Now Manasseh had the land of Tappuah: but Tappuah on the border of Manasseh belonged to the children of Ephraim;
The tribe of Manasseh controlled the land around Tappuah, but the actual city of Tappuah, which was right on Manasseh's border, belonged to the people of Ephraim.
This verse explains how two tribes shared territory - one tribe controlled the surrounding land while the other owned the city itself.
📚 Historical Context
This describes the division of the Promised Land among the twelve tribes of Israel after they conquered Canaan under Joshua's leadership. Manasseh and Ephraim were both descendants of Joseph, making them 'brother tribes' who received neighboring territories. The complex border arrangements often resulted in situations where cities belonged to one tribe while the surrounding countryside belonged to another.
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