אָז יִקְרָא יְהוֹשֻׁעַ לָראוּבֵנִי וְלַגָּדִי וְלַחֲצִי מַטֵּה מְנַשֶּׁה׃   22:1

Josh. 22:1   Then Joshua called to the Reubenites and to the Gadites and to the half tribe of Manasseh,

Notice that in Josh. 13:1 Joshua had been described as old and full of days.  Yet here we are, apparently soon after much of the land of Canaan had been conquered and Josjua seems to still be relatively strong.  Was Joshua still not much older than forty or fifty years old, or was he much older?  Did it take many years to conquer Canaan?

וַיֹּאמֶר אֲלֵיהֶם אַתֶּם שְׁמַרְתֶּם אֵת כָּל־אֲשֶׁר צִוָּה אֶתְכֶם מֹשֶׁה עֶבֶד יְהוָה וַתִּשְׁמְעוּ בְקוֹלִי לְכֹל   22:2

אֲשֶׁר־צִוִּיתִי אֶתְכֶם׃

Josh. 22:2   and said to them, “You have kept all that Moses, servant of the Lord, commanded you and have listened into my voice for all that I commanded you.”

לֹא־עֲזַבְתֶּם אֶת־אֲחֵיכֶם זֶה יָמִים רַבִּים עַד הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה וּשְׁמַרְתֶּם אֶת־מִשְׁמֶרֶת מִצְוַת יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵיכֶם׃   22:3

Josh. 22:3   “You did not forsake your brethren these many days until this day, and kept the charge of the commandment of the Lord, your God.”

וְעַתָּה הֵנִיחַ יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵיכֶם לַאֲחֵיכֶם כַּאֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר לָהֶם וְעַתָּה פְּנוּ וּלְכוּ לָכֶם לְאָהֳלֵיכֶם אֶל־אֶרֶץ   22:4

אֲחֻזַּתְכֶם אֲשֶׁר נָתַן לָכֶם מֹשֶׁה עֶבֶד יְהוָה בְּעֵבֶר הַיַּרְדֵּן׃

Josh. 22:4   “And now the Lord, your God, has given peace to your brethren as He spoke to them, so now turn and go for yourselves to your tents, to the land of your possession, which Moses, servant of the Lord, gave to you on the other side of the Jordan.”

רַק שִׁמְרוּ מְאֹד לַעֲשׂוֹת אֶת־הַמִּצְוָה וְאֶת־הַתּוֹרָה אֲשֶׁר צִוָּה אֶתְכֶם מֹשֶׁה עֶבֶד־יְהוָה לְאַהֲבָה אֶת־   22:5

יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵיכֶם וְלָלֶכֶת בְּכָל־דְּרָכָיו וְלִשְׁמֹר מִצְוֺתָיו וּלְדָבְקָה־בוֹ וּלְעָבְדוֹ בְּכָל־לְבַבְכֶם וּבְכָל־נַפְשְׁכֶם׃

Josh. 22:5   “Only take diligent heed to do the commandment and the law that Moses, servant of the Lord, commanded you, to love the Lord, your God, and to walk in all His ways and to keep His commandments and to join with Him and to serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul.”

Please notice that Joshua names the commandment to love the Lord, our God first.  Apparently he also believed this to be the most important commandment.

וַיְבָרְכֵם יְהוֹשֻׁעַ וַיְשַׁלְּחֵם וַיֵּלְכוּ אֶל־אָהֳלֵיהֶם׃   22:6

Josh. 22:6   And Joshua blessed them and sent them off, and they went to their tents.

וְלַחֲצִי שֵׁבֶט הַמְנַשֶּׁה נָתַן מֹשֶׁה בַּבָּשָׁן וּלְחֶצְיוֹ נָתַן יְהוֹשֻׁעַ עִם־אֲחֵיהֶם מֵעֵבֶר הַיַּרְדֵּן יָמָּהו ְגַם כִּי   22:7

שִׁלְּחָם יְהוֹשֻׁעַ אֶל־אָהֳלֵיהֶם וַיְבָרֲכֵם׃

Josh. 22:7   Now Moses gave to the half tribe of Manasseh in Bashan, and Joshua gave to the other half beside their brethren, from the side of the Jordan to the west.  And also when Joshua sent them off to their tents, then he blessed them,

וַיֹּאמֶר אֲלֵיהֶם לֵאמֹר בִּנְכָסִים רַבִּים שׁוּבוּ אֶל־אָהֳלֵיכֶם וּבְמִקְנֶה רַב־מְאֹד בְּכֶסֶף וּבְזָהָב   22:8

וּבִנְחֹשֶׁת וּבְבַרְזֶל וּבִשְׂלָמוֹת הַרְבֵּה מְאֹד חִלְקוּ שְׁלַל־אֹיְבֵיכֶם עִם־אֲחֵיכֶם׃

Josh. 22:8   and he spoke to them saying, “With much riches, return to your tents, and with very many cattle, with silver and with gold and with brass and with iron, and with very many garments.  Divide the spoil of your enemies with your brethren.”

