the man is meant, and " father " must methah (see eh. xvi. 6). This place has be taken as eq niva.lent to " lord. " The not been identified. All we know is that usage is found in Arabic e.nd Ethiopic, but not in Hebrew. The reason why Gilead as it is opposite ( ').!3•S1n Shechem, Some the name of the individna.1 has the article have thought that this is simply the de- here is most likely because he gave his nominative of Asher, to distinguish it from name to the territory mentioned imme- the tribe, and that for '' Asher to Michme- ilie.tel v afterwards. Therefore he had. thah " we should read " Asher-ha.m-Mich- There is no " therefore " in the origina.1, methah." But this could hardly be the where we find " and he had." We must Ya.sir above, since it is opposite Shechem, understand this as spoken of the tribe, not Shechem. NowNe.blous. Thispla.ceisfa.mous persona.lly of Ma.chir, who had been long both in the Old and the New Testament. We dead (see note on eh. vi. 25). first read of it, under the name of Sichem, in Yer. 2.-There was also a lot. Or, and Gen. xii. 6. It was the a.bode of Shechem (the lot) was (or jell). Ablezer (see Judg. and Hamor his son, when Ja.cob abode in vi.11 ; viii. 2). Gideon, therefore, we.a of the Canaan after his return from Pada.n-ara.m. tribE of Manasseh. He is called Jeezer in It was situated between Gerizim and Ebe.I, Num. xxvi. 30. The male children. Rather, and became an important city in the days the ma.le descendants. None of the persons of the Judges (Judg. ix.). It was destroyed here mentioned were (Num. xxvi. 30, 31; by Abimelech (Judg. ix. 45), but it seems to 1 Cbron. vii. 18) the sons of Manasseh. have recovered. It was thither that Reho- Ver. 3.-Zelophehad (see Num. xxxvi.). boa.m went to be crowned, and there that The inherite.nce here described as being his injudicious answer alienated for ever the given to the daughters of Zelophehe.d was ten tribes from hie rule. Jeroboam ma.de it so given on condition of their marrying hie capital and is said to he:ve "built" it within the limits of their own tribe, a. con- (1 Kings xii. 25). He afterwards, however, J.i.tion which was fulfilled. Thus the name abandoned it for Penuel, and Pennel a.gain of Zelopheha.d, e.nd the portion of land be- apparently for Tirza.h (1 Kings xiv. 17), and longing to him, was not blotted out from Tirza.h for Jezreel, which remained the the memory of his descendants. capita.I until Omri built Ba.maria. (1 Kings Ver. 4.-And they ea.me near. In order xvi. 24). It is no doubt the Sycha.r men- to demand the fulfilment of th11 decree of tioned in St. John iv. Most tra.vellera CH; XVII, 1-18.] THE BOOK OF JOSHUA.