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Joshua 16:5-9

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.

World English Bible · Public Domain
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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.

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Parallel Translations

  • WEB World English Bible

    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.

  • KJV King James Version

    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 Ataroth-addar, unto Beth-horon the upper;

    And the border went out toward the sea to Michmethah on the north side; and the border went about eastward unto Taanath-shiloh, and passed by it on the east to Janohah;

    And it went down from Janohah to Ataroth, and to Naarath, and came to Jericho, and went out at Jordan.

    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.

    And the separate cities for the children of Ephraim were among the inheritance of the children of Manasseh, all the cities with their villages.

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  • JPS JPS Tanakh (1917)

    And the border of the children of Ephraim according to their families was thus; even the border of their inheritance eastward was Atroth-addar, unto Beth-horon the upper.

    And the border went out westward, Mich-methath being on the north; and the border turned about eastward unto Taanath-shiloh, and passed along it on the east of Janoah.

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

    From Tappuah the border went along westward to the brook of Kanah; and the goings out thereof were 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 separated for the children of Ephraim in the midst of the inheritance of the children of Manasseh, all the cities with their villages.

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Cross-references (15)

  • Joshua 17:7 (v6) The border of Manasseh was from Asher to Michmethath, which is before Shechem. The border went along to the right hand, to the inhabitants…
  • Joshua 18:13 (v5) The border passed along from there to Luz, to the side of Luz (also called Bethel), southward. The border went down to Ataroth Addar, by…
  • 1 Chronicles 7:28 (v7) Their possessions and settlements were Bethel and its towns, and eastward Naaran, and westward Gezer, with its towns; Shechem also and its…
  • Joshua 17:8-9 (v8) The land of Tappuah belonged to Manasseh; but Tappuah on the border of Manasseh belonged to the children of Ephraim. The border went down…
  • Numbers 33:48 (v7) They traveled from the mountains of Abarim, and encamped in the plains of Moab by the Jordan at Jericho.
Show all 15 cross-references
  • Numbers 34:6 (v8) “ ‘For the western border, you shall have the great sea and its border. This shall be your west border.
  • Joshua 3:16 (v7) the waters which came down from above stood, and rose up in one heap a great way off, at Adam, the city that is beside Zarethan; and those…
  • Joshua 6:1 (v7) Now Jericho was tightly shut up because of the children of Israel. No one went out, and no one came in.
  • Joshua 6:26 (v7) Joshua commanded them with an oath at that time, saying, “Cursed is the man before Yahweh who rises up and builds this city Jericho. With…
  • Joshua 12:17 (v8) the king of Tappuah, one; the king of Hepher, one;
  • Joshua 16:2 (v5) It went out from Bethel to Luz, and passed along to the border of the Archites to Ataroth;
  • Joshua 16:3-6 (v8) 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.…
  • Joshua 17:9 (v9) The border went down to the brook of Kanah, southward of the brook. These cities belonged to Ephraim among the cities of Manasseh. The…
  • Joshua 18:1 (v6) The whole congregation of the children of Israel assembled themselves together at Shiloh, and set up the Tent of Meeting there. The land…
  • Joshua 19:28 (v8) and Ebron, Rehob, Hammon, and Kanah, even to great Sidon.

Cross-references from openbible.info (CC BY 4.0)

Explain this passage (18 sources)

Historical commentary, presented as a primary source — not an endorsement.

Geneva Bible translators 1599 · Public Domain On vv7, 9 For so far the coasts reach.

For so far the coasts reach.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain.

John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain On vv5–9 Jos 16:5 And the border of the children of…
Matthew Poole 1685 · Public Domain On vv5, 6, 7, 9 On the east side, i.e. the north-east side. It…
Matthew Henry 1710 · Public Domain On v5 Here, 1. The border of the lot of Ephraim…
John Gill 1763 · Public Domain On vv5–9 And the border went out towards the sea,.... The…
John Wesley 1765 · Public Domain On vv5, 6, 7, 9 East-side - That is, the northeast side. It is…
Adam Clarke 1810 · Public Domain On vv5, 8, 9 Verse 5. Ataroth-addar] See Clarke on Jos 16:2.
Joseph Benson 1811 · Public Domain On vv5, 6, 9 Jos 16:5. East side — That is, the north-east…
Albert Barnes 1834 · Public Domain On vv5, 9 From the abrupt manner in which the statements are…
Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary 1859 · Public Domain On vv6, 8 Looketh to the north, &c. The meaning is, that…
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown 1871 · Public Domain On vv5, 6, 8, 9 THE BORDERS OF THE INHERITANCE OF EPHRAIM. (Jos 16:5-9)
Daniel D. Whedon 1874 · Public Domain On vv5–9 EPHRAIM’S BORDERS, Jos_16:5-10.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges 1878 · Public Domain On vv5–9 5–10. The Inheritance of the Tribe of Ephraim
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers 1878 · Public Domain On vv5, 9 (5-8) The border (of Ephraim’s inheritance) on the east…
The Pulpit Commentary 1880 · Public Domain On vv5–9 The border of the children of Ephraim. The Hebrew…
Paul E. Kretzmann 1924 · Public Domain On v5 The Special Borders of Ephraim
unfoldingWord translationNotes 2017 · CC BY-SA 4.0 On vv5, 8 The territory of the tribe of Ephraim, clan by…
Tyndale Open Study Notes 2022 · CC BY-SA 4.0 On v5 16:5-8 This description of Ephraim’s northern boundary with Manasseh…
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