Joshua 22 

Joshua 22:1 Joshua summoned the Reubenites, Gadites, and half the tribe of Manasseh.

Joshua 22:2 and told them, “You have done everything Moses Yahveh’s slave commanded you and have obeyed me in everything I commanded you.

Joshua 22:3 You have not deserted your brothers even once this whole time but have carried out the requirement of the command of Yahveh, your God.

Joshua 22:4 Now that he has given your brothers rest, just like he promised them, return to your homes in your land that Moses Yahveh’s slave gave you across the Jordan.

Joshua 22:5 Only carefully obey the command and instruction that Moses Yahveh’s slave gave you: to love Yahveh your God, walk in all his ways, keep his commands, be loyal to him, and serve him with all your heart and all your throat.”

Joshua 22:6 Joshua blessed them and sent them on their way, and they went to their homes.

Joshua 22:7 Moses had given territory to half the tribe of Manasseh in Bashan, but Joshua had given territory to the other half, with their brothers, on the west side of the Jordan. When Joshua sent them to their homes and blessed them,

Joshua 22:8 he said, “Return to your homes with great wealth: a huge number of cattle, and silver, gold, bronze, iron, and a large quantity of clothing. Share the spoil of your enemies with your brothers.”

Joshua 22:9 The Reubenites, Gadites, and half the tribe of Manasseh left the Israelites at Shiloh in the land of Canaan to return to their land of Gilead, which they took possession of according to Yahveh’s command through Moses.

Joshua 22:10 When they came to the region of the Jordan in the land of Canaan, the Reubenites, Gadites, and half the tribe of Manasseh built a large, impressive altar there by the Jordan.

Joshua 22:11 Then the Israelites heard it said, “Notice, the Reubenites, Gadites, and half the tribe of Manasseh have built an altar on the frontier of the land of Canaan at the region of the Jordan, on the Israelite side.”

Joshua 22:12 When the Israelites heard this, the entire Israelite community gathered at Shiloh to go to war against them.

Joshua 22:13 The Israelites sent Phinehas, son of Eleazar, the priest, to the Reubenites, Gadites, and half the tribe of Manasseh in the land of Gilead.

Joshua 22:14 They sent ten leaders with him – one family leader for each tribe of Israel. All of them were heads of their ancestral families among the clans of Israel.

Joshua 22:15 They went to the Reubenites, Gadites, and half the tribe of Manasseh, in the land of Gilead, and told them,

Joshua 22:16 “This is what Yahveh’s entire community says: ‘What is this betrayal you have committed today against the God of Israel by turning away from Yahveh and building an altar for yourselves so that you are in rebellion against Yahveh today?

Joshua 22:17 Wasn’t the iniquity of Peor, which brought a plague on Yahveh’s community, enough for us? We have not rid ourselves of it even to this day,

Joshua 22:18 and now would you turn away from Yahveh? If you rebel against Yahveh today, tomorrow he will be angry with the entire community of Israel.

Joshua 22:19 But if the land you possess is defiled, cross over to the land Yahveh possesses where Yahveh’s tabernacle stands and take possession of it among us. But don’t rebel against Yahveh or us by building for yourselves an altar other than the altar of Yahveh our God.

Joshua 22:20 Wasn’t Achan, son of Zerah, unfaithful regarding what was set apart for destruction, bringing wrath on the entire community of Israel? He was not the only one who was destroyed because of his iniquity.'”

Joshua 22:21 The Reubenites, Gadites, and half the tribe of Manasseh answered the heads of the Israelite clans,

Joshua 22:22 “The Mighty One, God, Yahveh! The Mighty One, God, Yahveh! He knows, and may Israel also know. Do not spare us today if it was in rebellion or treachery against Yahveh.

Joshua 22:23 that we have built for ourselves an altar to turn away from him. May Yahveh himself hold us accountable if we intended to offer burnt offerings and grain offerings on it, or to sacrifice fellowship offerings on it.

Joshua 22:24 We actually did this out of a specific concern that in the future, your descendants might say to our descendants, ‘What relationship do you have with Yahveh, the God of Israel?’

Joshua 22:25 You see, Yahveh has made the Jordan a border between us and you descendants of Reuben and Gad. You have no share in Yahveh! ‘ So your descendants may cause our descendants to stop fearing Yahveh.

Joshua 22:26 “Therefore we said: Let us take action and build an altar for ourselves, but not for burnt offering or sacrifice.

Joshua 22:27 Instead, it is to be a witness between you and us, and between the generations after us, so that we may carry out the worship of Yahveh in his presence with our burnt offerings, sacrifices, and fellowship offerings. Then, in the future, your descendants will not be able to say to our descendants, ‘You have no share in Yahveh! ‘

Joshua 22:28 We thought that if they said this to us or our generations in the future, we would reply: Notice at the replica of Yahveh’s altar that our fathers made, not for burnt offering or sacrifice, but as a witness between us and you.

Joshua 22:29 We would never rebel against Yahveh or turn away from him today by building an altar for the burnt offering, grain offering, or sacrifice, other than the altar of Yahveh our God, which is in front of his tabernacle.”

Joshua 22:30 When the priest Phinehas and the community leaders, the heads of Israel’s clans who were with him, heard what the descendants of Reuben, Gad, and Manasseh had to say, they were pleased.

Joshua 22:31 Phinehas, son of Eleazar, the priest, said to the descendants of Reuben, Gad, and Manasseh, “Today we know that Yahveh is among us because you have not committed this betrayal against him. As a result, you have rescued the Israelites from Yahveh’s power.”

Joshua 22:32 Then the priest Phinehas, son of Eleazar, and the leaders returned from the Reubenites and Gadites in the land of Gilead to the Israelites in the land of Canaan and brought back a report to them.

Joshua 22:33 The Israelites were pleased with the report, and they blessed God. They spoke no more about going to war against them to ravage the land where the Reubenites and Gadites lived.

Joshua 22:34 So the Reubenites and Gadites named the altar: It is a witness between us that Yahveh is God.

Joshua 22 quotes:

“Joshua 22 reports Joshua’s speech at Shiloh. He commends the east bank tribes for their support of the battles to take over the land of Canaan. In helping the western tribes receive their inheritance, they have been faithful to promises made to Moses and their leader, Joshua (22:2, 3, as in 1:13, 15, 18). Now the western tribes have rest from extensive warfare. Joshua then gives permission to the eastern tribes to return with booty to their inherited land and to share the spoils of battle with their families (22:4, 8).”

Harris J. Gordon et al. Joshua Judges Ruth. Hendrickson Publishers ; Paternoster Press 2000. p. 107.

“Chapter 22 itself falls into two distinct sections: (1) the return of the two and one-half tribes (verses 1-9) and (2) the altar by the Jordan (verses 10-34). The first of these two sections tells that the men of the two and one-half eastern tribes had kept their promise (1.12-18) and had helped their fellow Israelites conquer the land west of the Jordan. Now they are allowed to return to their home and families.”

Bratcher Robert G and Barclay Moon Newman. A Handbook on the Book of Joshua. United Bible Societies 1992. p. 271.

Joshua 22 links:

bridges, not barriers
different path, same God
different, but still true
good advice for everyone
Maranatha Daily Devotional – October 16, 2015
Maranatha Daily Devotional – October 17, 2015
missions and miscommunication
return with great wealth
set apart for destruction
staying in mission

The JOSHUA shelf in Jeff’s library