Joshua 17: The Other Half-Tribe of Manasseh (West)
1 There was also a lot for the tribe of Manasseh, for he was the firstborn of Joseph: namely for Machir the firstborn of Manasseh, the father of Gilead, because he was a man of war; therefore he was given Gilead and Bashan. 2 And there was a lot for the rest of the children of Manasseh according to their families: for the children of Abiezer, the children of Helek, the children of Asriel, the children of Shechem, the children of Hepher, and the children of Shemida; these were the male children of Manasseh the son of Joseph according to their families.
3 But Zelophehad the son of Hepher, the son of Gilead, the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh, had no sons, but only daughters. And these are the names of his daughters: Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah. 4 And they came near before Eleazar the priest, before Joshua the son of Nun, and before the rulers, saying, “The Lord commanded Moses to give us an inheritance among our brothers.” Therefore, according to the commandment of the Lord, he gave them an inheritance among their father’s brothers. 5 Ten shares fell to Manasseh, besides the land of Gilead and Bashan, which were on the other side of the Jordan, 6 because the daughters of Manasseh received an inheritance among his sons; and the rest of Manasseh’s sons had the land of Gilead.
There was also a lot for the tribe of Manasseh… “That is, as the next two verses explain, the descendants of the five sons named, and also of the five daughters of Hepher, whose son Zelophehad had no male children. The western lot was thus divided into ten portions, (Joshua 17:5,) because there were claimants through five males and five females, the latter being descendants of Hepher. The claim of the latter had been at one time a matter of doubt, as the question of woman’s rights has been a matter of dispute in all countries. But Moses had very wisely carried the question to the Lord for his decision, who recognized their rights as inheritors. Numbers 27:6-7.” (Whedon's Commentary on the Bible)
For he was the firstborn of Joseph… Because Manasseh was the first-born of Joseph, “in addition to the territory already given to him in Gilead and Bashan, he received a second allotment of territory in Canaan proper.” (Keil & Delitzsch) "Thus, though Ephraim took precedence of Manasseh, according to the prediction of Joseph Genesis 48:20, yet Manasseh received ‘the double portion’ which was the special privilege of the first-born Deuteronomy 21:17.” (Barnes' Notes on the Bible)
But Zelophehad ... the son of Manasseh, had no sons, but only daughters… “who now reaped the benefit of their pious zeal… Those who take care in the wilderness of this world, to make sure to themselves a place in the inheritance of the saints in light, will have the comfort of it in the other world; while those who neglect it now, will lose it for ever. Lord, teach us here to believe and obey, and give us an inheritance among thy saints, in glory everlasting.” (Matthew Henry)
7 And the territory of Manasseh was from Asher to Michmethath, that lies east of Shechem; and the border went along south to the inhabitants of En Tappuah. 8 Manasseh had the land of Tappuah, but Tappuah on the border of Manasseh belonged to the children of Ephraim. 9 And the border descended to the Brook Kanah, southward to the brook. These cities of Ephraim are among the cities of Manasseh. The border of Manasseh was on the north side of the brook; and it ended at the sea. 10 Southward it was Ephraim’s, northward it was Manasseh’s, and the sea was its border. Manasseh’s territory was adjoining Asher on the north and Issachar on the east. 11 And in Issachar and in Asher, Manasseh had Beth Shean and its towns, Ibleam and its towns, the inhabitants of Dor and its towns, the inhabitants of En Dor and its towns, the inhabitants of Taanach and its towns, and the inhabitants of Megiddo and its towns—three hilly regions.
12 Yet the children of Manasseh could not drive out the inhabitants of those cities, but the Canaanites were determined to dwell in that land. 13 And it happened, when the children of Israel grew strong, that they put the Canaanites to forced labor, but did not utterly drive them out.