וַיָּשֻׁבוּ וַיֵּלְכוּ בְּנֵי־רְאוּבֵן וּבְנֵי־גָד וַחֲצִי שֵׁבֶט הַמְנַשֶּׁה מֵאֵת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל מִשִּׁלֹה אֲשֶׁר בְּאֶרֶץ־כְּנָעַן   22:9

לָלֶכֶת אֶל־אֶרֶץ הַגִּלְעָד אֶל־אֶרֶץ אֲחֻזָּתָם אֲשֶׁר נֹאחֲזוּ־בָהּ עַל־פִּי יְהוָה בְּיַד־מֹשֶׁה׃

Josh. 22:9   And the children of Reuben and the children of Gad and the half tribe of Manasseh turned back and went from the children of Israel, from Shiloh, which is in the land of Canaan, to go to the land of Gilead, to the land of their possession of which they took possession, according to the word of the Lord by the hand of Moses.

וַיָּבֹאוּ אֶל־גְּלִילוֹת הַיַּרְדֵּן אֲשֶׁר בְּאֶרֶץ כְּנָעַן וַיִּבְנוּ בְנֵי־רְאוּבֵן וּבְנֵי־גָד וַחֲצִי שֵׁבֶט הַמְנַשֶּׁה שָׁם   22:10

מִזְבֵּחַ עַל־הַיַּרְדֵּן מִזְבֵּחַ גָּדוֹל לְמַרְאֶה׃

Josh. 22:10   And they came to the region of the Jordan that was in the land of Canaan, and the children of Reuben and the children of Gad and the half tribe of Manasseh built there an altar by the Jordan, an altar great to look upon.

וַיִּשְׁמְעוּ בְנֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵל לֵאמֹר הִנֵּה בָנוּ בְנֵי־רְאוּבֵן וּבְנֵי־גָד וַחֲצִי שֵׁבֶט הַמְנַשֶּׁה אֶת־הַמִּזְבֵּחַ אֶל־   22:11

מוּל אֶרֶץ כְּנַעַן אֶל־גְּלִילוֹת הַיַּרְדֵּן אֶל־עֵבֶר בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל׃

Josh. 22:11   And the children of Israel proclaimed saying, “Behold, the children of Reuben and the children of Gad and the half tribe of Manasseh have built the altar on the frontier of the land of Canaan at the region of the Jordan on the side of the children of Israel.”

וַיִּשְׁמְעוּ בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וַיִּקָּהֲלוּ כָּל־עֲדַת בְּנֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵל שִׁלֹה לַעֲלוֹת עֲלֵיהֶם לַצָּבָא׃   22:12

Josh. 22:12   And the children of Israel heard and the whole congregation of the children of Israel gathered together at Shiloh to go up against them to make war.

וַיִּשְׁלְחוּ בְנֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶל־בְּנֵי־רְאוּבֵן וְאֶל־בְּנֵי־גָד וְאֶל־חֲצִי שֵׁבֶט־מְנַשֶּׁה אֶל־אֶרֶץ הַגִּלְעָד אֶת־   22:13

פִּינְחָס בֶּן־אֶלְעָזָר הַכֹּהֵן׃

Josh. 22:13   And the children of Israel sent Phinehas son of Eleazar, the priest, to the children of Reuben and to the children of Gad and to the half tribe of Manasseh, to the land of Gilead,

וַעֲשָׂרָה נְשִׂאִים עִמּוֹ נָשִׂיא אֶחָד נָשִׂיא אֶחָד לְבֵית אָב לְכֹל מַטּוֹת יִשְׂרָאֵל וְאִישׁ רֹאשׁ בֵּית־   22:14

אֲבוֹתָם הֵמָּה לְאַלְפֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל׃

Josh. 22:14   and ten chiefs with him, one chief, one chief to the house of a father for each of the tribes of Israel, and they were all the head of their father's house for the thousands of Israel.

