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Joshua Chapter یشوع باب 18
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Verse by Verse Commentary (Joshua 17:10 – 18:13)

Joshua 17:10

Verse: Southward it was Ephraim’s and northward it was Manasseh’s and the sea is his border and they met together in Asher on the north and in Issachar on the east

  • English Explanation: This verse outlines the geographical boundaries of the Josephite tribes. Ephraim held the southern portion while Manasseh held the north. Their western boundary was the Mediterranean Sea. To the north, they bordered Asher, and to the east, Issachar, showing a complex intersection of tribal territories.

  • Urdu Explanation: اس آیت میں یوسف کی اولاد کے جغرافیائی حدود کا ذکر ہے۔ جنوب کی طرف افرائیم کا علاقہ تھا اور شمال کی طرف منسی کا۔ ان کی مغربی سرحد بحیرہ روم تھی۔ شمال میں ان کی سرحدیں آشر سے اور مشرق میں اشکار سے ملتی تھیں، جو قبائل کے درمیان زمین کی تقسیم کو ظاہر کرتی ہے۔

Joshua 17:11

Verse: And Manasseh had in Issachar and in Asher Beth-shean and her towns and Ibleam and her towns and the inhabitants of Dor and her towns and the inhabitants of Endor and her towns and the inhabitants of Taanach and her towns and the inhabitants of Megiddo and her towns even three countries

  • English Explanation: Manasseh was granted specific “enclave cities” within the territories of Issachar and Asher. These included strategic locations like Beth-shean and Megiddo. The term “three countries” likely refers to the three distinct regions or triple districts controlled by these cities.

  • Urdu Explanation: منسی کو اشکار اور آشر کے علاقوں کے اندر بھی کچھ مخصوص شہر دیے گئے تھے، جیسے بیت شان اور مجدو۔ یہ شہر اور ان کے مضافاتی قصبے منسی کی ملکیت تھے، جو کہ تزویراتی لحاظ سے بہت اہم مقام رکھتے تھے۔

Joshua 17:12

Verse: Yet the children of Manasseh could not drive out the inhabitants of those cities but the Canaanites would dwell in that land

  • English Explanation: Despite the divine promise, the tribe of Manasseh failed to fully displace the Canaanites. This reflects a lack of total faith or military persistence, allowing the original inhabitants to remain as a persistent presence.

  • Urdu Explanation: خدا کے وعدے کے باوجود، منسی کی اولاد ان شہروں کے باشندوں کو مکمل طور پر نکالنے میں ناکام رہی۔ کنعانی اس زمین پر قابض رہے، جو کہ بنی اسرائیل کی مکمل فرمانبرداری یا ہمت کی کمی کو ظاہر کرتا ہے۔

Joshua 17:13

Verse: 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

  • English Explanation: As Israel grew stronger, they chose to tax the Canaanites (forced labor/tribute) rather than obey the command to remove them completely. This compromise eventually led to spiritual problems for Israel.

  • Urdu Explanation: جب بنی اسرائیل طاقتور ہوئے تو انہوں نے کنعانیوں کو مکمل نکالنے کے بجائے ان پر جزیہ (ٹیکس) لگا دیا۔ یہ سمجھوتہ آگے چل کر ان کے لیے روحانی مشکلات کا باعث بنا۔

Joshua 17:14

Verse: 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

  • English Explanation: The descendants of Joseph (Ephraim and Manasseh) complained that their allotted land was too small for their large population. They used their “blessing” and size as an argument for more territory.

  • Urdu Explanation: یوسف کی اولاد نے یشوع سے شکایت کی کہ ہم ایک بڑی قوم ہیں اور خداوند نے ہمیں بہت برکت دی ہے، تو پھر ہمیں صرف ایک ہی حصہ یا قرعہ کیوں دیا گیا ہے؟ وہ اپنی تعداد کے لحاظ سے زیادہ زمین چاہتے تھے۔

Joshua 17:15

Verse: 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

  • English Explanation: Joshua challenged their complaint. He told them that if they were truly a “great people,” they should use their strength to clear the forests and drive out the Perizzites and giants in the hill country to create more living space.

  • Urdu Explanation: یشوع نے انہیں چیلنج کیا کہ اگر تم واقعی ایک بڑی قوم ہو، تو جنگلاتی علاقوں میں جاؤ اور وہاں کے درخت کاٹ کر اپنے لیے جگہ بناؤ۔ اگر افرائیم کا پہاڑی علاقہ تمہارے لیے تنگ ہے، تو فرزیوں اور دیو قامت لوگوں کی زمین فتح کرو۔

Joshua 17:16

Verse: 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 Beth-shean and her towns and they who are of the valley of Jezreel

  • English Explanation: The Josephites expressed fear. They argued that the hills weren’t enough, and they were afraid to go into the valleys because the Canaanites there possessed superior military technology—iron chariots.

