1 Then Joshua H3091 called H7121 the Reubenites, H7206 and the Gadites, H1425 and the half H2677 tribe H4294 of Manasseh, H4519
We will not return H7725 unto our houses, H1004 until the children H1121 of Israel H3478 have inherited H5157 every man H376 his inheritance. H5159 For we will not inherit H5157 with them on yonder side H5676 Jordan, H3383 or forward; H1973 because our inheritance H5159 is fallen H935 to us on this side H5676 Jordan H3383 eastward. H4217 And Moses H4872 said H559 unto them, If ye will do H6213 this thing, H1697 if ye will go armed H2502 before H6440 the LORD H3068 to war, H4421 And will go H5674 all of you armed H2502 over H5674 Jordan H3383 before H6440 the LORD, H3068 until he hath driven out H3423 his enemies H341 from before H6440 him, And the land H776 be subdued H3533 before H6440 the LORD: H3068 then afterward H310 ye shall return, H7725 and be guiltless H5355 before the LORD, H3068 and before Israel; H3478 and this land H776 shall be your possession H272 before H6440 the LORD. H3068 But if ye will not do so, H6213 behold, ye have sinned H2398 against the LORD: H3068 and be sure H3045 your sin H2403 will find you out. H4672 Build H1129 you cities H5892 for your little ones, H2945 and folds H1448 for your sheep; H6792 and do H6213 that which hath proceeded H3318 out of your mouth. H6310 And the children H1121 of Gad H1410 and the children H1121 of Reuben H7205 spake H559 unto Moses, H4872 saying, H559 Thy servants H5650 will do H6213 as my lord H113 commandeth. H6680 Our little ones, H2945 our wives, H802 our flocks, H4735 and all our cattle, H929 shall be there in the cities H5892 of Gilead: H1568 But thy servants H5650 will pass over, H5674 every man armed H2502 for war, H6635 before H6440 the LORD H3068 to battle, H4421 as my lord H113 saith. H1696 So concerning them Moses H4872 commanded H6680 Eleazar H499 the priest, H3548 and Joshua H3091 the son H1121 of Nun, H5126 and the chief H7218 fathers H1 of the tribes H4294 of the children H1121 of Israel: H3478 And Moses H4872 said H559 unto them, If the children H1121 of Gad H1410 and the children H1121 of Reuben H7205 will pass with you over H5674 Jordan, H3383 every man armed H2502 to battle, H4421 before H6440 the LORD, H3068 and the land H776 shall be subdued H3533 before H6440 you; then ye shall give H5414 them the land H776 of Gilead H1568 for a possession: H272 But if they will not pass over H5674 with you armed, H2502 they shall have possessions H270 among H8432 you in the land H776 of Canaan. H3667 And the children H1121 of Gad H1410 and the children H1121 of Reuben H7205 answered, H6030 saying, H559 As the LORD H3068 hath said H1696 unto thy servants, H5650 so will we do. H6213 We will H5168 pass over H5674 armed H2502 before H6440 the LORD H3068 into the land H776 of Canaan, H3667 that the possession H272 of our inheritance H5159 on this side H5676 Jordan H3383 may be ours. And Moses H4872 gave H5414 unto them, even to the children H1121 of Gad, H1410 and to the children H1121 of Reuben, H7205 and unto half H2677 the tribe H7626 of Manasseh H4519 the son H1121 of Joseph, H3130 the kingdom H4467 of Sihon H5511 king H4428 of the Amorites, H567 and the kingdom H4467 of Og H5747 king H4428 of Bashan, H1316 the land, H776 with the cities H5892 thereof in the coasts, H1367 even the cities H5892 of the country H776 round about. H5439
And when ye came H935 unto this place, H4725 Sihon H5511 the king H4428 of Heshbon, H2809 and Og H5747 the king H4428 of Bashan, H1316 came out H3318 against H7125 us unto battle, H4421 and we smote H5221 them: And we took H3947 their land, H776 and gave H5414 it for an inheritance H5159 unto the Reubenites, H7206 and to the Gadites, H1425 and to the half H2677 tribe H7626 of Manasseh. H4520
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.