Joshua 16
1And the lot came out for the children of Joseph from the Jordan at Jericho, at the waters of Jericho on the east, even the wilderness, going up from Jericho through the hill-country to Beth-el; 2and it went out from Beth-el to Luz, and passed along unto the border of the Archites to Ataroth; 3and it went down westward to the border of the Japhletites, unto the border of Beth-horon the nether, even unto Gezer; and the goings out thereof were at the sea.
4And the children of Joseph, Manasseh and Ephraim, took their inheritance. 5And the border of the children of Ephraim according to their families was thus: the border of their inheritance eastward was Ataroth-addar, unto Beth-horon the upper; 6and the border went out westward at Michmethath on the north; and the border turned about eastward unto Taanath-shiloh, and passed along it on the east of Janoah; 7and it went down from Janoah to Ataroth, and to Naarah, and reached unto Jericho, and went out at the Jordan. 8From Tappuah the border went along westward to the brook of Kanah; and the goings out thereof were at the sea. This is the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Ephraim according to their families; 9together with the cities which were set apart for the children of Ephraim in the midst of the inheritance of the children of Manasseh, all the cities with their villages. 10And they drove not out the Canaanites that dwelt in Gezer: but the Canaanites dwell in the midst of Ephraim unto this day, and are become servants to do taskwork.
What is Joshua 16 about?
The lot of the children of Joseph is set out next, beginning with the border of Ephraim in the central hill country. Their territory is measured from the Jordan near Jericho westward through Bethel and the surrounding towns. Yet the record notes that Ephraim did not drive out the Canaanites dwelling in Gezer, who remained among them and were put to forced labor. The blessing granted is real, but the failure to expel the Canaanites plants the seed of the compromise that will trouble Israel in the days of the judges.
Matthew Henry on Joshua 16