In our study of Joshua chapter sixteen, we look at the land that was inherited by Ephraim and we see God's desire for His people to be unified.
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The border of the territory chosen by lot for the descendants of Yosef began from the Yarden at Yericho, at the spring of Yericho on the east, went up from Yericho through the hills and desert to Beit-El, went out from Beit-El to Luz, passed on to the border with the Arki to 'Atarot, went down westward to the border with the Yafleti, to the border of Lower Beit-Horon, on to Gezer and ending at the sea. So the descendants of Yosef, M'nasheh and Efrayim took the inheritance.
In the last chapter, we saw that the land of Judah included Jerusalem and lands to the south. Now, we see that the land that was given to Efrayim borders the land of Judah and goes to the north. We also see that a border is the Jordan River near Jericho and we see an emphasis on unity as, even though M'nasheh received land on the east side of the Jordan, it is also bordering his brother. This division of the tribe of Yosef is meant to keep the lands and tribes on the east connected to the lands and tribes on the west.
The border of the descendants of Efrayim according to their families was as follows: the eastern border of their inheritance began at 'Atrot-Adar and went to Upper Beit-Horon; then the border extended westward, with Mikhm'tat on the north; next the border turned eastward to Ta'anat-Shiloh and passed by it to the east of Yanochah; then it went down from Yanochah to 'Atarot, went to Na'arah, extended to Yericho and ended at the Yarden. From Tapuach the border went westward to Vadi Kanah and ended at the sea.
This passage gives more specifics of the land that was given to Efrayim.
This is the inheritance of the tribe of the descendants of Efrayim according to their families, together with the cities set aside for the descendants of Efrayim inside the territory to be inherited by the descendants of M'nasheh, all the cities with their villages. They did not drive out the Kena'ani living in Gezer, so the Kena'ani live together with Efrayim to this day, having become slaves to do the heavy work.
Here, we see that Efrayim was also given cities that were physically located in the land that was given to his brother M'nasheh and, once again, the purpose of this was maintaining unity and a connection between the lands and the tribes. We also see that, like Judah, there was a remnant of the Canaanites that Efrayim did not drive out of their land and in this case it was those living in the city of Gezer. Instead of driving them out, they became servants doing heavy labor for the people of Efrayim.
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