12 And when the children H1121 of Israel H3478 heard H8085 of it, the whole congregation H5712 of the children H1121 of Israel H3478 gathered themselves together H6950 at Shiloh, H7887 to go up H5927 to war H6635 against them.
Thou shalt surely H5221 smite H5221 the inhabitants H3427 of that city H5892 with the edge H6310 of the sword, H2719 destroying it utterly, H2763 and all that is therein, and the cattle H929 thereof, with the edge H6310 of the sword. H2719
And the whole congregation H5712 of the children H1121 of Israel H3478 assembled together H6950 at Shiloh, H7887 and set up H7931 the tabernacle H168 of the congregation H4150 there. And the land H776 was subdued H3533 before H6440 them.
Then all the children H1121 of Israel H3478 went out, H3318 and the congregation H5712 was gathered together H6950 as one H259 man, H376 from Dan H1835 even to Beersheba, H884 with the land H776 of Gilead, H1568 unto the LORD H3068 in Mizpeh. H4709 And the chief H6438 of all the people, H5971 even of all the tribes H7626 of Israel, H3478 presented H3320 themselves in the assembly H6951 of the people H5971 of God, H430 four H702 hundred H3967 thousand H505 footmen H376 H7273 that drew H8025 sword. H2719 (Now the children H1121 of Benjamin H1144 heard H8085 that the children H1121 of Israel H3478 were gone up H5927 to Mizpeh.) H4709 Then said H559 the children H1121 of Israel, H3478 Tell H1696 us, how was H1961 this wickedness? H7451 And the Levite, H3881 H376 the husband H376 of the woman H802 that was slain, H7523 answered H6030 and said, H559 I came H935 into Gibeah H1390 that belongeth to Benjamin, H1144 I and my concubine, H6370 to lodge. H3885 And the men H1167 of Gibeah H1390 rose H6965 against me, and beset H5437 the house H1004 round about H5437 upon me by night, H3915 and thought H1819 to have slain H2026 me: and my concubine H6370 have they forced, H6031 that she is dead. H4191 And I took H270 my concubine, H6370 and cut her in pieces, H5408 and sent H7971 her throughout all the country H7704 of the inheritance H5159 of Israel: H3478 for they have committed H6213 lewdness H2154 and folly H5039 in Israel. H3478 Behold, ye are all children H1121 of Israel; H3478 give H3051 here H1988 your advice H1697 and counsel. H6098 And all the people H5971 arose H6965 as one H259 man, H376 saying, H559 We will not any H376 of us go H3212 to his tent, H168 neither will we any H376 of us turn H5493 into his house. H1004 But now this shall be the thing H1697 which we will do H6213 to Gibeah; H1390 we will go up by lot H1486 against it; And we will take H3947 ten H6235 men H582 of an hundred H3967 throughout all the tribes H7626 of Israel, H3478 and an hundred H3967 of a thousand, H505 and a thousand H505 out of ten thousand, H7233 to fetch H3947 victual H6720 for the people, H5971 that they may do, H6213 when they come H935 to Gibeah H1387 of Benjamin, H1144 according to all the folly H5039 that they have wrought H6213 in Israel. H3478 So all the men H376 of Israel H3478 were gathered H622 against the city, H5892 knit together H2270 as one H259 man. H376
And G2532 when G3753 Peter G4074 was come up G305 to G1519 Jerusalem, G2414 they that were of G1537 the circumcision G4061 contended G1252 with G4314 him, G846 Saying, G3004 G3754 Thou wentest in G1525 to G4314 men G435 uncircumcised, G203 G2192 and G2532 didst eat G4906 with them. G846
For G1063 I bear G3140 them G846 record G3140 that G3754 they have G2192 a zeal G2205 of God, G2316 but G235 not G3756 according G2596 to knowledge. G1922
They zealously affect G2206 you, G5209 but not G3756 well; G2573 yea, G235 they would G2309 exclude G1576 you, G5209 that G2443 ye might affect G2206 them. G846 But G1161 it is good G2570 to be zealously affected G2206 always G3842 in G1722 a good G2570 thing, and G2532 not G3361 only G3440 when G1722 I G3165 am present G3918 with G4314 you. G5209
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Joshua 22
Commentary on Joshua 22 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 22
Jos 22:1-9. Joshua Dismisses the Two Tribes and a Half, with a Blessing.
