Joshua 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,

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

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.