Commentary - Joshua 16:1-4

Bird's-eye view

In this brief but significant passage, we transition from the grand narrative of conquest to the meticulous business of settlement. The allotment of the land to the tribes of Israel is far more than an ancient property survey; it is the tangible fulfillment of God's sworn oath to Abraham hundreds of years prior. Here, the sons of Joseph, Manasseh and Ephraim, receive their inheritance. This act, governed by the casting of the lot, underscores the sovereign grace of God. The inheritance is not earned by military might alone, but is a gift distributed according to God's good pleasure. The detailed geographical boundaries are not tedious filler; they are the very lines of God's faithfulness drawn on the earth. This section serves as a crucial link, demonstrating that the God who promises is the God who provides a specific, concrete, and historical place for His people to dwell. It is a down payment, a type, of the ultimate inheritance that the saints will receive in Christ, which is nothing less than the entire world.

The focus on the sons of Joseph is also theologically rich. Joseph, the savior of his people in Egypt, receives a double portion through his two sons, a sign of preeminent blessing. This foreshadows the greater Joseph, Jesus Christ, who secures a double portion and more for His people. The land is not just dirt; it is a stage for covenant life, a place to live out obedience before God. This passage, therefore, is about God making good on His promises, establishing His people in their inheritance, and setting the stage for the ongoing drama of redemption that will unfold within these very borders.

Outline

Context In Joshua

This passage sits within the third major section of the book of Joshua, which deals with the allocation of the conquered land (Josh. 13-21). The first part of the book detailed the crossing into the land (Josh. 1-5), and the second detailed the conquest itself (Josh. 6-12). Now that the major military campaigns are concluded, the task is to divide the spoils. But these are not the spoils of ordinary war; this is a holy inheritance. The process began with the tribes east of the Jordan and with the great allotments for Judah and Caleb. Now, the narrative turns to the powerful and prominent tribes descended from Joseph. The casting of lots at Shiloh, the site of the tabernacle, signifies that this is a divine apportionment, not a political negotiation. This section establishes the concrete reality of God's promises fulfilled, setting the boundaries within which Israel is now called to live faithfully under God's covenant law.

Key Issues

God's Real Estate Survey

It is easy for the modern reader to get bogged down in the geographical details of these chapters. We read a list of unfamiliar towns and borders, and our eyes glaze over. But we must resist the temptation to see this as mere administrative record-keeping. Every name, every boundary line, is a testament to the fact that God's promises are not abstract spiritual sentiments. God promised Abraham a specific, tangible piece of real estate. And here, God is delivering the deed. The level of detail is meant to convey certainty and reality. This is not a mythical land in a "galaxy far, far away." This is a real place, with real borders, given by a real God to a real people.

Furthermore, the process of allotment by lot is a powerful statement about divine sovereignty. Proverbs 16:33 tells us that "The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the LORD." There was to be no political wrangling or jockeying for position. God Himself was the surveyor and the one who assigned the portions. This was a gift of grace from start to finish. Just as the land was won by God's power and not Israel's, so it was distributed by God's wisdom and not Israel's. This principle carries into the New Covenant: our spiritual inheritance, our place in the body of Christ, and our gifts are not of our own choosing, but are apportioned by the sovereign grace of God.

Verse by Verse Commentary

1 Then the lot for the sons of Joseph went out from the Jordan at Jericho to the waters of Jericho on the east into the wilderness, going up from Jericho through the hill country to Bethel.

The process begins with the casting of the lot. This was a sacred act, done before the Lord, to determine His will. The lot "went out," as though sent on a mission by God Himself. It fell to the "sons of Joseph," which is a collective term for the two tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh. Jacob, on his deathbed, had adopted Joseph's two sons as his own, effectively giving Joseph the double portion that belonged to the firstborn (Gen. 48:5). This was a fulfillment of that prophetic blessing. The boundary description starts at a well-known point, the Jordan River near Jericho, the first city conquered. From this point of miraculous entry, the lines of their inheritance are drawn. The geography is specific, moving from the low Jordan valley "up from Jericho through the hill country to Bethel." This is rugged, important territory, the central spine of the land. God is not giving them useless swampland; He is planting them in the heart of the country.

2 And it went out from Bethel to Luz and passed on to the border of the Archites at Ataroth.

The description continues, tracing the boundary with precision. The mention of Bethel and Luz is interesting; in Genesis 28, Jacob renames Luz as Bethel ("house of God") after his vision of the ladder. The text here may be distinguishing the city from the sacred site, or simply using an ancient name for clarity. The point is the meticulous nature of the survey. God's promises are not vague. He knows the land down to the border of the Archites, a Canaanite clan. This is a deed of ownership, and a deed must have clearly defined property lines. Our inheritance in Christ is likewise secure and clearly defined, not subject to the whims of our feelings or the encroachments of the enemy.

3 Then it went down westward to the territory of the Japhletites, as far as the territory of lower Beth-horon even to Gezer, and it ended at the sea.

The boundary line now runs "down westward," from the central highlands toward the Mediterranean Sea. It passes by significant locations like Beth-horon, the site of a major victory earlier in Joshua (Josh. 10:10-11), and Gezer, a strategic Canaanite city. The border concludes at "the sea," the great Mediterranean. This establishes a vast and valuable tract of land, from the Jordan River to the sea, as the portion for Joseph's sons. God is a generous giver. He does not give grudgingly. He promised a land flowing with milk and honey, and He delivered. The inheritance is real, it is substantial, and it is a gift.

4 So the sons of Joseph, Manasseh and Ephraim, received their inheritance.

This verse serves as a summary and a concluding statement of fact. The promise was made, the lot was cast, the boundaries were drawn, and the inheritance was received. The two tribes are mentioned by name, Manasseh and Ephraim, reminding us again of the double portion. The word "received" is key. They did not seize it or earn it in the ultimate sense. They received it as a gift from their covenant Lord. This is the posture of every believer. We do not earn our salvation or our place in God's kingdom. We fight, yes, just as Israel had to fight to possess the land. But the title deed is a gift of grace. We receive our inheritance in Christ by faith, and then we are called to live it out, to take possession of every promise by obedient faithfulness.

Application

The first and most obvious application is to cultivate a deep and abiding trust in the promises of God. God promised Abraham land, and after centuries of slavery and wandering, here is the surveyor's report. God keeps His word. He may not work on our timetable, but He is never late. The promises He has made to us in Christ, promises of forgiveness, sanctification, and ultimate glorification, are more certain than these geographical boundaries. Our names are written on an eternal inheritance, and the deed is sealed with the blood of Christ.

Second, we must recognize that our inheritance is a gift of sovereign grace. The lot was cast, and God determined the outcome. We did not choose God; He chose us and appointed our place and function within His kingdom. This should produce humility and gratitude, not pride. Whether our lot seems large or small in the eyes of the world, it has been assigned by a wise and loving Father. Our task is to be faithful in the territory He has given us.

Finally, we must see the land of Canaan as a type of the greater inheritance to come. The writer to the Hebrews makes it clear that Joshua gave Israel a physical land, but he could not give them ultimate rest (Heb. 4:8). That rest is found only in Jesus, the greater Joshua. The inheritance given to Ephraim and Manasseh was a down payment, a shadow of the real substance. Through the gospel, the meek are inheriting not just a strip of land in the Middle East, but the entire earth (Matt. 5:5). The task of the church now is to "possess the land" through the Great Commission, discipling the nations and teaching them to obey everything Christ has commanded. The boundaries of our inheritance are no longer the Jordan and the Mediterranean, but the ends of the earth.