Joshua 17:10
in Joshua 17Ephraim’s territory was to the south, and Manasseh’s was to the north, having the Sea as its border and adjoining Asher on the north and Issachar on the east.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
southward it was Ephraim’s, and northward it was Manasseh’s, and the sea was his border; and they reached to Asher on the north, and to Issachar on the east.
KJV
Southward it was Ephraim’s, and northward it was Manasseh’s, and the sea is his border; and they met together in Asher on the north, and in Issachar on the east.
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This verse in Joshua 17
Commentary
8 notes on this verseThey met together in Asher on the north - The tribe of Asher extended from the Mediterranean Sea to Mount Carmel, Jos 19:26, and the tribe of Manasseh extended to Dor and her towns, (see the following verse, Jos 17:11 (note)), which were in the vicinity of Carmel; and thus it appears that these two tribes formed a junction at the Mediterranean Sea. This may serve to remove the difficulties in this verse; but still it does appear that in several cases the tribes were intermingled; for Manasseh had several towns, both in Issachar and in Asher, see Jos 17:
This site's exposition
the border of Manasseh went from Asher to Michmethath
on Joshua 17:7-11
Each son of Joseph holds towns inside the other's line, Ephraim within Manasseh at 16:9 and Manasseh six towns inside Issachar and Asher here. All six have later history: the kings of Canaan fight at Taanach by the waters of Megiddo at Judges 5:19, and Saul finds a medium at Endor at 1 Samuel 28:7. The Philistines hang Saul's body on the wall of Beth-shan at 1 Samuel 31:10.
This site's exposition
adjoining Asher on the north and Issachar on the east
Barnes takes the northern border as common to both tribes of Joseph and says it is sketched in general terms, perhaps because Israel had yet to master that ground. Clarke explains the meeting with Asher through Dor near Carmel, named in verse 11. The sea closes the west side.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
His border - Manasseh's, whose portion is here described, and whose name was last mentioned. In Asher - That is, upon the tribe of Asher; for though Zebulon came between Asher and them for the greatest part of their land; yet it seems there was some necks of land, both of Ephraim's and of Manasseh's, which jutted out farther than the rest, and touched the borders of Asher.
), that they (that is, Manasseh and Ephraim, as related to it, both together making the tribe of Joseph) met in Asher on the north and Issachar on the east, for Ephraim itself reached not those tribes. Some things are particularly observed concerning this lot:-- 1. That there was great communication between this tribe and that of Ephraim.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens
Southward it was Ephraim's, and northward it was Manasseh's,.... As Ephraim lay to the south of Manasseh, Manasseh lay to the north of Ephraim: and the sea is his border; the Mediterranean sea was their boundary on the west: and they met together in Asher on the north; that is, on the northwest towards the Mediterranean sea, as, at Mount Carmel: and in Issachar on the east; towards Jordan.
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
the coast of Manasseh was from Asher to Michmethah--The southern boundary is here traced from the east. Asher (now Yasir), the starting point, was a town fifteen Roman miles east of Shechem, and anciently a place of importance.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
Southward - i. e. of the river Kanah. Render, “they (i. e. the two kindred tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh, the northern border being treated here as common to the two) reached unto Asher.” (See the map.) The northern border is only indicated in general terms, perhaps because the Israelites were not yet completely masters of this part of the country, and so had not precisely determined it.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
The southern side belonged to Ephraim: Ephraim took his share from the south, facing the land between the descendants of Yehudah and the rest of the tribes.
1 more on this passage, in their own words ▾
These were three regions. [as the Targum], Three provinces. The three regions mentioned here consisted of Dor and Ein dor, as stated above in this Seifer: 3 Above:23. “The king of Dor of the Dor region,” and in another verse it states: 4 Above:2.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 2 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
12 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| נֶ֣גְבָּה | negbah | south -ward | H5045 → | 112 times |
| לְאֶפְרַ֗יִם | leefrayim | [belonged] to Ephraim | H669 → | 180 times |
| וְצָפ֙וֹנָה֙ | vetzafonah | and north -ward | H6828 → | 153 times |
| לִמְנַשֶּׁ֔ה | limnasheh | [belonged] to Manasseh | H4519 → | 146 times |
| וַיְהִ֥י | vayhi | and it was | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| הַיָּ֖ם | haiyam | the sea | H3220 → | 396 times |
| גְּבוּל֑וֹ | gevulo | border its | H1366 → | 240 times |
| וּבְאָשֵׁר֙ | uveasher | and <on> Asher | H836 → | 43 times |
| יִפְגְּע֣וּן | yifgeun | they touch ! | H6293 → | 46 times |
| מִצָּפ֔וֹן | mitzafon | from [the] north | H6828 → | 153 times |
| וּבְיִשָּׂשכָ֖ר | uveyisoshkhar | and <on> Issachar | H3485 → | 43 times |
| מִמִּזְרָֽח׃ | mimizrach | from [the] east | H4217 → | 74 times |
נֶ֣גְבָּהsouth -ward
negbahH5045 →112 times
לְאֶפְרַ֗יִם[belonged] to Ephraim
leefrayimH669 →180 times
וְצָפ֙וֹנָה֙and north -ward
vetzafonahH6828 →153 times
לִמְנַשֶּׁ֔ה[belonged] to Manasseh
limnashehH4519 →146 times
וַיְהִ֥יand it was
vayhiH1961 →3559 times
הַיָּ֖םthe sea
haiyamH3220 →396 times
גְּבוּל֑וֹborder its
gevuloH1366 →240 times
וּבְאָשֵׁר֙and <on> Asher
uveasherH836 →43 times
יִפְגְּע֣וּןthey touch !
yifgeunH6293 →46 times
מִצָּפ֔וֹןfrom [the] north
mitzafonH6828 →153 times
וּבְיִשָּׂשכָ֖רand <on> Issachar
uveyisoshkharH3485 →43 times
מִמִּזְרָֽח׃from [the] east
mimizrachH4217 →74 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
About Joshua
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament; Keil and Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament: Joshua, Judges, Ruth; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and The Berean Standard Bible, Joshua 17, with the verses cited in the note.