Bible Commentaries
Joshua 16

Verses 1-4

The writer described the whole territory of Joseph first.

Verses 1-10

4. Joseph’s inheritance chs. 16-17

The writer may have dealt with the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh together since Jacob had given Joseph the second largest blessing after Judah (Genesis 49). Moreover half the tribe of Manasseh had already received its inheritance, and the remaining half would have been small compared with the other tribes. These one and one-half tribes together formed a large group of Israelites. Their lot fell in central Canaan, and their territory consisted of two parts with Ephraim settling in the southern portion and Manasseh in the northern.

Verses 5-10

He traced the borders of Ephraim’s allotment next. Ephraim lay north of the area later given to Dan and Benjamin, and south of western Manasseh. The Ephraimites failed to drive out the inhabitants of Gezer (Joshua 16:10).