From Tappuah to the River Kanah - Joshua 16:8

In the book of Joshua, we learned how, “the children of Joseph, Manasseh and Ephraim, took their inheritance, 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 Atarothaddar, unto Bethhoron the upper,  and the border went out toward the sea to Michmethah on the north side; and the border went about eastward unto Taanathshiloh, 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”, and in chapter sixteen and verse eight of Joshua we learn how, “the border went out from Tappuah westward unto the river Kanah” where we read,

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.

The verse reads, “The border went out from Tappuah westward unto the river Kanah; and the goings out thereof were at the sea.” Joshua or the writer began with the words, “the border” or “the edge, circuit or boundary” “went out from Tappuah westward” which means “proceeded forth and lead separate and apart from Tappuah whose name means ‘the apple city’ and was a territory within the boundaries of Manasseh in a western direction” “unto the river Kanah” or “to the flowing waters of Kanah whose name means ‘reed’ and was a stream flowing into the Mediterranean Sea that marked the boundary between Ephraim on the south and Manasseh on the north”: “and the goings out thereof” which means “and the boundary, end and extremity of the region” “were at the sea” or “existed in the location of the large body of water, the Mediterranean Sea”. Joshua or the writer shared how the boundary to the land given to the offspring of “Joseph” proceeded from “Tappuah” in a western direction to the flowing waters of the “Kanah” whose flowing was in the location of the Mediterranean Sea. 

 

The verse continues, “This is the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Ephraim by their families.” Joshua or the writer added the words, “this is the inheritance” which means “the previously stated area existed as the possession, property, heritage, share and portion” “of the tribe” or “belonging to the clan or people group” “of the children of Ephraim” which means “pertaining to the offspring and progeny belonging to Ephraim whose name means ‘double ash-heap: I shall be doubly fruitful’ and was second son of Joseph, blessed by him and given preference over first son, Manasseh” “by their families” or “according to their, Ephraim’s, kindred, kinsmen and relatives”. Joshua or the writer shared how the previously mentioned territory existed as the property and heritage provided to the offspring of “Ephraim” according to their kinsmen and relatives. 

When we consider the words in this verse, we learn more about the boundary of the territory provided to the offspring of “Joseph” which was “Ephraim and one-half of the tribe of Manasseh”. Their land extended from “Tappuah” in a western direction to the flowing water of the “Kanah” whose waters flowed to the Mediterranean Sea. The possessions and heritage given to the tribe of “Ephraim” were to be within this region, and we shall discover more about them in our next verse. For now let us keep in mind that God knew these areas well before the arrival of Israel in the promise land, and because He is omniscient, He knew their future. He knows our future as well, and when we put our faith and trust in His Son Jesus who died on the cross for the sins of all mankind and was resurrected from the dead after three days, He will forgive our sins, grant us everlasting life and equip us with His Holy Spirit who will guide us into all truth and give us the ability to live for Him wherever He desires in the world. (See John 3:16; 16:13; Acts 1:8)

Next time we learn how, “the separate cities for the children of Ephraim were among the inheritance of the children of Manasseh”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

See more devotionals on the website "thewordfortodaywithray.com" or look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore. All references are from "Strongs Concordance".