Bible Strands
Joshua 14:4
The descendants of Joseph became two tribes, Manasseh and Ephraim. And no portion of the land was given to the Levites, except for cities in which to live, along with pasturelands for their flocks and herds.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — Joshua records the tribal structure during the land allocation process, noting how Joseph's lineage split into two tribes before the western territories are distributed.
The words — The text uses בְּנֵי יוֹסֵף (benei Yosef, “descendants of Joseph”) and שְׁנֵי מַטּוֹת (shtei mattot, “two tribes”) to establish the structural division of the inheritance.
The thread — This tribal split originates in Genesis 48:5, where Jacob adopts Joseph's sons as his own, and is later tied to Reuben's forfeited birthright in 1 Chronicles 5:1, while the Levites' exclusion from land inheritance echoes the pasture-city mandate of Numbers 35:2.
Why it lands — The verse plainly states that Joseph's descendants divided into two tribal inheritances and that the Levites received no territorial allotment, only designated cities and surrounding pastures. It requires the reader to recognize that tribal identity and land possession are distinct categories in the covenant distribution.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
For the children of Joseph were two tribes, Manasseh and Ephraim: therefore they gave no part unto the Levites in the land, save cities to dwell in, with their suburbs for their cattle and for their substance.
Cross-references
- Genesis 48:5 And now your two sons born to you in Egypt before I came to you here shall be reckoned as mine; Ephraim and Manasseh shall be mine, just as Reuben and Simeon are mine.
- 1 Chronicles 5:1 These were the sons of Reuben the firstborn of Israel. Though he was the firstborn, his birthright was given to the sons of Joseph son of Israel, because Reuben defiled his father’s bed. So he is not reckoned according to birthright.
- Numbers 35:2 “Command the Israelites to give, from the inheritance they will possess, cities for the Levites to live in and pasturelands around the cities.
- Joshua 21:2 at Shiloh in the land of Canaan and said to them, “The LORD commanded through Moses that we be given cities in which to live, together with pasturelands for our livestock.”
- 1 Chronicles 6:54 Now these were the territories assigned to the descendants of Aaron from the Kohathite clan for their settlements, because the first lot fell to them: