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17 There was also a goral (lot) for the tribe of Menasheh; for he was the bechor of Yosef; Machir was the bechor of Menasheh and the av of Gil`ad, and because he was an ish milchamah, therefore he got Gil`ad and Bashan.

There was also a goral (lot) for the rest of the Bnei Menasheh by their mishpekhot; for the Bnei Aviezer, for the Bnei Chelek, for the Bnei Asriel, for the Bnei Shechem, for the Bnei Chepher, and for the Bnei Shemida; these were the zekharim of the Menasheh ben Yosef by their mishpekhot.

But Tzelophechad ben Chepher ben Gil‘ad ben Machir ben Menasheh had no banim, but banot; and these are the shmot of his banot, Machlah, and Noah, Choglah, Milcah, and Tirtzah.

And they came near before Eleazar HaKohen, and before Yehoshua ben Nun, and before the nasi’im saying, Hashem commanded Moshe to give us a nachalah among acheinu. Therefore according to the commandment of Hashem he gave them a nachalah among the achim of their av.

And there fell ten tracts of land to Menasheh, in addition to Eretz Gil‘ad and Bashan, which were on the other side of the Yarden;

Because the banot of Menasheh had inherited a nachalah among his banim; and the rest of the Bnei Menasheh had Eretz Gil‘ad.

And the boundary of Menasheh was from Asher to Michmetat, that lieth before Shechem; and the boundary ran along to the right to the inhabitants of Ein Tapuach.

Now Menasheh had Eretz Tapuach; but Tapuach on the border of Menasheh belonged to the Bnei Ephrayim;

And the boundary descended unto the Wadi Kanah, southward of the Wadi; these towns of Ephrayim are among the towns of Menasheh; the boundary of Menasheh also was on the north side of the Wadi, and ended at the Yam;

10 Southward it was Ephrayim’s, and northward it was Menasheh’s, and the Yam is its boundary; and they met together in Asher on the north, and in Yissakhar on the east.

11 And Menasheh had in Yissakhar and in Asher Beit Sh’an and its towns, and Yivleam and its towns, and the inhabitants of Dor and its towns, and the inhabitants of Ein-dor and its towns, and the inhabitants of Taanach and its towns, and the inhabitants of Megiddo and its towns, sheloshet (three) of Nafet.

12 Yet the Bnei Menasheh could not drive out the inhabitants of those towns; but the Kena’ani persisted dwelling in that land.

13 Yet it came to pass, when the Bnei Yisroel increased in chozek (strength) that they put the Kena’ani to forced labor, but did not utterly drive them out.

14 And the Bnei Yosef spoke unto Yehoshua, saying, Why hast thou given me for a nachalah but one goral and one chevel (portion, lot) to inherit, seeing I am an am rav, forasmuch as Hashem hath blessed me hitherto?

15 And Yehoshua answered them, If thou be an am rav, then get thee up to the wood country, and cut down for thyself there in the Eretz HaPerizzi and HaRepha’im, if Har Ephrayim be too small for thee.

16 And the Bnei Yosef said, The har is not enough for us; and all the Kena’ani that dwell in the eretz haemek have chariots of barzel (iron), both they who are of Beit Sh’an and her towns, and they who are of the emek Yizre’el.

17 And Yehoshua spoke unto Bais Yosef, even to Ephrayim and to Menasheh, saying, Thou art an am rav, and hast ko’ach gadol; thou shalt not have goral echad only;

18 But the har shall be thine; for it is a forest, and thou shalt cut it down; and the rest of the cleared land shall be thine; for thou shalt drive out the Kena’ani, though they have chariots of barzel (iron), and though they be chazak.

17 This was the allotment for the tribe of Manasseh(A) as Joseph’s firstborn,(B) that is, for Makir,(C) Manasseh’s firstborn. Makir was the ancestor of the Gileadites, who had received Gilead(D) and Bashan(E) because the Makirites were great soldiers. So this allotment was for the rest of the people of Manasseh(F)—the clans of Abiezer,(G) Helek, Asriel,(H) Shechem, Hepher(I) and Shemida.(J) These are the other male descendants of Manasseh son of Joseph by their clans.

Now Zelophehad son of Hepher,(K) the son of Gilead, the son of Makir, the son of Manasseh, had no sons but only daughters,(L) whose names were Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milkah and Tirzah. They went to Eleazar the priest, Joshua son of Nun, and the leaders and said, “The Lord commanded Moses to give us an inheritance among our relatives.” So Joshua gave them an inheritance along with the brothers of their father, according to the Lord’s command.(M) Manasseh’s share consisted of ten tracts of land besides Gilead and Bashan east of the Jordan,(N) because the daughters of the tribe of Manasseh received an inheritance among the sons. The land of Gilead belonged to the rest of the descendants of Manasseh.

The territory of Manasseh extended from Asher(O) to Mikmethath(P) east of Shechem.(Q) The boundary ran southward from there to include the people living at En Tappuah. (Manasseh had the land of Tappuah, but Tappuah(R) itself, on the boundary of Manasseh, belonged to the Ephraimites.) Then the boundary continued south to the Kanah Ravine.(S) There were towns belonging to Ephraim lying among the towns of Manasseh, but the boundary of Manasseh was the northern side of the ravine and ended at the Mediterranean Sea. 10 On the south the land belonged to Ephraim, on the north to Manasseh. The territory of Manasseh reached the Mediterranean Sea and bordered Asher(T) on the north and Issachar(U) on the east.(V)

11 Within Issachar(W) and Asher, Manasseh also had Beth Shan,(X) Ibleam(Y) and the people of Dor,(Z) Endor,(AA) Taanach(AB) and Megiddo,(AC) together with their surrounding settlements (the third in the list is Naphoth[a]).(AD)

12 Yet the Manassites were not able(AE) to occupy these towns, for the Canaanites were determined to live in that region. 13 However, when the Israelites grew stronger, they subjected the Canaanites to forced labor but did not drive them out completely.(AF)

14 The people of Joseph said to Joshua, “Why have you given us only one allotment and one portion for an inheritance? We are a numerous people, and the Lord has blessed us abundantly.”(AG)

15 “If you are so numerous,” Joshua answered, “and if the hill country of Ephraim is too small for you, go up into the forest(AH) and clear land for yourselves there in the land of the Perizzites(AI) and Rephaites.(AJ)

16 The people of Joseph replied, “The hill country is not enough for us, and all the Canaanites who live in the plain have chariots fitted with iron,(AK) both those in Beth Shan(AL) and its settlements and those in the Valley of Jezreel.”(AM)

17 But Joshua said to the tribes of Joseph—to Ephraim and Manasseh—“You are numerous and very powerful. You will have not only one allotment(AN) 18 but the forested hill country(AO) as well. Clear it, and its farthest limits will be yours; though the Canaanites have chariots fitted with iron(AP) and though they are strong, you can drive them out.”

Footnotes

  1. Joshua 17:11 That is, Naphoth Dor