21 Then the children H1121 of Reuben H7205 and the children H1121 of Gad H1410 and the half H2677 tribe H7626 of Manasseh H4519 answered, H6030 and said H1696 unto the heads H7218 of the thousands H505 of Israel, H3478
Moreover thou shalt provide H2372 out of all the people H5971 able H2428 men, H582 such as fear H3373 God, H430 men H582 of truth, H571 hating H8130 covetousness; H1215 and place H7760 such over them, to be rulers H8269 of thousands, H505 and rulers H8269 of hundreds, H3967 rulers H8269 of fifties, H2572 and rulers H8269 of tens: H6235 And let them judge H8199 the people H5971 at all seasons: H6256 and it shall be, that every great H1419 matter H1697 they shall bring H935 unto thee, but every small H6996 matter H1697 they shall judge: H8199 so shall it be easier H7043 for thyself, and they shall bear H5375 the burden with thee. If thou shalt do H6213 this thing, H1697 and God H430 command H6680 thee so, then thou shalt be able H3201 to endure, H5975 and all this people H5971 shall also go H935 to their place H4725 in peace. H7965 So Moses H4872 hearkened H8085 to the voice H6963 of his father in law, H2859 and did H6213 all that he had said. H559 And Moses H4872 chose H977 able H2428 men H582 out of all Israel, H3478 and made H5414 them heads H7218 over the people, H5971 rulers H8269 of thousands, H505 rulers H8269 of hundreds, H3967 rulers H8269 of fifties, H2572 and rulers H8269 of tens. H6235
He that answereth H7725 a matter H1697 before he heareth H8085 it, it is folly H200 and shame H3639 unto him.
Every man shall kiss H5401 his lips H8193 that giveth H7725 a right H5228 answer. H1697
But thou, Bethlehem H1035 Ephratah, H672 though thou be little H6810 among the thousands H505 of Judah, H3063 yet out of thee shall he come forth H3318 unto me that is to be ruler H4910 in Israel; H3478 whose goings forth H4163 have been from of old, H6924 from everlasting. H3117 H5769
But G1161 Peter G4074 rehearsed the matter from the beginning, G756 and expounded G1620 it by order G2517 unto them, G846 saying, G3004
Wherefore, G5620 my G3450 beloved G27 brethren, G80 let G2077 every G3956 man G444 be G2077 swift G5036 to G1519 hear, G191 slow G1021 to G1519 speak, G2980 slow G1021 to G1519 wrath: G3709
But G1161 sanctify G37 the Lord G2962 God G2316 in G1722 your G5216 hearts: G2588 and G1161 be ready G2092 always G104 to G4314 give an answer G627 to every man G3956 that asketh G154 you G5209 a reason G3056 of G4012 the hope G1680 that is in G1722 you G5213 with G3326 meekness G4240 and G2532 fear: G5401
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.