Joshua 14:4

For the children of Joseph were two tribes, Manasseh and Ephraim: therefore they gave no part unto the Levites in the land, save cities to dwell in, with their suburbs for their cattle and for their substance.

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Word by word — the Hebrew

Word	Hebrew	Strong’s	Meaning
children	בְנֵֽי ve.nei-	H1121	a son (as a builder of the family name) · noun, common masculine plural construct
Joseph	יוֹסֵ֛ף yo.Sef	H3130	Joseph · proper noun, a man's name
two	שְׁנֵ֥י she.Nei	H8147	two · cardinal number, both genders dual construct
tribes	מַטּ֖וֹת ma.Tot	H4294	a branch (as extending) · noun, common feminine plural absolute
Manasseh	מְנַשֶּׁ֣ה me.na.Sheh	H4519	Menashsheh · proper noun, a man's name
Ephraim	וְאֶפְרָ֑יִם ve.'ef.Ra.yim	H669	Ephrajim · conjunction + proper noun, a man's name
gave	נָתְנוּ֩ na.te.Nu	H5414	to give · verb, qal perfect, 3rd person common plural
part	חֵ֨לֶק Che.lek	H2506	properly · noun, common masculine singular absolute
Levites	לַלְוִיִּ֜ם lal.vi.Yim	H3881	a Levite or descendant of Levi · preposition with the article + noun, gentilic masculine plural absolute
land	בָּאָ֗רֶץ ba.'A.retz	H776	the earth (at large · preposition with the article + noun, common feminine singular absolute
cities	עָרִים֙ 'a.Rim	H5892	a city (a place guarded by waking or a watch) in the wi… · noun, common masculine plural absolute
dwell	לָשֶׁ֔בֶת la.She.vet	H3427	properly · preposition + verb, qal infinitive construct
suburbs	וּמִ֨גְרְשֵׁיהֶ֔ם u.Mig.re.shei.Hem	H4054	a suburb (i.e. open country whither flocks are driven f… · conjunction + noun, common masculine plural construct + pronominal suffix, 3rd person masculine plural
cattle	לְמִקְנֵיהֶ֖ם le.mik.nei.Hem	H4735	something bought · preposition + noun, common masculine singular construct + pronominal suffix, 3rd person masculine plural
substance	וּלְקִנְיָנָֽם u.le.kin.ya.Nam	H7075	creation · conjunction + preposition + noun, common masculine singular construct + pronominal suffix, 3rd person masculine plural

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (James Strong, 1890/1894), public domain; digitized by Open Scriptures (CC BY-SA). KJV word tagging: eBible.org (public domain). Original-language text, parsing and brief lexicon: STEPBible.org data from Tyndale House, Cambridge (CC BY 4.0).

Cross-references

Genesis 48:5 And now thy two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, which were born unto thee in the land of Egypt before I came unto thee into Egypt, are mine; as…
1 Chronicles 5:1-2 Now the sons of Reuben the firstborn of Israel, (for he was the firstborn; but, forasmuch as he defiled his father’s bed, his birthright was…
Numbers 35:2-8 Command the children of Israel, that they give unto the Levites of the inheritance of their possession cities to dwell in; and ye shall give…
Joshua 21:2-42 And they spake unto them at Shiloh in the land of Canaan, saying, The LORD commanded by the hand of Moses to give us cities to dwell in, wit…
1 Chronicles 6:54-81 Now these are their dwelling places throughout their castles in their coasts, of the sons of Aaron, of the families of the Kohathites: for t…

Cross-references from OpenBible.info (CC BY), in the lineage of the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (public domain).

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Joshua 14:1-5

The historian, having in the foregoing chapter given an account of the disposal of the countries on the other side Jordan, now comes to tell us what they did with the countries in the land of Canaan. They were not conquered to be left desert, a habitation for dragons, and a court for owls, Isa 34:13. No, the Israelites that had hitherto been closely encamped in a body, and the greatest part of them such as never knew any other way of living, must now disperse themselves to replenish these new conquests. It is said of the earth, God created it not in vain; he formed it to be inhabited, Isa 45:18. Canaan would have been subdued in vain if it had not been inhabited. Yet every man might not go a…

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Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Joshua 14:4

The children of Joseph were two tribes, Manasseh and Ephraim--As two and a half tribes were settled on the east Jordan, and the Levites had no inheritance assigned them in land, there would have been only eight and a half tribes to provide for. But Ephraim and Manasseh, the two sons of Joseph, had been constituted two tribes (Gen 48:5), and although Levi was excluded, the original number of the tribes of Israel was still preserved.

Adam Clarke on Joshua 14:4

The children of Joseph were two tribes - This was ascertained by the prophetic declaration of their grandfather Jacob, Gen 48:5, Gen 48:6; and as Levi was taken out of the tribes for the service of the sanctuary, one of these sons of Joseph came in his place, and Joseph was treated as the first-born of Jacob, in the place of Reuben, who forfeited his right of primogeniture. With their suburbs for their cattle - For the meaning of this passage the reader is referred to the note on Num 35:6.

John Gill on Joshua 14:4

For the children of Joseph were two tribes, Manasseh and Ephraim,.... For the birthright being forfeited by Reuben, was given to Joseph, who had the double portion, the privilege of the firstborn; by which means the number of the twelve tribes was kept up in the division of the land, though that of Levi had no share in it; and which is also a reason why they had none, that Joseph's two sons might be reckoned two tribes: therefore they gave no part unto the Levites in the land; to make way for the sons of Joseph to have the double portion: save cities to dwell in; and that only, for they might not sell them, as other Israelites could theirs: with their suburbs, for their cattle, and for th…

Dictionary and topics

Caleb — A dog. (1.) One of the three sons of Hezron of the tribe of Judah. He is also called Chelubai (1 Chr. 2:9). His descendants are enumerated (18-20, 42-49). (2.) A “son of Hur, the firstborn of…
Cities · Suburbs of — Suburbs of
Israel · place — place
Jews, The · Settled in Canaan — Settled in Canaan
Suburbs · General scriptures concerning — General scriptures concerning
Tribes Of Israel, The · Manasseh and Ephraim numbered among, instead of Joseph and Levi — Manasseh and Ephraim numbered among, instead of Joseph and Levi

Dictionary: Easton's (1897) and Smith's (1863), public domain. Topics: Nave's Topical Bible (1896) and Torrey's Topical Textbook (1897), public domain. Both as parsed by NEUU (CC BY 4.0).

Joshua 14:4

Word by word — the Hebrew

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Joshua 14:1-5

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Joshua 14:4

Adam Clarke on Joshua 14:4

John Gill on Joshua 14:4

Dictionary and topics

Joshua 14:4

Word by word — the Hebrew

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Joshua 14:1-5

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Joshua 14:4

Adam Clarke on Joshua 14:4

John Gill on Joshua 14:4

Dictionary and topics

John Calvin on Joshua 14:4-5

Keil & Delitzsch on Joshua 14:3-5

Tyndale Open Study Notes on Joshua 14:4

Rashi on Joshua 14:4