CLARITY EDITION · OLD TESTAMENT
Joshua 22
Chapter 22 of 24
Chapter Overview
What happens in Joshua 22
Joshua sends the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and eastern Manasseh home with his blessing. On their way, they build a large altar near the Jordan River. The other tribes think they are rebelling against God, nearly causing a civil war, until the eastern tribes explain the altar is only a memorial.
Scripture
Joshua 22
Joshua Sends the Eastern Tribes Home
Study note
The tribes of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh had faithfully kept their promise. They had crossed the Jordan with the other tribes and fought alongside them for years until the land was conquered. Now Joshua praised them for their faithfulness and sent them home to their own territories east of the Jordan. He blessed them and told them to love the Lord, obey his commands, and share the plunder of war with their relatives who had stayed behind to guard the women, children, and livestock.
1 Joshua called together the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh. Then Joshua called the Reubenites, and the Gadites, and the half tribe of Manasseh,
2 He told them, "You have followed every instruction that Moses the Lord's servant gave you. You have also obeyed everything I have told you. And said unto them, Ye have kept all that Moses the servant of the LORD commanded you, and have obeyed my voice in all that I commanded you:
3 All this time you have stood by your fellow Israelites. You have faithfully kept the commands of the Lord your God. Ye have not left your brethren these many days unto this day, but have kept the charge of the commandment of the LORD your God.
4 Now the Lord your God has given your fellow Israelites the peace he promised them. So head home to the land that Moses the Lord's servant gave you on the east side of the Jordan. And now the LORD your God hath given rest unto your brethren, as he promised them: therefore now return ye, and get you unto your tents, and unto the land of your possession, which Moses the servant of the LORD gave you on the other side Jordan.
5 Be very careful to obey the commands and the law that Moses gave you. Love the Lord your God. Walk in all his ways. Keep his commands. Stay close to him. Serve him with everything you have." But take diligent heed to do the commandment and the law, which Moses the servant of the LORD charged you, to love the LORD your God, and to walk in all his ways, and to keep his commandments, and to cleave unto him, and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul.
6 Joshua blessed them and sent them on their way, and they left for home. So Joshua blessed them, and sent them away: and they went unto their tents.
7 Moses had given land in Bashan to one half of the Manasseh tribe, and Joshua gave land west of the Jordan to the other half. When Joshua sent them home, he blessed them. Now to the one half of the tribe of Manasseh Moses had given possession in Bashan: but unto the other half thereof gave Joshua among their brethren on this side Jordan westward. And when Joshua sent them away also unto their tents, then he blessed them,
8 He said, "Go back to your homes loaded down with your great wealth -- huge herds of livestock, silver, gold, bronze, iron, and piles of clothing. Share what you captured from your enemies with your relatives." And he spake unto them, saying, Return with much riches unto your tents, and with very much cattle, with silver, and with gold, and with brass, and with iron, and with very much raiment: divide the spoil of your enemies with your brethren.
9 So the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh left the other Israelites at Shiloh in Canaan. They headed back to Gilead, the land they owned. They had received it following the Lord's instructions through Moses. And the children of Reuben and the children of Gad and the half tribe of Manasseh returned, and departed from the children of Israel out of Shiloh, which is in the land of Canaan, to go unto the country of Gilead, to the land of their possession, whereof they were possessed, according to the word of the LORD by the hand of Moses.
The Altar That Caused a Crisis
Study note
When the eastern tribes reached the Jordan River, they built a large, impressive altar. When the western tribes heard about it, they assumed the eastern tribes were setting up a rival place of worship, which would be a direct violation of God's law. God had commanded that sacrifices be offered only at the Tabernacle. The western tribes gathered at Shiloh, ready to go to war against their own brothers. They remembered how the sin at Peor had brought a plague on Israel, and how Achan's sin had affected the whole community. They sent Phinehas the priest and ten tribal leaders to confront the eastern tribes.
10 They reached the Jordan River in Canaan. Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh built a great altar there by the river. And when they came unto the borders of Jordan, that are in the land of Canaan, the children of Reuben and the children of Gad and the half tribe of Manasseh built there an altar by Jordan, a great altar to see to.
