Summary

The material on Manasseh and Ephraim is here drawn together into a section that gives the dwelling places of the descendants of Joseph (Joshua 6:1–18:28).¹ The Chronicler himself was not greatly concerned with problems of precise historical geography. His point was made when he had provided a picture of all of God’s people (all Israel) in their land.

Nevertheless, 1 Chronicles 7:28 is in general agreement with Joshua 16:5–10, which lists the cities of Ephraim, and 1 Chronicles 7:29 follows Joshua 17:11 for the cities of Manasseh. These lists represent the southern and northern boundaries of the territory of Ephraim-Manasseh.

The territory inhabited by Ephraim is identified first by the southern region (Bethel), then eastern (Naaran), western (Gezer), and northern (from Shechem as far as Ayyah regions).² Bethel was conquered by the Joseph tribes (Judges 1:22) but was assigned to Benjamin as a border city (Joshua 18:22). The occupation of Gezer suggests the time of the united monarchy and marks the eventual success of the Israelites in seizing land from the Canaanites (Joshua 16:10). Shechem was within the limits of Manasseh (Joshua 17:7) but assigned to Ephraim (Joshua 20:7). It was a city of refuge for the central tribes and was shared between Ephraim, Manasseh, and Benjamin.

In a note that forges unity between the tribes of Manasseh and Ephraim, the Chronicler turns to the northern boundary region of Manasseh. Here he identifies the towns of Beth-shan, Taanach, and Megiddo, which sat on the hills overlooking the Jezreel Valley from the south, and Dor, which was situated due west of Megiddo on the Mediterranean coast. According to Joshua 17:11–13, and Judges 1:27, these cities remained bastions of Canaanite influence owing to the fact that the tribe was unable to conquer them.³

The Chronicler, however, emphasizes in his closing words that they were ultimately conquered by the sons of Joseph the son of Israel, possibly suggesting the role Ephraim would play in conquering these towns and at the same time reminding the reader of their shared identity as tribes of Joseph, who received the rights of the firstborn (1 Chronicles 5:1–2).⁴ It seems equally important to the Chronicler that the earlier records of the incomplete conquest and occupation of Canaan under Joshua be brought to satisfactory closure.