1. Then Joshua called the Reubenites, and the Gadites, and the half tribe of Manasseh—The general war of invasion being ended and the enemy being in so dispirited and isolated a condition that each tribe, by its own resources or with the aid of its neighboring tribe, was able to repress any renewed hostilities, the auxiliary Israelites from the eastern side of the Jordan were now discharged from service. Joshua dismissed them with high commendations for their fidelity and earnest admonitions to cultivate perpetual piety in life. The redundancy of the language is remarkable [Jos 22:2-5]. It shows how important, in the judgment of the venerable leader, a steadfast observance of the divine law was to personal happiness, as well as national prosperity.
3. Ye have not left your brethren these many days unto this day—for the space of seven years.
4-7. get you unto your tents—that is, home; for their families had been left in fortified towns (Nu 32:17).
8. he spake unto them, saying, Return with much riches—in cattle, clothes, and precious metals.
divide the spoil of your enemies with your brethren—(See on Nu 31:25-39).
Jos 22:10. They Build the Altar of Testimony on Their Journey.
10. when they came unto the borders of Jordan, that are in the land of Canaan, the children of Reuben … built there an altar by Jordan—This altar was probably an immense pile of stones and earth. The generality of our translators supposes that it was reared on the banks of the Jordan, within the limits of Canaan proper. But a little closer examination seems to make the conclusion irresistible that its position was on the eastern side of the river, for these two reasons; first, because it is said (Jos 22:11) to have been built "over against," or in the sight of the land of Canaan—not within it; and secondly, because the declared motive of the trans-jordanic Israelites in erecting it was to prevent their brethren in Canaan ever saying, "in time to come, What have ye to do with the Lord God of Israel? For the Lord hath made Jordan a border between us and you," &c. [Jos 22:24, 25]. Such a taunt would be obviously prevented or confuted by the two tribes and a half having on the eastern side of Jordan, within their own land, a facsimile of the altar at Shiloh, as a witness that they acknowledged the same God and practised the same rites of worship as the brethren in Canaan.
Jos 22:11-29. Contention Thereupon.
11-29. and the children of Israel heard say—Fame speedily spread intelligence of what the trans-jordanic tribes had done. The act being suspected of some idolatrous design, the tribes rose in a mass, and repairing to the tabernacle at Shiloh, resolved to declare war against the two tribes and a half as apostates from God. On calmer and more mature consideration, however, they determined, in the first instance, to send a deputation consisting of the son of the high priest, and ten eminent persons from each tribe, to make inquiry into this rumored rebellion against God (De 13:13-15). The quality of the deputies evinced the deep solicitude that was felt on the occasion to maintain the purity of the divine worship throughout Israel. In the presumptive belief that the two tribes and a half had really built an altar, the deputies expressed astonishment at their so soon falling into such a heinous crime as that of violating the unity of divine worship (Ex 20:24; Leviticus 17:8, 9; De 12:5-13). They reminded their eastern brethren of the disastrous consequences that were entailed on the nation at large by the apostasy at Peor and by the sin of Achan, and finally exhorted them, if they felt the want of the tabernacle and altar and repented of their rash choice in preferring worldly advantages to religious privileges, to remove to the western side of the Jordan, where all the tribes would form a united and obedient community of worshippers.
21. Then the children of Reuben … answered—repudiating, in the strongest terms, the alleged crime, and deponing that so far from entertaining the intention imputed to them, their only object was to perpetuate the memory of their alliance with Israel [Jos 22:24, 25], and their adherence to the worship of Israel's God [Jos 22:26, 27].
Jos 22:30-34. The Deputies Satisfied.
33, 34. the thing pleased the children of Israel—The explanation not only gave perfect satisfaction to the deputies, but elicited from them expressions of unbounded joy and thankfulness. "This day we perceive that the Lord is among us" [Jos 22:31], that is, by His gracious presence and preventing goodness, which has kept you from falling into the suspected sin and rescued the nation from the calamity of a fratricidal war or providential judgments. This episode reflects honor upon all parties and shows that piety and zeal for the honor and worship of God animated the people that entered Canaan to an extent far beyond what was exemplified in many other periods of the history of Israel.