Joshua 16
יהושע פרק ט״ז
Section: נביאים · נביאים ראשונים | Book: Joshua | Chapter: 16 of 24 | Day: 16 of 742
Date: February 27, 2026
קלאוד על הנ״ך
Joshua chapter 16 begins the detailed allocation of tribal territories west of the Jordan, starting with the “House of Joseph” — the combined inheritance of Ephraim and Manasseh. This is fitting, since Joseph’s descendants constitute the largest and most powerful tribal bloc alongside Judah, and the text’s structure mirrors the political reality of the period: Judah in the south (detailed in chapters 14-15) and Joseph in the central hill country. The chapter opens with a general description of the Josephite boundary running from the Jordan near Jericho westward through the hill country past Bethel down to the Mediterranean Sea (verses 1-4), before narrowing its focus specifically to Ephraim’s portion (verses 5-9).
The boundary descriptions, while geographically dense, reveal something important about how the Israelites conceived of their new homeland. The land is not merely divided administratively; it is parceled out by divine lot (goral), making each tribe’s territory a sacred trust. Ephraim receives the strategic central highlands, bounded by significant landmarks — Beth-horon, the Wadi Kanah, and the Jordan — forming a compact but agriculturally rich territory. Verse 9 notes an interesting wrinkle: certain towns were “marked off” for Ephraim within Manasseh’s territory, indicating that tribal boundaries were not always clean lines but could involve enclaves and shared zones, reflecting the complex realities of settlement on the ground.
The chapter ends on a sobering note that will become a recurring refrain throughout the Book of Joshua and into Judges: “They failed to dispossess the Canaanites who dwelt in Gezer; so the Canaanites remained in the midst of Ephraim, as is still the case. But they had to perform forced labor” (verse 10). This formula — incomplete conquest followed by the subjugation of remaining Canaanites to mas (forced labor) — signals the gap between the divine ideal of complete possession and the messy historical reality. Gezer was a formidable Canaanite city that would not fall under full Israelite control until Solomon’s era (see 1 Kings 9:16). The verse thus serves as both a historical footnote and a theological warning: the seeds of future compromise and assimilation are already present even in the moment of triumph.
פרק ט״ז · Chapter 16
פסוק א׳ · Verse 1
Hebrew:
וַיֵּצֵ֨א הַגּוֹרָ֜ל לִבְנֵ֤י יוֹסֵף֙ מִיַּרְדֵּ֣ן יְרִיח֔וֹ לְמֵ֥י יְרִיח֖וֹ מִזְרָ֑חָה הַמִּדְבָּ֗ר עֹלֶ֧ה מִירִיח֛וֹ בָּהָ֖ר בֵּֽית־אֵֽל׃
English:
The portion that fell by lot to the Josephites ran from the Jordan at Jericho—from the Waters of Jericho east of the wilderness. From Jericho it ascended through the hill country to Bethel.
פסוק ב׳ · Verse 2
Hebrew:
וְיָצָ֥א מִבֵּֽית־אֵ֖ל ל֑וּזָה וְעָבַ֛ר אֶל־גְּ��֥וּל הָאַרְכִּ֖י עֲטָרֽוֹת׃
English:
From Bethel it ran to Luz and passed on to the territory of the Archites at Ataroth,
פסוק ג׳ · Verse 3
Hebrew:
וְיָֽרַד־יָ֜מָּה אֶל־גְּב֣וּל הַיַּפְלֵטִ֗י עַ֣ד גְּב֧וּל בֵּית־חוֹרֹ֛ן תַּחְתּ֖וֹן וְעַד־גָּ֑זֶר וְהָי֥וּ תֹצְאֹתָ֖ו יָֽמָּה׃
English:
descended westward to the territory of the Japhletites as far as the border of Lower Beth-horon and Gezer, and ran on to the Sea.