וַיָּבֹאוּ אֶל־בְּנֵי־רְאוּבֵן וְאֶל־בְּנֵי־גָד וְאֶל־חֲצִי שֵׁבֶט־מְנַשֶּׁה אֶל־אֶרֶץ הַגִּלְעָד וַיְדַבְּרוּ אִתָּם לֵאמֹר׃   22:15

Josh. 22:15   And they came to the children of Reuben and to the children of Gad and to the half tribe of Manasseh, to the land of Gilead, and they spoke with them saying,

כֹּה אָמְרוּ כֹּל עֲדַת יְהוָה מָה־הַמַּעַל הַזֶּה אֲשֶׁר מְעַלְתֶּם בֵּאלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל לָשׁוּב הַיּוֹם מֵאַחֲרֵי   22:16

יְהוָה בִּבְנוֹתְכֶם לָכֶם מִזְבֵּחַ לִמְרָדְכֶם הַיּוֹם בַּיהוָה׃׃

Josh. 22:16  “Thus the entire congregation of the Lord has said:  ‘What treachery is this that you have committed against the God of Israel, turning today from following the Lord, in building for yourselves an altar, rebelling today against the Lord?”

הַמְעַט־לָנוּ אֶת־עֲוֺן פְּעוֹר אֲשֶׁר לֹא־הִטַּהַרְנוּ מִמֶּנּוּ עַד הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה וַיְהִי הַנֶּגֶף בַּעֲדַת יְהוָה׃   22:17

Josh. 22:17   “Is the iniquity of Peor too small for us that we are not cleansed from ourselves until this day when there was the plague in the congregation of the Lord,

וְאַתֶּם תָּשֻׁבוּ הַיּוֹם מֵאַחֲרֵי יְהוָה וְהָיָה אַתֶּם תִּמְרְדוּ הַיּוֹם בַּיהוָה וּמָחָר אֶל־כָּל־עֲדַת יִשְׂרָאֵל   22:18

 יִקְצֹף׃

Josh. 22:18   that you must turn away today from following the Lord?  Then it will be, you will rebel today against the Lord and tomorrow He will be ‘angry’ with the whole congregation of Israel.”

וְאַךְ אִם־טְמֵאָה אֶרֶץ אֲחֻזַּתְכֶם עִבְרוּ לָכֶם אֶל־אֶרֶץ אֲחֻזַּת יְהוָה אֲשֶׁר שָׁכַן־שָׁם מִשְׁכַּן יְהוָה   22:19

וְהֵאָחֲזוּ בְּתוֹכֵנוּ וּבַיהוָה אַל־תִּמְרֹדוּ וְאֹתָנוּ אֶל־תִּמְרֹדוּ בִּבְנֹתְכֶם לָכֶם מִזְבֵּחַ מִבַּלְעֲדֵי מִזְבַּח

יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵינוּ׃

Josh. 22:19   “But yet, if the land of your possession is unclean, come over yourselves to the land of the possession of the Lord where the Tabernacle of the Lord dwells and take possession in our midst, but do not rebel against the Lord and do not rebel against us by building for yourselves an altar besides the altar of the Lord, our God.”

I ask myself:  Who is not being presumptuous here?  Is this not the kettle calling the pot black?  The children of Israel erected the Tabernacle in Shiloh, a place I believe not chosen by the Lord.  And they built an altar of stone there.  Did they not even use the holy sacrificial altar that they’d carried about for forty years?  As I see it, their sin was as great, if not greater, than the Reubenites, et al.  And they were ready to go to war over it.  Can any of us see the hump on our back?

הֲלוֹא עָכָן בֶּן־זֶרַח מָעַל מַעַל בַּחֵרֶם וְעַל־כָּל־עֲדַת יִשְׂרָאֵל הָיָה קָצֶף וְהוּא אִישׁ אֶחָד לֹא גָוַע   22:20

בַּעֲוֺנוֹ׃

Josh. 22:20   “Did not Achan son of Zerah commit a trespass with the dedicated thing and there was anger on all the congregation of Israel, that not only that man perished in his iniquity?”