11 The rest of Israel heard a report. "Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh built an altar. It sits at Canaan's border, near the Jordan, on Israel's side." And the children of Israel heard say, Behold, the children of Reuben and the children of Gad and the half tribe of Manasseh have built an altar over against the land of Canaan, in the borders of Jordan, at the passage of the children of Israel.
12 When the Israelites heard this, the whole group gathered at Shiloh, ready to go to war against them. And when the children of Israel heard of it, the whole congregation of the children of Israel gathered themselves together at Shiloh, to go up to war against them.
13 First, Israel sent Phinehas to talk to them. He was the son of Eleazar the priest. He went to Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh in Gilead. And the children of Israel sent unto the children of Reuben, and to the children of Gad, and to the half tribe of Manasseh, into the land of Gilead, Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest,
14 Along with Phinehas they sent ten leaders, one from each of the main Israelite tribes. Every one of them was a family head among their people. And with him ten princes, of each chief house a prince throughout all the tribes of Israel; and each one was an head of the house of their fathers among the thousands of Israel.
15 They went to the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh in Gilead and said, And they came unto the children of Reuben, and to the children of Gad, and to the half tribe of Manasseh, unto the land of Gilead, and they spake with them, saying,
16 "The whole community of the Lord wants to know: What is this betrayal against the God of Israel? You have turned your backs on the Lord by building an altar for yourselves. You are rebelling against him!" Thus saith the whole congregation of the LORD, What trespass is this that ye have committed against the God of Israel, to turn away this day from following the LORD, in that ye have builded you an altar, that ye might rebel this day against the LORD?
17 "Was the sin at Peor not bad enough for us? We have not even fully recovered from that disaster yet, even though it brought a plague on the Lord's community." Is the iniquity of Peor too little for us, from which we are not cleansed until this day, although there was a plague in the congregation of the LORD,
18 "And now you are turning away from the Lord? If you rebel against the Lord today, he will be furious with the whole community of Israel tomorrow." But that ye must turn away this day from following the LORD? and it will be, seeing ye rebel to day against the LORD, that to morrow he will be wroth with the whole congregation of Israel.
19 "If your land is not clean, then come over to the Lord's own land where his Tabernacle stands. Settle among us there. But do not rebel against the Lord. Do not drag us into your rebellion by building another altar beside the altar of the Lord our God." Notwithstanding, if the land of your possession be unclean, then pass ye over unto the land of the possession of the LORD, wherein the LORD's tabernacle dwelleth, and take possession among us: but rebel not against the LORD, nor rebel against us, in building you an altar beside the altar of the LORD our God.
20 "Remember Achan son of Zerah? He took things that were set apart for destruction, and the Lord's anger fell on the entire Israelite community, not just on him. He was not the only one who paid for that sin." Did not Achan the son of Zerah commit a trespass in the accursed thing, and wrath fell on all the congregation of Israel? and that man perished not alone in his iniquity.
The Eastern Tribes Explain
Study note
The eastern tribes were shocked at the accusation. They swore before God that they had not built the altar for burnt offerings or sacrifices. Instead, they had built it as a witness and memorial. They were worried that in the future, the western tribes might tell their children, 'You have no share in the Lord because the Jordan River separates you from us.' The altar was meant to be proof for future generations that the eastern tribes also belonged to the Lord and worshipped him at the Tabernacle, even though they lived on the other side of the river.
21 The tribes of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh gave this answer to the Israelite tribal leaders: Then the children of Reuben and the children of Gad and the half tribe of Manasseh answered, and said unto the heads of the thousands of Israel,
22 "The Lord is the Mighty God! The Lord is the Mighty God! He knows the truth, and we want Israel to know it too! If we acted out of rebellion or disloyalty to the Lord, then do not spare us today." The LORD God of gods, the LORD God of gods, he knoweth, and Israel he shall know; if it be in rebellion, or if in transgression against the LORD, (save us not this day,)
23 "Did we build this altar to turn from the Lord? Did we build it to burn offerings on it? If so, let the Lord judge us." That we have built us an altar to turn from following the LORD, or if to offer thereon burnt offering or meat offering, or if to offer peace offerings thereon, let the LORD himself require it;
24 "The truth is, we did this out of concern for the future. We were afraid that someday your children would say to our children, 'What do you have to do with the Lord, the God of Israel?'" And if we have not rather done it for fear of this thing, saying, In time to come your children might speak unto our children, saying, What have ye to do with the LORD God of Israel?
