John Gill Commentary Joshua 17:18

"but the hill-country shall be thine; for though it is a forest, thou shalt cut it down, and the goings out thereof shall be thine; for thou shalt drive out the Canaanites, though they have chariots of iron, and though they are strong." — Joshua 17:18 (ASV)

But the mountains shall be yours
Or "for" ^F19 it shall be yours; you shall get the possession of it, though attended with difficulties that seem insuperable:

for ,
or "if, though" ^F20

it [is] a wood ;
the habitation of the Perizzites, and giants, and so dangerous to go un to it, and full of trees, and so seems unprofitable and useless:

and you shall cut it down ;
both the inhabitants of it, and the trees of it, and clear it of both, and make it both safe and commodious to dwell in, which would be a fine enlargement for them:

and the outgoings of it shall be yours ;
all it produces when cultivated, and all the parts adjacent to it:

for you shall drive out the Canaanites ;
this Joshua assures them of, to encourage them to attempt it:

though they have iron chariots, [and] though they are strong ;
be not afraid of their chariots, though terrible, nor of their giants and mighty men, God will be on your side, and you have nothing to fear from them, see (Joshua 11:4Joshua 11:6) ; whether the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh took this advice of Joshua is not said.

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FOOTNOTES:

• F19: (yk) "quia", Pagninus, Montanus, Junius & Tremellius, Gussetius, p. 378.
• F20: (yk) "si", Junius & Tremellius, "licet", Ar. vers. Lat.