Josué 16

Josué 16

Jensen's Survey of the NT - used by permission Paul J Bucknell - Biblical Foundations for Freedom LAND ALLOTMENTS (Joshua 13-21) Jensen's Survey of the NT - used by permission Jensen's Survey of the NT - used by permission Click charts to enlarge Charts from Jensen's Survey of the NT - used by permission JOSHUA A BOOK ON SPIRITUAL WARFARE and REST HOW TO POSSESS YOUR POSSESSIONS CONQUEST OF THE PROMISED LAND DIVISION OF THE PROMISED LAND CLOSE OF JOSHUA'S LIFE ACTION ALLOCATION APPEAL Josh 1:1-5:15 Josh 6:1-12:24 Joshua 13:1-21:45 Josh 22:1-24:33 WARLORDS IN CANAAN LANDLORDS IN CANAAN ENTERING CANAAN CONQUERING CANAAN DIVIDING CANAAN SECURING THE LAND SETTLING THE LAND Preparation Conquest Possession Consecration ca. 1 Month ca 7 Years ca. 18 Years See also more detailed Chart by Charles R Swindoll Joshua 16:1 Then the lot for the sons of Joseph went from the Jordan at Jericho to the waters of Jericho on the east into the wilderness, going up from Jericho through the hill country to Bethel. the waters: Jos 8:15 15:61 18:12 2Ki 2:19-21 Joshua 16 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries THE LAND CONTROLLED BY ISRAEL - Carta Bible Atlas, page 62 Joshua 16 can be divided into three parts... THE ALLOTMENT FOR JOSEPH - Joshua 16:1-4 THE INHERITANCE FOR EPHRAIM - Joshua 16:5-9 THE COMPROMISE OF EPHRAIM - Joshua 16:10 Kenneth Gangel writes "Jacob gave his longest and most favorable blessing to his son Joseph. We cannot understand the allocation of rich, fertile land in central Canaan to Ephraim and Manasseh unless we review and understand that blessing." (Holman Old Testament Commentary - Joshua) We do well to recall Jacob's blessing on Joseph (and thus on Manasseh and Ephraim), who had been his favorite son “Joseph is a fruitful bough, A fruitful bough by a spring; Its branches run over a wall. 23 “The archers bitterly attacked him, And shot at him and harassed him; 24 But his bow remained firm, And his arms were agile, From the hands of the Mighty One of Jacob (From there is the Shepherd, the Stone of Israel), 25 From the God of your father who helps you, And by the Almighty who blesses you With blessings of heaven above, Blessings of the deep that lies beneath, Blessings of the breasts and of the womb. 26 “The blessings of your father Have surpassed the blessings of my ancestors Up to the utmost bound of the everlasting hills (NLT - May the blessings of your ancestors be greater than the blessings of the eternal mountains); May they be on the head of Joseph, And on the crown of the head of the one distinguished among his brothers. (Gen. 49:22-26) Allen Ross on Gen. 49:22-26 - This oracle treats Joseph more lavishly than any of the others, for here the main blessing lay (cf. 1Chr 5:1–2). Jacob took up the promise of fruitfulness from the name of Joseph’s son Ephraim (which means fruitful) and lavished the promise of victory (Gen. 49:23–24a) and prosperity (v. 25b) on Joseph’s two tribes. Victory in battle was experienced by Joshua, Deborah, and Samuel, all of the tribe of Ephraim, and by Gideon and Jephthah, both of Manasseh’s tribe. In these verses are several marvelous titles for God—the Mighty One of Jacob … the Shepherd (cf. Ge 48:15), the Rock of Israel … your father’s God … the Almighty (šadday; cf. ’ēl šadday in Ge 17:1)—the One who ensures blessings from the heavens above (i.e., rain for crops) from the deep … below (i.e., streams and wells for water), and from the breast and womb (i.e., abundant offspring). Jacob bestowed on Joseph the greater blessings because he was the prince among his brothers (cf. Ge 41:41). Ryrie writes that "The blessing of Joseph is the most eloquent of all. Ge 49:23-24 are a brief biography of Joseph. In later years, Joshua and Deborah were from the tribe of Ephraim, and Gideon and Jephthah, from the tribe of Manasseh." NIV Study Bible - Ephraim would gain supremacy, especially over the northern tribes (Jos 16:9; Isa 7:1–2; Hos 13:1). Gangel - Joseph was responsible for the survival of his family during the famine in Egypt and even prior to that was Jacob's favorite son. So rather than a specific and single blessing