יהושע, פרק י״ז, פסוק א׳

The allocation of tribal lands reveals a deep tension between natural birth order and prophetic blessings. Although Manasseh was the natural firstborn of Joseph and seemingly entitled to receive his portion first, his land is allocated only after the tribe of Ephraim. This delay is a direct result of Jacob's earlier blessing, which elevated the younger brother over the older [מצודת דוד, אברבנאל].

Within the tribe of Manasseh itself, however, the natural order of birth was strictly honored. Machir, as Manasseh's firstborn, was granted the right to claim his inheritance before the rest of the tribe [מצודת דוד]. He had already realized this right during the leadership of Moses [רש״י]. Machir is known as the father of Gilead, a description understood in two distinct ways. It either means he was the literal father of a son named Gilead, or the term acts as a title of authority, meaning prince or ruler. In this view, he was the leader of the Gilead region, bearing a title that anticipated his future political status [מצודת דוד, ביאור שטיינזלץ].

The decision for half of the tribe of Manasseh to settle on the eastern side of the Jordan River was highly unique. The tribes of Reuben and Gad requested to stay in that territory out of economic necessity, needing grazing land for their massive flocks. Manasseh, however, lacked this economic pressure. Their settlement was driven entirely by Machir's identity as a seasoned warrior [רד״ק, אברבנאל]. As a mighty fighter, he voluntarily chose to live in the dangerous borderlands to project strength against neighboring nations, ultimately earning the territory through his own military conquests [מצודת דוד, אברבנאל, חומת אנך].

This exceptional military might was a direct inheritance from Manasseh's status as Joseph's firstborn [רד״ק]. Furthermore, the unusual geographical split of the tribe into two halves was also a consequence of this firstborn rank. The elevated status provided Manasseh with a uniquely large population and a vast number of warriors, demanding extensive living space that spanned both sides of the river [מלבי״ם].