The Meaning of Joshua 17:16 Explained

Joshua 17:16

KJV: And the children of Joseph said, The hill is not enough for us: and all the Canaanites that dwell in the land of the valley have chariots of iron, both they who are of Bethshean and her towns, and they who are of the valley of Jezreel.

YLT: And the sons of Joseph say, 'The hill is not found to us, and a chariot of iron is with every Canaanite who is dwelling in the land of the valley -- to him who is in Beth-Shean and its towns, and to him who is in the valley of Jezreel.'

Darby: And the children of Joseph said, The hill-country will not be enough for us; and all the Canaanites that dwell in the land of the valley have chariots of iron, those that are of Beth-shean and its dependent villages, and those that are in the valley of Jizreel.

ASV: And the children of Joseph said, The hill-country is not enough for us: and all the Canaanites that dwell in the land of the valley have chariots of iron, both they who are in Beth-shean and its towns, and they who are in the valley of Jezreel.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And the children  of Joseph  said,  The hill  is not enough  for us: and all the Canaanites  that dwell  in the land  of the valley  have chariots  of iron,  [both they] who [are] of Bethshean  and her towns,  and [they] who [are] of the valley  of Jezreel. 

What does Joshua 17:16 Mean?

Context Summary

Joshua 17:14-18 - An Enlarged Inheritance
The greatness of the children of Joseph did not arise from their numbers; for, according to Numbers 26:1-65, the two tribes, united, did not much exceed the tribe of Judah. Also one-half of Manasseh was already settled on the other side of Jordan. But they based their claims on the special promises made decades before to Joseph, Deuteronomy 33:13.
Very rightly Joshua bade them prove their greatness by their deeds. It is a vast misfortune when children live in the achievements of their parents, instead of standing on their own feet. Besides, they had land enough, if only they would drive out the Canaanites and cut down the shaggy forests that encumbered the soil. All around us are uncleared forests! What a precious promise for us all in Joshua 17:18! Let us cut down the wood! [source]

Chapter Summary: Joshua 17

1  The lot of Manasseh
7  His coast
12  The Canaanites not driven out
14  The children of Joseph obtain another lot

What do the individual words in Joshua 17:16 mean?

But said the sons of Joseph not is enough for us the mountain country and have chariots of iron all the Canaanite who dwell in the land of the valley [both those] who [are] of Beth Shean and its towns and [those] who [are] of the Valley of Jezreel
וַיֹּֽאמְרוּ֙ בְּנֵ֣י יוֹסֵ֔ף לֹֽא־ יִמָּ֥צֵא לָ֖נוּ הָהָ֑ר וְרֶ֣כֶב בַּרְזֶ֗ל בְּכָל־ הַֽכְּנַעֲנִי֙ הַיֹּשֵׁ֣ב בְּאֶֽרֶץ־ הָעֵ֔מֶק לַֽאֲשֶׁ֤ר בְּבֵית־ שְׁאָן֙ וּבְנוֹתֶ֔יהָ וְלַֽאֲשֶׁ֖ר בְּעֵ֥מֶק יִזְרְעֶֽאל

וַיֹּֽאמְרוּ֙  But  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
בְּנֵ֣י  the  sons 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
יוֹסֵ֔ף  of  Joseph 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יׄוסֵף  
Sense: the eldest son of Jacob by Rachel.
יִמָּ֥צֵא  is  enough 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: מָצָא  
Sense: to find, attain to.
לָ֖נוּ  for  us 
Parse: Preposition, first person common plural
הָהָ֑ר  the  mountain  country 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: הַר  
Sense: hill, mountain, hill country, mount.
וְרֶ֣כֶב  and  have  chariots 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: רֶכֶב  
Sense: a team, chariot, chariotry, mill-stone, riders.
בַּרְזֶ֗ל  of  iron 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: בַּרְזֶל  
Sense: iron.
הַֽכְּנַעֲנִי֙  the  Canaanite 
Parse: Article, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: כִּנְעָן 
Sense: descendant of inhabitant of Canaan n.
הַיֹּשֵׁ֣ב  who  dwell 
Parse: Article, Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: יָשַׁב 
Sense: to dwell, remain, sit, abide.
בְּאֶֽרֶץ־  in  the  land 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
הָעֵ֔מֶק  of  the  valley 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: עֵמֶק  
Sense: valley, vale, lowland, open country.
לַֽאֲשֶׁ֤ר  [both  those]  who  [are] 
Parse: Preposition-l, Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
שְׁאָן֙  Beth  Shean 
Parse: Preposition, Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: בֵּית־שְׁאָן 
Sense: a place in Manasseh, west of the Jordan.
וּבְנוֹתֶ֔יהָ  and  its  towns 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, feminine plural construct, third person feminine singular
Root: בַּת  
Sense: daughter.
וְלַֽאֲשֶׁ֖ר  and  [those]  who  [are] 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l, Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
בְּעֵ֥מֶק  of  the  Valley 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: עֵמֶק  
Sense: valley, vale, lowland, open country.
יִזְרְעֶֽאל  of  Jezreel 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: יִזְרְעֶאל 
Sense: a descendant of the father or founder of Etam of Judah.