Joshua

Joshua 22 ©

1 Joshua dismisseth the two tribes and half with a blessing and a share of spoil. 10 On their journey they build the altar of testimony. 11 The other tribes are offended thereat, and send to demand satisfaction. 21 The two tribes and half vindicate their conduct. 30 The deputies are satisfied. 32 Their report satisfieth the people that sent them.

1

THEN aJoshua called the Reubenites, and the Gadites, and the half tribe of Manasseh,

a ch. 21.43,44. Nu. 32.18,21,29.
2

And said unto them, Ye have kept all that Moses the servant of the LORD bcommanded you, and have obeyed my voice in all that I commanded you:

b Nu. 32.20-22,29. De. 3.18-20. ch. 1.12-18.
3

Ye chave not left your brethren these many days unto this day, but have kept the charge of the commandment of the LORD your God.

c He. 6.10. Phi. 1.27. Nu. 32.18,21,29.
4

And now the LORD your God dhath given rest unto your brethren, as he promised them: therefore now return ye, and eget 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.

d ch. 1.12-15; 21.43,44; 23.1. De. 12.9,10. He. 6.12.
e Nu. 32.33-41. ch. 13.8-32. De. 3.1-17; 29.8.
5

But ftake 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.

f De. 4.1,2,6,9; 6.5,6,17; 10.12; 11.11,13,22. Ps. 119.6. Ex. 15.26. 2Ki. 10.31. 1Ti. 1.5. Mat. 22.37. Ac. 11.23.
6

So Joshua gblessed them, and sent them away: and they went unto their tents.

g ch. 14.13. 2Sa. 6.18,20. Ge. 47.7. Ex. 39.43. Lu. 24.50. 1Sa. 2.20. v.7.
7

¶Now to hthe 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,

h ch. 13.29-31; 17.1-12.
8

And he spake unto them, saying, iReturn 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.

i Nu. 31.27. 1Sa. 30.24. Ps. 68.12; 19.11. 1Co. 15.58. He. 6.10.
9

¶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 jShiloh, which is in the land of Canaan, to go kunto 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.

j ch. 18.1.
k Nu. 32.1,26,29-41. ch. 13.8-32. De. 3.15,16; 4.47,48; 29.8.
10

¶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 lbuilt there an altar by Jordan, a great altar to *see to.

l v.25-28. Ge. 28.18. 1Sa. 7.12. Ex. 20.24. Le. 17.8,9. De. 12.5-7.
11

¶And the children of Israel mheard 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 nthe passage of the children of Israel.

m Le. 17.8,9. De. 13.12-15. Ju. 20.12.
n ch. 3.14-16. Jn. 1.28.
12

And when the children of Israel heard of it, the owhole congregation of the children of Israel gathered themselves together at Shiloh, to go up to war against them.

o Ju. 20.1. De. 13.15. Ga. 4.18. Ac. 11.2,3. Ro. 10.2.
13

And the children of Israel psent unto the children of Reuben, and to the children of Gad, and to the half tribe of Manasseh, into the land of Gilead, qPhinehas the son of Eleazar the priest,

p De. 13.14. Ju. 20.12. Pr. 20.18. Mat. 18.15.
q Nu. 25.7. Pr. 25.9-13.
14

And with him ten princes, of each 1chief house a prince throughout all the tribes of Israel; and each one was ran head of the house of their fathers among the thousands of Israel.

r Ex. 18.25. Nu. 1.4-16; 34.16-28.
15

¶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

Thus saith the swhole congregation of the LORD, What *trespass is this that ye have committed against the God of Israel, to tturn away this day from following the LORD, in that ye have builded you an altar, that ye might urebel this day against the LORD?

s v.12. 1Co. 1.10; 12.12. Phi. 1.27. Ep. 4.3-6.
t Ex. 34.14,15. De. 12.4-6. 1Sa. 15.23. 1Co. 13.7.
u Nu. 14.9. v.19. Le. 17.8,9. De. 12.13,14.
17

