Explanation: Joshua 16 describes the inheritance of Joseph, through his sons Ephraim and Manasseh, in the Promised Land. The inheritance was in the central part of the Promised Land. The southern boundary was at a place called "the water of Jericho" which joined the Jordan River on the eastern side of the city. Various commentators think that this is the stream arising from the spring which Elishah healed years later (2 Kings 2:19-21). Its northern boundary was irregular and ran along the boundaries of Issachar, Zebulun, and Asher. The eastern and western boundaries covered the whole breadth of the land from the Jordan river to the Mediterranean Sea (or "Great Sea"), respectively. Ephraim had the southern portion of this area; and Manasseh had the larger portion in the north (1-9).
     The text makes special mention of the fact that the Ephraimites did not drive out the Canaanites who were dwelling among them in Gezer. Instead, they made an unauthorized covenant with them and put them under tribute. This was against the LORD's instructions (Exodus 23:32-33, Exodus 34:12-16; Numbers 33:52-53; Deuteronomy 7:2-4, Deuteronomy 7:16, Deuteronomy 7:25-26, Deuteronomy 12:2-3; Deuteronomy 20:16-18) and proved harmful to them in later years (10).
     [ Sermons: William Still. Various. ]
     [ Illustration: I have chosen the painting above to represent a portion of the inheritance of Joseph -- namely the water of Jericho" -- which was a stream arising from a spring near Jericho and flowing into the Jordan River, similar in those respects to the painting above. ]

     ⁵ And the border of the children of Ephraim according to their families was thus: even the border of their inheritance on the east side was Atarothaddar, unto Bethhoron the upper; ⁶ And the border went out toward the sea to Michmethah on the north side; and the border went about eastward unto Taanathshiloh, and passed by it on the east to Janohah; ⁷ And it went down from Janohah to Ataroth, and to Naarath, and came to Jericho, and went out at Jordan. ⁸ The border went out from Tappuah westward unto the river Kanah; and the goings out thereof were at the sea. This is the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Ephraim by their families. ⁹ And the separate cities for the children of Ephraim were among the inheritance of the children of Manasseh, all the cities with their villages. ¹⁰ And they drave not out the Canaanites that dwelt in Gezer: but the Canaanites dwell among the Ephraimites unto this day, and serve under tribute.

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