Yehoshua 17 - Summary
(Text) - This chapter picks up where the previous one ended. Its main topic is the inheritance of the tribe of Menashe West of the Jordan river. After going through the main families that make up the tribe of Menashe (Aviezer, Helek, Asriel, Shechem, Chefer and Shemidah) we are reintroduced to the family of Tzelafechad, the son of Hefer, who had five daughters (Machlah, Noah, Chaglag, Milkah and Tirtzah) but no sons. As we learned in Sefer Bamidbar (chapter 27), after Tzelafechad died, his daughters approached Moshe and received their father’s share of Eretz Yisrael. The daughters now approach Yehoshua and Elazar (who are carrying out the division of the land), ask for and receive their land, among the land given to the rest of the descendants of Menashe.
The borders and cities of the land belonging to the children of Yosef, Menashe and Efrayim, are listed. In some of the cities belonging to the children of Menashe, the Jews were unable to drive out the Canaanites who lived there (they eventually were able to impose a tax on these Canaanites who remained in their cities).
After the children of Yosef received their land, they complained to Yehoshua - their population was proportionately larger than that of other tribes, and they therefore wanted to know why they were receiving the same area of land as other tribes, and not a larger area commensurate with their number of people. Yehoshua responded that if they were too numerous for their land, that they should conquer some of the land inhabited by the Perrizim and Repha’im. The children of Yosef responded that these Canaanites (living in Beth-Shean and the Valley of Yizrael) had iron chariots (and would therefore be formidable foes in a war of conquest). Yehoshua responded by encouraging the children of Yosef - the people of the tribes of Menashe and Efrayim - that they were numerous and strong, and that they would be able to drive out the Canaanites, despite their iron chariots and strength.
Posted in Chapter 17, Summaries, Yehoshua - Joshua by Yaakov Ellis on March 21, 2007 | No Comments
Yehoshua 17 - Review Questions
- This chapter centers on the inheritance of which tribe(s)?
- What are the main families of the tribe of Menashe?
- What do Tzlafechad’s daughters request of Yehoshua and Elazar? Why do they ask for this?
- Were the children of Menashe able to drive out all of the Canaanites who lived in the cities that they inherited? What happened to those (if any) that remained?
- What was the complaint of the children of Yosef (the tribes of Menashe and Efrayim)? What did they base this complain on?
- What was Yehoshua’s response to the complaint of the tribes of Yosef?
Posted in Chapter 17, Misc, Review Questions, Yehoshua - Joshua by Yaakov Ellis on March 21, 2007 | No Comments
Excuses
Sorry for the slow-down in posting. I have a good excuse, though. (Hope to get back to regular posting soon). In the meantime, if anyone would like to contribute content (summaries, review questions, commentary, etc), contact me.
Posted in Announcements by Yaakov Ellis on March 11, 2007 | No Comments
Yehoshua 16 - Summary
(Text) - This chapter discusses the inheritance of the tribes of Joseph (Menashe and Efraim) located on West of the Jordan River. Borders are given for the overall land of both tribes, and then for the borders on all sides of Efraim. The chapter ends by noting that Efraim was not able to drive out the Canaanites that lived in the area of Gezer. These people remained in the area as servants, through the time when the book of Yehoshua was completed.
Posted in Chapter 16, Summaries, Yehoshua - Joshua by Yaakov Ellis on March 06, 2007 | 1 Comment
Yehoshua 16 - Review Questions
- The land of which tribe (or tribes) is discussed in this chapter?
- Was the tribe of Efraim successful in displacing the Canaanites in Gezer? If not, what happened to these Canaanites?
Posted in Chapter 16, Review Questions, Yehoshua - Joshua by Yaakov Ellis on March 06, 2007 | No Comments