Joshua 17:4
in Joshua 17They approached Eleazar the priest, Joshua son of Nun, and the leaders, and said, “The LORD commanded Moses to give us an inheritance among our brothers.” So Joshua gave them an inheritance among their father’s brothers, in keeping with the command of the LORD.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And they came near before Eleazar the priest, and before Joshua the son of Nun, and before the princes, saying, Jehovah commanded Moses to give us an inheritance among our brethren: therefore according to the commandment of Jehovah he gave them an inheritance among the brethren of their father.
KJV
And they came near before Eleazar the priest, and before Joshua the son of Nun, and before the princes, saying, The Lord commanded Moses to give us an inheritance among our brethren. Therefore according to the commandment of the Lord he gave them an inheritance among the brethren of their father.
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This verse in Joshua 17
Commentary
5 notes on this verseA commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
Machir--his descendants. the father of Gilead--Though he had a son of that name (Nu 26:29; 27:1), yet, as is evident from the use of the Hebrew article, reference is made, not to the person, but the province of Gilead. "Father" here means lord or possessor of Gilead.
This site's exposition
had no sons but only daughters
on Joshua 17:3-6
Numbers 27:1-11 heard this case before Moses and Numbers 36 refined the ruling, and verse 4 settles it by name a generation later. How the ten shares of verse 5 are counted is disputed, Albert Barnes reckoning five from Gilead's male line and five for the daughters.
This site's exposition
They approached Eleazar the priest
The daughters quote the command given through Moses. At Numbers 27:4 they had asked for property among their father's brothers, the terms in which Joshua now grants it. Matthew Henry observes that Joshua raised no objection that they had fought in none of the wars.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
(2.) The assignment of their portions according to their claim. Joshua knew very well what God had ordered in their case, and did not object that they having not served in the wars of Canaan there was no reason why they should share in the possessions of Canaan, but readily gave them as inheritance among the brethren of their father.
And they came near before Eleazar the priest, and before Joshua the son of Nun, and before the princes,....
The words behind it
29 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַתִּקְרַ֡בְנָה | vatikravnah | and they drew near | H7126 → | 280 times |
| לִפְנֵי֩ | lifnei | <to> before | H6440 → | 2123 times |
| אֶלְעָזָ֨ר | ʾelazar | Eleazar | H499 → | 72 times |
| הַכֹּהֵ֜ן | hakohen | the priest | H3548 → | 750 times |
| וְלִפְנֵ֣י׀ | velifnei | and <to> before | H6440 → | 2123 times |
| יְהוֹשֻׁ֣עַ | yehoshua' | Joshua | H3091 → | 218 times |
| בִּן־ | bin- | [the] son of | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| נ֗וּן | nun | Nun | H5126 → | 30 times |
| וְלִפְנֵ֤י | velifnei | and <to> before | H6440 → | 2123 times |
| הַנְּשִׂיאִים֙ | hanesiim | the leaders | H5387 → | 134 times |
| לֵאמֹ֔ר | lemor | <to> saying | H559 → | 5305 times |
| יְהוָה֙ | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| צִוָּ֣ה | tzivah | he commanded | H6680 → | 494 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| מֹשֶׁ֔ה | mosheh | Moses | H4872 → | 765 times |
| לָֽתֶת־ | latet- | to give | H5414 → | 2011 times |
| לָ֥נוּ | lanu | to <the> us | ||
| נַחֲלָ֖ה | nachalah | an inheritance | H5159 → | 222 times |
| בְּת֣וֹךְ | betokh | in among | H8432 → | 418 times |
| אַחֵ֑ינוּ | ʾacheinu | brothers our | H251 → | 630 times |
