Joshua 17:14

New Life Version

The sons of Joseph said to Joshua, "Why have you given us only one share of the land? We have many people. And the Lord has brought good to us until now."

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Joseph’s descendants said to Joshua, “Why did you give us only one tribal allotment as an inheritance? We have many people, because the Lord has been blessing us greatly.”

Hebrew Names Version
The children of Yosef spoke to Yehoshua, saying, Why have you given me but one lot and one part for an inheritance, seeing I am a great people, because hitherto the LORD has blessed me?

King James Version
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?

Lexham English Bible
The descendants of Joseph spoke with Joshua, saying, "Why have you given us one allotment and one share as an inheritance? We are many people, which Yahweh has blessed."

English Standard Version
Then the people of Joseph spoke to Joshua, saying, "Why have you given me but one lot and one portion as an inheritance, although I am a numerous people, since all along the Lord has blessed me?"

New Century Version
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?"

New English Translation
The descendants of Joseph said to Joshua, "Why have you assigned us only one tribal allotment? After all, we have many people, for until now the Lord has enabled us to increase in number."

Amplified Bible
The sons of Joseph spoke to Joshua, saying, "Why have you given us only one lot and one portion as an inheritance, when we are a numerous people whom the LORD has so far blessed?"

New American Standard Bible
Then the sons of Joseph spoke to Joshua, saying, "Why have you given me only one lot and one portion as an inheritance, though I am a numerous people whom the LORD has blessed up to this point?"

Geneva Bible (1587)
Then the children of Ioseph spake vnto Ioshua, saying, Why hast thou giuen me but one lot, and one portion to inherite, seeing I am a great people, for as much as the Lord hath blessed me hitherto?

Legacy Standard Bible
Then the sons of Joseph spoke to Joshua, saying, "Why have you given me only one lot and one portion for an inheritance, since I am a numerous people whom Yahweh has thus far blessed?"

Contemporary English Version
One day the Joseph tribes came to Joshua and asked, "Why didn't you give us more land? The Lord has always been kind to us, and we have too many people for this small region."

Complete Jewish Bible
Then the descendants of Yosef spoke to Y'hoshua; they said, "Why have you given me only one lot and only one portion to inherit? After all, I am a great people, since Adonai has blessed me so."

Darby Translation
And the children of Joseph spoke to Joshua, saying, Why hast thou given me as inheritance one lot and one portion, seeing I am a great people, forasmuch as Jehovah has blessed me hitherto?

Easy-to-Read Version
The tribe of Joseph spoke to Joshua and said, "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 that the Lord gave his people?"

George Lamsa Translation
And the descendants of Joseph spoke to Joshua, saying, Why have you given us but one portion to inherit, seeing we are a numerous people, forasmuch as the LORD has blessed us hitherto?

Good News Translation
The descendants of Joseph said to Joshua, "Why have you given us only one part of the land to possess as our own? There are very many of us because the Lord has blessed us."

Literal Translation
And the sons of Joseph spoke with Joshua, saying, Why have you given to me one lot and one portion as an inheritance, since I am a numerous people? For Jehovah has blessed me until now.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Then spake the children of Ioseph vnto Iosua, and sayde: Wherfore hast thou geue me but one porcion and one meetlyne of enheritaunce, and I am yet a greate people, as the LORDE hath blessed me so largely?

American Standard Version
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?

Bible in Basic English
Then the children of Joseph said to Joshua, Why have you given me only one part and one stretch of land for my heritage? For through the blessing given to me by the Lord up to now, I am a great people.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
And the children of Ioseph spake vnto Iosuah, saying: Why hast thou geue me but one lotte and one portion to inherite, seyng I am a great people, and forasmuche as the Lorde hath blessed me hytherto?

JPS Old Testament (1917)
And the children of Joseph spoke 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 the LORD hath blessed me thus?'

King James Version (1611)
And the children of Ioseph spake vnto Ioshua, saying, Why hast thou giuen me but one lot and one portion to inherit, seeing I am a great people, forasmuch as the Lord hath blessed me hitherto?

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And the sons of Joseph answered Joshua, saying, Wherefore hast thou caused us to inherit one inheritance, and one line? whereas I am a great people, and God has blessed me.

English Revised Version
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 the LORD hath blessed me?

Berean Standard Bible
Then 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."