  • Urdu Explanation: یوسف کی اولاد نے خوف کا اظہار کیا کہ پہاڑی علاقہ کافی نہیں ہے اور وادیوں میں رہنے والے کنعانیوں کے پاس لوہے کے رتھ ہیں، جو کہ اس وقت کی جدید ترین فوجی طاقت تھی۔

Joshua 17:17

Verse: And Joshua spake unto the house of Joseph even to Ephraim and to Manasseh saying Thou art a great people and hast great power thou shalt not have one lot only

  • English Explanation: Joshua reaffirmed their strength but maintained his stance. He acknowledged their greatness but insisted that this greatness must be proven through action and conquest, not just through receiving more easy land.

  • Urdu Explanation: یشوع نے دوبارہ ان کی طاقت کا اعتراف کیا لیکن اپنی بات پر قائم رہے کہ چونکہ تم ایک بڑی اور طاقتور قوم ہو، اس لیے تمہیں صرف ایک ہی حصے پر اکتفا نہیں کرنا چاہیے بلکہ اپنی طاقت کا استعمال کرنا چاہیے۔

Joshua 17:18

Verse: But the mountain shall be thine for it is a wood and thou shalt cut it down and the outgoings of it shall be thine for thou shalt drive out the Canaanites though they have iron chariots and though they be strong

  • English Explanation: Joshua encouraged them by promising that the mountain and its outskirts would be theirs if they worked for it. He assured them they could defeat the Canaanites despite their iron chariots.

  • Urdu Explanation: یشوع نے ان کی حوصلہ افزائی کی کہ پہاڑی علاقہ تمہارا ہوگا، تم اسے صاف کرو اور یہ تمہاری ملکیت بن جائے گا۔ تم کنعانیوں کو نکال باہر کرو گے، چاہے ان کے پاس لوہے کے رتھ ہوں اور وہ کتنے ہی طاقتور کیوں نہ ہوں۔

Joshua 18:1

Verse: And the whole congregation of the children of Israel assembled together at Shiloh and set up the tabernacle of the congregation there And the land was subdued before them

  • English Explanation: The religious and political center moved from Gilgal to Shiloh. The Tabernacle was set up there, symbolizing God’s dwelling in the heart of the land they had conquered.

  • Urdu Explanation: بنی اسرائیل کی پوری جماعت سیلوہ میں جمع ہوئی اور وہاں خیمہِ اجتماع کو نصب کیا۔ یہ اس بات کی علامت تھی کہ خدا اب اس فتح شدہ زمین کے درمیان سکونت پذیر ہے۔

Joshua 18:2

Verse: And there remained among the children of Israel seven tribes which had not yet received their inheritance

  • English Explanation: While some tribes (Judah, Ephraim, Manasseh, Reuben, Gad) had their land, seven tribes were still waiting for their specific territories to be defined.

  • Urdu Explanation: ابھی بھی اسرائیل کے سات قبیلے ایسے باقی تھے جنہیں ان کی میراث یا زمین کا حصہ نہیں ملا تھا۔

Joshua 18:3

Verse: And Joshua said unto the children of Israel How long are ye slack to go to possess the land which the LORD God of your fathers hath given you

  • English Explanation: Joshua rebuked the remaining tribes for their “slackness” or laziness. He urged them to take initiative and possess what God had already legally granted to them.

  • Urdu Explanation: یشوع نے ان سات قبیلوں کو ڈانٹا کہ تم اس زمین پر قبضہ کرنے میں کب تک سستی کرو گے جو خداوند تمہارے باپ دادا کے خدا نے تمہیں دی ہے؟

Joshua 18:4

Verse: Give out from among you three men for each tribe and I will send them and they shall rise and go through the land and describe it according to the inheritance of them and they shall come again to me

  • English Explanation: Joshua proposed a systematic survey. Each of the seven tribes was to select three men to map out and describe the remaining land.

  • Urdu Explanation: یشوع نے ہر قبیلے سے تین تین آدمی منتخب کرنے کا حکم دیا تاکہ وہ زمین کا سروے کریں، اس کا نقشہ بنائیں اور اس کی تفصیلات لکھ کر واپس لائیں۔

Joshua 18:5

Verse: And they shall divide it into seven parts Judah shall abide in their coast on the south and the house of Joseph shall abide in their coasts on the north

  • English Explanation: The surveyors were told to divide the remaining land into seven portions, acknowledging that Judah was already settled in the south and Joseph (Ephraim/Manasseh) in the north.

  • Urdu Explanation: انہیں حکم دیا گیا کہ زمین کو سات حصوں میں تقسیم کریں، جبکہ یہ ذہن میں رکھیں کہ یہوداہ جنوب میں اور یوسف کا خاندان شمال میں آباد ہو چکے ہیں۔

Joshua 18:6

Verse: Ye shall therefore describe the land into seven parts and bring the description hither to me that I may cast lots for you here before the LORD our God

  • English Explanation: Once the written description was brought back, Joshua would use “lots” (a divine method of decision-making) to assign the portions fairly before the Lord.