וַיַּעֲנוּ בְּנֵי־רְאוּבֵן וּבְנֵי־גָד וַחֲצִי שֵׁבֶט הַמְנַשֶּׁה וַיְדַבְּרוּ אֶת־רָאשֵׁי אַלְפֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל׃   22:21

Josh. 22:21   Then the children of Reuben and the children of Gad and the half tribe of Manasseh answered and told the heads of the thousands of Israel:

אֵל אֱלֹהִים יְהוָה אֵל אֱלֹהִים יְהוָה הוּא יֹדֵעַ וְיִשְׂרָאֵל הוּא יֵדָע אִם־בְּמֶרֶד וְאִם־בְּמַעַל בַּיהוָה   22:22

אַל־תּוֹשִׁיעֵנוּ הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה׃

Josh. 22:22   “God of gods is the Lord!  God, O God, O Lord!  He knows.  And Israel, he will know.  If in rebellion or if in treachery against the Lord, do not save us this day

לִבְנוֹת לָנוּ מִזְבֵּחַ לָשׁוּב מֵאַחֲרֵי יְהוָה וְאִם־לְהַעֲלוֹת עָלָיו עוֹלָה וּמִנְחָה וְאִם־לַעֲשׂוֹת עָלָיו זִבְחֵי   22:23

שְׁלָמִים יְהוָה הוּא יְבַקֵּשׁ׃

Josh. 22:23   for building an altar for ourselves to turn away from following the Lord, or if to offer on it a burnt offering or a meal offering, or if to offer on it sacrifices of peace offerings, the Lord Himself will require,

וְאִם־לֹא מִדְּאָגָה מִדָּבָר עָשִׂינוּ אֶת־זֹאת לֵאמֹר מָחָר יֹאמְרוּ בְנֵיכֶם לְבָנֵינוּ לֵאמֹר מַה־לָּכֶם   22:24

וְלַיהוָה אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל׃

Josh. 22:24   and if not out of anxiety from a duty we did this saying, ‘In the future your children will speak to our children saying, ‘What is for you and for the Lord, God of Israel,

וּגְבוּל נָתַן־יְהוָה בֵּינֵנוּ וּבֵינֵיכֶם בְּנֵי־רְאוּבֵן וּבְנֵי־גָד אֶת־הַיַּרְדֵּן אֵין־לָכֶם חֵלֶק בַּיהוָה וְהִשְׁבִּיתוּ   22:25

בְנֵיכֶם אֶת־בָּנֵינוּ לְבִלְתִּי יְרֹא אֶת־יְהוָה׃

Josh. 22:25   that the Lord made the Jordan a border between us and you, children of Reuben and children of Gad?  There is no portion for you with the Lord.  And your children would leave our children to not revere the Lord.’

וַנֹּאמֶר נַעֲשֶׂה־נָּא לָנוּ לִבְנוֹת אֶת־הַמִּזְבֵּחַ לֹא לְעוֹלָה וְלֹא לְזָבַח׃   22:26

Josh. 22:26   ‘So we said, ‘Let us now prepare for ourselves to build the altar not for a burnt offering and not for a sacrifice;

כִּי עֵד הוּא בֵּינֵינוּ וּבֵינֵיכֶם וּבֵין דֹּרוֹתֵינוּ אַחֲרֵינוּ לַעֲבֹד אֶת־עֲבֹדַת יְהוָה לְפָנָיו בְּעֹלוֹתֵינוּ   22:27

וּבִזְבָחֵינוּ וּבִשְׁלָמֵינוּ וְלֹא־יֹאמְרוּ בְנֵיכֶם מָחָר לְבָנֵינוּ אֵין־לָכֶם חֵלֶק בַּיהוָה׃

Josh. 22:27   it shall be for a witness between us and you and between our generations after us to do the service of the Lord before Him with our burnt offerings and with our sacrifices and with our peace offerings that your children will not say in the future to our children, ‘There is no portion for you with the Lord.’”

וַנֹּאמֶר וְהָיָה כִּי־יֹאמְרוּ אֵלֵינוּ וְאֶל־דֹּרֹתֵינוּ מָחָר וְאָמַרְנוּ רְאוּ אֶת־תַּבְנִית מִזְבַּח יְהוָה אֲשֶׁר־עָשׂוּ   22:28

אֲבוֹתֵינוּ לֹא לְעוֹלָה וְלֹא לְזֶבַח כִּי־עֵד הוּא בֵּינֵינוּ וּבֵינֵיכֶם׃

Josh. 22:28   “And we said, ‘Then it shall be, when they say to us or to our generations in the future, that we shall say, ‘See the pattern of the altar of the Lord that our fathers made.  It is not for a burnt offering and it is not for a sacrifice, but a witness it is between us and you.’”

