“There was also a lot for the tribe of Manasseh; for he was the firstborn of Joseph; to wit, for Machir the firstborn of Manasseh, the father of Gilead: because he was a man of war, therefore he had Gilead and Bashan.”
The allotment of Manasseh, the firstborn of Joseph — This verse establishes the inheritance of Manasseh through the patriarchal lineage, honoring Jacob's adoption of Joseph's sons (Gen. 48). The tribal structure reflects both primogeniture and divine apportionment; Manasseh receives the land west of the Jordan as their historical due. The phrase 'allotment fell' (gôrāl) indicates the casting of lots as God's sovereign mechanism for distributing the land, ensuring that divine will operates through the mechanism of human action. This opening prioritizes the restoration of tribal order after Sinai's rebellion, binding covenant promise to concrete territorial possession.
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