Is vthe 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,

v Nu. 23.28; 25.3,4,9. De. 4.27. Ezr. 9.13,14. Ps. 106.28.
18

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 wto morrow he will be *wroth with the whole congregation of Israel.

w ch. 7. 2Sa. 24. 1Ch. 21. v.20. Nu. 16.22.
19

Notwithstanding, if the land of your possession be xunclean, then pass ye over unto the land of the possession of the LORD, wherein the yLORD's *tabernacle dwelleth, and take possession among us: but zrebel not against the LORD, nor rebel against us, in building you an altar beside the altar of the LORD our God.

x Ac. 10.14; 11.9.
y ch. 18.1. De. 12.5,6. Le. 17.8,9.
z Je. 44.4. Ps. 51.4.
20

Did anot 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.

a ch. 7.1,5,18. 1Co. 10.6. 2Pe. 2.6. Jude 5,6.
21

¶Then the children of Reuben and the children of Gad and the half tribe of Manasseh banswered, and said unto the cheads of the thousands of Israel,

b Ac. 11.4. 1Pe. 3.15. Pr. 15.1,2,23; 18.17.
c Ex. 18.21,25. Mi. 5.2. v.13,14.
22

The dLORD God of gods, the LORD God of gods, he knoweth, and eIsrael he shall know; if it be in rebellion, or if in transgression against the LORD, (save us not this day,)

d Ex. 18.11. De. 10.17. Ps. 44.20,21; 82.1; 7.4,5. 1Ti. 6.15. Re. 19.16. He. 4.13. Ro. 9.1,2. 2Co. 11.11,31. Job 10.7; 23.10. Je. 12.3.
e Ac. 11.2-18. 1Pe. 3.15.
23

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, flet the LORD himself require it;

f Ps. 7.5; 10.13,14. Ge. 9.12. 1Sa. 20.16. De. 18.19.
24

And if we have not rather done it gfor fear of this thing, saying, 2In time to come your children might speak unto our children, saying, What have ye to do with the LORD God of Israel?

g Ge. 18.19. Ac. 20.28,29.
25

For the LORD hath made Jordan a border between us and you, ye children of Reuben and children of Gad; hye have no part in the LORD: so shall your children make our children cease from fearing the LORD.

h 1Sa. 26.19. 2Sa. 20.1. 1Ki. 12.16. Ne. 2.20.
26

Therefore we said, Let us now prepare to build us an altar, not for burnt offering, nor for sacrifice:

27

But that it may be a iwitness between us, and you, and our generations after us, that we might jdo 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.

i Ge. 31.48. ch. 4.5-9; 24.27. v.28,34. 1Sa. 7.12.
j De. 12.5,6,11,12,17,18, 26,27.
28

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

kGod 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.

k Ro. 3.6; 6.2; 9.14. 1Sa. 12.23.
30

¶And when lPhinehas 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, 3it pleased them.

l v.13,14.
31

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 mamong us, because ye have not committed this *trespass against the LORD: 4now ye have ndelivered the children of Israel out of the hand of the LORD.

m 2Ch. 15.2. Le. 26.11,12.
n Ge. 4.7. Is. 3.10. 1Sa. 25.32-34.
32

¶And Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest, and the princes, returned from the children of Reuben, and from the children of Gad, oout of the land of Gilead, unto the land of Canaan, to the children of Israel, and pbrought them word again.

o v.10,11,15.
p Pr. 25.13. Ac. 15.12,31.
33

And the thing pleased the children of Israel; and the children of Israel qblessed God, and did not intend to go up against them in battle, to destroy the land wherein the children of Reuben and Gad dwelt.

q 1Sa. 25.32. Ps. 103.1,2. 1Ch. 29.20. Ne. 8.6. Da. 2.19. Lu. 2.28.
34

And the children of Reuben and the children of Gad called the altar 5Ed : for rit shall be a witness between us that the LORD is God.

r ch. 24.27. 1Ki. 18.39. Mat. 4.10. Is. 43.10. v.27. Ex. 18.4.