Thus there fell to Manasseh ten portions, besides the land of Gilead and Bashan, which is on the other side of the Jordan,
5. And there fell ten portions to Manasseh, etc The children of Manasseh are in this passage classed under seven stems. Machir, the first-born, is placed apart; the other six follow. Here the question arises, How was the inheritance divided into ten parts?
Manasseh was Joseph's firstborn, yet Jacob preferred Ephraim; so he received a double portion, half already settled beyond Jordan under Machir, a man of war who won Gilead and Bashan through valor. The other half, on this side Jordan, was divided among ten families descended from Gilead's six sons, though one line failed and passed to five daughters of Zelophehad, each inheriting her share.
AI summary
Commenting on Joshua 17:1-6
And there fell ten portions to Manasseh, beside the land of Gilead and Bashan, which were on the other side Jordan,.... The lot which fell to the half tribe of Manasseh was divided into ten parts: according to the Jewish writers, the six families before mentioned had six parts, and the daughters of Zelophehad had four parts; one on the account of Zelophehad their father...