This was the territory of the descendants of Ephraim by their clans
The phrase "descendants of Ephraim" refers to the tribe of Ephraim, one of the twelve tribes of Israel, named after Joseph's second son, Ephraim. In Hebrew, "Ephraim" means "fruitful," reflecting the blessing Jacob gave to Joseph's sons in Genesis 48:19, where Ephraim was prophesied to become a multitude of nations. The mention of "by their clans" indicates the division of land among the various family groups within the tribe, emphasizing the importance of family and heritage in Israelite society. This allocation of land fulfilled God's promise to Abraham regarding the inheritance of the Promised Land by his descendants.

The border of their inheritance
The "border" signifies the defined limits of the land allotted to the tribe of Ephraim. In ancient times, borders were crucial for establishing identity, security, and governance. The "inheritance" is a key biblical concept, representing not just physical land but also the spiritual legacy and covenantal promises given by God to His people. This inheritance was a tangible sign of God's faithfulness and provision.

went from Ataroth-addar in the east
"Ataroth-addar" is a location that marks the eastern boundary of Ephraim's territory. The name "Ataroth" means "crowns" in Hebrew, possibly indicating a place of significance or elevation. The addition of "addar" could mean "glorious" or "splendid," suggesting a place of beauty or importance. This geographical marker helps us understand the specific area that Ephraim occupied, which was central to the land of Canaan, highlighting the tribe's strategic and fertile location.

to Upper Beth-horon
"Upper Beth-horon" refers to one of two towns named Beth-horon, with "Upper" distinguishing it from "Lower Beth-horon." The name "Beth-horon" means "house of the hollow" or "house of freedom," and these towns were located on a significant route between the coastal plain and the hill country of Judah. Historically, Beth-horon was a site of military importance, as seen in battles such as Joshua's victory over the Amorites (Joshua 10:10-11). The mention of this location underscores the strategic and protective nature of Ephraim's inheritance, as well as God's providence in placing His people in areas where they could thrive and defend themselves.

(5-8) The border (of Ephraim's inheritance) on the east side.--The words "on the east side" are not easy to understand. If Ataroth-addar is rightly identified as Ed-Darieh, and Mickmethah as the plain of Mukhnah, then the line from Ataroth-addar and Beth-horon to Michmethah is a line running due north, and separating the territory of Ephraim on the east from that of Dan on the west. The line from Michmethah to Taanath-shiloh (Tana, sheet 12) and Janohah (Yan-n, south of T'ana, sheet 15), and so to Jordan, is a line running from north-west to south-east. The brook Kanah is (roughly) continuous with this line, but in a westerly direction, and leads us towards the sea. We thus obtain for the territory of Ephraim four boundary-lines--viz.: (a) the plain of Jordan on the east; (b) the line of hills bordering the Shephelah on the west; (c) the brook Kanah, and the line passing through Taanath-shiloh and Janohah to Jordan on the north; and (d) the north border of Benjamin (Joshua 16:1-3, and Joshua 18:12-14) on the south.

