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Joshua 17:14-18

King James Version (KJV)

“In our prayers we talk to God, in our Bible study God talks to us, and we had better let God do most of the talking.”
— D.L. Moody

Scripture focus

14. 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? 15. And Joshua answered them, If thou [be] a great people, [then] get thee up to the wood [country], and cut down for thyself there in the land of the Perizzites and of the giants, if mount Ephraim be too narrow for thee. 16. And the children of Joseph said, The hill is not enough for us: and all the Canaanites that dwell in the land of the valley have chariots of iron, [both they] who [are] of Bethshean and her towns, and [they] who [are] of the valley of Jezreel. 17. And Joshua spake unto the house of Joseph, [even] to Ephraim and to Manasseh, saying, Thou [art] a great people, and hast great power: thou shalt not have one lot [only]: 18. But the mountain shall be thine; for it [is] a wood, and thou shalt cut it down: and the outgoings of it shall be thine: for thou shalt drive out the Canaanites, though they have iron chariots, [and] though they [be] strong.

Joshua 17:14-18 — KJV

Commentary

Commentary on Joshua 17:14

Theological / Devotional

One lot. Here Ephraim and Manasseh are regarded as one tribe, the tribe of Joseph. At least it was to their advantage to be considered so now. They probably recalled the promise and prophecy of Jacob (Gen. 48:22) in which the aged patriarch gave to Joseph one portion above his brethren. But, at the same time, they seemed conveniently to forget that their brethren had received a portion across the Jordan. A selfish, grasping spirit always forgets how much has already been received. Manasseh and Ephraim were probably comparing their portion with what Judah had received. Then, too, they may have reasoned that Joshua, being of the tribe of Ephraim, would show them special favor. But Joshua was too great a man to yield to so small and selfish a proposal as that of the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh.

A great people. The attitude of the children of Joseph is duplicated by many today. Those who have an exalted opinion of self often think that their greatness ought to be recognized by God and men, and if it is not recognized, then they maintain that something is wrong with either God or men. In the case under consideration, if the descendants of Joseph were a great people because of the blessing of the Lord, then they should have continued to look to Him for continued blessings rather than unfairly to request of Joshua more than their share.

There is ever a danger that when men are blessed of God they will attribute this blessing to some merit of their own. This may be the reason why they do not receive more of Heaven’s benefits. They are prone to interpret these favors wrongly, and while giving credit to God with the lips, in their hearts they are all the while giving credit to self.

By SdaBc