Joshua 16:4

So the children of Joseph, Manasseh and Ephraim, took their inheritance.

And goeth out from Bethel to Luz, and passeth along unto the borders of Archi to Ataroth, No JFB commentary on these verses.

Manasseh, i.e. half Manasseh, by a synecdoche. Their inheritance, i.e. their several portions which here follow. Some think that they had but one lot between them; and therefore they are now said to take their inheritance, to wit, by dividing it between them according to the direction of Joshua and Eleazar, &c.; for that phrase being used of them, and not to my remembrance of any other tribes, may seem to have some peculiar signification, which doth not agree to the other tribes. But there being mention of a peculiar lot taken out for Manasseh, , shows that their several inheritances fell to them, as the rest did to the other tribes, even by several lots; and it is said of them, that they took their inheritance, which also Judah had done before them, because the tribes of Judah and Joseph did take their inheritances before the rest; and it was fit they should do so, for the security of the main camp, and the body of the people which were at Gilgal. See .

Joshua 16:4 So the children of Joseph, Manasseh and Ephraim, took their inheritance.Ver. 4. Manasseh and Ephraim took their inheritance.] And it was a happiness to both that they lay together: but a shameful thing that afterwards it should be said, "Manasseh against Ephraim, and Ephraim against Manasseh; and they together against Judah."

XVI. OF JOSEPH—i.e., of Ephraim and Manasseh (Joshua 16:1 to Joshua 18:1, inclusive). (1) The lot of the children of Joseph.—The order of precedence among the tribes of Israel was always Judah first and the sons of Joseph second. In the words of 1 Chronicles 5:2, “Judah prevailed above his brethren, and of him came the chief ruler; but the birthright was Joseph’s.” Accordingly in the division of the land of Canaan under Joshua, there are three successive stages: first, the settlement of the tribe of Judah in the strongholds of the south of Palestine; secondly, the establishment of Ephraim and Manasseh in the centre of the country, and in some strong positions towards the north; thirdly, the settlement of the remaining tribes, so as to fill up the gaps left between Judah and Joseph, and also upon the outskirts of their territory, so as to be, as it were, under the shadow of their wings. In the inheritance of Ephraim and Manasseh we observe some features which distinguish this description from that of Judah’s inheritance in Joshua 15. The boundaries of the territory are given, but there is no catalogue of cities. There is also another peculiarity: the tribe of Ephraim is interlocked with the tribe of Manasseh, and the tribe of Manasseh again with Issachar and Asher, by the possession of cities in the territory of these other tribes. (1-3) Comp. Joshua 18:12-14. The south border of Joseph was the north border of Benjamin. (See Conder’s Bible Handbook, p. 260, and Ordnance Map, sheets 14, 15, and 18) Archi is ’Ain ’Arîk (sheet 14). Ataroth is Ed-Dârieh (sheet 18). Japhleti is not identified. Beth-horon is Beit ’Ur. Gezer is Tell Jezer.