Joshua 16:1

“And the lot of the children of Joseph fell, etc.] Or, “went out” f378; of the pot or urn, this being the next lot that was drawn to that of Judah, the government being Judah’s, and the birthright Joseph’s, (<130502>1 Chronicles 5:2); and by his children are here meant the tribe of Ephraim, and the tribe of Manasseh: or the line and border according to the lot went forth from Jordan by Jericho unto the water of Jericho on the east; by which it appears, that this was the southern border of the lot; for the tribe of Benjamin, in which Jericho was, lay between Judah and Ephraim, and the border began at Jordan, where it flowed near Jericho, and proceeded to a water which belonged to that city,…”

“THE GENERAL BORDERS OF THE SONS OF JOSEPH. (Jos 16:1-4) the lot of the children of Joseph fell--Hebrew, "went forth," referring either to the lot as drawn out of the urn, or to the tract of land thereby assigned. The first four verses describe the territory allotted to the family of Joseph in the rich domains of central Palestine. It was drawn in one lot, that the brethren might be contiguously situated; but it was afterwards divided. The southern boundary only is described here; that on the north being irregular and less defined (Jos 17:10-11), is not mentioned. water of Jericho-- (Kg2 2:19), at the joint of its junction with the Jordan. mount Beth-el--the ridge south of Beth-el. Having…”

“To the wilderness - Strike out “to,” for the word is in apposition to “lot.” The wilderness is Joshua 18:12 “the wilderness of Bethaven.” return to 'Top of Page'”

“Children of Joseph - That is, of Ephraim, and the half tribe of Manasseh, which are here put together in one; because in these first verses he speaks of them in common; and then of their several portions. Joshua 16:4”

“16:1–17:18 Joseph had two sons,Manasseh and Ephraim (Gen 41:50-52). Half of Manasseh’s descendants had received their inheritance east of the Jordan River. The tribe of Ephraim and the rest of the tribe of Manasseh now received their allotments. This brought the total number of allotments to twelve and fulfilled the blessing Jacob had pronounced upon Joseph (Gen 49:22-26). Like Judah in the south, Joseph’s tribes exercised leadership from their central position in the north. 16:1 Jericho was assigned to the tribe of Benjamin (18:21).”

“fell: Heb. went forth the water: Jos 8:15, Jos 15:61, Jos 18:12; Kg2 2:19-21 Joshua 16:2”

“Territory of the tribe of Joseph. - Jos 16:1. "And there came out the lot of the children of Joseph from Jordan by Jericho." "The lot came out," viz., from the turn (cf. Jos 19:1, Jos 19:17, Jos 19:24). The expression "came up" is used in the same sense in Jos 18:11. The connection of these two words with the rest of the sentence, "from Jordan by Jericho," may be explained on the supposition that the lot which came out of the urn determined the inheritance that fell to the tribe, so that we might paraphrase the verse in this manner: "There came out the lot to the children of Joseph, namely, the inheritance, which goes out from, or whose boundary commences at, the Jordan by Jericho," i.e.,…”