on Joseph, Jacob ordained that his sons Ephraim and Manasseh should be the heads and founders of tribes along with their eleven uncles. Side by side they occupied what later became Samaria with Ephraim on the south and Manasseh on the north. Ephraim's land included Shiloh, where the tabernacle would be located. Manasseh included both Mount Ebal and Mount Gerizim at the famous and sacred site of Shechem as well as Mount Carmel sticking like a knob out into the Mediterranean Sea. (Holman Old Testament Commentary - Joshua) Then - then marks progression in the narrative. Stephen Grant - The order in which Joshua apportioned the land was in harmony with the historical declaration made by Jacob on his deathbed (Gen 49:22–26). Judah was first in priority, followed by the tribes of Joseph. It has already been pointed out that these two allotments comprised the largest of the land portions and were given when the people were gathered at Gilgal (Joshua 14:6), whereas the other tribes received their inheritance at Shiloh (Joshua 18:1). The status of these two tribes within the nation is summarised in 1 Chronicles 5:1–2: “Now the sons of Reuben the firstborn of Israel, (for he was the firstborn; but, forasmuch as he defiled his father’s bed, his birthright was given unto the sons of Joseph the son of Israel: and the genealogy is not to be reckoned after the birthright. For Judah prevailed above his brethren, and of him came the chief ruler; but the birthright was Joseph’s)”. Although Joseph’s two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, are often dealt with as separate tribes, in relation to the lot they are brought together as one entity (IN Joshua 16:1-4), which became the cause of a complaint to Joshua (Joshua 17:14–18). (What the Bible Teaches - Joshua Judges Ruth) International Children's Bible paraphrase this verse - “This is the land the tribe of Joseph received. It started at the Jordan River near Jericho. It continued to the waters of Jericho, just east of the city. The border went up from Jericho to the mountains of Bethel.”. The lot for the sons of Joseph went from the Jordan at Jericho (portion near Jericho) to the waters of Jericho on the east into the wilderness, going up from Jericho through the hill country to Bethel ("house of God" - map of Bethel) - You can follow this on the map above beginning at Gilgal (Jericho is not on the map but Gilgal was very nearby) and going west through the hill country to the city of Bethel. (Here is another map that may help). Note that Jericho was in the allotment of Benjamin (Josh 18:12) and similarly Bethel is also assigned to Benjamin (Josh 18:22). While Joseph was one of Jacob’s 12 sons, he did not have a tribe named after him because, as the oldest son of Jacob’s wife Rachel, he received a double portion of the inheritance divided between his two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, whom Jacob considered as his own (Genesis 48:5). It is not surprising that the largest territory and the greatest influence in the northern half of Israel belonged to their tribes. Madvig points out that "The sons of Joseph became the dominant tribes in the northern kingdom during the divided monarchy, so much so that the name Ephraim became one of the names for that kingdom (cf. Isa 7:2). The southern border of Joseph, which is described here, is actually the northern borders of Benjamin (Josh 18:11–14) and Dan (Josh 19:40–48). (The Expositor's Bible Commentary Volume 3) Believer's Study Bible has an interesting note on Joshua 16:1-4 - Jacob had adopted Joseph's sons Ephraim and Manasseh as his own and had bestowed the greater blessing on Ephraim, though Manasseh was Joseph's firstborn (Ge 48:5-20). Thus the land was divided among 12 tribes, even though Levi received none. Manasseh and their inheritance was divided into two parts, half west of the Jordan and half on the east in Transjordan with Reuben and Gad (cf. 1:12-18; Num. 32:20-22). Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary - This and the following chapter should not be separated. They give the lots of Ephraim and Manasseh, the children of Joseph, who, next to Judah, were to have the post of honour, and therefore had the first and best portion in the northern part of Canaan, as Judah in the southern part. God's people now, as of old, suffer his enemies to remain. Blessed Lord, when will all our enemies be subdued? 1 Corinthians 15:26. Do thou drive them all out; thou alone canst do it. These settled boundaries may remind us, that our situation and provision in this life, as well as our future inheritance, are appointed by the only wise and righteous God, and we should be content with our portion, since he knows what is best for us, and all we have is more than we deserve. Bethel - Holman Bible Dictionary Bethel was important in the Old Testament for both geographic and religious reasons. Because of its abundant springs, the area was fertile and attractive to settlements as early as 3200 B.C., and first supported a city around the time of Abraham. Today the village of Beitin rests on much of the ruins of Bethel. Located at the intersection of the main north-south road through the hill country and the main road from Jericho to the coastal plain, Bethel saw much domestic and international travel. Bethel became a prominent border town between tribes and the two kingdoms later. Religiously, Bethel served as a sanctuary during the times of the patriarchs, judges, and the divided kingdom, hence was second only to Jerusalem as a religious center. Entering Canaan, Abraham built an altar at Bethel, calling “upon the name of the Lord” (Genesis 12:8 ), and returned here after his time in Egypt (Genesis 13:3 ). His grandson, Jacob, spent the night here on his way to Syria to find a wife. In a dream the Lord confirmed the Abrahamic covenant, and Jacob responded by renaming this locale which was previously called Luz, “Bethel” (“house of God”; Genesis 28:10-22 ). Probably the name “Bethel” is referred to but out of chronological sequence in the earlier Abraham passages. When he returned with his large family, Jacob came to Bethel again to hear the Lord's confirmation of the covenant and his name was changed to “Israel.” Here again Jacob set up a stone monument (Genesis 35:1-16; Hosea 12:4-5 ). Extensive fortification of Bethel came after this patriarchal period. At the time of the conquest, Bethel and Ai were taken together (Joshua 7:2; Joshua 8:3-17; Joshua 12:9 ,Joshua 12:9,12:16 ), but the definitive defeat of Bethel is recounted later in Judges 1:22-26 . It was a Benjamite border town initially (Joshua 16:1-2; Joshua 18:13 ,Joshua 18:13,18:22 ). Later it was a part of the Northern Kingdom (1 Chronicles 7:28 ), only briefly annexed to Judah by Abijah (2 Chronicles 13:19 ). The ark of the covenant was kept in Bethel during a period of the judges (Judges 20:27 ), so the tribes converged there upon Benjamin to avenge the moral atrocity at Gibeah (Judges 20:18-28 ), offering sacrifices and seeking the Lord's direction (Judges 21:1-4 ). Bethel also was a place where both Deborah (Judges 4:5 ) and Samuel (1 Samuel 7:16 ) judged the civil and religious affairs of the Israelites in the area. Bethel was evidently vulnerable at the time of the judges, since archaeology shows it to have been destroyed several times in this period. David considered the city significant enough to send it gifts during his flight as a fugitive from Saul, hoping to establish a friendship of diplomatic value in the future (1 Samuel 30:27 ). When he eventually named Jerusalem his capital, Bethel grew and prospered. Whereas Bethel had been a place of orthodox worship from Abraham to the judges, Jeroboam I made it a religious center of his innovative, apostate religion of the Northern Kingdom. He erected a golden calf both here and in Dan with non-Levitic priests and an illegitimate feast to compete with the celebrations and religion of Jerusalem, ten and a half miles to the south in Judah (1 Kings 12:29-33 ). Bethel was the prominent site over Dan. There an anonymous prophet from Judah found and rebuked Jeroboam I and brought destruction to the king's altar (1 Kings 13:1-10 ). Another anonymous prophet from Bethel entrapped the first prophet into disobedience. Because of his