Joshua 16:6 — compare Bible translations

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Text critical issues=none Clarity of original=clear Importance to us=trivial Speaker(s)=Narrator (All still tentative.)

Key: khaki:verbs.
Note: Automatic aligning of the OET-RV to the LV is done by some temporary software, hence the OET-RV alignments are incomplete (and may occasionally be wrong).

BrLXX Καὶ ἐλεύσεται τὰ ὅρια ἐπὶ τὴν θάλασσαν εἰς Ἰκασμὼν ἀπὸ Βοῤῥᾶ Θερμᾶ· περιελεύσεται ἐπʼ ἀνατολὰς εἰς Θηνασὰ, καὶ Σέλλης, καὶ παρελεύσεται ἀπʼ ἀνατολῶν εἰς Ἰανῶκὰ,
(Kai eleusetai ta horia epi taʸn thalassan eis Ikasmōn apo Boɽɽa Therma; perieleusetai epʼ anatolas eis Thaʸnasa, kai Sellaʸs, kai pareleusetai apʼ anatolōn eis Yanōka,)

BrTr And the borders will proceed to the sea to Icasmon north of Therma; they will go round eastward to Thenasa, and Selles, and will pass on eastward to Janoca,

ULT And the border went out toward the sea, to Mikmethath from the north, and the border curved from the sunrise, at Taanath Shiloh and passed it from the sunrise to Janoah.

UST From there it headed west and went north of the town of Mikmethath. Then it turned eastward toward the town of Taanath Shiloh and went east of the town of Janoah.

BSB and out toward the Sea. From Michmethath on the north it turned eastward toward Taanath -shiloh and passed by it to Janoah on the east.

OEB westward the frontier ran to Michmethath on the north, then round east to Taanath-shiloh, and on to the east of Janoah,

WEBBE The border went out westward at Michmethath on the north. The border turned about eastward to Taanath Shiloh, and passed along it on the east of Janoah.

NET It then extended on to the sea, with Micmethath on the north. It turned eastward to Taanath Shiloh and crossed it on the east to Janoah.

LSV and the border has gone out at the sea, to Michmethah on the north, and the border has gone around eastward [to] Taanath-Shiloh, and passed over it eastward to Janohah,

FBV and then on to the sea. From Michmethath in the north the boundary turned east passing Taanath-shiloh to the east of Janoah.

T4T and from there to the Mediterranean Sea.

LEB The border continues to the sea; from Micmethath to the north, the border turns to the east to Taanath Shiloh, and it passes along it from the east to Janoah.

BBE The line goes out to the west at Michmethath on the north; then turning to the east to Taanath-shiloh, going past it on the east of Janoah;

Moff westward the frontier ran to Mich-méthah on the north, then round east to Taanath-shiloh, and on to the east of Janoah,

JPS And the border went out westward, Mich-methath being on the north; and the border turned about eastward unto Taanath-shiloh, and passed along it on the east of Janoah.

ASV and the border went out westward at Michmethath on the north; and the border turned about eastward unto Taanath-shiloh, and passed along it on the east of Janoah;

DRA And the confines go out unto the sea: but Machmethath looketh to the north, and it goeth round the borders eastward into Thanath-selo: and passeth along on the east side to Janoe.

YLT and the border hath gone out at the sea, to Michmethah on the north, and the border hath gone round eastward [to] Taanath-Shiloh, and passed over it eastward to Janohah,

Drby and the border went forth westwards to Micmethath on the north; and the border turned eastwards to Taanath-Shiloh, and passed by it eastwards to Janohah,

RV and the border went out westward at Michmethath on the north; and the border turned about eastward unto Taanath-shiloh, and passed along it on the east of Janoah;

SLT And the bound went forth to the sea to Michmethah from the north; and the bound encompassed from the sunrisings to Taanath-Shiloh, and passed over it from the sunrisings to Janohah;

Wbstr And the border went out towards the sea to Michmethah on the north side; and the border went about eastward to Taanath-shiloh, and passed by it on the east to Janohah;

KJB-1769 And the border went out toward the sea to Michmethah on the north side; and the border went about eastward unto Taanath-shiloh, and passed by it on the east to Janohah;

KJB-1611 And the border went out toward the Sea, to Michmethah on the Northside, and the border went about Eastward vnto Taanath Shiloh, and passed by it on the East to Ianohah:
(And the border went out toward the Sea, to Michmethah on the North_side, and the border went about Eastward unto Taanath Shiloh, and passed by it on the East to Yanohah:)

Bshps And went out westwarde to Machmethath on the northside, and returneth eastward vnto Thaanath Silo, & past it on the eastside vnto Ionoah.
(And went out westward to Machmethath on the north_side, and returneth eastward unto Thaanath Silo, and past it on the east side unto Yonoah.)

