וַיְהִי הַגּוֹרָל לְמַטֵּה מְנַשֶּׁה כִּי הוּא בְּכוֹר יוֹסֵף לְמָכִיר בְּכוֹר מְנַשֶּׁה אֲבִי הַגִּלְעָד כִּי הוּא הָיָה אִישׁ מִלְחָמָה וַיְהִי לוֹ הַגִּלְעָד וְהַבָּשָׁן

This was the allotment for the tribe of Manasseh, which had also received a portion east of the Jordan, and who was Joseph’s firstborn. Since Manasseh was the firstborn, the entire inheritance of the children of Joseph is associated with him, rather than Ephraim. The chieftainship of Gilad, east of the Jordan, was to Makhir, firstborn of Manasseh, because he was a man of war; Gilad and the Bashan were his.

וַיְהִי לִבְנֵי מְנַשֶּׁה הַנּוֹתָרִים לְמִשְׁפְּחֹתָם לִבְנֵי אֲבִיעֶזֶר וְלִבְנֵי חֵלֶק וְלִבְנֵי אַשְׂרִיאֵל וְלִבְנֵי שֶׁכֶם וְלִבְנֵי חֵפֶר וְלִבְנֵי שְׁמִידָע אֵלֶּה בְּנֵי מְנַשֶּׁה בֶן יוֹסֵף הַזְּכָרִים לְמִשְׁפְּחֹתָם

There was for the rest of the children of Manasseh according to their families: for the children of Aviezer, for the children of Helek, for the children of Asriel, for the children of Shekhem, for the children of Hefer, and for the children of Shemida. These were the male children of Manasseh son of Joseph according to their families, meaning that each of them was the head of a family.

וְלִצְלָפְחָד בֶּן חֵפֶר בֶּן גִּלְעָד בֶּן מָכִיר בֶּן מְנַשֶּׁה לֹא הָיוּ לוֹ בָּנִים כִּי אִם בָּנוֹת וְאֵלֶּה שְׁמוֹת בְּנֹתָיו מַחְלָה וְנֹעָה חָגְלָה מִלְכָּה וְתִרְצָה

But Tzelofhad, son of Hefer, son of Gilad, son of Makhir, son of Manasseh, did not have sons, only daughters; these are the names of his daughters: Mahla and Noa, Hogla, Milka, and Tirtzah.

וַתִּקְרַבְנָה לִפְנֵי אֶלְעָזָר הַכֹּהֵן וְלִפְנֵי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בִּן נוּן וְלִפְנֵי הַנְּשִׂיאִים לֵאמֹר ה' צִוָּה אֶת מֹשֶׁה לָתֶת לָנוּ נַחֲלָה בְּתוֹךְ אַחֵינוּ וַיִּתֵּן לָהֶם אֶל פִּי ה' נַחֲלָה בְּתוֹךְ אֲחֵי אֲבִיהֶן

They approached before Elazar the priest, before Joshua son of Nun, and before the princes, saying: The Lord commanded Moses to give us an inheritance among our brethren. The term brethren refers to the members of their tribe, or to their father’s brothers. The daughters of Tzelofhad received the inheritance that would have gone to their father, who died in the wilderness. However, they were instructed to marry only men from their own tribe, so that their inheritance would remain within the tribe of Manasseh, and they indeed married their cousins. Tzelofhad’s daughters at this time come to demand the portion of their father, in addition to the inheritance received by their husbands. So he, Joshua, gave them an inheritance among their father’s brethren according to the directive of the Lord.

וַיִּפְּלוּ חַבְלֵי מְנַשֶּׁה עֲשָׂרָה לְבַד מֵאֶרֶץ הַגִּלְעָד וְהַבָּשָׁן אֲשֶׁר מֵעֵבֶר לַיַּרְדֵּן

Ten portions of land fell to Manasseh, besides the land of Gilad and the Bashan, which is beyond the Jordan,

כִּי בְּנוֹת מְנַשֶּׁה נָחֲלוּ נַחֲלָה בְּתוֹךְ בָּנָיו וְאֶרֶץ הַגִּלְעָד הָיְתָה לִבְנֵי מְנַשֶּׁה הַנּוֹתָרִים

because the daughters of Tzelofhad from the tribe of Manasseh received an inheritance among his sons. Therefore, four tracts of land were added to the six portions of the other families of Manasseh. The land of Gilad belonged to the remaining sons of Manasseh from those families, as the families were split between the land of Gilad and the Land of Israel proper. Alternatively, some explain that “the remaining sons of Manasseh” refers to the children of Makhir, as they are considered secondary in this verse when compared with the majority of families of the tribe.

