Joshua 17:16

“And the children of Joseph said, the hill is not enough for us, etc.] Meaning either Mount Ephraim, and all included in it; or it may be rather the wood country on the hills and mountains they were bid to go up to; signifying, that if they could gain that out of the hands of the Perizzites and giants, and clear it of the wood, and make it habitable, even that would not be sufficient for them; or that hill and mountain cannot be “found by us” f395 or obtained and possessed by us; we are not able to get it into our hands; there being a valley between us and that: and all the Canaanites that dwell in the land of the valley have chariots of iron; not chariots made of iron, but chariots with iron…”

“chariots of iron--unusually strengthened with that metal, and perhaps armed with projecting scythes. Next: Joshua Chapter 18”

“The possession by the Canaanites of chariots strengthened and tipped with iron, such as were used by the Egyptians Exodus 14:7, is named here by the children of Joseph as a reason why they could not possess themselves of the plains. “The valley of Jezreel” is the broad low valley which sweeps from “Zerin” between the mountains of Gilboa and the range of little Hermon eastward down to the Jordan. It was most likely in this valley that the host of the Midianites was encamped, when attacked by Gideon Judges 7:1, Judges 7:8. The great plain of Jezreel, called the plain of Esdraelon (Esdrelom, Judith 1:8), extends from Carmel on the west to the hills of Gilboa, little Hermon, and Tabor on the…”

“Is not enough - Heb. the hill will not be found, that is, obtained by us; those fierce and strong people the Perizzites and the giants will easily defend themselves, and frustrate our attempts, having the advantage of the woods and mountains. The Canaanites that dwell - That is, and if thou sayest, that if the hill either cannot be conquered, or is not sufficient for us, we may go down and take more land out of the pleasant and fruitful valleys, we shall meet with no less difficulty there than in the mountains. Chariots of iron - Not all made of iron, but armed with iron, not only for defence, but for offence also, having as it were scythes and swords fastened to them, to cut down all that…”

“17:16 As a result of the Canaanites’ iron chariots, Ephraim and Manasseh were restricted to the hill country in the early part of the settlement period (see study note on 11:4). • The valley of Jezreel, a geological interruption of the hill country, separated Lower Galilee to the north from the hill country of Manasseh to the south. The Canaanites living in and near it and the valley of Beth-shan restricted Manasseh’s expansion and apparently Ephraim’s as well. Most of the towns named in 17:11 were on the edges of these valleys.”

“chariots: Jos 17:18; Jdg 1:19, Jdg 4:3 Bethshean: Jos 17:11; Kg1 4:12 Jezreel: Jos 19:18; Jdg 6:33; Kg1 4:12, Kg1 18:46, Kg1 21:1, Kg1 21:23; Kg2 9:10, Kg2 9:37; Hos 1:4, Hos 1:5 Joshua 17:17”