חָלִילָה לָּנוּ מִמֶּנּוּ לִמְרֹד בַּיהוָה וְלָשׁוּב הַיּוֹם מֵאַחֲרֵי יְהוָה לִבְנוֹת מִזְבֵּחַ לְעֹלָה לְמִנְחָה וּלְזָבַח   22:29

מִלְּבַד מִזְבַּח יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵינוּ אֲשֶׁר לִפְנֵי מִשְׁכָּנוֹ׃

Josh. 22:29   “Far be from it for us to rebel against the Lord and to turn away today from following the Lord to build an altar for a burnt offering, for a meal offering, or for a sacrifice besides the altar of the Lord, our God, that is before His Tabernacle.”

וַיִּשְׁמַע פִּינְחָס הַכֹּהֵן וּנְשִׂיאֵי הָעֵדָה וְרָאשֵׁי אַלְפֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אֲשֶׁר אִתּוֹ אֶת־הַדְּבָרִים אֲשֶׁר דִּבְּרוּ   22:30

בְּנֵי־רְאוּבֵן וּבְנֵי־גָד וּבְנֵי מְנַשֶּׁה וַיִּיטַב בְּעֵינֵיהֶם׃

Josh. 22:30   And Phinehas, the priest, heard, with the chiefs of the congregation and the heads of thousands of Israel who were with him, the words that the children of Reuben and the children of Gad and the children of Manasseh spoke, and it was good in their eyes.

וַיֹּאמֶר פִּינְחָס בֶּן־אֶלְעָזָר הַכֹּהֵן אֶל־בְּנֵי־רְאוּבֵן וְאֶל־בְּנֵי־גָד וְאֶל־בְּנֵי מְנַשֶּׁה הַיּוֹם יָדַעְנוּ כִּי־   22:31

בְתוֹכֵנוּ יְהוָה אֲשֶׁר לֹא־מְעַלְתֶּם בַּיהוָה הַמַּעַל הַזֶּה אָז הִצַּלְתֶּם אֶת־בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל מִיַּד יְהוָה׃

Josh. 22:31   And Phinehas son of Eleazar, the priest, said to the children of Reuben and to the children of Gad and to the children of Manasseh, “Today we know that the Lord is in our midst, that you did not commit this treachery against the Lord; then you have saved the children of Israel from the ‘hand’ of the Lord.”

וַיָּשָׁב פִּינְחָס בֶּן־אֶלְעָזָר הַכֹּהֵן וְהַנְּשִׂיאִים מֵאֵת בְּנֵי־רְאוּבֵן וּמֵאֵת בְּנֵי־גָד מֵאֶרֶץ הַגִּלְעָד אֶל־אֶרֶץ   22:32

כְּנַעַן אֶל־בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וַיָּשִׁבוּ אוֹתָם דָּבָר׃

Josh. 22:32   Then Phinehas son of Eleazar, the priest, and the chiefs from the children of Reuben and from the children of Gad, returned from the land of Gilead to the land of Canaan, to the children of Israel and brought them back word.

וַיִּיטַב הַדָּבָר בְּעֵינֵי בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וַיְבָרֲכוּ אֱלֹהִים בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וְלֹא אָמְרוּ לַעֲלוֹת עֲלֵיהֶם לַצָּבָא   22:33

לְשַׁחֵת אֶת־הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר בְּנֵי־רְאוּבֵן וּבְנֵי־גָד יֹשְׁבִים בָּהּ׃

Josh. 22:33   And the matter was good in the eyes of the children of Israel, and God blessed the children of Israel, and they spoke no more of going up against them to make war, to destroy the land in which the children of Reuben and the children of Gad were dwelling.

וַיִּקְרְאוּ בְּנֵי־רְאוּבֵן וּבְנֵי־גָד לַמִּזְבֵּחַ כִּי עֵד הוּא בֵּינֹתֵינוּ כִּי יְהוָה הָאֱלֹהִים׃   22:34

Josh. 22:34   And the children of Reuben and the children of Gad gave a name to the altar, for it is a witness between us that it is the Lord Who is God.

To me this sounds like forgiving a sin so that the forgiving one would be forgiven his sin.  Both of these parties set a precedent that would be followed throughout the coming centuries, that of building altars wherever humans decide is appropriate.  They were already ignoring some of the Lord’s commandments.  Soon there would be altars to other gods.

[Return to Joshua Chapters]    [Prev.:  Josh. 21]    [Next:  Josh. 23]