The Book of Joshua, Chapter 17, with BAC Explanations. Manasseh including Gilead and the Daughters of Zelophehad Receive their Inheritance.
Joshua 17 with Yair Davidiy
[Joshua 17:1] THERE WAS ALSO A LOT FOR THE TRIBE OF MANASSEH; FOR HE WAS THE FIRSTBORN OF JOSEPH; TO WIT, FOR MACHIR THE FIRSTBORN OF MANASSEH, THE FATHER OF GILEAD: BECAUSE HE WAS A MAN OF WAR, THEREFORE HE HAD GILEAD AND BASHAN.
Manasseh was the firstborn of Joseph and still had rights in that respect even though Ephraim had exceeded him in the blessing of Jacob. Gilead was the name both of an important grouping in the Tribe of Manasseh and also of a whole geographical area. Gilead and Bashan were border regions and therefore it was important that fighters be placed there. Machir (i.e. his descendants) was a MAN OF WAR. Bashan in Mesopotamia was referred to as Basil. The word basil later came to be used by the Greeks to signify royalty though it is admitted that the word is not of Greek origin. The Royal Scythians mentioned by Herodotos (Skythoi Basiloi) may actually have been Scythians from Bashan. Herodotos wrote a valuable history but he seems to have gotten things muddled here and there. He mentions soldiers of Sennacherib being killed by a plague of mice before Pelusium. The Bible says an angel smote the army of Sennacherib when it was besieging Jerusalem.
[2-Kings 19:35] AND IT CAME TO PASS THAT NIGHT, THAT THE ANGEL OF THE LORD WENT OUT, AND SMOTE IN THE CAMP OF THE ASSYRIANS AN HUNDRED FOURSCORE AND FIVE THOUSAND: AND WHEN THEY AROSE EARLY IN THE MORNING, BEHOLD, THEY WERE ALL DEAD CORPSES.
What is the explanation for the contradiction between Herodotos and the Bible? It turns out that the Egyptian hieroglyphic sign for plague was a picture of a mouse. Herodotos must have seen an Egyptian inscription (in Pelusium?) describing the calamity that befall Sennacherib. Herodotos misinterpreted what he read, He assumed the event had taken place before Pelusium on the border of Israel and Egypt and that the sign for plague meant plague of mice! (Daat Mikra).
Josephus, Antiquities 10;1 Now concerning this Sennacherib, Herodotus also says, in the second book of his histories, how "this king came against the Egyptian king, who was the priest of Vulcan; and that as he was besieging Pelusium, he broke up the siege on the following occasion: This Egyptian priest prayed to God, and God heard his prayer, and sent a judgment upon the Arabian king." But in this Herodotus was mistaken, when he called this king not king of the Assyrians, but of the Arabians; for he saith that "a multitude of mice gnawed to pieces in one night both the bows and the rest of the armor of the Assyrians, and that it was on that account that the king, when he had no bows left, drew off his army from Pelusium." And Herodotus does indeed give us this history.
[Joshua 17:2] THERE WAS ALSO A LOT FOR THE REST OF THE CHILDREN OF MANASSEH BY THEIR FAMILIES; FOR THE CHILDREN OF ABIEZER, AND FOR THE CHILDREN OF HELEK, AND FOR THE CHILDREN OF ASRIEL, AND FOR THE CHILDREN OF SHECHEM, AND FOR THE CHILDREN OF HEPHER, AND FOR THE CHILDREN OF SHEMIDA: THESE WERE THE MALE CHILDREN OF MANASSEH THE SON OF JOSEPH BY THEIR FAMILIES.
These clan names became the names of tribal groups amongst the Ancient Celtic sand Anglo-Saxonand related peoples who settled in Britain and the west and later colonized North America.
[Joshua 17:3] BUT ZELOPHEHAD, THE SON OF HEPHER, THE SON OF GILEAD, THE SON OF MACHIR, THE SON OF MANASSEH, HAD NO SONS, BUT DAUGHTERS: AND THESE ARE THE NAMES OF HIS DAUGHTERS, MAHLAH, AND NOAH, HOGLAH, MILCAH, AND TIRZAH.
[Joshua 17:4] AND THEY CAME NEAR BEFORE ELEAZAR THE PRIEST, AND BEFORE JOSHUA THE SON OF NUN, AND BEFORE THE PRINCES, SAYING, THE LORD COMMANDED MOSES TO GIVE US AN INHERITANCE AMONG OUR BRETHREN. THEREFORE ACCORDING TO THE COMMANDMENT OF THE LORD HE GAVE THEM AN INHERITANCE AMONG THE BRETHREN OF THEIR FATHER.
Two points are noticeable here: * The women of Manasseh were assertive and recognized as having an opinion to be considered. * There was a tendency (that for a period became almost binding until it was annulled) for the members of a tribes to marry only within their tribe.
[Joshua 17:5] AND THERE FELL TEN PORTIONS TO MANASSEH, BESIDE THE LAND OF GILEAD AND BASHAN, WHICH WERE ON THE OTHER SIDE JORDAN;
Manasseh had ten portions west of the Jordan as well as the lands of Gilead and Bashan east of the Jordan.
