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.
Joshua replied to them, 'If you are such a large group of people, then go up into the forested hill country and clear the land for yourselves there in the territory of the Perizzites and the giants, since the hill country of Ephraim is too small for you.'
Joshua is challenging the tribe of Ephraim to stop complaining about their small territory and instead work hard to expand it by clearing more land from their enemies.
📚 Historical Context
The tribes of Joseph (Ephraim and Manasseh) were complaining that their allocated territory was too small for their large population. Joshua was distributing the Promised Land among the twelve tribes after the conquest of Canaan. The Perizzites and giants (likely the Anakim) were remaining enemy peoples who still occupied forested, mountainous regions that could be conquered and settled.
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