INTRODUCTION TO JOSHUA 22 The war with the Canaanites being ended, Joshua called to him the two tribes of Reuben and Gad, and the half tribe of Manasseh, who came over Jordan with him to assist in it, and commended them for their obedience to Moses and to himself, and to God by them; and then dismi... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN JOSHUA CALLED THE REUBENITES, AND THE GADITES, AND THE HALF TRIBE OF MANASSEH. The promise of God to Israel being fulfilled, the land of Canaan being for the most part subdued, the war at an end, and rest had on all sides from their enemies, and the land divided among the nine tribes and an hal... [ Continue Reading ]
AND SAID UNTO THEM, YE HAVE KEPT ALL THAT MOSES THE SERVANT OF THE LORD COMMANDED YOU,.... Which was, that they should leave their wives and children, and flocks, and herds, behind them in the land of Gilead, and pass over Jordan, with their brethren the children of Israel armed, and fight with them... [ Continue Reading ]
YE HAVE NOT LEFT YOUR BRETHREN THESE MANY DAYS UNTO THIS DAY,.... For the space of fourteen years, which is the commonly received notion of the Jews f; seven years according to them the land was subduing, and seven more spent in dividing it, and then these tribes were sent for and dismissed; all thi... [ Continue Reading ]
AND NOW THE LORD YOUR GOD HATH GIVEN REST UNTO YOUR BRETHREN, AS HE PROMISED THEM,.... As in Joshua 21:44; see Deuteronomy 12:9; THEREFORE NOW RETURN YE, AND GET YE UNTO YOUR TENTS; not their military tents in the army, from which they now came to Joshua, but their houses, as the Greek version, an... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT TAKE DILIGENT HEED TO DO THE COMMANDMENT AND THE LAW,.... The ten commandments, and all other laws, both ceremonial and civil: WHICH MOSES THE SERVANT OF THE LORD CHARGED YOU; in the name of the Lord, to keep and observe: TO LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD; of which keeping the commands of God is an ev... [ Continue Reading ]
SO JOSHUA BLESSED THEM, AND SENT THEM AWAY,.... Dismissed them from his presence with a blessing, in order to go to their own country; this he did by wishing them well, praying to God for a blessing on them, their persons, and families, who had been so useful in assisting their brethren to get posse... [ Continue Reading ]
NOW TO THE [ONE] HALF OF THE TRIBE OF MANASSEH MOSES HAD GIVEN [POSSESSION] IN BASHAN,.... The kingdom of Og, see Deuteronomy 3:13; BUT UNTO THE [OTHER] HALF THEREOF GAVE JOSHUA AMONG THEIR BRETHREN ON THIS SIDE JORDAN WESTWARD: of which an account is given, and the border of their lot described, J... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HE SPAKE UNTO THEM,.... To the half tribe of Manasseh only, though some think also to the other ten tribes: SAYING, RETURN WITH MUCH RICHES UNTO YOUR TENTS; that is, return to their own land, and habitations there, with whatsoever riches they had got from the spoil of the enemy: AND WITH VERY... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE CHILDREN OF REUBEN, AND THE CHILDREN OF GAD, AND THE HALF TRIBE OF MANASSEH, RETURNED,.... First to the camp to take their substance, and then set forward to their own land: AND DEPARTED FROM THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL; from the rest of them, for otherwise they were children of Israel also: OU... [ Continue Reading ]
AND WHEN THEY CAME UNTO THE BORDERS OF JORDAN, THAT [ARE] IN THE LAND OF CANAAN,.... To the banks of it, or the sand heaps, some take the word to signify, which were thrown up to restrain the waters from overflowing; some by Geliloth understand a place so called; and Jerom g says it was near Jordan... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL HEARD SAY,.... Those that dwelt in the land of Canaan, for otherwise, as before observed, the two tribes and a half on the other side Jordan were Israelites also; and this is a further proof that the altar was built on their side, or those in the land of Canaan would have... [ Continue Reading ]
AND WHEN THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL HEARD [OF IT],.... Of the building the altar in the above place, namely, the nine tribes and a half settled in the land of Canaan: THE WHOLE CONGREGATION OF THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL GATHERED THEMSELVES TOGETHER AT SHILOH; where the tabernacle and altar of the Lord were... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL,.... In the land of Canaan: SENT UNTO THE CHILDREN OF REUBEN, AND TO THE CHILDREN OF GAD, AND TO THE HALF TRIBE OF MANASSEH, UNTO THE LAND OF GILEAD; they were possessed of, and had now returned unto and dwelt in; hither they sent an embassy to them, to inquire into the t... [ Continue Reading ]
AND WITH HIM TEN PRINCES, OF EACH CHIEF HOUSE A PRINCE, THROUGHOUT ALL THE TRIBES OF ISRAEL,.... The nine tribes and a half, so that the half tribe of Manasseh sent a prince, as well as the whole tribes: AND EACH ONE [WAS] AN HEAD OF THE HOUSE OF THEIR FATHERS AMONG THE THOUSANDS OF ISRAEL; that i... [ Continue Reading ]
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,.... The deputation came thither; they either sent for the chiefs among the two tribes and a half, to meet them at some place, or they, having a notion of their coming, a... [ Continue Reading ]
THUS SAITH THE WHOLE CONGREGATION OF THE LORD,.... By whom they were sent, and whom they represented; and they do not call them the congregation of Israel, but of the Lord, because it was not on a civil but religious account they were come, and not to plead their own cause, but the cause of God; and... [ Continue Reading ]
