Joshua 17:14
in Joshua 17Then the sons of Joseph said to Joshua, “Why have you given us only one portion as an inheritance? We have many people, because the LORD has blessed us abundantly.”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And the children of Joseph spake unto Joshua, saying, Why hast thou given me but one lot and one part for an inheritance, seeing I am a great people, forasmuch as hitherto Jehovah hath blessed me?
KJV
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?
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This verse in Joshua 17
Commentary
9 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
Seeing I am a great people - The assertion can hardly have been warranted by facts, for at the census Num. 26 the two tribes of Manasseh and Ephraim together were not greatly more numerous than the single tribe of Judah; and now that half the Manassites were provided for on the eastern side of Jordan, the remaining children of Joseph could hardly be stronger than the Danites or the Issacharites. The children of Joseph seem therefore to exhibit here that arrogant and jealous spirit which elsewhere characterises their conduct (Jdg 8:1; Jdg 12:1; 2Sa 19:41; 2Ch 28:7 etc.).
This site's exposition
Why have you given us only one portion
on Joshua 17:14-18
Joshua, an Ephraimite by Numbers 13:8, sends his own kinsmen to clear the forest in the land of the Perizzites and the Rephaim. Albert Barnes weighs their claim against Numbers 26, where Ephraim and Manasseh together are not much larger than Judah alone, and beside their complaints at Judges 8:1 and 12:1. Joshua grants their strength and says they can drive out the Canaanites despite iron chariots.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening4 voices
The Inheritance of Joseph's Children. 1 There was also a lot for the tribe of Manasseh; for he was the firstborn of Joseph; to wit, for Machir the firstborn of Manasseh, the father of Gilead: because he was a man of war, therefore he had Gilead and Bashan.
quarantine:scripture (2026-07-29) — scripture-overlap:96%@v1-2
Children of Joseph - That is, of Ephraim and Manasseh. Spake unto Joshua - That is, expostulated with him, when they went and saw that portion which was allotted them, and found it much short of their expectation.
And the children of Joseph spake unto Joshua,....
"The Lord has blessed me hitherto, however he may see fit to deal with me for the future." The uncertainty of what may be must not make us unthankful for what has been and is done in kindness to us.
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
the children of Joseph spake unto Joshua--The two tribes join in laying a complaint before the leader, as to the narrow boundaries of their allotment and its insufficiency to be the residence of tribes so vastly increased. But Joshua's answer was full of wisdom as well as patriotism.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase
2 more voices on this verse
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
THE PASTOR'S RETURN. THREE SPECIALLY- SELECTED SERMONS TO HIS CHURCH, CONGREGATION, READERS AND FRIENDS, CONSISTING OF A RETROSPECT, A PROSPECT [No. 1883] AND AN EXHORTATION [No. 1884.] IT is not an easy task to divide land among different claimants. Joshua divided Canaan with strict impartiality. He was a man of God and he was also shrewdly wise, as you may gather from many of his speeches. But, for all that, he could not satisfy everybody. He who would please all attempts the impossiblel God Himself is quarreled with.
THE PASTOR'S RETURN. THREE SPECIALLY- SELECTED SERMONS TO HIS CHURCH, CONGREGATION, READERS AND FRIENDS, CONSISTING OF A RETROSPECT, A PROSPECT [No. 1883] AND AN EXHORTATION [No. 1884.] IT is not an easy task to divide land among different claimants. Joshua divided Canaan with strict impartiality. He was a man of God and he was also shrewdly wise, as you may gather from many of his speeches. But, for all that, he could not satisfy everybody. He who would please all attempts the impossiblel God Himself is quarreled with. If it is the design of Providence to please men, it is a melancholy failure. Do we not find men everywhere dissatisfied with their portions? This man would like his lot if it were not where it is and that man would be perfectly satisfied if he had a little more. One would be contented with what he has if he could always keep it, while another would be more pleased if life could be shortened. There is no pleasing men! We are like the sons of Joseph in the chapter before us, ready to complain of our inheritance. It should not be so. We who have pined in the wilderness of sin should rejoice that we have entered the land of promise and we ought to be glad to have a portion among the people of the Lord. Contentment should be natural to those who are born of the Spirit of God, yes, we ought to go beyond contentment and cry, "Blessed be the Lord, who daily loads us with benefits." Brethren, the best advice that I can give to each man among you is that he should endeavor to make the best of the portion which God has given him, for, after all, Joshua had not arbitrarily appointed Ephraim and Manasseh their lots, but they had fallen to them by the decree of God. Their portions had long before been marked out by a higher hand than Joshua's.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
And the descendants of Yoseif spoke. Referring specifically to the descendants of Menashe. 6 According to Rashi even though the tribe of Ephraim was part of the “descendants of Yoseif”, they did not join the tribe of Menashe in their complaint.
1 more on this passage, in their own words ▾
If you are indeed such a multitude of people— then you have the strength to cut down forests and to clear them, as expressed in old French, essarter, and there you will be able to build cities.
