Josué 17

ARC · Chapter 17/24

1Tambem caiu a sorte á tribu de Manasseh, porquanto era o primogenito de José, a saber: Machir, o primogenito de Manasseh, pae de Gilead, porquanto era homem de guerra, teve a Gilead e Basan.

2Tambem os mais filhos de Manasseh tiveram sorte, segundo as suas familias, a saber: os filhos d'Abiezer, e os filhos de Helek, e os filhos d'Asriel, e os filhos de Sechem, e os filhos de Hepher, e os filhos de Semida: estes são os filhos machos de Manasseh, filho de José, segundo as suas familias.

3Selofad, porém, filho d'Hepher, o filho de Gilead, filho de Machir, o filho de Manasseh, não teve filhos, mas só filhas: e estes são os nomes de suas filhas: Machla, Noa, Hogla, Milka e Tirsa.

4Estas, pois, chegaram diante d'Eleazar, o sacerdote, e diante de Josué, filho de Nun, e diante dos principes, dizendo: O Senhor ordenou a Moysés que se nos désse herança no meio de nossos irmãos: pelo que, conforme ao dito do Senhor, lhes deu herança no meio dos irmãos de seu pae.

5E cairam a Manasseh dez quinhões, afóra a terra de Gilead, e Basan que está d'além do Jordão:

6Porque as filhas de Manasseh no meio de seus filhos possuiram herança: e a terra de Gilead tiveram os outros filhos de Manasseh.

7E o termo de Manasseh foi desde Aser até Mikmetath, que está diante de Sechem: e vae este termo á mão direita, até aos moradores d'En-tappuah.

8Tinha Manasseh a terra de Tappuah: porém a Tappuah, no termo de Manasseh, tinham os filhos d'Ephraim.

9Então desce este termo ao ribeiro de Cana, para o sul do ribeiro: d'Ephraim são estas cidades no meio das cidades de Manasseh: e o termo de Manasseh está ao norte do ribeiro, sendo as suas saidas no mar.

10Ephraim ao sul, e Manasseh ao norte, e o mar é o seu termo: pelo norte tocam em Aser, e pelo oriente em Issacar.

11Porque em Issacar e em Aser tinha Manasseh a Beth-sean e os logares da sua jurisdicção, e Ibleam e os logares da sua jurisdicção, e os habitantes de Dor e os logares da sua jurisdicção, e os habitantes d'En-dor e os logares da sua jurisdicção, e os habitantes de Thaanak e os logares da sua jurisdicção, e os habitantes de Megiddo e os logares da sua jurisdicção: tres comarcas.

12E os filhos de Manasseh não poderam expellir os habitantes d'aquellas cidades: porquanto os cananeos queriam habitar na mesma terra.

13E succedeu que, engrossando em forças os filhos de Israel, fizeram tributarios aos cananeos; porém não os expelliram de todo.

14Então os filhos de José fallaram a Josué, dizendo: Porque me déste por herança só uma sorte e um quinhão, sendo eu um tão grande povo, visto que o Senhor até aqui me tem abençoado?

15E disse-lhes Josué: Se tão grande povo és, sobe ao bosque, e corta para ti ali logar na terra dos phereseos e dos rephains: pois que as montanhas de Ephraim te são tão estreitas.

16Então disseram os filhos de José: As montanhas nos não bastariam: tambem carros ferrados ha entre todos os cananeos que habitam na terra do valle, entre os de Beth-sean e os logares da sua jurisdicção, e entre os que estão no valle de Jezreel.

17Então Josué fallou á casa de José, a Ephraim e a Manasseh, dizendo: Grande povo és, e grande força tens; uma só sorte não terás;

18Porém as montanhas serão tuas: e, pois que bosque é, corta-o, e as suas saidas serão tuas: porque expellirás os cananeos, ainda que tenham carros ferrados, ainda que sejam fortes.

📖 Chapter study

Summary

The daughters of Zelophehad receive an inheritance in Manasseh, fulfilling an earlier promise. The sons of Joseph complain of having too little territory, and Joshua challenges them to clear the forest.

Explanation

The case of the daughters of Zelophehad, who had no brothers, resolved here as promised in Numbers 27, shows legal continuity and God's care for families in unusual situations within the patriarchal inheritance system. When the tribe of Joseph complains that their territory is too small, Joshua does not simply hand over more ready-made land - he challenges them to clear the wooded hill country and face the Canaanites with their iron chariots, teaching that part of God's provision comes through the people's own effort and courage, not passive handouts alone.

Fun facts

  • The case of the daughters of Zelophehad (Numbers 27 and here) is one of the earliest biblical legal precedents for inheritance rights for women without brothers, something unusual for the context of the time.
  • The 'iron chariots' feared by the sons of Joseph were war chariots fitted with iron parts, an advanced military technology for the period that gave the Canaanites a tactical advantage on the plains.

Verse-by-verse explanation

  1. Josué 17:1The tribe of Manasseh receives land as Joseph's firstborn; Machir, a warrior leader of that line, had already conquered Gilead and Bashan before this.
  2. Josué 17:2The rest of the tribe of Manasseh also receives land, divided among the families descended from six different sons.
  3. Josué 17:3An important detail: Zelophehad, of that lineage, had no sons, only five daughters, whose names are listed here.
  4. Josué 17:4The daughters of Zelophehad claim their inheritance of land even without brothers, citing a ruling that already appears in Numbers 27. Joshua confirms their right — a rare case in the Old Testament of women inheriting land directly, without needing a husband as go-between.
  5. Josué 17:5Because of the daughters of Zelophehad's request, Manasseh ends up receiving ten portions of land, not counting Gilead and Bashan on the other side of the Jordan.
  6. Josué 17:6This happens because the daughters of Zelophehad also inherit land, a rare case in that culture, alongside the other male descendants of Manasseh.
  7. Josué 17:7Manasseh's border runs from Asher to Michmethah, near Shechem, then turns toward the inhabitants of En-tappuah.
  8. Josué 17:8Interestingly, the region of Tappuah belongs to Manasseh, but the city of Tappuah itself belongs to Ephraim — an example of how borders could get complicated.
  9. Josué 17:9The border goes down to the river Kanah; cities of Ephraim are scattered within Manasseh's territory, but the general border runs north of the river.
  10. Josué 17:10In summary: Ephraim lies to the south, Manasseh to the north, the sea is their common border to the west, and to the north and east they border Asher and Issachar.
  11. Josué 17:11Within the territory of Issachar and Asher, Manasseh also controls important cities like Beth-shean, Ibleam, Dor, Endor, Taanach, and Megiddo.
  12. Josué 17:12Despite having the right to these cities, the descendants of Manasseh cannot drive out the Canaanites already living there.
  13. Josué 17:13Later, once Israel grows stronger, they turn these Canaanites into forced laborers, but never actually drive them out.
  14. Josué 17:14The descendants of Joseph complain to Joshua, feeling it unfair to receive only one portion of land when they are such a large and blessed people.
  15. Josué 17:15Joshua answers practically: if they are so many, let them go up to the forest and clear space there, in the land of the Perizzites and the Rephaim, since the hill country of Ephraim is too small.
  16. Josué 17:16The descendants of Joseph argue that the hill country isn't enough, and that the Canaanites of the valley have chariots of iron, something the Israelites feared at the time.
  17. Josué 17:17Joshua acknowledges that Ephraim and Manasseh form a large and strong people, and promises they won't be limited to just one small portion.
  18. Josué 17:18Joshua's solution is practical: they must clear the forest in the hill country and drive out the Canaanites, iron chariots and all, because they have the strength for it.

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