Joshua 17 · Verse 14

Joshua 17:14

And the children of Joseph spake unto Joshua, saying, Why hast thou given me but one lot and one portion to inherit, seeing I am a great people, forasmuch as the Lord hath blessed me hitherto?
Joshua 17:14, King James Version

Joshua 17:14 in other translations

BSBThen the sons of Joseph said to Joshua, “Why have you given us only one portion as an inheritance? We have many people, because the LORD has blessed us abundantly.”
WEBThe children of Joseph spoke to Joshua, saying, “Why have you given me just one lot and one part for an inheritance, since we are a numerous people, because the LORD has blessed us so far?”
ASVAnd the children of Joseph spake unto Joshua, saying, Why hast thou given me but one lot and one part for an inheritance, seeing I am a great people, forasmuch as hitherto Jehovah hath blessed me?
YLTAnd the sons of Joseph speak with Joshua, saying, ‘Wherefore hast thou given to me an inheritance--one lot and one portion, and I a numerous people? hitherto hath Jehovah blessed me.'
DARBYAnd the children of Joseph spoke to Joshua, saying, Why hast thou given me as inheritance one lot and one portion, seeing I am a great people, forasmuch as Jehovah has blessed me hitherto?
BBEThen the children of Joseph said to Joshua, Why have you given me only one part and one stretch of land for my heritage? For through the blessing given to me by the Lord up to now, I am a great people.
WebsterAnd the children of Joseph spoke to Joshua, saying, Why hast thou given me but one lot and one portion to inherit, seeing I am a great people, forasmuch as the LORD hath hitherto blessed me?

What does Joshua 17:14 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Joshua 17:14-18

Jos 17:14-18. The Children of Joseph Ask for Another Lot.

14-18. the children of Joseph spake unto Joshua--The two tribes join in laying a complaint before the leader, as to the narrow boundaries of their allotment and its insufficiency to be the residence of tribes so vastly increased. But Joshua's answer was full of wisdom as well as patriotism. Knowing their character, he treated them accordingly, and sarcastically turned all their arguments against themselves. Thus he rebuked their unbelief and cowardice.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Joshua 17:14-18
Joshua, as a public person, had no more regard to his own tribe than to any other, but would govern without favour or affection; wherein he has left a good example to all in public trusts. Joshua tells them, that what was fallen to their share would be a sufficient lot for them, if they would but work and fight. Men excuse themselves from labour by any pretence; and nothing serves the purpose better than having rich and powerful relations, able to provide for them; and they are apt to desire a partial and unfaithful disposal of what is intrusted to those they think able to give such help. But there is more real kindness in pointing out the advantages within reach, and in encouraging men to make the best of them, than in granting indulgences to sloth and extravagance. True religion gives no countenance to these evils. The rule is, They shall not eat who will not work; and many of our "cannots" are only the language of idleness, which magnifies every difficulty and danger. This is especially the case in our spiritual work and warfare. Without Christ we can do nothing, but we are apt to sit still and attempt nothing. if we belong to Him, he will stir us up to our best endeavours, and to cry to him for help. Then our coast will be enlarged, 1Ch 4:9, 10, and complainings silenced, or rather, turned into joyful thanksgivings.

Matthew Henry, 1706 · public domain

Joshua 17:14 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וַֽיְדַבְּרוּ֙vay.da.be.Ruand they spokeH1696
בְּנֵ֣יbe.Nei[the] descendants ofH1121
יוֹסֵ֔ףyo.SefJosephH3130
אֶת\־'et-withH854
יְהוֹשֻׁ֖עַye.ho.Shu.a'JoshuaH3091
לֵאמֹ֑רle.Mor<to> sayingH559
מַדּוּעַ֩ma.du.a'why?H4069
נָתַ֨תָּהna.Ta.tahhave you givenH5414
לִּ֜יlito <the> me
נַחֲלָ֗הna.cha.Lahan inheritanceH5159
גּוֹרָ֤לgo.Rala lotH1486
אֶחָד֙'e.ChadoneH259
וְחֶ֣בֶלve.Che.veland a portionH2256
אֶחָ֔ד'e.ChadoneH259
וַֽאֲנִ֣יva.'a.Niand IH589
עַם\־'am-[am] a peopleH5971
רָ֔בRavnumerousH7227
עַ֥ד'adtoH5704
אֲשֶׁר\־'a.Sher-thatH834
עַד\־'ad-untilH5704
כֹּ֖הkohthusH3541
בֵּֽרְכַ֥נִיbe.re.Kha.nihe has blessed meH1288
יְהוָֽה\׃Yah.wehYahwehH3068