Gnva And this border goeth out to the Sea vnto Michmethah on the Northside, and this border returneth Eastward vnto Taanathshiloh, and passeth it on the Eastside vnto Ianohah,
(And this border goeth/goes out to the Sea unto Michmethah on the North_side, and this border returneth Eastward unto Taanathshiloh, and passeth/passes it on the East side unto Yanohah,)

Cvdl & goeth out westwarde by Michmethath that lyeth towarde the north, there fetcheth it a compasse towarde the east syde of the cite Thaenath Silo, and goeth there thorow from the east vnto Ianoha,
(and goeth/goes out westward by Michmethath that lieth/lies toward the north, there fetcheth it a compass/all_around toward the east side of the cite Thaenath Silo, and goeth/goes there through from the east unto Yanoha,)

Wycl And the coostis goon out in to the see; sotheli Mathmetath biholdith the north, and cumpassith the termes ayens the eest in Tharnarselo,
(And the coasts gone out in to the sea; truly Mathmetath beholdeth/beholds the north, and surrounds the terms against the east in Tharnarselo,)

Luth und gehet aus gegen Abend bei Michmethath, die gegen Mitternacht liegt; daselbst lenket sie sich herum gegen den Aufgang der Stadt Thaenath-Silo und gehet da durch von aufgangwärts gen Janoha;
(and goes out_of to/against evening/night at/in Michmethath, the to/against midnight lies(v); there steers(v) they/she/them itself/yourself/themselves around/about to/against the rise(n) the/of_the city Taanath-shiloh and goes there through from eastward to/toward Janoah;)

ClVg Egrediunturque confinia in mare: Machmethath vero aquilonem respicit, et circuit terminos contra orientem in Thanathselo: et pertransit ab oriente Janoë.
(And_they_go_out borders in/into/on the_sea: Machmethath indeed/however the_north looks_back, and circuit boundaries on_the_contrary east in/into/on Thanathselo: and passes_through away east Yanoah.)

SOTN SIL Open Translator’s Notes:

Section 16:1–17:18 The clans of Ephraim and Manasseh received their land

This section describes the boundaries of the land given to Ephraim and to Manasseh, and the towns within each of their lands.

16:6a

and out toward the Sea.

The border then continued to the Mediterranean Sea.
It then went down to the Mediterranean Sea.

and out toward the Sea: There is an interpretation issue in this verse.

The Hebrew word that the BSB translates as toward the Sea refers to the Mediterranean Sea. (BSB, RSV, NRSV, NET, ESV, NIV, NJPS, NABRE, GNT, KJV)
The Hebrew word that the BSB translates as toward the Sea means to the west.
Then the border went westward (NASB) (NASB, GW)

It is recommended that you follow option (1) which is followed by most English versions.

Here are some other ways to translate this part of the verse:

The boundary then continued to the Mediterranean Sea

From there it went downhill to the Mediterranean Sea

16:6b

From Michmethath on the north

The town of Mich-methath was on their northern border.
The town of Mich-methath was the northern boundary of Ephraim’s territory.

From Michmethath on the north: The Hebrew clause that the BSB translates as From Michmethath on the north is more literally “Michmethath from north.” Most commentaries agree that this part of the verse describes the northern border of Ephraim.

Michmethath: The town of Michmethath was on the north border of Ephraim, near the town of Shechem. The exact location of Michmethath is unknown.

