JosuéChapitre 17

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A lot also fell to the tribe of Manasseh, since he was Joseph's firstborn. Machir, Manasseh's firstborn and the father of Gilead, received Gilead and Bashan, because he was a man of war.

The rest of the descendants of Manasseh received land by their clans: the sons of Abiezer, the sons of Helek, the sons of Asriel, the sons of Shechem, the sons of Hepher, and the sons of Shemida. These were the male descendants of Manasseh son of Joseph, by their clans.

Now Zelophehad son of Hepher, son of Gilead, son of Machir, son of Manasseh, had no sons, only daughters. These are the names of his daughters: Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah.

They came before Eleazar the priest, before Joshua son of Nun, and before the leaders, and said, "The LORD commanded Moses to give us an inheritance among our brothers." So, at the LORD's command, he gave them an inheritance among the brothers of their father.

Thus ten portions fell to Manasseh, besides the land of Gilead and Bashan beyond the Jordan,

because the daughters of Manasseh received an inheritance along with his sons. The land of Gilead belonged to the rest of Manasseh's descendants.

The border of Manasseh ran from Asher to Michmethath, which lies east of Shechem; then the border went south to the inhabitants of En-tappuah.

The land of Tappuah belonged to Manasseh, but Tappuah itself, on Manasseh's border, belonged to the sons of Ephraim.

Then the border went down to the Wadi Kanah. South of the wadi these towns belonged to Ephraim, among the towns of Manasseh; Manasseh's territory lay north of the wadi, and it ended at the sea.

The land to the south belonged to Ephraim and the land to the north to Manasseh, with the sea as its border. On the north they bordered Asher, and on the east Issachar.

Within Issachar and Asher, Manasseh also held Beth-shean with its villages, Ibleam with its villages, Dor and its villages, En-dor and its villages, Taanach and its villages, and Megiddo and its villages—the three heights.[^1] [^1]: The meaning of the Hebrew phrase rendered "the three heights" is uncertain; it may refer to three hill districts or high regions associated with these towns.

But the descendants of Manasseh could not dispossess these towns, for the Canaanites were determined to go on living in this land.

When the Israelites grew stronger, they put the Canaanites to forced labor, but they did not drive them out completely.

The descendants of Joseph said to Joshua, "Why have you given us only one lot and one portion as our inheritance, when we are a numerous people, for the LORD has blessed us so richly until now?"

Joshua answered them, "If you are such a numerous people, go up into the forest and clear ground for yourselves there in the land of the Perizzites and the Rephaim, since the hill country of Ephraim is too cramped for you."

But the descendants of Joseph said, "The hill country is not enough for us, and all the Canaanites living in the valley country have iron chariots—both those in Beth-shean with its villages and those in the Valley of Jezreel."

Then Joshua said to the house of Joseph, to Ephraim and Manasseh, "You are a numerous people and you have great strength. You shall not have only one lot,

for the hill country shall be yours. Though it is forest, you will clear it, and it shall be yours to its farthest limits. You will drive out the Canaanites, even though they have iron chariots and are strong."

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Résumé2

Chapitre 17

Main Theme: The tribe of Manasseh receives its inheritance, and Joshua challenges the sons of Joseph to take more land through their own efforts.

Content: Manasseh receives territories on both sides of the Jordan—Gilead and Bashan in the east, and ten portions in the west. The daughters of Zelophehad receive the right to inherit among their brothers, just as the Lord had commanded Moses. The sons of Joseph complain that they have been given too little land and that the Canaanites possess iron chariots. Joshua replies that they are a great people with great strength, and encourages them to clear the forested areas and drive out the Canaanites.

Key Words/Images:

Daughters of Zelophehad: Women who received inheritance rights when they had no brothers—an important precedent for inheritance law in Israel.
Iron Chariots: The military superiority of the Canaanites in the valleys, which the Israelites feared.
The Forest (יַעַר): Joshua's solution—clear new land in the mountainous regions rather than complaining about what was allotted.
Gilead and Bashan: The areas east of the Jordan that Machir received because he was a warrior.

Contexte historique

Historical and Cultural Context for Joshua 17

People

The Daughters of Zelophehad (Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah) play a central role in this chapter. Their case was first presented to Moses in Numbers 27:1-11, where they argued for their right to inherit since their father had died without sons. The fact that they now appear before Joshua, Eleazar, and the leaders to claim their inheritance shows that Moses' legislation was upheld. This was groundbreaking in the ancient Near East, where inheritance rights belonged almost exclusively to men. Parallel texts from Nuzi (a Hurrian city from the second millennium B.C.E.) show that daughters could inherit in certain cases, confirming that this practice had cultural parallels.

Machir is mentioned as Manasseh's firstborn and "the father of Gilead." The expression "man of war" (אִישׁ מִלְחָמָה) explains why his descendants received the strategically important areas of Gilead and Bashan east of the Jordan—areas that required military protection against enemies from the east.

Places

Gilead and Bashan were the Transjordanian territories assigned to half of the tribe of Manasseh. Gilead was known for its pastures and balsam trees, while Bashan was famous for its fertile soil, oak forests, and large cattle herds. These areas lay east of the Jordan and were among the first land regions Israel conquered.

Beth-Shean, Ibleam, Dor, En-Dor, Taanach, and Megiddo were strategic cities along the Jezreel Valley and the coast. Archaeological excavations at Tel Megiddo and Beth-Shean have uncovered massive Canaanite fortifications and temples from this period, explaining why the Israelites could not drive out the inhabitants (v. 12).

Events and Customs

Iron chariots (רֶכֶב בַּרְזֶל) are mentioned as the reason the tribes of Joseph feared the Canaanites in the valleys. This reflects the technological transition from the Bronze Age to the Iron Age around 1200 B.C.E. The Canaanites and Philistines had access to iron technology before the Israelites, giving them a significant military advantage in open terrain. The Hittites and later peoples along the coast controlled iron production during this period.

Forced labor (מַס) is mentioned in verse 13 as the Israelites' solution when they became stronger. Instead of driving out the Canaanites, they imposed forced labor on them. This was a common practice in the ancient Near East, known from Egyptian and Mesopotamian sources, but it represented a compromise with God's command for complete expulsion.

Chapter-Specific Findings

Archaeological excavations at Megiddo and Taanach have uncovered layers from the late Bronze Age and early Iron Age showing continuous Canaanite settlement throughout this period. Pottery finds and building remains suggest that Canaanite culture continued to dominate these cities well into the first millennium B.C.E., confirming the biblical account that Manasseh was unable to drive them out.

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Mots-clés7

Joshua — The name of the main character in the book of Joshua, a leader of the people of Israel after Moses' death who led them into the promised land.
Promised Land — The area that God promised to give to Abraham's descendants, including Israel's twelve tribes. This area is also known as Canaan.
Manasseh — One of Israel's twelve tribes, named after Joseph's firstborn son. Joshua 17 describes the allocation of territory to half of the tribe of Manasseh.
Ephraim — Another of Israel's twelve tribes, named after Joseph's second son. Ephraim and Manasseh are often referred to as the tribes of Joseph.
Inheritance — A portion of the land given to each of Israel's tribes, based on God's instructions and Joshua's leadership.
Cities — Settlement areas for Israel's tribes, which were assigned specific territories in the promised land.
Warriors — Men from Israel's tribes who took part in the conquest of Canaan and helped secure inheritances for their respective tribes.