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And the sones of Joseph spaken to Josue, and seiden, Whi hast thou youe to me lond in to possessioun of o lot and part, sithen Y am of so greet multitude, and the Lord hath blesside me, `that is, hath alargid me in children?

Young's Literal Translation
And the sons of Joseph speak with Joshua, saying, `Wherefore hast thou given to me an inheritance -- one lot and one portion, and I a numerous people? hitherto hath Jehovah blessed me.'

Update Bible Version
And the sons of Joseph spoke to Joshua, saying, Why have you given me but one lot and one part for an inheritance, seeing I am a great people, since until now Yahweh has blessed me?

Webster's Bible Translation
And the children of Joseph spoke to 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 hitherto blessed me?

World English Bible
The children of Joseph spoke to Joshua, saying, Why have you given me but one lot and one part for an inheritance, seeing I am a great people, because hitherto Yahweh has blessed me?

New King James Version
Then the children of Joseph spoke to Joshua, saying, "Why have you given us only one lot and one share to inherit, since we are a great people, inasmuch as the LORD has blessed us until now?"

New Living Translation
The descendants of Joseph came to Joshua and asked, "Why have you given us only one portion of land as our homeland when the Lord has blessed us with so many people?"

New Revised Standard
The tribe of Joseph spoke to Joshua, saying, "Why have you given me but one lot and one portion as an inheritance, since we are a numerous people, whom all along the Lord has blessed?"

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Then spake the sons of Joseph unto Joshua, saying, - Why hast thou given me, as an inheritance, but one lot and one portion, seeing that, I, am a numerous people, because hitherto hath Yahweh blessed me.

Douay-Rheims Bible
And the children of Joseph spoke to Josue, and said: Why hast thou given me but one lot and one portion to possess, whereas I am of so great a multitude, and the Lord hath blessed me?

Revised Standard Version
And the tribe of Joseph spoke to Joshua, saying, "Why have you given me but one lot and one portion as an inheritance, although I am a numerous people, since hitherto the LORD has blessed me?"

THE MESSAGE
The people of Joseph spoke to Joshua: "Why did you give us just one allotment, one solitary share? There are a lot of us, and growing— God has extravagantly blessed us."

New American Standard Bible (1995)
Then the sons of Joseph spoke to Joshua, saying, "Why have you given me only one lot and one portion for an inheritance, since I am a numerous people whom the LORD has thus far blessed?"

Contextual Overview

¹⁴ The sons of Joseph said to Joshua, "Why have you given us only one share of the land? We have many people. And the Lord has brought good to us until now." ¹⁵ Joshua said to them, "If you have many people, go up among the trees and clear a place for yourselves in the land of the Perizzites and the Rephaim, since the hill country of Ephraim is too narrow for you." ¹⁶ The sons of Joseph said, "The hill country is not enough for us. But all the Canaanites who live in the valley have iron war-wagons. Both those in Beth-shean and its towns and those in the valley of Jezreel have them." ¹⁷ Then Joshua said to the families of Joseph, to Ephraim and Manasseh, "You have many people and much power. You will not have only one share of land. ¹⁸ The hill country will be yours. It is full of trees, but you will clear it. All of it will be yours. For you will drive out the Canaanites, even if they have iron war-wagons and much strength."

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
And I will keep My agreement between Me and you. I will give you many children."

Genesis 17:12
Every male child among you who is eight days old must have this religious act done, through all time. The same must be done to all the men born in your house or bought with your money from any stranger, who is not one of your family.

Genesis 17:20
As for Ishmael, I have heard you. I will bring good to him. I will make him grow in number. He will be the father of twelve rulers. I will make him a great nation.

Genesis 17:21
But I will make My agreement with Isaac, who will be born to Sarah at this time next year."

Genesis 17:24
Abraham was ninety-nine years old when he had the religious act done of cutting off his piece of skin.

Genesis 17:26
Abraham and his son Ishmael had this religious act done that very day.

Exodus 12:15
Seven days you must eat bread made without yeast. On the first day you must get all the yeast out of your houses. Whoever eats anything with yeast from the first day until the seventh day will be taken away from Israel.

Exodus 12:19
There must be no yeast found in your houses for seven days. For whoever eats anything with yeast, that person, stranger or born in the land, will be cut off from the people of Israel.

Exodus 30:33
Whoever mixes any like it, or puts any of it on a man who is not a religious leader, will be cut off from his people.'"

Exodus 30:38
Whoever makes any like it to use as perfume will 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.