20:1 All the Israelites from Dan to Beer Sheba 1 and from the land of Gilead 2 left their homes 3 and assembled together 4 before the Lord at Mizpah.
17:1 The tribe of Manasseh, Joseph’s firstborn son, was also allotted land. 17 The descendants of Makir, Manasseh’s firstborn and the father of Gilead, received land, for they were warriors. 18 They were assigned Gilead and Bashan. 19
12:1 Now these are the kings of the land whom the Israelites defeated and drove from their land 20 on the east side of the Jordan, 21 from the Arnon Valley to Mount Hermon, including all the eastern Arabah:
12:1 Now these are the kings of the land whom the Israelites defeated and drove from their land 22 on the east side of the Jordan, 23 from the Arnon Valley to Mount Hermon, including all the eastern Arabah:
15:20 This is the land assigned to the tribe of Judah by its clans: 24
1 sn Dan was located in the far north of the country, while Beer Sheba was located in the far south. This encompassed all the territory of the land of Canaan occupied by the Israelites.
2 sn The land of Gilead was on the eastern side of the Jordan River.
3 tn Heb “went out.”
4 tn Heb “and the assembly was convened as one man.”
5 tn Heb “his brother,” by extension, “relative.” Here and in v. 16 the more specific term “nephew” has been used in the translation for clarity. Lot was the son of Haran, Abram’s brother (Gen 11:27).
6 tn The verb וַיָּרֶק (vayyareq) is a rare form, probably related to the word רֵיק (req, “to be empty”). If so, it would be a very figurative use: “he emptied out” (or perhaps “unsheathed”) his men. The LXX has “mustered” (cf. NEB). E. A. Speiser (Genesis [AB], 103-4) suggests reading with the Samaritan Pentateuch a verb diq, cognate with Akkadian deku, “to mobilize” troops. If this view is accepted, one must assume that a confusion of the Hebrew letters ד (dalet) and ר (resh) led to the error in the traditional Hebrew text. These two letters are easily confused in all phases of ancient Hebrew script development. The present translation is based on this view.
7 tn The words “the invaders” have been supplied in the translation for clarification.
8 sn The use of the name Dan reflects a later perspective. The Danites did not migrate to this northern territory until centuries later (see Judg 18:29). Furthermore Dan was not even born until much later. By inserting this name a scribe has clarified the location of the region.
9 tn Heb “the territory of the sons of Dan went out from them.”
10 tn Heb “Leshem.” The pronoun (“it”) has replaced the name “Leshem” in the translation for stylistic reasons.
11 tn Heb “according to the name of their father.”
13 tn Heb “and they had in their inheritance.”
14 tc The MT has “and Sheba” listed after “Beer Sheba.” The LXX suggests “Shema.” The Hebrew text appears to be corrupt, since the form “Sheba” duplicates the latter part of the preceding name. If Sheba (or Shema) is retained, the list numbers fourteen, one more than the number given in the concluding summary (v. 6).
17 map For location see Map1-D4; Map2-C1; Map4-C2; Map5-F2; Map7-B1.
18 tn Or “the third [is] Napheth”; or “Napheth-dor.” The meaning of the Hebrew phrase is uncertain.
19 tn Heb “Beth Shean and its surrounding towns, Ibleam and its surrounding towns, the residents of Dor and its surrounding towns, the residents of En Dor and its surrounding towns, the residents of Taanach and its surrounding towns, the residents of Megiddo and its surrounding towns, three of Nepheth.”
21 tn Heb “and the lot belonged to the tribe of Manasseh, for he was the firstborn of Joseph.”
22 tn Heb “to Makir, the firstborn of Manasseh, the father of Gilead, for he was a man of war.”
23 tn Heb “Gilead and Bashan belonged to him.”
25 tn Heb “and took possession of their land.”
26 tn Heb “beyond the Jordan, toward the rising of the sun.”
29 tn Heb “and took possession of their land.”
30 tn Heb “beyond the Jordan, toward the rising of the sun.”
33 tn Heb “This is the inheritance of the tribe of the sons of Judah by their clans.”