Verse 5. - The border of the children of Ephraim. The Hebrew word is translated indifferently by coast and border in our translation. The border of Joseph is very slightly traced out by the historian. It is difficult to give a reason for this fact, when we remember that Joseph, consisting as it did of the preponderating tribe of Ephraim, together with half the tribe of Manasseh, constituted by far the most important portion of Jewish territory. See, however, Introduction for the bearing of this fact on the authorship of the book. It is by no means easy to define the boundaries of the tribes; but, with the utmost deference to the authority of one so long engaged in the actual survey of the Holy Land as Mr. Conder, I feel unable to accept the maps he has given us in his 'Handbook' as an accurate account of them. Sometimes, perhaps, an eager attempt at the identification of certain places may lead astray those who are most familiar with their subject. But there are certain plain statements of the Book of Joshua which cannot be lightly set aside. Thus the extremity (תֹצְאֹת) of the border of Ephraim is distinctly stated in ver. 8 to be the sea. To translate "westward" would rob the expression תֹצאֹת of all meaning, even if ימה had not the article. Thus Dan can only have approached towards Joppa, but cannot have reached it. And it will be observed in Joshua 19:46, in accordance with this view, that the outgoings of the Danite border are not said to have been the sea. Next, it would seem that the Ataroth of ver. 2 (not of ver. 7) and Ataroth-addar are either the same place or close together, and that the present verse gives a small portion of the southeastern boundary as far as Beth-horon. Why the boundary is not traced out further ("the author only gives the western part of the southern border, and leaves out the eastern," Knobel) we cannot tell, but the natural translation of ver. 6 is, "and the western border ran to Michmethah on the north" (so Knobel). There was so small a portion of Ephraim on the sea that the line of the Wady Kanah in a northeasterly direction to Michmethah, near Shechem, might be called a western, as it certainly was a northwestern, border. Then the border deflected (נָסַב) and ran in a southwesterly direction to Jericho. Manasseh seems to have been bounded by Asher on the north and Issachar on the east, from the borders of Asher to Michmethah, and its western boundary the sea from the Wady Kanah to the neighbourhood of Dor. It seems impossible, with the distinct statement that Dor was in Asher (Joshua 17:11) - it could hardly have been in Issachar - and that Carmel was part of its western border (Joshua 19:26), to thrust a wedge of Zehulun between Manasseh and Asher, as Mr. Conder has done. The invention of an Asherham-Michmethah must not be allowed to set aside the plain statement (Joshua 17:10) that Manasseh impinged (פגע) upon Asher in a northerly direction - that is, was bounded on the north by that tribe. Then, as Asher was the northern, so it would seem from the passage just cited that Issachar was, as has been suggested, the eastern boundary, and that Issachar was bounded by the Jordan eastward, Manasseh westward, and by Ephraim to the southwest, and some distance further south than is usually supposed. Yet Joshua 17:11 must not he forgotten in fixing the boundary of Issachar (see note on Joshua 19:17-23). Its northern border, comprehending Jezreel, and bounded by Tabor, was thrust in between Zebulun and Naphtali. Tabor was evidently the border of these three tribes. It is with much diffidence that I venture to offer these suggestions, but they appear to have the sanction of the plain statements of the sacred writer. It would seem as though the comparative smallness of the territory assigned to Joseph led to the cession of some of the towns northward of the Wady Kanah by Manasseh to Ephraim, Manasseh receiving compensation by receiving Beth-shean, Ibleam, Dor, Endor, Taanach, and Megiddo from Issachar and Asher. The possession of Beth-shean by Manasseh may be due to the fact that the boundary of Manasseh ran along the chain of mountains bordering the great plain of Esdraelon, until it almost reached the Jordan. Additional reasons for entertaining these opinions will be given in the following notes. On the east side was Ataroth-addar. It is hardly possible to avoid the conclusion that a passage has been omitted here by the transcriber. If so, it must have been at a very early period, since the LXX. shows no sign of it, save that some copies add "and Gezer." But this is probably added from ver. 3, and is in no sense an eastern border.

Parallel Commentaries ...


This was
וַיְהִ֛י (way·hî)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 1961: To fall out, come to pass, become, be

the territory
גְּב֥וּל (gə·ḇūl)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 1366: A cord, a boundary, the territory inclosed

of the descendants
בְּנֵֽי־ (bə·nê-)
Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 1121: A son

of Ephraim
אֶפְרַ֖יִם (’ep̄·ra·yim)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 669: Ephraim -- a son of Joseph, also his descendants and their territory

by their clans:
לְמִשְׁפְּחֹתָ֑ם (lə·miš·pə·ḥō·ṯām)
Preposition-l | Noun - feminine plural construct | third person masculine plural
Strong's 4940: A family, circle of relatives, a class, a species, sort, a tribe, people

The border
גְּב֤וּל (gə·ḇūl)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 1366: A cord, a boundary, the territory inclosed

of their inheritance
נַחֲלָתָם֙ (na·ḥă·lā·ṯām)
Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine plural
Strong's 5159: Something inherited, occupancy, an heirloom, an estate, patrimony, portion

went from Ataroth-addar
אַדָּ֔ר (’ad·dār)
Preposition
Strong's 5853: Ataroth-addar -- a place on the border between Ephraim and Benjamin

in the east
מִזְרָ֔חָה (miz·rā·ḥāh)
Noun - masculine singular | third person feminine singular
Strong's 4217: Place of sunrise, the east

to Upper
עֶלְיֽוֹן׃ (‘el·yō·wn)
Adjective - masculine singular
Strong's 5945: An elevation, lofty, as title, the Supreme

Beth-horon
חוֹרֹ֖ן (ḥō·w·rōn)
Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 1032: Beth-horon -- 'place of a hollow', two adjoining cities in Palestine


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OT History: Joshua 16:5 This was the border of the children (Josh. Jos)