16:1-10
A short chapter, with more land allotments, this time to Ephraim and Manasseh. These were sons of Joseph. This chapter gives details of the land allocation to Ephraim. It concludes with the statement that “they did not dislodge the Canaanites ...” It doesn’t say why, whether it was because they were unable to, or because they didn’t try hard enough. It is also strange because they were able to make them do forced labour. This would later cause problems for Israel.
17:1-18
Chapter 117 deals with the land allocation for Manasseh. This was the tribe of Joseph’s firstborn. Perhaps the most interesting part of this chapter is the part relating to the daughters of Zelophehad. Numbers 27 deals specifically with Zelophad’s daughters and their receiving an inheritance, and Numbers 36 deals more generally with the female heirs. Feminists in particular will sometimes criticise the Bible for being “patriarchal”. The actual picture of the Bible is that men and women are equal and share in the inheritance. Worldly views seek to divide, the Bible is concerned with unity. And there is diversity, for men and women have different roles (which may sometimes overlap). So when the inheritance went to the man, it implicitly went to the man and woman. If the man had died, then special rules, as outlined here and the chapters in Numbers, applied. I would rather have Biblical equality and diversity than the corrupted worldly version.
Again, there is mention of the failure to drive the Canaanites out, and more explanation of their being made to do forced labour. It seems in 17:16-18 that some of them wanted a “free” inheritance. Joshua was having none of it. The Lord would enable them to take possession of the land, so they had to get on with it.
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