Paragraph: 17:1–2
17:1a
Now this was the allotment for the tribe of Manasseh: The clause allotment for the tribe of Manasseh translates the same Hebrew words as in Joshua 15:1, except that here it refers to the clans of the tribe of Manasseh rather than the clans of the tribe of Judah. It refers to the land that the clan of Manasseh received when Joshua and Eleazar cast lots for them. It is recommended that you translate this the same way as you did in 15:1.
Here are some other ways to translate this part of the verse:
Then the clan of Manasseh received land according to the lot
-or-
Then the descendants of Manasseh were assigned land by lot
-or-
⌊Joshua⌋ gave land to the descendants of Manasseh according to the lot
17:1b
as Joseph’s firstborn son: Here are some other ways to translate this part of the verse:
He was Joseph’s first son
-or-
Manasseh was the oldest son of Joseph
as: The Hebrew word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as as shows that the phrase “Joseph’s firstborn son” is additional information.
Here are some other ways to translate this clause:
The tribe of Manasseh, Joseph’s firstborn son, was also allotted land (NET Bible)
-or-
This was the allotment for the tribe of Manasseh as Joseph’s firstborn (New International Version)
-or-
A part of the land west of the Jordan was assigned to some of the families descended from Joseph’s older son Manasseh (Good News Translation)
17:1c
for Machir the firstborn of Manasseh and father of the Gileadites: There is an interpretation issue concerning the name Gileadites.
(1) Gileadites is the name of a person, Gilead. For example:
To Machir…the father of Gilead (English Standard Version)
(English Standard Version, Revised Standard Version, NET Bible, New Living Translation (2004), New American Bible, Revised Edition, Tanakh: The Holy Scriptures, Good News Translation, Contemporary English Version, King James Version)
(2) Gileadites is the name of a group of people who descended from a person name Gilead. For example:
Makir was the ancestor of the Gileadites (New International Version)
(Berean Standard Bible, New International Version)
(3) Gileadites is the name of a region. For example:
Machir…the ancestor of the people living in Gilead (God’s Word)
(God’s Word)
It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1). In this phrase the word “Gilead” refers to a person, not to the region of Gilead. This is the interpretation taken by the majority of English versions and by some commentaries. The person named Gilead is also mentioned in Numbers 26:29-30 and 1 Chronicles 7:14|. The region of Gilead is mentioned in Joshua 17:1d.
Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:
Machir was the firstborn son of Manasseh and the father of Gilead
-or-
Machir was Manasseh’s oldest son. The name of his son was Gilead
17:1d
who had received Gilead and Bashan: Gilead and Bashan were regions. They were areas of land that were east of the Jordan River.
Here are some other ways to translate this part of the verse:
he received the regions of Gilead and Bashan ⌊east of the Jordan River⌋
-or-
Machir received the lands of Gilead and Bashan ⌊which were east of the Jordan River⌋
-or-
they gave Machir land in the regions of Gilead and Bashan ⌊which were east of the Jordan River⌋
17:1e
because Machir was a man of war: The phrase man of war indicates that Machir was a skilled fighter. Numbers 32:39.tells how Machir and his descendants went to Gilead and defeated the people who were living there. Because of this he received Gilead as his inheritance.
Here are some other ways to translate this part of the verse:
because he was a skilled fighter
-or-
because he fought well in battle. ⌊He had fought the people of Gilead and Bashan and captured their land.⌋
General Comment on 17:1d–e
In some languages it may be more natural to translate 1e before 1d. For example:
Machir was a skilled fighter, so he received the territories of Gilead and Bashan ⌊on the east side of the Jordan River⌋ .
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