[Joshua 17:6] BECAUSE THE DAUGHTERS OF MANASSEH HAD AN INHERITANCE AMONG HIS SONS: AND THE REST OF MANASSEH'S SONS HAD THE LAND OF GILEAD.
[Joshua 17:7] AND THE COAST OF MANASSEH WAS FROM ASHER TO MICHMETHAH, THAT LIETH BEFORE SHECHEM; AND THE BORDER WENT ALONG ON THE RIGHT HAND UNTO THE INHABITANTS OF ENTAPPUAH.
<<ENTAPPUAH>>: In Hebrew Ayin Tapuachthe Spring of Tapuach. Tapuach means apple, i.e. Applesprings.
[Joshua 17:8] NOW MANASSEH HAD THE LAND OF TAPPUAH: BUT TAPPUAH ON THE BORDER OF MANASSEH BELONGED TO THE CHILDREN OF EPHRAIM;
[Joshua 17:9] AND THE COAST DESCENDED UNTO THE RIVER KANAH, SOUTHWARD OF THE RIVER: THESE CITIES OF EPHRAIM ARE AMONG THE CITIES OF MANASSEH: THE COAST OF MANASSEH ALSO WAS ON THE NORTH SIDE OF THE RIVER, AND THE OUTGOINGS OF IT WERE AT THE SEA:
Cities of Ephraim amongst Manasseh. Note it may have been that physically in the end more of Ephraim actually dwelt amongst Manasseh than elsewhere nevertheless the characteristics of the group in that area were determined by Manasseh. The same applies today.
[Joshua 17:10] SOUTHWARD IT WAS EPHRAIM'S, AND NORTHWARD IT WAS MANASSEH'S, AND THE SEA IS HIS BORDER; AND THEY MET TOGETHER IN ASHER ON THE NORTH, AND IN ISSACHAR ON THE EAST.
[Joshua 17:11] AND MANASSEH HAD IN ISSACHAR AND IN ASHER BETHSHEAN AND HER TOWNS, AND IBLEAM AND HER TOWNS, AND THE INHABITANTS OF DOR AND HER TOWNS, AND THE INHABITANTS OF ENDOR AND HER TOWNS, AND THE INHABITANTS OF TAANACH AND HER TOWNS, AND THE INHABITANTS OF MEGIDDO AND HER TOWNS, EVEN THREE COUNTRIES.
Manasseh had cities in the territories of Issachar, and Asher.
[Joshua 17:12] YET THE CHILDREN OF MANASSEH COULD NOT DRIVE OUT THE INHABITANTS OF THOSE CITIES; BUT THE CANAANITES WOULD DWELL IN THAT LAND. WOULD DWELL:
In Hebrew Yoel to dwell, i.e. it was pleasing to them to dwell. Manasseh was at fault for making things desirable for the Canaanites to remain.
[Joshua 17:13] YET IT CAME TO PASS, WHEN THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL WERE WAXEN STRONG, THAT THEY PUT THE CANAANITES TO TRIBUTE, BUT DID NOT UTTERLY DRIVE THEM OUT.
[Joshua 17:14] AND THE CHILDREN OF JOSEPH SPAKE UNTO JOSHUA, SAYING, WHY HAST THOU GIVEN ME BUT ONE LOT AND ONE PORTION TO INHERIT, SEEING I AM A GREAT PEOPLE, FORASMUCH AS THE LORD HATH BLESSED ME HITHERTO?
Ephraim and Manasseh together were the children of Joseph. Here they spoke with one voice and considered their inheritances to comprise one portion.
[Joshua 17:15] AND JOSHUA ANSWERED THEM, IF THOU BE A GREAT PEOPLE, THEN GET THEE UP TO THE WOOD COUNTRY, AND CUT DOWN FOR THYSELF THERE IN THE LAND OF THE PERIZZITES AND OF THE GIANTS, IF MOUNT EPHRAIM BE TOO NARROW FOR THEE.
The land was colder then and covered with forests. Trees reduce the temperature, increase precipitation and water retentions and protect the top soil.
[Joshua 17:16] AND THE CHILDREN OF JOSEPH SAID, THE HILL IS NOT ENOUGH FOR US: AND ALL THE CANAANITES THAT DWELL IN THE LAND OF THE VALLEY HAVE CHARIOTS OF IRON, BOTH THEY WHO ARE OF BETHSHEAN AND HER TOWNS, AND THEY WHO ARE OF THE VALLEY OF JEZREEL.
[Joshua 17:17] AND JOSHUA SPAKE UNTO THE HOUSE OF JOSEPH, EVEN TO EPHRAIM AND TO MANASSEH, SAYING, THOU ART A GREAT PEOPLE, AND HAST GREAT POWER: THOU SHALT NOT HAVE ONE LOT ONLY:
[Joshua 17:18] BUT THE MOUNTAIN SHALL BE THINE; FOR IT IS A WOOD, AND THOU SHALT CUT IT DOWN: AND THE OUTGOINGS OF IT SHALL BE THINE: FOR THOU SHALT DRIVE OUT THE CANAANITES, THOUGH THEY HAVE IRON CHARIOTS, AND THOUGH THEY BE STRONG.