Joshua 16

The lot came out for the children of Joseph from the Jordan at Jericho, at the waters of Jericho on the east, even the wilderness, going up from Jericho through the hill country to Bethel.

It went out from Bethel to Luz, and passed along to the border of the Archites to Ataroth;

and it went down westward to the border of the Japhletites, to the border of Beth Horon the lower, and on to Gezer; and ended at the sea.

The children of Joseph, Manasseh and Ephraim, took their inheritance.

This was the border of the children of Ephraim according to their families. The border of their inheritance eastward was Ataroth Addar, to Beth Horon the upper.

The border went out westward at Michmethath on the north. The border turned about eastward to Taanath Shiloh, and passed along it on the east of Janoah.

It went down from Janoah to Ataroth, to Naarah, reached to Jericho, and went out at the Jordan.

From Tappuah the border went along westward to the brook of Kanah; and ended at the sea. This is the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Ephraim according to their families;

together with the cities which were set apart for the children of Ephraim in the middle of the inheritance of the children of Manasseh, all the cities with their villages.

They didn’t drive out the Canaanites who lived in Gezer; but the Canaanites dwell in the territory of Ephraim to this day, and have become servants to do forced labor.

Chapter overviewAI-generated

Overview.
This chapter details the territorial allotment given to the tribe of Ephraim, one of the two sons of Joseph, as part of the larger distribution of the Promised Land west of the Jordan. It outlines the boundaries of Ephraim’s inheritance, situates it geographically among neighboring tribes, and records both the fulfillment of God’s promise in assigning the land and the incomplete obedience in failing to fully dispossess the Canaanites.

Flow.

Begins with the general assignment of land to Joseph’s descendants, specifying Ephraim and Manasseh (v. 1–4).
Traces the precise boundaries of Ephraim’s territory from east to west and south to north, referencing key towns and natural landmarks (v. 5–8).
Notes the inclusion of cities within Manasseh’s territory that were designated for Ephraim (v. 9).
Concludes with the significant failure of the Ephraimites to drive out the Canaanites in Gezer, resulting in their continued presence as forced laborers rather than complete removal (v. 10).

Connections.
Following chapter 15, which records the inheritance of Judah in similar geographic detail, chapter 16 continues the systematic division of the land among the tribes, maintaining the focus on divine faithfulness in fulfilling the promises to the patriarchs. The pattern of description—boundary lines, named cities, tribal responsibility—reinforces the orderly execution of Joshua’s commission. The unresolved presence of Canaanites in Gezer anticipates the broader issue developed in chapter 17 and later chapters, where the failure to fully conquer the land becomes a recurring theme, ultimately pointing forward to the cycles of compromise and conflict in the book of Judges.

What it teaches.
God faithfully assigns and defines the land promised to His people, reflecting His sovereign care in dividing the inheritance among the tribes (WCF 7.3). The precise borders indicate that the land was not seized arbitrarily but received as a divine apportionment according to His covenant (HC LD 10). Yet the persistence of Canaanites within Ephraim’s territory highlights the people’s incomplete obedience, warning that partial faithfulness leads to lingering idolatry and danger (CD IV.1). The allowance of forced labor instead of complete removal contradicts the command to utterly destroy the inhabitants (Deut. 20:16–18), revealing a compromise that undermines holy war and covenant purity.

Apply.
God’s gifts come with responsibilities that must be carried out fully, not adapted to convenience.

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