Joshua 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 Bethel,
2 And goeth out from Bethel 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.
Common Questions About Joshua 16
What territory does chapter 16 describe?
The chapter describes the boundaries allotted to the tribe of Ephraim, one of Joseph's two sons through whom his inheritance was divided, noting the specific towns and landmarks that defined their territory within the central hill country.
What incomplete conquest does the chapter note for Ephraim?
Similar to Judah's situation with Jerusalem, the chapter notes that Ephraim failed to dislodge the Canaanites living in Gezer, who continued living among them as forced laborers rather than being fully driven out, another honest acknowledgment of incomplete conquest.
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Questions to Think About
- This chapter, like others, honestly notes incomplete conquest rather than presenting an artificially perfect outcome. How do you handle honestly acknowledging incomplete areas of your own life or work, rather than presenting only a polished, complete-looking picture to others?
- Ephraim's territory came through Joseph's inheritance, a tangible outworking of Jacob's blessing generations earlier in Genesis. How does tracing God's promises across multiple generations in Scripture deepen your confidence in His long-term faithfulness to your own family or future generations?
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