17 Is the iniquity H5771 of Peor H6465 too little H4592 for us, from which we are not cleansed H2891 until this day, H3117 although there was a plague H5063 in the congregation H5712 of the LORD, H3068
And Israel H3478 abode H3427 in Shittim, H7851 and the people H5971 began H2490 to commit whoredom H2181 with the daughters H1323 of Moab. H4124 And they called H7121 the people H5971 unto the sacrifices H2077 of their gods: H430 and the people H5971 did eat, H398 and bowed down H7812 to their gods. H430 And Israel H3478 joined H6775 himself unto Baalpeor: H1187 and the anger H639 of the LORD H3068 was kindled H2734 against Israel. H3478 And the LORD H3068 said H559 unto Moses, H4872 Take H3947 all the heads H7218 of the people, H5971 and hang them up H3363 before H5048 the LORD H3068 against the sun, H8121 that the fierce H2740 anger H639 of the LORD H3068 may be turned away H7725 from Israel. H3478 And Moses H4872 said H559 unto the judges H8199 of Israel, H3478 Slay H2026 ye every H376 one H376 his men H582 that were joined H6775 unto Baalpeor. H1187 And, behold, one H376 of the children H1121 of Israel H3478 came H935 and brought H7126 unto his brethren H251 a Midianitish woman H4084 in the sight H5869 of Moses, H4872 and in the sight H5869 of all the congregation H5712 of the children H1121 of Israel, H3478 who were weeping H1058 before the door H6607 of the tabernacle H168 of the congregation. H4150 And when Phinehas, H6372 the son H1121 of Eleazar, H499 the son H1121 of Aaron H175 the priest, H3548 saw H7200 it, he rose up H6965 from among H8432 the congregation, H5712 and took H3947 a javelin H7420 in his hand; H3027 And he went H935 after H310 the man H376 of Israel H3478 into the tent, H6898 and thrust H1856 both H8147 of them through, the man H376 of Israel, H3478 and the woman H802 through H413 her belly. H6897 So the plague H4046 was stayed H6113 from the children H1121 of Israel. H3478 And those that died H4191 in the plague H4046 were twenty H6242 and four H702 thousand. H505 And the LORD H3068 spake H1696 unto Moses, H4872 saying, H559 Phinehas, H6372 the son H1121 of Eleazar, H499 the son H1121 of Aaron H175 the priest, H3548 hath turned H7725 my wrath H2534 away H7725 from the children H1121 of Israel, H3478 while he was zealous H7065 for my sake H7068 among H8432 them, that I consumed H3615 not the children H1121 of Israel H3478 in my jealousy. H7068 Wherefore say, H559 Behold, I give H5414 unto him my covenant H1285 of peace: H7965 And he shall have it, and his seed H2233 after H310 him, even the covenant H1285 of an everlasting H5769 priesthood; H3550 because H834 he was zealous H7065 for his God, H430 and made an atonement H3722 for the children H1121 of Israel. H3478 Now the name H8034 of the Israelite H376 that was slain, H5221 even that was slain H5221 with the Midianitish woman, H4084 was Zimri, H2174 the son H1121 of Salu, H5543 a prince H5387 of a chief H1 house H1004 among the Simeonites. H8099 And the name H8034 of the Midianitish H4084 woman H802 that was slain H5221 was Cozbi, H3579 the daughter H1323 of Zur; H6698 he was head H7218 over a people, H523 and of a chief H1 house H1004 in Midian. H4080 And the LORD H3068 spake H1696 unto Moses, H4872 saying, H559 Vex H6887 the Midianites, H4084 and smite H5221 them: For they vex H6887 you with their wiles, H5231 wherewith they have beguiled H5230 you in the matter H1697 of Peor, H6465 and in the matter H1697 of Cozbi, H3579 the daughter H1323 of a prince H5387 of Midian, H4080 their sister, H269 which was slain H5221 in the day H3117 of the plague H4046 for Peor's H6465 sake. H1697
Your eyes H5869 have seen H7200 what the LORD H3068 did H6213 because of Baalpeor: H1187 for all the men H376 that followed H310 H1980 Baalpeor, H1187 the LORD H3068 thy God H430 hath destroyed H8045 them from among H7130 you. But ye that did cleave H1695 unto the LORD H3068 your God H430 are alive H2416 every one of you this day. H3117
And after H310 all that is come H935 upon us for our evil H7451 deeds, H4639 and for our great H1419 trespass, H819 seeing that thou our God H430 hast punished H2820 us less H4295 than our iniquities H5771 deserve, and hast given H5414 us such deliverance H6413 as this; Should we again H7725 break H6565 thy commandments, H4687 and join in affinity H2859 with the people H5971 of these abominations? H8441 wouldest not thou be angry H599 with us till thou hadst consumed H3615 us, so that there should be no remnant H7611 nor escaping? H6413
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.