Joshua 22:1-9

Tribes beyond Jordan Return

1 ¹Then Joshua summoned the Reubenites and the Gadites and the half-tribe * of Manasseh,

2 and said to them, "You have kept all that Moses the servant of the LORD commanded you, ²and have listened to my voice in all that I commanded you.

3 "You have not forsaken your brothers these many days to this day, but have kept the charge of the commandment of the LORD your God.

4 "And now ³the LORD your God has given rest to your brothers, as He spoke to them; therefore turn now and go to your tents, to the land of your possession, which Moses the servant of the LORD gave you beyond the Jordan.

5 "Only be very careful to observe the commandment and the law which Moses the servant of the LORD commanded you, to ⁴love the LORD your God and walk in all His ways and keep His commandments and hold fast to Him and serve Him ⁵with all your heart and with all your soul."

6 So Joshua ⁶blessed them and sent them away, and they went to their tents.

7 Now ⁷to the one half-tribe * of Manasseh Moses had given a possession in Bashan, but ⁸to the other half Joshua gave a possession among their brothers westward beyond the Jordan. So when Joshua sent them away to their tents, he blessed them,

8 and said to them, "Return to your tents with great riches and with very much livestock, with silver, gold, bronze, iron, and with very many clothes; ⁹divide the spoil of your enemies with your brothers."

9 The sons of Reuben and the sons of Gad and the half-tribe * of Manasseh returned home and departed from the sons of Israel at Shiloh which is in the land of Canaan, to go to the ¹⁰land of Gilead, to the land of their possession which they had possessed, according to the command of the LORD through Moses.

Joshua 22:1-9 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. Numbers 32:20-22
• 2. Joshua 1:12-18
• 3. Numbers 32:18; Deuteronomy 3:20
• 4. Deuteronomy 5:10
• 5. Deuteronomy 4:29
• 6. Genesis 47:7; Joshua 14:13; 2 Samuel 6:18; Luke 24:50
• 7. Numbers 32:33
• 8. Joshua 17:1-13
• 9. Numbers 31:27; 1 Samuel 30:16
• 10. Num 32:1, 26, 29

Footnotes

• [a]. Lit "them, saying, ``Return"
• [b]. Lit "mouth"
• [c]. Lit "by the hand of"