| וַיִּתֵּ֨ן | vaiyiten | and he gave | H5414 → | 2011 times |
| לָהֶ֜ם | lahem | to <the> them | ||
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| פִּ֤י | pi | [the] mouth of | H6310 → | 498 times |
| יְהוָה֙ | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| נַֽחֲלָ֔ה | nachalah | an inheritance | H5159 → | 222 times |
| בְּת֖וֹךְ | betokh | in among | H8432 → | 418 times |
| אֲחֵ֥י | ʾachei | [the] brothers of | H251 → | 630 times |
| אֲבִיהֶֽן׃ | ʾavihen | father their | H1 → | 1212 times |
וַתִּקְרַ֡בְנָהand they drew near
vatikravnahH7126 →280 times
לִפְנֵי֩<to> before
lifneiH6440 →2123 times
אֶלְעָזָ֨רEleazar
ʾelazarH499 →72 times
הַכֹּהֵ֜ןthe priest
hakohenH3548 →750 times
וְלִפְנֵ֣י׀and <to> before
velifneiH6440 →2123 times
יְהוֹשֻׁ֣עַJoshua
yehoshua'H3091 →218 times
בִּן־[the] son of
bin-H1121 →4930 times
נ֗וּןNun
nunH5126 →30 times
וְלִפְנֵ֤יand <to> before
velifneiH6440 →2123 times
הַנְּשִׂיאִים֙the leaders
hanesiimH5387 →134 times
לֵאמֹ֔ר<to> saying
lemorH559 →5305 times
יְהוָה֙Yahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
צִוָּ֣הhe commanded
tzivahH6680 →494 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
מֹשֶׁ֔הMoses
moshehH4872 →765 times
לָֽתֶת־to give
latet-H5414 →2011 times
לָ֥נוּto <the> us
lanu
נַחֲלָ֖הan inheritance
nachalahH5159 →222 times
בְּת֣וֹךְin among
betokhH8432 →418 times
אַחֵ֑ינוּbrothers our
ʾacheinuH251 →630 times
וַיִּתֵּ֨ןand he gave
vaiyitenH5414 →2011 times
לָהֶ֜םto <the> them
lahem
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
פִּ֤י[the] mouth of
piH6310 →498 times
יְהוָה֙Yahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
נַֽחֲלָ֔הan inheritance
nachalahH5159 →222 times
בְּת֖וֹךְin among
betokhH8432 →418 times
אֲחֵ֥י[the] brothers of
ʾacheiH251 →630 times
אֲבִיהֶֽן׃father their
ʾavihenH1 →1212 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
6 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
Galatians 3:28There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
it leads to
- 1 Corinthians 12:12–13
The body is a unit, though it is composed of many parts. And although its parts are many, they all form one body. So it is with Christ.
- Colossians 3:11
Here there is no Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, or free, but Christ is all and is in all.
- Romans 3:29–30
Is God the God of Jews only? Is He not the God of Gentiles too? Yes, of Gentiles too,
- Galatians 5:6
For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. All that matters is faith, expressed through love.
- Romans 10:12–15
For there is no difference between Jew and Greek: The same Lord is Lord of all, and gives richly to all who call on Him,
- 1 Corinthians 12:12–13
Through
Joshua 14:1Now these are the portions that the Israelites inherited in the land of Canaan, as distributed by Eleazar the priest, Joshua son of Nun, and the heads of the families of the tribes of…
it leads to
- Numbers 34:17–29
“These are the names of the men who are to assign the land as an inheritance for you: Eleazar the priest and Joshua son of Nun.
- Numbers 34:17–29
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Joshua

Who and where
3 names in this verse with a page on the site.
- PersonExodus and Wilderness PeriodMosesIsrael's deliverer from Egyptian slavery, covenant mediator, and lawgiver.
- PersonConquestJoshuaMoses' minister and successor, one of the two faithful spies; he led Israel across Jordan, around Jericho, and through the conques…
- PersonWildernessEleazarAaron's third son who succeeded him as high priest on Mount Hor, founding the line that runs to Phinehas and Zadok.
This page draws on 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); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and The Berean Standard Bible, Joshua 17, with the verses cited in the note.
