Joshua

Territory of Manasseh

A part of the land awarded to Manasseh, Joseph’s first-born son, was given to Machir, Manasseh’s eldest son and father of Gilead. To him was given, as was fitting for a military hero, the country of Gilead and Bashan.

Land was also given to other families descended from Manasseh according to their clans: the families of Abiezer, Helek, Asriel, Shechem, Hepher, and Shemida. These were the clans of the male descendants of Manasseh, son of Joseph.

Zelophehad, son of Hepher, son of Gilead, son of Machir, son of Manasseh, had no sons, only daughters, whose names are Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah.

These daughters went to the priest Eleazar and Joshua the son of Nun and the leaders, and said: “The Lord commanded Moses to give us some of the land among our brothers as our own.” According to the Lord’s command, they were given land along with their male relatives.

In this way, Manasseh received ten shares besides the country of Gilead and Bashan, which lies across the Jordan,

since Manasseh’s female descendants received a share in the land and his male descendants. The country of Gilead itself belonged to the rest of Manasseh’s descendants.

The border of Manasseh stretched from Asher to Michmethath, which is opposite Shechem. From there, the border went south to the spring of Tappuah.

The land surrounding Tappuah belonged to Manasseh, but the town of Tappuah on Manasseh’s border belonged to the descendants of Ephraim.

The border passed down to the stream, south of the river, where the towns set apart for Ephraim from among the towns of Manasseh were situated. The border of Manasseh passed north of the stream and ended at the sea.

Ephraim was to the south and Manasseh to the north, and both were bounded on the west by the Mediterranean Sea. They touched Asher to the north and Issachar to the east.

Within the territories of Issachar and Asher, Manasseh had Beth-Shean and Ibleam with their surrounding towns, as well as Dor and Endor, Taanach, Megiddo, and their surrounding towns, and a third of the Naphath-dor.

But the people of Manasseh could not conquer these towns, and the Canaanites continued to live there.

However, when the Israelites became stronger, they forced the Canaanites to work for them but never drove them out.

The descendants of Joseph spoke to Joshua: “Why have you given us only one share of the land when there are so many of us because the Lord blessed us?”

Joshua answered: “If your people are so many, go up to the forest and clear out a place for yourselves in the land of the Perizzites and the Rephaim, since the highlands of Ephraim are too small for you.”

The descendants of Joseph answered: “The highlands are not enough for us, and, in the plain, the Canaanites have iron chariots, and so have those in Beth-Shean and its surrounding towns, and those in the plain of Jezreel.”

Joshua said to the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh: “You are numerous people and very powerful; you will not be left with only this share,

for you will go up to the forest and clear it. All the land shall be yours, and you will drive out the Canaanites despite their iron chariots and great strength.”