Joshua 16:1-10
Jos 16:1
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,
Then the lot was for the tribe of Manasseh and Ephraim
which were the sons of Joseph.
Jericho was about 5 miles (8 KM) west of the Jordan.
The wilderness that was at Jericho to Beth-el was the area of Beth-Aven
which was about 15 miles (24 KM) to the west of Jericho.
Jos 16:2
And goeth out from Beth-el to Luz, and passeth along
unto the borders of Archi to Ataroth,
Beth-el eventually combined with Luz but at one time
they were distinct cities. Jacob
had given the name Beth-el.
And he called the name of that place
Beth-el: but the name of that city was
called Luz at the first. (Genesis 28:19)
The name “Luz” means “departure.”
Ataroth was about 3 miles (5 KM) south of Beth-el.
Jos 16:3
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.
The location of the coast of Japhleti is unknown but was
well-known to the children of Joseph.
The Japhletites is a tribe unidentified.
It extended to the coast of Beth-horon which was about 4 miles (6 KM)
northwest of Gibeon. Gezer was
about 13 miles (21 KM) west of Beth-horon. The
sea would be the Mediterranean Sea which was about 15 miles (24 KM) to the west
of Gezer.
Jos 16:4
So the children of Joseph, Manasseh and Ephraim, took
their inheritance.
So the half tribes of Manasseh and Ephraim had claimed
their inheritance. One half of the
tribe of Manasseh was placed by Moses on the east side of the Jordan.
Jos 16:5
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;
Ataroth-addar was about 8 miles (13 KM) east of Gibeon
and about 7 miles (11 KM) east of Beth-horon.
Jos 16:6
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;
The sea of Michmethah was located near the town of
Shechem close to Mt. Gerizim.
Taanoth-shiloh was located just a little northeast of Janoah but the exact
location is unknown. Janoah was
located about 6 miles (10 KM) southeast of Shechem.
Jos 16:7
And it went down from Janohah to Ataroth, and to
Naarath, and came to Jericho, and went out at Jordan.
Janoah to Ataroth was about 8 miles (13 KM) to the east.
Naarah was about 18 miles (29 KM) south of Ataroth and located next to
Gilgal, where Israel entered the land.
Gilgal was about 1 mile (1.6 KM) north of Jericho.
Jos 16:8
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.
Tappuah was located in the hill country of Ephraim and
was about 10 miles (16 KM) south of Shechem.
The river Kanah ran north of the hill country of Ephraim and emptied into
the Mediterranean Sea. This was the
inheritance given to the children of Ephraim.
Jos 16:9
And the separate cities for the children of Ephraim
were among the inheritance of the children of Manasseh, all the cities with
their villages.
All of the individual cities with their surrounding
villages which were in the boundaries allotted to Ephraim were also included in
the inheritance. Ephraim was a
larger tribe than Manasseh.
Jos 16:10
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.