Charles Ellicott Commentary Joshua 16:5-8

"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)

(Joshua 16:5–8) The border (of Ephraim’s inheritance) on the east side. — The words “on the east side” are not easy to understand. If Ataroth-addar is rightly identified as Ed-Dârieh, and Mickmethah as the plain of Mukhnah, then the line from Ataroth-addar and Beth-horon to Michmethah is a line running due north, and separating the territory of Ephraim on the east from that of Dan on the west. The line from Michmethah to Taanath-shiloh (Tana, sheet 12) and Janohah (Yânûn, south of T’ana, sheet 15), and so to Jordan, is a line running from north-west to south-east.

The brook Kanah is (roughly) continuous with this line, but in a westerly direction, and leads us towards the sea. We thus obtain for the territory of Ephraim four boundary-lines—namely:

1. The plain of Jordan on the east;
2. The line of hills bordering the Shephelah on the west;
3. The brook Kanah, and the line passing through Taanath-shiloh and Janohah to Jordan on the north;
4. The north border of Benjamin (Joshua 16:1–3, and Joshua 18:12-14) on the south.