Joshua 22:23-33

23 that we have built us an altar to turn away from following the LORD; or if to offer thereon burnt offering or meal-offering, or if to offer sacrifices of peace-offerings thereon, let the LORD himself require it;

24 and if we have not [rather] out of carefulness done this, [and] of purpose, saying, In time to come your children might speak to our children, saying, What have you to do with the LORD, the God of Yisra'el?

25 for the LORD has made the Yarden a border between us and you, you children of Re'uven and children of Gad; you have no portion in the LORD: so might your children make our children cease from fearing the LORD.

26 Therefore we said, Let us now prepare to build us an altar, not for burnt offering, nor for sacrifice:

27 but it shall be a witness between us and you, and between our generations after us, that we may do the service of the LORD before him with our burnt offerings, and with our sacrifices, and with our peace-offerings; that your children may not tell our children in time to come, You have no portion in the LORD.

28 Therefore said we, It shall be, when they so tell us or to our generations in time to come, that we shall say, Behold the pattern of the altar of the LORD, which our fathers made, not for burnt offering, nor for sacrifice; but it is a witness between us and you.

29 Far be it from us that we should rebel against the LORD, and turn away this day from following the LORD, to build an altar for burnt-offering, for meal-offering, or for sacrifice, besides the altar of the LORD our God that is before his tent.

30 When Pinechas the Kohen, and the princes of the congregation, even the heads of the thousands of Yisra'el that were with him, heard the words that the children of Re'uven and the children of Gad and the children of Menashsheh spoke, it pleased them well.

31 Pinechas the son of El`azar the Kohen said to the children of Re'uven, and to the children of Gad, and to the children of Menashsheh, This day we know that the LORD is in the midst of us, because you have not committed this trespass against the LORD: now have you delivered the children of Yisra'el out of the hand of the LORD.

32 Pinechas the son of El`azar the Kohen, and the princes, returned from the children of Re'uven, and from the children of Gad, out of the land of Gil`ad, to the land of Kana`an, to the children of Yisra'el, and brought them word again.

33 The thing pleased the children of Yisra'el; and the children of Yisra'el blessed God, and spoke no more of going up against them to war, to destroy the land in which the children of Re'uven and the children of Gad lived.

Joshua 22:23-33 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.