The English versions spell Michmethath in several ways:

Mich-methath (RSV)

Michmethath (BSB, ESV, GW, NABRE, GNT, CEV)

Michmethah (KJV)

Micmethath (NET, NIV84, NLT)

Mikmethath (NIV11)

Here are some other ways to translate this part of the verse:

The town of Michmethath was on their northern border

The town of Michmethath was in the north of Ephraim’s territory

16:6c

it turned eastward toward Taanath-shiloh

The border turned east toward Taanath-shiloh.
The northern boundary line curved around to the east to the town of Taanath-shiloh

it turned eastward toward Taanath-shiloh: The Hebrew clause that the BSB translates as eastward toward Taanath-shiloh is more literally “the boundary turns east, Taanath-shiloh.”

Taanath-shiloh: Taanath-shiloh refers to a town to the east of Michmethath.

The English versions spell Taanath-shiloh in several ways:

Taanath-shiloh (BSB, RSV, ESV, NLT, NABRE, KJV)

Taanath Shiloh (NIV, NET, GW, GNT)

Taanath-Shiloh (CEV)

Here are some other ways to translate this part of the verse:

The border then turned east toward the town of Taanath-shiloh

The boundary then curved around to the east to the town of Taanath-shiloh

16:6d

and passed by it to Janoah on the east.

It went past that town and continued east to Jan-oah.
and continued past it, and east to the town of Jan-oah.

and passed by it to Janoah on the east: The clause passed by it to Janoah on the east indicates that the border went past the town of Taanath-shiloh and continued east to the town of Janoah.

The English versions spell Janoah in several ways:

Jan-oah (RSV)

Janoah (BSB, NIV, NET, ESV, GW, NABRE, GNT, CEV, NLT)

Janohah (KJV)

Here are some other ways to translate this part of the verse:

The border then went past that town and continued east to the town of Janoah

The border continued east from the town of Taanath-shiloh to the town of Janoah

BMM BibleMapper.com Maps:

Tribal Allotments of the Promised Land

After the Israelites had conquered portions of the Promised Land and Joshua had grown old, the Lord directed him to divide the rest of the land among the tribes of Israel as their inheritance (Joshua 13-20). The eastern tribes had already been allotted their land under Moses’ leadership (Numbers 32), but they continued to help the other tribes drive out the Canaanites from land west of the Jordan River. The Lord also instructed the Israelites to designate several cities of refuge, where someone could flee for protection from an avenger if they accidentally killed someone (Numbers 35; Joshua 20).

Poster Map of the Tribe of Manasseh (West) and Its Surroundings, circa 1200 B.C.

Though Manasseh’s descendants formed only half the tribe of Joseph (the other half being Ephraim) and its population was surpassed by Judah, Issachar, Zebulun, Dan, and Asher (Numbers 26) at the time of their entry in Canaan, Manasseh occupied one of the largest allotments among the tribes of Israel, rivaling even the royal tribe of Judah. Half of Manasseh’s allotted territory was located technically outside the Promised Land of Canaan in the region commonly referred to as the Transjordan (“across the Jordan”), which was seized from King Og as the Israelites approached Canaan from the southeast and prepared to enter the land (Numbers 32:33; Deuteronomy 3:13; Joshua 13; see “Israel Defeats Og and Sihon” map). The other half of its territory (often referred to as West Manasseh) lay in the central region of the Promised Land, and the tribe of Manasseh, sometimes referred to by the name of Machir, Manasseh’s son, was involved in several key events in the early life of Israel. They participated in the victory of Deborah and Barak over Sisera (Judges 5:14; see “Deborah and Barak Defeat Sisera” map) as well as the victory of Gideon (who was from Manasseh) over the Midianites (Judges 7:23; see “Gideon Defeats the Midianites” map). After Gideon died, his son Abimelech briefly made himself king over Shechem and also attacked the town of Thebez in the territory of Manasseh (Judges 9). Manassites were among those who joined David before the battle at Mount Gilboa and also among those who came to make him king at Hebron (1 Chronicles 12; see “The Battle at Mount Gilboa” map and “David and Ish-bosheth” map). Many Manassites were also among those who humbled themselves and accepted Hezekiah’s invitation to attend the Passover in Jerusalem (2 Chronicles 30:11).