וַיְהִי גְבוּל מְנַשֶּׁה מאָשֵׁר הַמִּכְמְתָת אֲשֶׁר עַל פְּנֵי שְׁכֶם וְהָלַךְ הַגְּבוּל אֶל הַיָּמִין אֶל יֹשְׁבֵי עֵין תַּפּוּחַ

The border of Manasseh in the land of Canaan was from the border of Asher to Mikhmetat, which is before Shekhem, and the border went to the right, to the inhabitants of Ein Tapuah.

לִמְנַשֶּׁה הָיְתָה אֶרֶץ תַּפּוּחַ וְתַפּוּחַ אֶל גְּבוּל מְנַשֶּׁה לִבְנֵי אֶפְרָיִם

The land surrounding the city of Tapuah belonged to Manasseh; but Tapuah itself, which was on the border of Manasseh, belonged to the children of Ephraim. As stated above, since the children of Manasseh and Ephraim came from the same tribe, Joseph, their inheritances were intermingled to a certain degree.

וְיָרַד הַגְּבוּל נַחַל קָנָה נֶגְבָּה לַנַּחַל עָרִים הָאֵלֶּה לְאֶפְרַיִם בְּתוֹךְ עָרֵי מְנַשֶּׁה וּגְבוּל מְנַשֶּׁה מִצְּפוֹן לַנַּחַל וַיְהִי תֹצְאֹתָיו הַיָּמָּה

The border descended to the Kana Ravine; south of the ravine were those cities belonging to Ephraim which were separated from the rest of the portion of Ephraim and situated among the cities of Manasseh. The border of Manasseh was north of the ravine, and its terminus was at the sea. Some explain the verse as follows: The border of Manasseh was south of the ravine. However, certain known cities there, located within a group of cities of Manasseh, belonged to Ephraim, while the primary border of Manasseh was north of the ravine.

נֶגְבָּה לְאֶפְרַיִם וְצָפוֹנָה לִמְנַשֶּׁה וַיְהִי הַיָּם גְּבוּלוֹ וּבְ אָשֵׁר יִפְגְּעוּן מִצָּפוֹן וּבְיִשָּׂשכָר מִמִּזְרָח

Therefore the Kana Ravine demarcated the border: Southward, it belonged to Ephraim and northward it belonged to Manasseh, and the sea was its, Manasseh’s, border; they, the children of Manasseh, reached the inheritance of Asher to the north, and Issachar to the east.

וַיְהִי לִמְנַשֶּׁה בְּיִשָּׂשכָר וּבְאָשֵׁר בֵּית שְׁאָן וּבְנוֹתֶיהָ וְיִבְלְעָם וּבְנוֹתֶיהָ וְאֶת יֹשְׁבֵי דֹאר וּבְנוֹתֶיהָ וְיֹשְׁבֵי עֵין דֹּר וּבְנֹתֶיהָ וְיֹשְׁבֵי תַעְנַךְ וּבְנֹתֶיהָ וְיֹשְׁבֵי מְגִדּוֹ וּבְנוֹתֶיהָ שְׁלֹשֶׁת הַנָּפֶת

In the territory of Issachar and in the territory of Asher, Manasseh had the following cities: Beit She’an and its environs, Yivle’am and its environs, the inhabitants of Dor and its environs, the inhabitants of Ein Dor and its environs, the inhabitants of Taanakh and its environs, and the inhabitants of Megiddo and its environs, the three regions.

וְלֹא יָכְלוּ בְּנֵי מְנַשֶּׁה לְהוֹרִישׁ אֶת הֶעָרִים הָאֵלֶּה וַיּוֹאֶל הַכְּנַעֲנִי לָשֶׁבֶת בָּאָרֶץ הַזֹּאת

But the children of Manasseh were unable to dispossess the inhabitants of those fortified cities, and the Canaanites persisted in dwelling in that land. Alternatively, the verse may be translated: The Canaanites decided to dwell in the land.

