约书亚记 17:14

Chinese NCV (Simplified)

約瑟的子孫獲地兩份約瑟的子孫對約書亞說：“耶和華這樣賜福我們，我們族大人多，你為甚麼只給我們抽一份籤，分一份地作產業呢？”

Parallel Translations

Chinese Union (Simplified)
约 瑟 的 子 孙 对 约 书 亚 说 ： 耶 和 华 到 如 今 既 然 赐 福 与 我 们 ， 我 们 也 族 大 人 多 ， 你 为 甚 麽 仅 将 一 阄 一 段 之 地 分 给 我 们 为 业 呢 ？

Contextual Overview

¹⁴ The people from the tribes of Joseph said to Joshua, "You gave us only one area of land, but we are many people. Why did you give us only one part of all the land the Lord gave his people?" ¹⁵ And Joshua answered them, "If you have too many people, go up to the forest and make a place for yourselves to live there in the land of the Perizzites and the Rephaites. The mountain country of Ephraim is too small for you." ¹⁶ The people of Joseph said, "It is true. The mountain country of Ephraim is not enough for us, but the land where the Canaanites live is dangerous. They are skilled fighters. They have powerful weapons in Beth Shan and all the small towns in that area, and they are also in the Valley of Jezreel." ¹⁷ Then Joshua said to the people of Joseph—to Ephraim and Manasseh, "There are many of you, and you have great power. You should be given more than one share of land. ¹⁸ You also will have the mountain country. It is a forest, but you can cut down the trees and make it a good place to live. You will own all of it because you will force the Canaanites to leave the land even though they have powerful weapons and are strong."

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

one lot: Genesis 48:22, Numbers 26:34-37, Deuteronomy 33:13-17

a great: Genesis 48:19, Genesis 49:22-26

Reciprocal: Numbers 26:54 - many Numbers 26:55 - by lot Joshua 16:4 - General Joshua 17:5 - ten portions Joshua 17:17 - Thou art a great Judges 17:1 - mount 2 Kings 6:1 - too strait for us 1 Chronicles 4:10 - enlarge Isaiah 49:20 - The place Ezekiel 48:5 - Ephraim 2 Timothy 3:12 - shall

Cross-References

Genesis 17:2
I will make an agreement between us, and I will make you the ancestor of many people."

Genesis 17:12
From now on when a baby boy is eight days old, you will circumcise him. This includes any boy born among your people or any who is your slave, who is not one of your descendants.

Genesis 17:20
"As for Ishmael, I have heard you. I will bless him and give him many descendants. And I will cause their numbers to grow greatly. He will be the father of twelve great leaders, and I will make him into a great nation.

Genesis 17:21
But I will make my agreement with Isaac, the son whom Sarah will have at this same time next year."

Genesis 17:24
Abraham was ninety-nine years old when he was circumcised.

Genesis 17:26
Abraham and his son were circumcised on the same day.

Exodus 12:15
For this feast you must eat bread made without yeast for seven days. On the first day, you are to remove all the yeast from your houses. No one should eat any yeast for the full seven days of the feast, or that person will be cut off from Israel.

Exodus 12:19
For seven days there must not be any yeast in your houses. Anybody who eats yeast during this time, either an Israelite or non-Israelite, must be cut off from the community of Israel.

Exodus 30:33
If anyone makes perfume like it or puts it on someone who is not a priest, that person must be cut off from his people.'"

Exodus 30:38
Whoever makes incense like this to use as perfume must be cut off from his people."

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And the children of Joseph spake unto Joshua,.... Which some understand of the children of Manasseh only; and, indeed, the complaint and arguments used, as well as some circumstances in the account, best agree with them; yet certain it is, that the children of Ephraim accompanied the children of Manasseh, and were present at this interview, as appears from Joshua 17:17; and if they did not join with them in the request and complaint expressly, they countenanced and encouraged the same by their presence:

saying, why hast thou given me but one lot and one portion to inherit: this seems to suit better with one than both; for there was a lot for the tribe of Manasseh also, as well as for Ephraim, Joshua 17:1; by which it should seem that there were two, and if both made this expostulation, it was not fact; but it may be, that the inheritance which came to them by lot was not as yet divided, and so they called it one lot and one portion, and then it might with propriety be said by them both; and their sense be, that the lot or portion assigned them was only sufficient for one of them, and not for both:

seeing I [am] a great people; as especially both tribes put together were;

forasmuch as the Lord hath blessed me hitherto? this best agrees with the tribe of Manasseh, which, since their coming out of Egypt, was increased twenty thousand five hundred, whereas the tribe of Ephraim was decreased; compare Numbers 1:33 with Numbers 26:34. Now it might have been expected by them, that as Joshua was of the tribe of Ephraim, that he would have favoured their cause on that account, and that they should have obtained the grant of an addition by that means; but Joshua was impartial in his administration, and showed no favour and affection on that score, as appears by what follows.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Seeing I am a great people - The assertion can hardly have been warranted by facts, for at the census Numbers 26:0 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 (Judges 8:1; Judges 12:1; 2 Samuel 19:41; 2 Chronicles 28:7 etc.). A glance at the map shows that their complaint was in itself unreasonable. Their territory, which measured about 55 miles by 70 miles, was at least as large in proportion to their numbers as that of any other tribe, and moreover comprehended some of the most fertile of the whole promised land.