Albert Barnes Commentary Joshua 16
Albert Barnes Commentary
Joshua 16
Albert Barnes Commentary
Joshua 16
"And the lot came out for the children of Joseph from the Jordan at Jericho, at the waters of Jericho on the east, even the wilderness, going up from Jericho through the hill-country to Beth-el;" — Joshua 16:1 (ASV)
To the wilderness - Strike out “to,” for the word is in apposition to “lot.” The wilderness is (Joshua 18:12) the wilderness of Bethaven.
"and it went out from Beth-el to Luz, and passed along unto the border of the Archites to Ataroth;" — Joshua 16:2 (ASV)
Of Archi - (Read “of the Archite,” also a designation of David’s friend Hushai (2 Samuel 15:32; 2 Samuel 16:16 and following).). The word is derived from Erech (Genesis 10:10). But whether there was in the neighborhood of Bethel a place bearing this Babylonian name, or whether a colony from the East had settled in this spot and brought the name with them, is unknown.
Ataroth - Called (Joshua 16:5; Joshua 18:13) Ataroth-adar (= “crowns of fame or greatness”) perhaps to distinguish it from two other places bearing the same name, but situated on the other side of Jordan, in the territory of Gad (Numbers 32:34). It is identified with Atara, near the road from Jerusalem to Nablous.
"and it went down westward to the border of the Japhletites, unto the border of Beth-horon the nether, even unto Gezer; and the goings out thereof were at the sea." — Joshua 16:3 (ASV)
Of Japhleti — Rather “of the Japhletite.” All history of the name is lost.
"And the border of the children of Ephraim according to their families was [thus]: the border of their inheritance eastward was Ataroth-addar, unto Beth-horon the upper; and the border went out westward at Michmethath on the north; and the border turned about eastward unto Taanath-shiloh, and passed along it on the east of Janoah; and it went down from Janoah to Ataroth, and to Naarah, and reached unto Jericho, and went out at the Jordan. From Tappuah the border went along westward to the brook of Kanah; and the goings out thereof were at the sea. This is the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Ephraim according to their families;" — Joshua 16:5-8 (ASV)
From the abrupt way the statements are introduced, as well as from their imperfect nature, it is a probable conjecture that some words have, in these verses, been lost from the text. Few of the places are known for certain.
"together with the cities which were set apart for the children of Ephraim in the midst of the inheritance of the children of Manasseh, all the cities with their villages." — Joshua 16:9 (ASV)
The verb "were," introduced by the King James Version in this verse, should be omitted, and the period after Joshua 16:8 replaced by a colon. The meaning of Joshua 16:9 is simply to add to the inheritance of Ephraim—defined by the preceding context—"the separate cities" (or, more properly, "single cities") which were allotted to them in addition within the borders of Manasseh.
The reasons for granting these additional cities to the Ephraimites can only be conjectured. Perhaps the territory assigned to this numerous tribe was found to be too small. Therefore, some towns, which are named in 1 Chronicles 7:29, were given to them from the kindred Manassites, with the latter being compensated (see the note on Joshua 17:11) at the expense of Issachar and Asher.
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