Joshua 17:15
in Joshua 17Joshua answered them, “If you have so many people that the hill country of Ephraim is too small for you, go to the forest and clear for yourself an area in the land of the Perizzites and the Rephaim.”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And Joshua said unto them, If thou be a great people, get thee up to the forest, and cut down for thyself there in the land of the Perizzites and of the Rephaim; since the hill-country of Ephraim is too narrow for thee.
KJV
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.
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This verse in Joshua 17
Commentary
11 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
Joshua was himself of the tribe of Ephraim, but far from supporting the demands of his kinsmen he reproves them, and calls upon them to make good their great words by corresponding deeds of valor. He bids them clear the country of its woods and thus make room for settling their people. The “wood country” means probably the range which runs along the northern border of Manasseh, and which connects the mountains of Gilboa with Carmel.
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.
This site's exposition
go to the forest and clear for yourself an area
Clarke says Joshua takes them at their own word: if they are many, they are strong enough to clear more ground. He would not reverse the lot. Barnes places the forest on the range joining Gilboa to Carmel, and Jamieson, Fausset and Brown place it on the Gilboa hills.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers2 voices
It also says drive away, or rather, "purge the Rephaites from you." We find Rephaites to be interpreted "slack mothers." According to that which is said in a mystery concerning the soul as though concerning a woman, there is a certain power in our soul that brings forth perceptions and is, so to speak, the mother of those perceptions or understandings that proceed from us; "and she will be saved through the begetting of children, if they have persevered in the faith and in truth."
Thus if we too are a numerous people and the Lord blesses us, we hear from Jesus, "You are a numerous people; go up into the forest, and clear and prepare a place for yourself in the land. Purge the Perizzites and Rephaites." Therefore, we must cast out the Perizzites. Moreover, we find the Perizzites to mean "fructification." But just as we have already often said concerning other names, the meaning in this one is also twofold, for there is a good fructification and a bad one, as it is pointed out in the Gospels, "A good tree produces good fruit, and a bad tree produces bad fruit." Therefore, it is fitting for us to expel everything that does not bear fruit properly and to cut away the fruit of sin and to purge the fruit of unrighteousness.
The Puritans and the Awakening3 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
Mount Ephraim was a particular portion of the land, belonging to the tribe of Ephraim. And this seems to be here mentioned, for all the portion allotted to Ephraim and Manasseh, as appears from their complaint, which was not, that this part, but that their whole portion was too strait for them.
And Joshua answered them,....
3 more voices on this verse
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
mount Ephraim--called so here by anticipation. The Gilboa range between Beth-shean and the plain of Jezreel is meant, anciently covered with an extensive forest.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase
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
If thou be a great people - Joshua takes them at their own word; they said, Jos 17:14, that they were a great people; then said he, If thou be a great people or seeing thou art a great people, go to the wood country, and clear away for thyself. Joshua would not reverse the decision of the lot; but as there was much woodland country, he gave them permission to clear away as much of it as they found necessary to extend themselves as far as they pleased.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
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.
1 more on this passage, in their own words ▾
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.
