Who are the “children of Joseph” mentioned in this passage?

The “children of Joseph” are the two tribes that came from Joseph’s sons, Ephraim and Manasseh. Jacob treated these two grandsons like his own sons, so each received a share in the land. One half of Manasseh had already received land east of the Jordan. This passage focuses on the land given to Ephraim and the western half of Manasseh. When you read “children of Joseph” here, it is talking about these two tribes together and how God kept the promises first made to Joseph and his family.

What area of land was given to Ephraim and Manasseh?

The land for the children of Joseph stretched across the country, from the Jordan River near Jericho on the east all the way to the Great Sea on the west. It included places like Bethel and Luz, the Beth-horon passes, and Gezer. The borders of Ephraim’s part are traced more closely, with the line running by towns such as Ataroth-addar, Beth-horon the upper, Taanath-shiloh, Janohah, Naarath, Tappuah, and the river Kanah, and then reaching the sea. This shows their share was broad and well marked out.

Why are some Ephraimite cities located among Manasseh’s inheritance?

The passage says there were separate cities for Ephraim inside the area of Manasseh. This likely happened because Ephraim was the larger tribe and needed more towns than its first border alone contained. Manasseh’s portion could spare some cities, so Ephraim’s territory was extended by giving them certain towns within Manasseh’s land, along with their villages. These cities were not held by Ephraim as guests but were counted as fully theirs, even though they lay inside the wider region given to Manasseh.

What does it mean that the Canaanites in Gezer served under tribute?

When the passage says the Canaanites in Gezer “served under tribute,” it means the people of that city were not driven out but were made to live under Israel’s control and pay taxes or forced labor. God had told Israel to drive out the Canaanites completely and not to make deals with them. By leaving them in the land for the sake of tribute, Ephraim gained short-term benefit but showed weak obedience. This choice later opened the door to trouble and the risk of learning the Canaanites’ sinful ways.

Why did Ephraim fail to drive out the Canaanites from Gezer?

The passage simply states that they did not drive out the Canaanites in Gezer. From the wider story, this seems to be because of fear, laziness, or a desire for gain. They were content to make the Canaanites serve and pay tribute instead of fully trusting God’s promise to give them victory. They could have cleared the land if they had acted in faith and courage, since the lot for the land showed God’s will. Their choice warns readers about stopping halfway in obedience when something seems easier or more profitable.

What is the point of listing all these border places and directions?

The detailed borders show that God did not give the land in a vague way but set clear lines for each tribe. These place names marked real towns, hills, and rivers known to the people at that time. Recording the borders protected “ancient landmarks” so later generations could know their share and avoid disputes. It also shows that God’s promise of land to Israel was carried out in an orderly and fair way, down to the exact boundaries from one point to another across the country.

How does this passage show God keeping his promises?

Long before this passage, God promised to give the land of Canaan to the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Joseph had trusted those promises, even when he lived and died in Egypt. Here you see his sons’ tribes actually receiving marked territory in that land. The lot falls for them, the borders are traced from Jordan to the sea, and they settle there. This shows that God’s word is steady over many years. What he promises to families, he brings to pass in his time, even across generations.

How can modern readers apply the lesson about the Canaanites in Gezer?

This passage warns against leaving known sin or compromise in place because it seems useful or easier. Ephraim chose tribute over full obedience, and that choice carried spiritual danger. For modern readers, this can picture times when we keep habits, relationships, or practices that we know are wrong but seem to benefit us. Instead of bargaining with what God has said to put away, we are called to trust him enough to obey fully, even when there is a cost, believing that his way protects us in the long run.

Josh.16.1

Joshua 16:1

King James Version (KJV)

And the lot of the children of Joseph fell from Jordan by Jericho, unto the water of Jericho on the east, to the wilderness that goeth up from Jericho throughout mount Beth-el,

Chapter:

Ephraim’s Inheritance

1 And the lot of the children of Joseph fell from Jordan by Jericho, unto the water of Jericho on the east, to the wilderness that goeth up from Jericho throughout mount Beth-el,

2 And goeth out from Beth-el to Luz, and passeth along unto the borders of Archi to Ataroth,

3 And goeth down westward to the coast of Japhleti, unto the coast of Beth-horon the nether, and to Gezer: and the goings out thereof are at the sea.

4 So the children of Joseph, Manasseh and Ephraim, took their inheritance.

5 ¶ And the border of the children of Ephraim according to their families was thus: even the border of their inheritance on the east side was Ataroth-addar, unto Beth-horon the upper;

6 And the border went out toward the sea to Michmethah on the north side; and the border went about eastward unto Taanath-shiloh, and passed by it on the east to Janohah;

7 And it went down from Janohah to Ataroth, and to Naarath, and came to Jericho, and went out at Jordan.

8 The border went out from Tappuah westward unto the river Kanah; and the goings out thereof were at the sea. This is the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Ephraim by their families.

9 And the separate cities for the children of Ephraim were among the inheritance of the children of Manasseh, all the cities with their villages.

10 And they drave not out the Canaanites that dwelt in Gezer: but the Canaanites dwell among the Ephraimites unto this day, and serve under tribute.

Context:

Ephraim’s Inheritance

Cross References

No cross references available for this verse.