disobedience, the Lord caused a lion to kill the first prophet (1 Kings 13:11-25 ). Other true prophets seem to have been attached to Bethel even during the time of northern apostasy, since Elijah encountered a group of them there as he traveled (2 Kings 2:2-3 ). Amos was sent to Bethel to rebuke the kingdom of Jeroboam II in the eighth century (Amos 7:10-13 ) since it was the center of northern idolatry and a royal residence. He met the resistance of Amaziah, the priest, who vainly ordered him to leave the city. In addition to Amos' prophetic charges against those who sacrificed there (Amos 4:4 ), he predicted the destruction of Bethel and its false altars (Amos 3:14 , Amos 5:5-6 ), as did Hosea (Hosea 10:14-15 ). Hosea seems to have played with the name of Bethel (“city of God”), by referring to it as “Beth-aven” (“city of a false [god],” Hosea 5:8-9; Hosea 10:5 ). The religious significance of Bethel is confirmed also by Assyria's appointment of a priest to this city to teach the new residents of the north who displaced the Israelites (2 Kings 17:28 ). Later, Josiah desecrated another false altar of Bethel during his reforms (2 Kings 23:4-19 ) and perhaps annexed the city to his Southern Kingdom. Bethel was destroyed in the sixth century during the Exile; however, some returned there when released by the Persians (Ezra 2:28; Nehemiah 7:32; Nehemiah 11:31 ). Since it was a late first century Roman garrison town, it was probably a city of importance at the time of Christ. 2. Another city variously spelled Bethul (Joshua 19:4 ), Bethuel (1 Chronicles 4:30 ), and Bethel (1 Samuel 30:27 ). This may be modern khirbet el Qaryatein north of Arad. Joshua 16:2 It went from Bethel to Luz, and continued to the border of the Archites at Ataroth. Bethel: Jos 18:13 Ge 28:19 Jdg 1:22-26 Archites: 2Sa 16:16 1Ch 27:33 Joshua 16 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Map to help visualize descriptions of boundaries It went from Bethel to Luz - Note several versions have "Bethel (that is Luz)" (NLT, NIV). See several dictionary explanations below. In Genesis 28:19 we read "He called the name of that place Bethel; however, previously the name of the city had been Luz", Luz being the name given by the Canaanites. (cf. Joshua 18:13; Gen 35:6; Jdg. 1:23). Grant notes that "The border ran in a south-westerly direction from the Jordan, by Jericho, toward Ataroth, through the borders of Archi, whence came Hushai, one of David’s advisors (2Sa 15:32)." Holman on relationship of Bethel and Luz - Joshua 16:2 seems to distinguish the two places, Bethel perhaps being the worship place and Luz the city. Bethel would then be Burj Beitin and Luz, Beitin. Smith's Bible Dictionary comments on Bethel and Luz. (almond tree). It seems impossible to discover with precision whether Luz and Bethel represent one and the same town - the former the Canaannite, the latter the Hebrew, name - or whether they were distinct places, though in close proximity. The most probable conclusion is that, the two places were, during the times preceding the conquest, distinct, Luz being the city and Bethel the pillar and altar of Jacob that, after the destruction of Luz by the tribe of Ephraim, the town of Bethel arose. ISBE on Luz - This was the ancient name of Bethel (Genesis 28:19; Judges 1:23; compare Genesis 35:6; Genesis 48:3; Joshua 16:2; Joshua 18:13 ). It has been thought that Joshua 16:2 contradicts this, and that the two places were distinct. Referring to Genesis 28:19 , we find that the name Bethel was given to "the place," ha -māḳōm , i.e. "the sanctuary," probably "the place" (Genesis 28:11 , Hebrew) associated with the sacrifice of Abraham (Genesis 12:8 ), which lay to the East of Bethel. The name of the city as distinguished from "the place" was Luz. As the fame of the sanctuary grew, we may suppose, its name overshadowed, and finally superseded, that of the neighboring town. The memory of the ancient nomenclature persisting among the people sufficiently explains the allusions in the passages cited. And continued to the border of the Archites at Ataroth - The location of these sites is not known with certainty.