Joshua 17:14-18

Joshua 17:14-18

[14] And the children  of Joseph  spake  unto Joshua,  saying,  Why hast thou given  me but one  lot  and one  portion  to inherit,  seeing I am a great  people,  forasmuch as  the LORD  hath blessed  me hitherto?  [15] And Joshua  answered  them, If thou be a great  people,  then get thee up  to the wood  country, and cut down  for thyself there in the land  of the Perizzites  and of the giants,  if mount  Ephraim  be too narrow  for thee. [16] And the children  of Joseph  said,  The hill  is not enough  for us: and all the Canaanites  that dwell  in the land  of the valley  have chariots  of iron,  both they who are of Bethshean  and her towns,  and they who are of the valley  of Jezreel.  [17] And Joshua  spake  unto the house  of Joseph,  even to Ephraim  and to Manasseh,  saying,  Thou art a great  people,  and hast great  power:  thou shalt not have one  lot  only: [18] But the mountain  shall be thine; for it is a wood,  and thou shalt cut it down:  and the outgoings  of it shall be thine: for thou shalt drive out  the Canaanites,  though they have iron  chariots,  and though they be strong. 

What does Joshua 17:14-18 Mean?

Contextual Meaning

The extent of the territory given these two tribes was not sufficient for them, in their opinion, so they asked Joshua for more land. He dealt with them very diplomatically by complimenting and encouraging them ( Joshua 17:18). Their complaint seems to have sprung from a spirit of carnality (cf. Joshua 17:16). [1] They did not share Caleb"s spirit ( Joshua 14:6-15). Evidently they counted as their land only the parts that were then easily accessible to them. They discounted the forested areas that needed clearing and the parts dominated by the Perizzites and the Rephaim ( Joshua 17:15). Joshua assured them that when they subdued their inheritance it would prove adequate for them ( Joshua 17:18).
"The purpose of inserting this episode at the conclusion of the description of Joseph"s portion may be to alert the reader to the fact that the promised land, if it is to be possessed, requires the activity of the tribes, who must not be deterred by the threats of Canaan"s superior military force." [2]
The writer of the Book of Joshua noted carefully the failures of the tribes to drive the Canaanites out of their territories, as well as their successes in doing so (e.g, Caleb). The extent of their occupation of their land depended on the extent of their ability to annihilate the Canaanites by God"s power.