Joshua 22:10-34

The Offensive Altar

10 When they came to the region of the Jordan which is in the land of Canaan, the sons of Reuben and the sons of Gad and the half-tribe * of Manasseh built an altar there by the Jordan, a large altar in appearance.

11 And the sons of Israel heard it said, "Behold, the sons of Reuben and the sons of Gad and the half-tribe * of Manasseh have ¹built an altar at the frontier of the land of Canaan, in the region of the Jordan, on the side belonging to the sons of Israel."

12 When the sons of Israel heard of it, the whole congregation of the sons of Israel gathered themselves at ²Shiloh to go up against them in war.

13 Then the sons of Israel sent to the sons of Reuben and to the sons of Gad and to the half-tribe * of Manasseh, into the land of Gilead, ³Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest,

14 and with him ten chiefs, one chief for each father's household from each of the tribes of Israel; and ⁴each one of them was the head of his father's household among the thousands of Israel.

15 They came to the sons of Reuben and to the sons of Gad and to the half-tribe * of Manasseh, to the land of Gilead, and they spoke with them saying,

16 "Thus says the whole congregation of the LORD, 'What is this unfaithful act which you have committed against the God of Israel, turning away from following the LORD this day, by ⁵building yourselves an altar, to rebel against the LORD this day?

17 'Is not ⁶the iniquity of Peor enough for us, from which we have not cleansed ourselves to this day, although a plague came on the congregation of the LORD,

18 that you must turn away this day from following the LORD? If you rebel against the LORD today, ⁷He will be angry with the whole congregation of Israel tomorrow.

19 'If, however, the land of your possession is unclean, then cross into the land of the possession of the LORD, where * the LORD'S tabernacle stands, and take possession among us. Only do not rebel against the LORD, or rebel against us by ⁸building an altar for yourselves, besides * the altar of the LORD our God.

20 'Did not ⁹Achan the son of Zerah act unfaithfully in the things under the ban, and wrath fall on all the congregation of Israel? And that man did not perish alone in his iniquity.' "

21 Then the sons of Reuben and the sons of Gad and the half-tribe * of Manasseh answered and spoke to the heads of the families of Israel.

22 "The ¹⁰Mighty One, God, the LORD, the Mighty One, God, the LORD! ¹¹He knows, and may Israel itself know. If it was in rebellion, or if in an unfaithful act against the LORD do not save us this day!

23 "If we have built us an altar to turn away from following the LORD, or if to ¹²offer a burnt offering or grain offering on it, or if to offer sacrifices of peace offerings on it, may the LORD Himself require it.

24 "But truly * we have done this out of concern, for a reason, saying, 'In time to come your sons may say to our sons, "What have you to do with the LORD, the God of Israel?

25 "For the LORD has made the Jordan a border between us and you, you sons of Reuben and sons of Gad; you have no portion in the LORD." So your sons may make our sons stop fearing the LORD.'

26 "Therefore we said, 'Let us build * an altar, not for burnt offering or for sacrifice;

27 rather it shall be ¹³a witness between us and you and between our generations after us, that we are to ¹⁴perform the service of the LORD before Him with our burnt offerings, and with our sacrifices and with our peace offerings, so that your sons will not say to our sons in time to come, "You have no portion in the LORD."'

28 "Therefore we said, 'It shall also come about if they say this to us or to our generations in time to come, then we shall say, "See the copy of the altar of the LORD which our fathers made, not for burnt offering or for sacrifice; rather it is a witness between us and you."'

29 "Far be it from us that we should rebel against the LORD and turn away from following the LORD this day, by ¹⁵building an altar for burnt offering, for grain offering or for sacrifice, besides * the altar of the LORD our God which is before His tabernacle."

30 So when Phinehas the priest and the leaders of the congregation, even the heads of the families of Israel who were with him, heard the words which the sons of Reuben and the sons of Gad and the sons of Manasseh spoke, it pleased * them.

31 And Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest said to the sons of Reuben and to the sons of Gad and to the sons of Manasseh, "Today we know that the ¹⁶LORD is in our midst, because you have not committed this unfaithful act against the LORD; now you have delivered the sons of Israel from the hand of the LORD."

32 Then Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest and the leaders returned from the sons of Reuben and from the sons of Gad, from the land of Gilead to the land of Canaan, to the sons of Israel, and brought back word to them.

33 The word pleased * the sons of Israel, and the sons of Israel ¹⁷blessed God; and they did not speak of going up against them in war to destroy the land in which the sons of Reuben and the sons of Gad were living.

34 The sons of Reuben and the sons of Gad ¹⁸called the altar Witness; "For," they said, "it is a witness between us that the LORD is God."

Joshua 22:10-34 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO JOSHUA 22

The war with the Canaanites being ended, Joshua called to him the two tribes of Reuben and Gad, and the half tribe of Manasseh, who came over Jordan with him to assist in it, and commended them for their obedience to Moses and to himself, and to God by them; and then dismissed them, with some instructions to keep the ways and worship of God, and with his blessing upon them, Jos 22:1-8; upon which they returned to their country, and when they came to the borders of it set up an altar by Jordan, Jos 22:9,10; which, when the children of Israel heard of, it gave them great offence, they fearing they were going to make a revolt from the pure worship of God, and therefore sent a deputation of princes to them, with the son of the high priest, to inquire into the matter, and expostulate with them about it, who did, Jos 22:11-20; and who received from them a very satisfactory answer, Jos 22:21-31; with which they returned and reported to the children of Israel, and which gave them pleasure, Jos 22:32-34.

Cross References

• 1. Deuteronomy 12:5; Joshua 22:19
• 2. Joshua 18:1
• 3. Numbers 25:7, 11; Numbers 31:6
• 4. Numbers 1:4
• 5. Joshua 22:11
• 6. Numbers 25:1-9
• 7. Numbers 16:22
• 8. Joshua 22:11
• 9. Joshua 7:1-26
• 10. Deuteronomy 10:17
• 11. 1 Kings 8:39; Job 10:7; Psalms 44:21
• 12. Deuteronomy 12:11
• 13. Genesis 31:48; Joshua 24:27
• 14. Deuteronomy 12:6, 11, 26
• 15. Deuteronomy 12:13
• 16. Exodus 25:8; Leviticus 26:11; 2 Chronicles 15:2
• 17. 1 Chronicles 29:20; Daniel 2:19; Luke 2:28
• 18. Genesis 31:47-49

Footnotes

• [a]. Lit "saying"
• [b]. Lit "front"
• [c]. Or "families"
• [d]. Lit "little for us"
• [e]. Lit "cross for yourselves"
• [f]. Lit "abides"
• [g]. Lit "thousands"
• [h]. Lit "from"
• [i]. Lit "sons, saying"
• [j]. Lit "prepare to build for ourselves"
• [k]. Lit "dwelling place"
• [l]. Lit "thousands"