"These verses describe the territory of the half tribe of Manasseh west of the Jordan and north of Ephraim. It extended north to the valley of Jezreel. The Manassehites also failed to exterminate all the Canaanites in their area ( Joshua 17:12-13)." (Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable)
Zeal for the Torah and the name of Yahweh seems to be the focus of this chapter concerning Manasseh. Machir the firstborn of Manasseh, the father of Gilead, was rewarded with Gilead and Bashan because "he was a man of war" for Israel. Likewise, the five daughters of Zelophehad received an inheritance because they exercised their rights in Israel. Do not fail to stand on the promises in the Word of God that rightly belong to you.
But as a whole, Manasseh could not enter the rest. They could not drive out the inhabitants of those cities, for "the Canaanites were determined to live in that land." And being more zealous than Israel, they won.
“What with ‘could not’ in the one [Manasseh], and ‘would not’ in the other [Ephraim], the enemies of peace and purity were allowed to remain…” (W. Seaton), here, “probably due to indolence, a love of ease. Perhaps a mistaken humanity, arising from a disregard or forgetfulness of the divine command, and a decreasing principle of faith and zeal in the service of God, were the causes of their failure.” (Jamieson-Fausset-Brown)
Joshua 17: Land Request of the Children Joseph
14 Then the children of Joseph spoke to Joshua, saying, “Why have you given us only one lot and one share to inherit, since we are a great people, inasmuch as the Lord has blessed us until now?” 15 So Joshua answered them, “If you are a great people, then go up to the forest country and clear a place for yourself there in the land of the Perizzites and the giants, since the mountains of Ephraim are too confined for you.” 16 But the children of Joseph said, “The mountain country is not enough for us; and all the Canaanites who dwell in the land of the valley have chariots of iron, both those who are of Beth Shean and its towns and those who are of the Valley of Jezreel.” 17 And Joshua spoke to the house of Joseph—to Ephraim and Manasseh—saying, “You are a great people and have great power; you shall not have only one lot, 18 but the mountain country shall be yours. Although it is wooded, you shall cut it down, and its farthest extent shall be yours; for you shall drive out the Canaanites, though they have iron chariots and are strong.”
In the first part of this chapter we saw the place of the zeal of the believer properly displayed; here with see the need for action- Christian works. The most important fact of this passage is that Joshua did not give them more land, based on their complaint, as some commentators think. Joseph had already gotten a double portion, according to the birthright.
"The great heart of the plain of Esdraelon had already been assigned them, that being the richest part of Palestine, but they called it 'one lot.' Joshua corrected that 'slander' by saying, 'It is not `one lot only' (Joshua 17:17). Behold it includes all that territory in the hill-country and that vast forest that you should cut down!' Joshua said, in effect, 'Oh yes, of course you are a great people! Get up and prove it by driving out the Canaanites!'" (Coffman Commentary)
"The complaint of the children of Joseph shows dissatisfaction with their lot; it was selfishness. Joshua takes them by their word. His answer reminds us of the divine command given in chapter 13. 'Every place that the sole of your foot shall tread upon, that have I given unto you, as I said unto Moses.' Yonder were the stately forests, the wooded hills and mountains, inhabited still by the Perizzites and the giants. All they needed to do was to go there and drive them out and they would possess a larger portion. But this answer but brings out their unbelief and failure. They plead weakness; it was nothing less than unbelief, for they looked to the iron chariots the Canaanites possessed, instead of looking to the Lord and trusting His power. They refused to meet the enemy and have their borders enlarged under these conditions. What a contrast with bold and humble Caleb! And yet Joshua encourages them. He urges them to go forward and possess the forest and cut it down. It was his challenge to their faith. Faith does not reckon with chariots, with difficulties." (Arno Gaebelein)
Faith takes possession of what has been promised by God and it drives out the giants that stand in the way by obedience to the Word of God. It discovers the fullness of the inheritance by seeking out every precept, yea every word of God-even in the High Country, being diligent to do it. It imitates the church fathers, perhaps hamstring their horses and burning their chariots with fire.(Joshua 11:6) It requires cutting down trees which is hard work, but it makes no compromise with the world. Once a precept is understood, it is obeyed at all cost. Comfort and greed have no part of this work. They have no place and must be driven it out!