יהושע, פרק ט״ז, פסוק ד׳

The distribution of the land to the descendants of Joseph highlights a unique balance between family unity and distinct tribal identity. The process combined their shared heritage as a single family with their practical division into two separate tribes. Initially, a general lottery was drawn for the broader family as a whole, and only afterward was the territory broken down into defined sections for each group separately [חומת אנך].

Because of this initial assignment, both groups settled together within the same overarching strip of land [מצודת דוד]. However, the primary approach among commentators clarifies that while the two tribes were drawn together in a single shared lottery and lived in the same general region, Manasseh and Ephraim ultimately received adjacent territories. In practice, each tribe secured its own specific and independent portion within the shared border [מלבי״ם, ביאור שטיינזלץ].