West Manasseh’s boundaries eventually stretched from the Mediterranean Sea to the Jordan River, and that is how they are drawn on virtually all maps of the tribe’s territory. But this author is convinced that a careful reading of Joshua 16-17 (particularly Joshua 17:7-12) indicates that, technically speaking, Manasseh’s initial allotment included only the western portion of their full allotment, that is, the land to the west of Tappuah, Shechem, and En-gannim and to the south of Asher (see “Poster Map of the Tribe of Zebulun and Its Surroundings circa 1200 B.C.” map and its discussion regarding southern Asher), as shown on this map (see also 1 Kings 4:10). But the tribe of Joseph (that is, Manasseh and Ephraim) complained to Joshua that their allotted territory in Canaan was not large enough for their growing populations (Joshua 17:14-18). So Joshua responded: “If you are a numerous people, go up to the forest, and clear ground there for yourselves in the land of the Perizzites and the Rephaim” (Joshua 17:15). Then it appears that the tribe of Joseph complained further that even this additional hill country would not be enough, yet they were not confident that they could take land from the Canaanites in the Jezreel Valley (Joshua 17:16). But Joshua assured them, “Since you are so large and strong, you will be given more than one portion. The forests of the hill country will be yours as well. Clear as much of the land as you wish, and take possession of its farthest corners. And you will drive out the Canaanites from the valleys, too, even though they are strong and have iron chariots” (Joshua 17:17-18, NLT). This additional allotment–the forested hill country of the Perizzites and the Rephaim–was likely the mountainous region just north of Shechem and the surrounding towns of Tirzah, Thebez, and Bezek. This is supported by Jacob’s comment in Genesis 34:30 that Simeon and Levi had made him “odious to the inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites and the Perizzites” when they slaughtered the men of Shechem for assaulting their sister. Judges 1:4-5 also references a battle fought against the Canaanites and the Perizzites at Bezek. Prior to the Israelites’ entry into Canaan, Perizzites apparently lived in the hill country near Bethel and Ai as well (Genesis 13:7). The Rephaim, while predominantly associated with the lands across the Jordan River (Genesis 14:5; Deuteronomy 2:11-20; 3:11-13), apparently also lived in Canaan, because the Israelites wiped out many Anakim, who were descendants of the Rephaim, as they were conquering Judah (Deuteronomy 2:11; Joshua 11:21-22; 14:12-15). It should also be noted that Ephraim was included in this promise of an additional lot as well (Joshua 17:17), and the stories of Gideon and Jephthah indicate that by their time Ephraim, not Manasseh, was progressively gaining control over the lower Jordan Valley as far north as Zaphon (Judges 7:23-24; 12:1). Manasseh also began to occupy territory belonging to the surrounding Israelite tribes, including the towns and surrounding villages of Beth-shan, Ibleam, Dor, Endor, Taanach, and Megiddo, though they never fully drove out the Canaanites living there (Joshua 17:11-12; Judges 1:27-28; 1 Chronicles 7:29). As a result, the territory occupied by Manasseh and Ephraim by the completion of the book of Joshua and Judges is notably larger than the land originally allotted to them.

Joshua also records that Manasseh’s tribal allotment was further divided among ten clans of Manasseh, including the families of the daughters of Zelophehad (Joshua 17:1-6). During the Israelites’ wandering in the wilderness, Moses granted Zelophehad’s daughters, whose father had no sons, the right to inherit land, though this was not the normal practice in Israel (Numbers 27). The discovery of the Samaria Ostraca in the palace of Ahab in 1910 has enabled scholars to deduce the likely area in which several of these clans settled within Manasseh’s territory, including Noah, Shemida, Abiezer, Asriel, Shechem, Helek, Hoglah, and Tirzah. This author also suspects that the location of the clan of Mahlah may be preserved in the name of the ruins at Khirbat al Milkh (identified as Abel-meholah on this map) and the nearby stream of Wadi el Maleh. Likewise, this author also suspects the location of the clan of Milcah may be preserved in name of the ruins at Khirbat Malihim and the nearby spring of `Ein el Ma`lqa.

Parallel YEHO 16:6

Section 16:1–17:18 The clans of Ephraim and Manasseh received their land

16:6a

16:6b

16:6c

16:6d

Tribal Allotments of the Promised Land

Poster Map of the Tribe of Manasseh (West) and Its Surroundings, circa 1200 B.C.