25 "'The Lord put the Jordan River between us and you. You people of Reuben and Gad have no share in the Lord.' That is what we feared your descendants might say, and it could lead our descendants to stop worshipping the Lord." For the LORD hath made Jordan a border between us and you, ye children of Reuben and children of Gad; ye have no part in the LORD: so shall your children make our children cease from fearing the LORD.
26 "So we said, 'Let us build an altar -- not for burnt offerings or sacrifices,'" Therefore we said, Let us now prepare to build us an altar, not for burnt offering, nor for sacrifice:
27 "Instead, it will be proof for us, for you, and for all future generations that we do worship the Lord at his sanctuary. We bring our burnt offerings, sacrifices, and friendship offerings. That way your children can never say to ours, 'You have no part in the Lord.'" But that it may be a witness between us, and you, and our generations after us, that we might do the service of the LORD before him with our burnt offerings, and with our sacrifices, and with our peace offerings; that your children may not say to our children in time to come, Ye have no part in the LORD.
28 "We thought, 'If they ever say that to us or our children in the future, we can point to this copy of the Lord's altar. We can say, Look — our ancestors built this! Not for burnt offerings or sacrifices, but as lasting proof of the bond between us and you.'" Therefore said we, that it shall be, when they should so say to us or to our generations in time to come, that we may say again, Behold the pattern of the altar of the LORD, which our fathers made, not for burnt offerings, nor for sacrifices; but it is a witness between us and you.
29 "We would never rebel against the Lord. We would never build an altar for burnt offerings or grain offerings. The Lord our God has his altar in front of his tent. That is the only one for those." God forbid that we should rebel against the LORD, and turn this day from following the LORD, to build an altar for burnt offerings, for meat offerings, or for sacrifices, beside the altar of the LORD our God that is before his tabernacle.
Peace Is Restored
Study note
When Phinehas and the tribal leaders heard the explanation, they were satisfied and relieved. Phinehas praised God, saying that this showed the Lord was among them and that they had not been unfaithful. The delegation returned home with a good report. The crisis was over. The eastern tribes named the altar 'A Witness Between Us That the Lord Is God.' This story shows both the importance of faithfulness to God and the value of talking through conflicts before reacting in anger.
30 Phinehas the priest and the community leaders heard what the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and Manasseh had to say. They were satisfied with the answer. And when Phinehas the priest, and the princes of the congregation and heads of the thousands of Israel which were with him, heard the words that the children of Reuben and the children of Gad and the children of Manasseh spake, it pleased them.
31 Phinehas son of Eleazar the priest said to them, "Now we know the Lord is right here among us. You have not betrayed the Lord at all. You have rescued Israel from the Lord's punishment." And Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest said unto the children of Reuben, and to the children of Gad, and to the children of Manasseh, This day we perceive that the LORD is among us, because ye have not committed this trespass against the LORD: now ye have delivered the children of Israel out of the hand of the LORD.
32 Phinehas and the leaders left Reuben and Gad in Gilead. They went back to Canaan to give the report to the people of Israel. And Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest, and the princes, returned from the children of Reuben, and from the children of Gad, out of the land of Gilead, unto the land of Canaan, to the children of Israel, and brought them word again.
33 The Israelites were thrilled with the report. They praised God and dropped all talk of going to war against the eastern tribes or destroying their land. And the thing pleased the children of Israel; and the children of Israel blessed God, and did not intend to go up against them in battle, to destroy the land wherein the children of Reuben and Gad dwelt.
34 The tribes of Reuben and Gad gave the altar a name. They called it "A Witness Between Us That the Lord Is God." And the children of Reuben and the children of Gad called the altar Ed: for it shall be a witness between us that the LORD is God.
Key Themes
Themes in Joshua 22
The importance of communication before conflictFaithfulness to commitments and covenantsUnity among God's people across distanceBuilding memorials for future generations
Apply This Today
Living Joshua 22
This chapter teaches a powerful lesson about conflict resolution. The western tribes were ready for war based on an assumption, but they wisely sent representatives to talk first. Many church splits, family feuds, and broken friendships could be avoided if we simply asked questions before jumping to conclusions.
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