  • Urdu Explanation: تم زمین کا نقشہ سات حصوں میں تیار کر کے میرے پاس لاؤ، تاکہ میں یہاں خداوند کے سامنے تمہارے لیے قرعہ ڈالوں اور زمین تقسیم کروں۔

Joshua 18:7

Verse: But the Levites have no part among you for the priesthood of the LORD is their inheritance and Gad and Reuben and half the tribe of Manasseh have received their inheritance beyond Jordan on the east which Moses the servant of the LORD gave them

  • English Explanation: This clarifies who was not included in this land division: the Levites (whose inheritance was serving God) and the two-and-a-half tribes already settled east of the Jordan.

  • Urdu Explanation: لاویوں کو زمین کا کوئی حصہ نہیں ملا کیونکہ خداوند کی کہانت ان کی میراث تھی۔ جبکہ جاد، روبن اور منسی کے آدھے قبیلے کو دریائے یردن کے پار مشرق میں پہلے ہی زمین مل چکی تھی۔

Joshua 18:8

Verse: And the men arose and went away and Joshua charged them that went to describe the land saying Go and walk through the land and describe it and come again to me that I may here cast lots for you before the LORD in Shiloh

  • English Explanation: The chosen men departed with Joshua’s specific instructions to walk through the land and record its features so that the final distribution in Shiloh would be accurate.

  • Urdu Explanation: وہ آدمی روانہ ہوئے اور یشوع نے انہیں تاکید کی کہ زمین کا مکمل دورہ کریں اور اس کی تفصیل لکھ کر سیلوہ واپس آئیں تاکہ قرعہ اندازی کی جا سکے۔

Joshua 18:9

Verse: And the men went and passed through the land and described it by cities into seven parts in a book and came again to Joshua to the host at Shiloh

  • English Explanation: The mission was successful. The men surveyed the land city by city, divided it into seven sections in a written record (a book), and returned to Joshua at the camp in Shiloh.

  • Urdu Explanation: ان آدمیوں نے پوری زمین کا دورہ کیا، شہروں کے لحاظ سے اسے سات حصوں میں تقسیم کیا اور ایک کتاب میں تفصیل لکھ کر یشوع کے پاس سیلوہ واپس آ گئے۔

Joshua 18:10

Verse: And Joshua cast lots for them in Shiloh before the LORD and there Joshua divided the land unto the children of Israel according to their divisions

  • English Explanation: Joshua performed the sacred act of casting lots. This ensured the division was perceived as God’s will rather than human favoritism.

  • Urdu Explanation: یشوع نے سیلوہ میں خداوند کے سامنے قرعہ ڈالا اور بنی اسرائیل کے درمیان ان کے حصوں کے مطابق زمین تقسیم کر دی۔

Joshua 18:11

Verse: And the lot of the tribe of the children of Benjamin came up according to their families and the coast of their lot came forth between the children of Judah and the children of Joseph

  • English Explanation: The first of the seven lots fell to the tribe of Benjamin. Geographically, their land was situated strategically between the powerful tribes of Judah and Joseph.

  • Urdu Explanation: پہلا قرعہ بنیمین کے قبیلے کے نام نکلا۔ ان کا علاقہ یہوداہ اور یوسف کے علاقوں کے درمیان واقع تھا، جو کہ ایک اہم مقام تھا۔

Joshua 18:12

Verse: And their border on the north side was from Jordan and the border went up to the side of Jericho on the north side and went up through the mountains westward and the goings out thereof were at the wilderness of Beth-aven

  • English Explanation: This verse begins the detailed description of Benjamin’s northern border, starting from the Jordan River, passing Jericho, and heading west through the mountains toward Beth-aven.

  • Urdu Explanation: ان کی شمالی سرحد دریائے یردن سے شروع ہو کر یریحوں کے شمال سے ہوتی ہوئی مغرب کی طرف پہاڑوں سے گزرتی ہوئی بیت آون کے بیابان تک جاتی تھی۔

Joshua 18:13

Verse: And the border went over from thence toward Luz to the side of Luz which is Bethel southward and the border descended to Ataroth-adar near the hill that lieth on the south side of the nether Beth-horon

  • English Explanation: The boundary continued toward Luz (Bethel) and moved southward to Ataroth-adar. This precise geography defines the small but significant territory granted to Benjamin.

  • Urdu Explanation: وہاں سے سرحد لوز (بیت ایل) کی طرف گئی اور پھر جنوب کی طرف عطاروت ادار تک پہنچی، جو کہ نچلے بیت حورون کے جنوبی پہاڑ کے قریب ہے۔