How does Challoner explain the turn in Ephraim’s border at Machmethath?

Atlas of Saints · Chapter summary

He explains that the border goes north by Machmethath and then turns east to Thanath-selo. The chapter gives that direction within Ephraim’s detailed boundaries, alongside its cities within Manasses and the Chanaanite at Gazer remaining under tribute.

Chapter breakdown

Joseph’s sons receive a lot beginning at the Jordan opposite Jericho and its waters on the east, in the wilderness rising from Jericho to Bethel’s mountain. It goes from Bethel to Luza, passes Archi’s border to Ataroth, and descends west by Jephleti’s border to lower Beth-horon and Gazer, ending at the great sea. Joseph’s children Manasses and Ephraim possess it.

Ephraim’s border is given by kindreds: its eastern possession runs from Ataroth-addar to upper Beth-horon. The bounds reach the sea; Machmethath looks north, and the border turns east to Thanath-selo and passes on the east side to Janoe. Challoner’s separate note explains that the border goes north by Machmethath and then turns east toward Thanath-selo. From Janoe it descends into Ataroth and Naaratha, comes to Jericho and goes out to the Jordan. From Taphua it passes toward the sea into the valley of reeds, with its outlets at the most salt sea. This is Ephraim’s possession by families.

Cities and their villages are set apart for Ephraim within Manasses’s possession. Ephraim’s children do not kill the Chanaanite dwelling in Gazer; the Chanaanite remains amid Ephraim until this day, paying tribute.

The story inside

The chapter first traces the lot possessed by both named sons of Joseph, then gives Ephraim’s family borders. The upper and lower Beth-horon references belong to different parts of that description. Challoner clarifies the north-to-east turn at Machmethath, while the other directions and both stated sea terms remain as the text gives them. The final two verses distinguish Ephraim’s cities and villages within Manasses from the Chanaanite dwelling at Gazer under tribute. Neither an explanation of population pressure nor a motive for keeping tributaries is supplied.

Lessons worth keeping

1
The broad lot and Ephraim’s border have different descriptions. The first goes by lower Beth-horon to Gazer and the great sea; Ephraim’s eastern possession names upper Beth-horon. Keeping both qualifiers avoids blending distinct landmarks.
2
Challoner clarifies one particular turn. Machmethath marks travel north before the eastward turn to Thanath-selo. That note does not replace the rest of the route or authorize changing verse 8’s most salt sea to a different sea.
3
The ending records two distinct arrangements. Ephraim has separated cities and villages within Manasses, while Gazer’s Chanaanite remains under tribute because Ephraim does not kill him. The text records these facts without explaining them by profit or population growth.

Test your recall

Which direction does the border take by Machmethath before turning to Thanath-selo, and how does Challoner’s note clarify that sequence?

Source edition and notes

Douay–Rheims, revised by Richard Challoner (1749–1752). Project Gutenberg no. 1581. Locators refer to lines in the admitted pg1581.txt edition. Source notes may include Challoner commentary.

Lines 24056–24071
Josue Chapter 16 The lot of the sons of Joseph. The borders of the tribe of Ephraim. 16:1. And the lot of the sons of Joseph fell from the Jordan over against Jericho and the waters thereof, on the east: the wilderness which goeth up from Jericho to the mountain of Bethel: 16:2. And goeth out from Bethel to Luza: and passeth the border of Archi, to Ataroth, 16:3. And goeth down westward, by the border of Jephleti, unto the borders of Beth-horon the nether, and to Gazer: and the countries of it are ended by the great sea: 16:4. And Manasses and Ephraim the children of Joseph possessed it.
Lines 24073–24090
16:5. And the border of the children of Ephraim was according to their kindreds: and their possession towards the east was Ataroth-addar unto Beth-horon the upper. 16:6. 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. Looketh to the north, etc.... The meaning is, that the border went towards the north, by Machmethath; and then turned eastward to Thanath-selo. 16:7. And it goeth down from Janoe into Ataroth and Naaratha: and it cometh to Jericho, and goeth out to the Jordan. 16:8. From Taphua it passeth on towards the sea into the valley of reeds, and the goings out thereof are at the most salt sea. This is the possession of the tribe of the children of Ephraim by their families.
Lines 24092–24100
16:9. And there were cities with their villages separated for the children of Ephraim in the midst of the possession of the children of Manasses. 16:10. And the children of Ephraim slew not the Chanaanite, who dwelt in Gazer: and the Chanaanite dwelt in the midst of Ephraim until this day, paying tribute.