Joshua 16 Study Notes

16:1-4 These verses describe the southern border of the Joseph tribes, that is, the southern boundary of Ephraim.

16:1 The Jordan at Jericho to the Waters of Jericho may mean “the Jordan River at Jericho which is also called the Waters of Jericho,” or else “the Waters of Jericho” refers to the spring now known as ‘Ain es-Sultan.

16:2 The Archites are not otherwise known. The Arkites of Gn 10:17 and 1Ch 1:15 are not the same people, as their name is spelled differently in Hebrew. David’s friend Hushai, who brought Absalom’s plans to ruin, was called an Archite (2Sm 15:32; 16:16; 17:5,14; 1Ch 27:33).

16:3 The Japhletites are otherwise unknown. A Japhlet of the tribe of Asher is mentioned in 1Ch 7:32-33.

16:9 Additional towns located in the territory of Manasseh were added to the allotment of Ephraim.

16:10 As at the end of Judah’s allotment (15:63), so at the end of Ephraim’s inheritance, there is a note of towns that were not fully conquered. The forced laborers (Hb mas) identifies a practice used by the Canaanite city-states before the arrival of Israel, and by Solomon for his building activities (1Kg 4:6; 9:21).