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
23 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַֽיְדַבְּרוּ֙ | vaydaberu | and they spoke | H1696 → | 1141 times |
| בְּנֵ֣י | benei | [the] descendants of | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| יוֹסֵ֔ף | yosef | Joseph | H3130 → | 213 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | with | H854 → | 929 times |
| יְהוֹשֻׁ֖עַ | yehoshua' | Joshua | H3091 → | 218 times |
| לֵאמֹ֑ר | lemor | <to> saying | H559 → | 5305 times |
| מַדּוּעַ֩ | madua' | why? | H4069 → | |
| נָתַ֨תָּה | natatah | have you given | H5414 → | 2011 times |
| לִּ֜י | li | to <the> me | ||
| נַחֲלָ֗ה | nachalah | an inheritance | H5159 → | 222 times |
| גּוֹרָ֤ל | goral | a lot | H1486 → | 78 times |
| אֶחָד֙ | ʾechad | one | H259 → | 971 times |
| וְחֶ֣בֶל | vechevel | and a portion | H2256 → | 62 times |
| אֶחָ֔ד | ʾechad | one | H259 → | 971 times |
| וַֽאֲנִ֣י | vaani | and I | H589 → | 874 times |
| עַם־ | ʾam- | [am] a people | H5971 → | 1873 times |
| רָ֔ב | rav | numerous | H7227 → | 454 times |
| עַ֥ד | ʾad | to | H5704 → | 1261 times |
| אֲשֶׁר־ | ʾasher- | that | H834 → | 5497 times |
| עַד־ | ʾad- | until | H5704 → | 1261 times |
| כֹּ֖ה | koh | thus | H3541 → | 577 times |
| בֵּֽרְכַ֥נִי | berekhani | he has blessed me | H1288 → | 330 times |
| יְהוָֽה׃ | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
וַֽיְדַבְּרוּ֙and they spoke
vaydaberuH1696 →1141 times
בְּנֵ֣י[the] descendants of
beneiH1121 →4930 times
יוֹסֵ֔ףJoseph
yosefH3130 →213 times
אֶת־with
ʾet-H854 →929 times
יְהוֹשֻׁ֖עַJoshua
yehoshua'H3091 →218 times
לֵאמֹ֑ר<to> saying
lemorH559 →5305 times
מַדּוּעַ֩why?
madua'H4069 →
נָתַ֨תָּהhave you given
natatahH5414 →2011 times
לִּ֜יto <the> me
li
נַחֲלָ֗הan inheritance
nachalahH5159 →222 times
גּוֹרָ֤לa lot
goralH1486 →78 times
אֶחָד֙one
ʾechadH259 →971 times
וְחֶ֣בֶלand a portion
vechevelH2256 →62 times
אֶחָ֔דone
ʾechadH259 →971 times
וַֽאֲנִ֣יand I
vaaniH589 →874 times
עַם־[am] a people
ʾam-H5971 →1873 times
רָ֔בnumerous
ravH7227 →454 times
עַ֥דto
ʾadH5704 →1261 times
אֲשֶׁר־that
ʾasher-H834 →5497 times
עַד־until
ʾad-H5704 →1261 times
כֹּ֖הthus
kohH3541 →577 times
בֵּֽרְכַ֥נִיhe has blessed me
berekhaniH1288 →330 times
יְהוָֽה׃Yahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Genesis 48:22And to you, as one who is above your brothers, I give the ridge of land that I took from the Amorites with my sword and bow.”
it leads to
- John 4:5
So He came to a town of Samaria called Sychar, near the plot of ground that Jacob had given to his son Joseph.
- Joshua 24:32
And the bones of Joseph, which the Israelites had brought up out of Egypt, were buried at Shechem in the plot of land that Jacob had purchased from the sons of Hamor, Shechem’s father,…
- 1 Chronicles 5:2
And though Judah prevailed over his brothers and a ruler came from him, the birthright belonged to Joseph.
- John 4:5
Through
Genesis 48:19But his father refused. “I know, my son, I know!” he said. “He too shall become a people, and he too shall be great; nevertheless, his younger brother shall be greater than he, and…
it leads to
- Numbers 1:33–35
From the sons of Ephraim, according to the records of their clans and families, counting the names of all those twenty years of age or older who could serve in the army, those registered…
- Deuteronomy 33:17
His majesty is like a firstborn bull, and his horns are like those of a wild ox. With them he will gore the nations, even to the ends of the earth. Such are the…
- Genesis 48:14
But Israel stretched out his right hand and put it on the head of Ephraim, the younger; and crossing his hands, he put his left on Manasseh’s head, although Manasseh was the firstborn.
- Genesis 25:28
Because Isaac had a taste for wild game, he loved Esau; but Rebekah loved Jacob.
- Genesis 17:20–21
As for Ishmael, I have heard you, and I will surely bless him; I will make him fruitful and multiply him greatly. He will become the father of twelve rulers, and I will make…
- Numbers 1:33–35
About Joshua
Who and where
2 names in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Albert Barnes, Notes on the Old Testament; Charles Spurgeon, The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, Sermon No. 1882: “Retrospect—"The Lord Has Blessed"” (lightly modernized text, CCEL edition); 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 and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.