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Joshua 17:14

  • Numbers 26:34-37

    These are the families of Manasseh, and those that were numbered of them, fifty and two thousand and seven hundred. These are the sons of Ephraim after their families: of Shuthelah, the family of the Shuthalhites: of Becher, the family of the Bachrites: of Tahan, the family of the Tahanites. And these are the sons of Shuthelah: of Eran, the family of the Eranites. These are the families of the sons of Ephraim according to those that were numbered of them, thirty and two thousand and five hundred. These are the sons of Joseph after their families.

  • Genesis 48:19

    And his father refused, and said, I know it, my son, I know it: he also shall become a people, and he also shall be great: but truly his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his seed shall become a multitude of nations.

  • Genesis 48:22

    Moreover I have given to thee one portion above thy brethren, which I took out of the hand of the Amorite with my sword and with my bow.

  • Deuteronomy 33:13-17

    And of Joseph he said, Blessed of the Lord be his land, for the precious things of heaven, for the dew, and for the deep that coucheth beneath, And for the precious fruits brought forth by the sun, and for the precious things put forth by the moon, And for the chief things of the ancient mountains, and for the precious things of the lasting hills, And for the precious things of the earth and fulness thereof, and for the good will of him that dwelt in the bush: let the blessing come upon the head of Joseph, and upon the top of the head of him that was separated from his brethren. …

  • Genesis 49:22-26

    Joseph is a fruitful bough, even a fruitful bough by a well; whose branches run over the wall: The archers have sorely grieved him, and shot at him, and hated him: But his bow abode in strength, and the arms of his hands were made strong by the hands of the mighty God of Jacob; (from thence is the shepherd, the stone of Israel:) Even by the God of thy father, who shall help thee; and by the Almighty, who shall bless thee with blessings of heaven above, blessings of the deep that lieth under, blessings of the breasts, and of the womb: …

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
one lot.
Ge 48:22; Nu 26:34-37; De 33:13-17
a great.
Ge 48:19; 49:22-26

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Joshua 17:13

    Yet it came to pass, when the children of Israel were waxen strong, that they put the Canaanites to tribute; but did not utterly drive them out.

  • Joshua 17:14

    And the children of Joseph spake unto Joshua, saying, Why hast thou given me but one lot and one portion to inherit, seeing I am a great people, forasmuch as the Lord hath blessed me hitherto?

  • Joshua 17:15

    And Joshua answered them, If thou be a great people, then get thee up to the wood country, and cut down for thyself there in the land of the Perizzites and of the giants, if mount Ephraim be too narrow for thee.

Read all of Joshua 17

Joshua 17:14 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Y los hijos de José hablaron á Josué, diciendo: ¿Por qué me has dado por heredad una sola suerte y una sola parte, siendo yo un pueblo tan grande y que Jehová me ha así bendecido hasta ahora?
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Et les fils de Joseph parlèrent à Josué, disant: Pourquoi m’as-tu donné en héritage un seul lot et une seule part, à moi qui suis un peuple nombreux, selon que l’ Éternel m’a béni jusqu’à présent?
German
Elberfelder 1871		Und die Kinder Joseph redeten zu Josua und sprachen: Warum hast du mir nur ein Los und eine Meßschnur als Erbteil gegeben, da ich doch ein zahlreiches Volk bin, soweit Jehova mich bis jetzt gesegnet hat?
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Locutique sunt filii Joseph ad Josue, et dixerunt: Quare dedisti mihi possessionem sortis et funiculi unius, cum sim tantæ multitudinis, et benedixerit mihi Dominus?