Joshua 17 Study Notes

17:1 On allotting Gilead and Bashan to Machir, see 13:29-31. The connection between the Transjordan region and the name of Machir’s son, both given as “Gilead,” introduces the tendency in Manasseh for town names to follow the names of individuals.

17:2 Several clans in West Manasseh are named in this verse and are also attested as towns in the southern and western parts of West Manasseh’s allotment. The names of some of these towns such as Shechem appear in the Bible. Others occur on merchandise receipts found in Samaria dating from the eighth century BC.

17:3 The five daughters of Zelophehad were Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah. These were also names of towns in northern and eastern areas of West Manasseh that are attested on the eighth century BC receipts from the northern kingdom’s capital.

17:4-6 Although daughters did not normally inherit land (they received a dowry instead), Moses allowed this special stipulation (Nm 36:1-13) in the absence of any sons. He required only that these women marry within their tribe so the land would not pass out of it.

17:7-13 A border description (vv. 7-9a) is followed by a note about towns of Ephraim that were in Manasseh’s territory (v. 9b) and by other tribes and bodies of water that bordered this tribe (vv. 9c-10). The towns of Manasseh that were located within the tribal borders of Issachar and Asher (v. 11) were not occupied for a while because of the strength of the Canaanites (v. 12). On imposing forced labor, see note at 16:10.

17:14-18 The allocation of additional land was necessary due to the large population among Joseph’s descendants who lived in the central hill country of Israel. The land of the Perizzites and the Rephaim seems to be identical to the hill country and its forest. In Gn 34:30 the area around Shechem belonged to the Canaanites and Perizzites; thus, it may refer to this region of Manasseh. The Canaanites in the valley had iron chariots, which caused the Ephraimites to doubt their ability to conquer them, but Joshua, a man of faith, encouraged them (v. 18; cp. Jdg 1:19; 4:3,13).