וַיְהִי כִּי חָזְקוּ בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וַיִּתְּנוּ אֶת הַכְּנַעֲנִי לָמַס וְהוֹרֵשׁ לֹא הוֹרִישׁוֹ

It was, that when the children of Israel later grew strong, they subjected the Canaanites to tribute, but they did not dispossess them. Rather, the Canaanites remained in the territory of Manasseh for many generations.

וַיְדַבְּרוּ בְּנֵי יוֹסֵף אֶת יְהוֹשֻׁעַ לֵאמֹר מַדּוּעַ נָתַתָּה לִּי נַחֲלָה גּוֹרָל אֶחָד וְחֶבֶל אֶחָד וַאֲנִי עַם רָב עַד אֲשֶׁר עַד כֹּה בֵּרְכַנִי ה'

The children of Joseph spoke to Joshua, saying: Why did you give me an inheritance of one lot and one portion? The portions of Manasseh and Ephraim were distributed by the same lot, and essentially formed a single region, with no clear dividing line between them. Some explain that the children of Manasseh were complaining that had their inheritance with Ephraim been divided by two lots they might not have received an area that was so difficult to conquer and settle, and their inheritance might have suited their large population. And they added: The current arrangement is unfair, as I am a numerous people, as the Lord has blessed me up to now. The territory is not large enough for us.

וַיֹּאמֶר אֲלֵיהֶם יְהוֹשֻׁעַ אִם עַם רַב אַתָּה עֲלֵה לְךָ הַיַּעְרָה וּבֵרֵאתָ לְךָ שָׁם בְּאֶרֶץ הַפְּרִזִּי וְהָרְפָאִים כִּי אָץ לְךָ הַר אֶפְרָיִם

Joshua said to them: If you are a numerous people, and you are strong enough, go up to the forest and clear an area in the forest for yourself there in the land of the Perizites and the Refaim, as the highlands of Ephraim are crowded [atz] for you. Some interpret the latter clause as follows: If the forested area of the highlands of Ephraim is vital [atz] for you. Alternatively, the word atz is related to me’itz, to urge: If your people are pressuring you to obtain inhabitable land. There is enough available territory for you. If you are so numerous that you require more agricultural land, cut down the forest and prepare a suitable area for yourselves.

וַיֹּאמְרוּ בְּנֵי יוֹסֵף לֹא יִמָּצֵא לָנוּ הָהָר ורֶכֶב בַּרְזֶל בְּכָל הַכְּנַעֲנִי הַיֹּשֵׁב בְּאֶרֶץ הָעֵמֶק לַאֲשֶׁר בְּבֵית שְׁאָן וּבְנוֹתֶיהָ וְלַאֲשֶׁר בְּעֵמֶק יִזְרְעֶאל

The children of Joseph said: The highlands of Ephraim will not be sufficient for us, and as for the nearby plains, there are iron chariots among all the Canaanites who live in the valley lands, those who are in Beit She’an and its environs, and those who are in the Yizre’el Valley. Those areas are populated by Canaanites who possess iron chariots, with which we cannot cope.

וַיֹּאמֶר יְהוֹשֻׁעַ אֶל בֵּית יוֹסֵף לְאֶפְרַיִם וְלִמְנַשֶּׁה לֵאמֹר עַם רַב אַתָּה וְכֹחַ גָּדוֹל לָךְ לֹא יִהְיֶה לְךָ גּוֹרָל אֶחָד

Joshua said to the house of Joseph, to Ephraim and to Manasseh, saying: You are a numerous people, and you have great strength; you will not have but one small allotment.

כִּי הַר יִהְיֶה לָּךְ כִּי יַעַר הוּא וּבֵרֵאתוֹ וְהָיָה לְךָ תֹּצְאֹתָיו כִּי תוֹרִישׁ אֶת הַכְּנַעֲנִי כִּי רֶכֶב בַּרְזֶל לוֹ כִי חָזָק הוּא

For you can extend it, as the mountain shall be yours, as it is a forest; you shall clear it, and its extent will be yours; you will receive its borders; for, moreover, you will dispossess the Canaanites, though they have iron chariots, and though they are strong. Since you are a large group of people that controls the mountains, you will eventually overcome the Canaanites and conquer those regions, despite their chariots of iron. Consequently, there is no reason for you to receive another portion. Some explain the verse as follows: Since they have chariots of iron, you must strengthen yourselves and drive them out so that they will not harm you, and the task is placed specifically upon you, as you are a great people.