Josué 17
Bob Utley · You Can Understand the Bible
Josué 17:1-6
17:1 This refers to land on the eastern side of the Jordan, north of the plains of Moab. ▣ "because he was a man of war" Military heroes were honored and rewarded for their service. ▣ "the father of Gilead" The name (BDB 166) has several different references. an area of land on the eastern side of Jordan between the Arnon and Yarmuck rivers, Gen. 31:21, 23,25; 37:25; Num. 32:1,26,29,39; Jos. 22:9 an Israelite of the tribe of Manasseh (apparently named after the land Moses gave his father, cf. Num. 32:40; Deut. 3:15), Num. 26:29,30 a clan from Gilead, son of Machir, Num. 26:29; 27:1; 36:1; Jos. 17:1-3 17:2 "Shechem" This term (BDB 1014), like the name Gilead, refers to a city and a person. a city ‒ Gen. 12:6; 33:18; Jos. 21:21 a person Gen. 33:19; 34:2,4,6,8,11,13,18,20,24,26; Jos. 24:32 Num. 26:31; Jos. 17:2; 1 Chr. 7:19 See "Shechem" in NIDOTTE, vol. 4, pp. 1213-1216; or ABD, vol. 5, pp. 1174-1186. 17:3-4 See Numbers 26:33; 27:1-11; 36:2-4. 17:5-6 This explains why the tribe of Manasseh has land on both sides of the Jordan. It was the daughters who had no brothers who settled in Canaan. Next to Judah, the largest land allotment went to Manasseh. 17:5 NASB, NKJV, NRSV, NJB, LXX, Peshitta "portions" TEV, NET "shares" "districts" "lot" "allotted" This term (BDB 286) originally meant "a rope or cord which was used to measure." Here it takes on a metaphorical extension for the land allotted to the tribes.
Josué 17:7-13
17:7 "southward" This is the term "Teman" (BDB 411 I), which denotes a compass direction. Israel marked her directions based on a person facing east (the tabernacle faced east), therefore, the south was on the right hand and the north on the left hand. Not all nations give directions in the same way. Egypt based its compass directions on a person facing south (i.e., to the head waters of the Nile, the source of all life in Egypt). The boundaries of Ephraim are found in both Jos. 16:5-10 and 17:7-12. 17:9 The boundaries between the tribes were somewhat fluid! 17:11 "the third is Napheth" "three hill regions" "(the third is Naphath)" "and their surrounding towns" "the three of the Slopes" "the third port of Napaheta and its villages" "three districts" "these constituted three regions " "(the third is the district of Dor)" This phrase is uncertain in Hebrew. The NKJV and NJB assume the word is a hapax legomenon of "hill" or "height" (BDB 632, cf. Jos. 12:23). The Jewish Publication Society of America translation has "these comprised three regions." The REB has "(The third is a district of Dor)." 17:12-13 This is parallel to Joshua 16:10 and Judges 1:28. Moses' commands in Deut. 20:10-18 to allow defeated people to become servants, only applied to cities outside of Canaan. These verses reveal the disobedience of the larger tribes (cf. Num. 33:55). Even though the Canaanites were made servants, their fertility worship polluted and weakened the worship of YHWH. This would ultimately result in the Assyrian and Babylonian exiles. 17:13 "they did not drive them out completely" This phrase is a combination of a Hiphil INFINITIVE ABSOLUTE and a Hiphil PERFECT (BDB 439, KB 441), which denotes completion. Here is negated (an emphatic negation).
Josué 17:14-18
17:14-15 This may reflect their hope of receiving more land because Joshua was from their tribe. This land was not part of the allotment, but was available for the taking. This also shows how the tribes could get more land. This may explain part of the tribe of Dan's relocation to the north (i.e., Judges 18). 17:15 "Rephaim" See note at Jos. 11:21. The size of this people group is often emphasized (compare Gen. 15:20 with Deut. 1:10-11 and also Deut. 3:11). 17:16-17 These tribes (Ephraim and Manasseh) describe the enemies' strength in hopes of getting an extra allotment, but Joshua reminds them that they had claimed to be strong in numbers (part of the promised blessing of Deuteronomy 27-28). 17:16 "Jezreel" The name means "God sows" (BDB 283). Like several names in this list it can refer to a place and a person. a place city ‒ Jos. 15:56; 1 Sam. 25:43 (1) in Judah, Jos. 19:18 (2) in Issachar, valley ‒ Jos. 17:16; Jdg. 6:33 district ‒ 1 Kgs. 21:23; 2 Kgs. 9:10,36,37 a person 1 Chr. 4:3 Hosea 1:4