Joshua 16 -- Old Testament -- Gospel Daily

Joshua

Chapter 16

Ephraim's Inheritance Among the Land

The chapter opens with the allotment given to the children of Joseph as a whole, tracing its boundaries from the Jordan near Jericho westward through Mount Beth-el to the sea. The specific boundary of Ephraim's inheritance is then delineated, running from Ataroth-addar in the east, northward to Michmethah, eastward to Taanath-shiloh and Janohah, and ultimately back to the Jordan at Jericho, with the western extent reaching the sea via the river Kanah. Ephraim also received separate cities within the territory allotted to Manasseh, along with their villages. The chapter closes with the notable failure of Ephraim to drive out the Canaanites living in Gezer, who remained among them and were made to serve under tribute.

Tribal allotmentBorder delineationCanaanites not expelledTribute servitude

¹And the lot of the children of Joseph fell from Jordan by Jericho, unto the water of Jericho on the east, to the wilderness that goeth up from Jericho throughout mount Beth-el,

²And goeth out from Beth-el to Luz, and passeth along unto the borders of Archi to Ataroth,

³And goeth down westward to the coast of Japhleti, unto the coast of Beth-horon the nether, and to Gezer: and the goings out thereof are at the sea.

⁴So the children of Joseph, Manasseh and Ephraim, took their inheritance.

⁵And the border of the children of Ephraim according to their families was thus: even the border of their inheritance on the east side was Ataroth-addar, unto Beth-horon the upper;

⁶And the border went out toward the sea to Michmethah on the north side; and the border went about eastward unto Taanath-shiloh, and passed by it on the east to Janohah;

⁷And it went down from Janohah to Ataroth, and to Naarath, and came to Jericho, and went out at Jordan.

⁸The border went out from Tappuah westward unto the river Kanah; and the goings out thereof were at the sea. This is the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Ephraim by their families.

⁹And the separate cities for the children of Ephraim were among the inheritance of the children of Manasseh, all the cities with their villages.

¹⁰And they drave not out the Canaanites that dwelt in Gezer: but the Canaanites dwell among the Ephraimites unto this day, and serve under tribute.