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
21 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיֹּ֨אמֶר | vaiyomer | and he said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| אֲלֵיהֶ֜ם | ʾaleihem | to them | H413 → | 5510 times |
| יְהוֹשֻׁ֗עַ | yehoshua' | Joshua | H3091 → | 218 times |
| אִם־ | ʾim- | if | H518 → | 1069 times |
| עַם־ | ʾam- | [are] a people | H5971 → | 1873 times |
| רַ֤ב | rav | numerous | H7227 → | 454 times |
| אַתָּה֙ | ʾatah | you | H859 → | 1094 times |
| עֲלֵ֣ה | ʾaleh | go up | H5927 → | 890 times |
| לְךָ֣ | lekha | for <the> yourself | ||
| הַיַּ֔עְרָה | haiya'rah | the forest towards | H3293 → | |
| וּבֵרֵאתָ֤ | uvereta | and you will cut down | H1254 → | |
| לְךָ֙ | lekha | for <the> yourself | ||
| שָׁ֔ם | sham | there | H8033 → | 834 times |
| בְּאֶ֥רֶץ | beeretz | in [the] land of | H776 → | 2504 times |
| הַפְּרִזִּ֖י | haperizi | the Perizzite[s] | H6522 → | 23 times |
| וְהָֽרְפָאִ֑ים | veharefaim | and the Rephaites | H7497 → | 25 times |
| כִּֽי־ | ki- | that | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| אָ֥ץ | ʾatz | it is narrow | H213 → | |
| לְךָ֖ | lekha | for <the> you | ||
| הַר־ | har- | [the] hill country of | H2022 → | 546 times |
| אֶפְרָֽיִם׃ | ʾefrayim | Ephraim | H669 → | 180 times |
וַיֹּ֨אמֶרand he said
vaiyomerH559 →5305 times
אֲלֵיהֶ֜םto them
ʾaleihemH413 →5510 times
יְהוֹשֻׁ֗עַJoshua
yehoshua'H3091 →218 times
אִם־if
ʾim-H518 →1069 times
עַם־[are] a people
ʾam-H5971 →1873 times
רַ֤בnumerous
ravH7227 →454 times
אַתָּה֙you
ʾatahH859 →1094 times
עֲלֵ֣הgo up
ʾalehH5927 →890 times
לְךָ֣for <the> yourself
lekha
הַיַּ֔עְרָהthe forest towards
haiya'rahH3293 →
וּבֵרֵאתָ֤and you will cut down
uveretaH1254 →
לְךָ֙for <the> yourself
lekha
שָׁ֔םthere
shamH8033 →834 times
בְּאֶ֥רֶץin [the] land of
beeretzH776 →2504 times
הַפְּרִזִּ֖יthe Perizzite[s]
haperiziH6522 →23 times
וְהָֽרְפָאִ֑יםand the Rephaites
veharefaimH7497 →25 times
כִּֽי־that
ki-H3588 →4482 times
אָ֥ץit is narrow
ʾatzH213 →
לְךָ֖for <the> you
lekha
הַר־[the] hill country of
har-H2022 →546 times
אֶפְרָֽיִם׃Ephraim
ʾefrayimH669 →180 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
2 Samuel 5:18Now the Philistines had come and spread out in the Valley of Rephaim.
it leads to
- Genesis 14:5
In the fourteenth year, Chedorlaomer and the kings allied with him went out and defeated the Rephaites in Ashteroth-karnaim, the Zuzites in Ham, the Emites in Shaveh-kiriathaim,
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Isaiah 17:5
as the reaper gathers the standing grain and harvests the ears with his arm, as one gleans heads of grain in the Valley of Rephaim.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Joshua 15:8
From there the border went up the Valley of Hinnom along the southern slope of the Jebusites (that is, Jerusalem) and ascended to the top of the hill that faces the Valley of Hinnom…
- 2 Samuel 23:13
At harvest time, three of the thirty chief men went down to David at the cave of Adullam, while a company of Philistines was encamped in the Valley of Rephaim.
- Genesis 14:5
Through
Genesis 13:7And there was discord between the herdsmen of Abram and the herdsmen of Lot. At that time the Canaanites and the Perizzites were also living in the land.
it leads to
- Genesis 26:20
But the herdsmen of Gerar quarreled with Isaac’s herdsmen and said, “The water is ours!” So he named the well Esek, because they contended with him.
- Genesis 12:6
Abram traveled through the land as far as the site of the Oak of Moreh at Shechem. And at that time the Canaanites were in the land.
- James 3:16
For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every evil practice.
- Genesis 26:20
Through
Genesis 14:5In the fourteenth year, Chedorlaomer and the kings allied with him went out and defeated the Rephaites in Ashteroth-karnaim, the Zuzites in Ham, the Emites in Shaveh-kiriathaim,
it leads to
- Deuteronomy 3:11
(For only Og king of Bashan had remained of the remnant of the Rephaim. His bed of iron, nine cubits long and four cubits wide, is still in Rabbah of the Ammonites.)
- Deuteronomy 3:11
About Joshua
Who and where
2 names in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on 9 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Albert Barnes, Notes on the Old Testament; 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; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Origen of Alexandria, HOMILIES ON JOSHUA 22.4 and The Berean Standard Bible, Joshua 17, with the verses cited in the note.