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
In the Book of Joshua, after the Israelites conquered Canaan under Joshua's leadership, the land was divided among the twelve tribes as part of God's promise to give them an inheritance. The tribe of Manasseh received portions of the territory, including the area around the town of Tappuah, but the town itself was assigned to the tribe of Ephraim to maintain the boundaries set by divine instruction. This reflects the careful and orderly distribution of land that ensured each tribe's rightful share as descendants of Abraham.
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