Joshua 22:9

Eastern Tribes Build an Altar

9 The Reubenites, Gadites, and half the tribe of Manasseh left the Israelites at Shiloh in the land of Canaan to go to their own land of Gilead, which they took possession of according to the Lord's command through Moses.

Joshua 22:9 Meaning and Commentary

Joshua 22:9

And the children of Reuben, and the children of Gad, and the
half tribe of Manasseh, returned
First to the camp to take their substance, and then set forward to their own land:

and departed from the children of Israel;
from the rest of them, for otherwise they were children of Israel also:

out of Shiloh, which [is] in the land of Canaan;
for here the camp of Israel was, as well as the tabernacle:

to go unto the country of Gilead, to the land of their possession,
whereof they were possessed;
Gilead is put for the whole country on the other side Jordan, as the land of Jazer, and the kingdom of Bashan, which the two tribes of Reuben and Gad, and the half tribe of Manasseh, were possessed of:

according to the word of the Lord by the hand of Moses;
for when they moved to have that country, Moses, it seems, consulted the Lord about it, who declared it to be his will they should have it, on performing what they promised, see ( Numbers 32:1-42 ) .

Joshua 22:9 In-Context

7 Moses had given [territory] to half the tribe of Manasseh in Bashan, but Joshua had given [territory] to the other half, with their brothers, on the west side of the Jordan. When Joshua sent them to their homes and blessed them,

8 he said, "Return to your homes with great wealth: a huge number of cattle, and silver, gold, bronze, iron, and a large quantity of clothing. Share the spoil of your enemies with your brothers."

9 The Reubenites, Gadites, and half the tribe of Manasseh left the Israelites at Shiloh in the land of Canaan to go to their own land of Gilead, which they took possession of according to the Lord's command through Moses.

10 When they came to the region of the Jordan in the land of Canaan, the Reubenites, Gadites, and half the tribe of Manasseh built a large, impressive altar there by the Jordan.

11 Then the Israelites heard [it] said, "Look, the Reubenites, Gadites, and half the tribe of Manasseh have built an altar on the frontier of the land of Canaan at the region of the Jordan, on the Israelite side."