פסוק ד׳ · Verse 4
Hebrew:
וַיִּנְחֲל֥וּ בְנֵֽי־יוֹסֵ֖ף מְנַשֶּׁ֥ה וְאֶפְרָֽיִם׃
English:
Thus the Josephites—that is, Manasseh and Ephraim—received their portion.
פסוק ה׳ · Verse 5
Hebrew:
וַיְהִ֛י גְּב֥וּל בְּנֵֽי־אֶפְרַ֖יִם לְמִשְׁפְּחֹתָ֑ם וַיְהִ֞י גְּב֤וּל נַחֲלָתָם֙ מִזְרָ֔חָה עַטְר֣וֹת אַדָּ֔ר עַד־בֵּ֥ית חוֹרֹ֖ן עֶלְיֽוֹן׃
English:
The territory of the Ephraimites, by their clans, was as follows: The boundary of their portion ran from Atroth-addar on the east to Upper Beth-horon,
פסוק ו׳ · Verse 6
Hebrew:
וְיָצָ֨א הַגְּב֜וּל הַיָּ֗מָּה הַֽמִּכְמְתָת֙ מִצָּפ֔וֹן וְנָסַ֧ב הַגְּב֛וּל מִזְרָ֖חָה תַּאֲנַ֣ת שִׁלֹ֑ה וְעָבַ֣ר אוֹת֔וֹ מִמִּזְרַ֖ח יָנֽוֹחָה׃
English:
and the boundary ran on to the Sea. And on the north, the boundary proceeded from Michmethath to the east of Taanath-shiloh and passed beyond it up to the east of Janoah;
פסוק ז׳ · Verse 7
Hebrew:
וְיָרַ֥ד מִיָּנ֖וֹחָה עֲטָר֣וֹת וְנַעֲרָ֑תָה וּפָגַע֙ בִּֽירִיח֔וֹ וְיָצָ֖א הַיַּרְדֵּֽן׃
English:
from Janoah it descended to Ataroth and Naarath, touched on Jericho, and ran on to the Jordan.
פסוק ח׳ · Verse 8
Hebrew:
מִתַּפּ֜וּחַ יֵלֵ֨ךְ הַגְּב֥וּל יָ֙מָּה֙ נַ֣חַל קָנָ֔ה וְהָי֥וּ תֹצְאֹתָ֖יו הַיָּ֑מָּה זֹ֗את נַחֲלַ֛�� מַטֵּ֥ה בְנֵֽי־אֶפְרַ֖יִם לְמִשְׁפְּחֹתָֽם׃
English:
Westward, the boundary proceeded from Tappuah to the Wadi Kanah and ran on to the Sea. This was the portion of the tribe of the Ephraimites, by their clans,
פסוק ט׳ · Verse 9
Hebrew:
וְהֶעָרִ֗ים הַמִּבְדָּלוֹת֙ לִבְנֵ֣י אֶפְרַ֔יִם בְּת֖וֹךְ נַחֲלַ֣ת בְּנֵֽי־מְנַשֶּׁ֑ה כׇּל־הֶעָרִ֖ים וְחַצְרֵיהֶֽן׃
English:
together with the towns marked offamarked off Meaning of Heb. uncertain. for the Ephraimites within the territory of the Manassites—all those towns with their villages.
פסוק י״ · Verse 10
Hebrew:
וְלֹ֣א הוֹרִ֔ישׁוּ אֶת־הַֽכְּנַעֲנִ֖י הַיּוֹשֵׁ֣ב בְּגָ֑זֶר וַיֵּ֨שֶׁב הַֽכְּנַעֲנִ֜י בְּקֶ֤רֶב אֶפְרַ֙יִם֙ עַד־הַיּ֣וֹם הַזֶּ֔ה וַיְהִ֖י לְמַס־עֹבֵֽד׃ {פ}
English:
However, they failed to dispossess the Canaanites who dwelt in Gezer; so the Canaanites remained in the midst of Ephraim, as is still the case. But they had to perform forced labor.