[IS] THE INIQUITY OF PEOR TOO LITTLE FOR US,.... The worshipping of that idol, when in the plains of Moab; the history of which, see in Numbers 25:2, was that so small a sin, that another must be added to it, or a greater committed? since building an altar seemed designed not for a single action of... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT THAT YOU MUST TURN AWAY THIS DAY FROM FOLLOWING THE LORD?.... From the worship of the Lord, as the Targum, and so on Joshua 22:16; not content with the former transgression, but must add this revolt unto it, and at a time which sadly aggravates it: AND IT WILL BE, THAT [SEEING] YE REBEL TO, DA... [ Continue Reading ]
NOTWITHSTANDING, IF THE LAND OF YOUR POSSESSION [BE] UNCLEAN,.... That is, if it was judged to be so by them, because not cleansed from the sins of the former inhabitants of it by sacrifice, or because there was no altar in it to offer up sacrifice for the expiation of sin: [THEN] PASS YE OVER UNTO... [ Continue Reading ]
DID NOT ACHAN THE SON OF ZERAH,.... One that descended from Zerah the son of Judah, Joshua 7:18; COMMIT A TRESPASS IN THE ACCURSED THING; in taking what was devoted to sacred uses: AND WRATH FELL ON ALL THE CONGREGATION OF ISRAEL? and which was what was feared now; and this instance is brought to... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN THE CHILDREN OF REUBEN, AND THE CHILDREN OF GAD, AND THE HALF TRIBE OF MANASSEH, ANSWERED,.... By some person whom they appointed to deliver the answer in their name: AND SAID UNTO THE HEADS OF THE THOUSANDS OF ISRAEL; who were over those that were rulers of the thousands of Israel, persons of... [ Continue Reading ]
THE LORD GOD OF GODS, THE LORD GOD OF GODS,.... They first set out in their answer with asserting their firm belief of Jehovah, the God of Israel, being the supreme God, God over all; over all that are called gods, whether angels, of whom Kimchi and Ben Melech interpret it; or civil magistrates and... [ Continue Reading ]
THAT WE HAVE BUILT US AN ALTAR, TO TURN FROM FOLLOWING THE LORD,.... That is, we desire, as we deserve, to be cut to pieces, and not saved, if it should appear to be our view, in building this altar, to revolt from the pure worship of God: OR IF TO OFFER THEREON BURNT OFFERING, OR MEAT OFFERING, OR... [ Continue Reading ]
AND IF WE HAVE NOT [RATHER] DONE IT FOR FEAR OF [THIS] THING,.... So far they suggest were they from doing this, in order to turn from the pure worship of God, and introduce idolatrous worship, that it was to guard against everything of that kind for the future; and through fear of it, and anxiety a... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR THE LORD HATH MADE JORDAN A BORDER BETWEEN US AND YOU,.... And by it separated them from them, as if they were a distinct people; not that this was really the case, but so they feared it would be represented in time to come; for though Jordan was the border of the land of Canaan, strictly so cal... [ Continue Reading ]
THEREFORE WE SAID,.... One to another, in order to prevent the apostasy of our children from God, their departure from his worship, and going into idolatry: LET US NOW PREPARE TO BUILD US AN ALTAR; get materials ready, and set about it instantly, without any delay, while the thing dwells upon our m... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT [THAT] IT [MAY BE] A WITNESS BETWEEN US AND YOU, AND OUR GENERATIONS AFTER US,.... That we are one people, worship one God, and serve at one altar, of which this built was a resemblance, and would put them in mind of it: THAT WE MIGHT DO THE SERVICE OF THE LORD BEFORE HIM; in the tabernacle, an... [ Continue Reading ]
THEREFORE SAID WE,.... To prevent any such usage of our children, and that they might have a ready answer to give: THAT IT SHALL BE, WHEN THEY SHOULD [SO] SAY UNTO US, OR TO OUR GENERATIONS, IN TIME TO COME; as above suggested, that they were a separate people from them, and had no interest in the... [ Continue Reading ]
GOD FORBID THAT WE SHOULD REBEL AGAINST THE LORD,.... Against the command of the Lord, who ordered one altar to be made, to which all sacrifices were to be brought from the several parts of the land of Israel, and there to be offered on it; or "against the Word of the Lord,'' as the Targum, Christ... [ Continue Reading ]
AND WHEN PHINEHAS THE PRIEST,.... For he was, being the son of Eleazar the high priest, so the word "priest", Joshua 22:13; is to be joined, not to Eleazar but to Phinehas: AND THE PRINCES OF THE CONGREGATION; the ten princes, who were sent by the congregation of Israel, one out of each tribe: AND... [ Continue Reading ]
AND PHINEHAS THE SON OF ELEAZAR THE PRIEST,.... As the mouth of the deputation, and in their name: SAID UNTO THE CHILDREN OF REUBEN, AND TO THE CHILDREN OF GAD, AND TO THE CHILDREN OF MANASSEH; the representatives of them assembled together on this occasion: THIS DAY WE PERCEIVE THAT THE LORD [IS]... [ Continue Reading ]
AND PHINEHAS THE SON OF ELEAZAR THE PRIEST, AND THE PRINCES,.... Being fully satisfied with the relation of things that had been given them, and having taken their leave of the assembly: RETURNED FROM THE CHILDREN OF REUBEN, AND FROM THE CHILDREN OF GAD; the Greek version adds, "and from the half t... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE THING PLEASED THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL,.... They were quite satisfied with the account of things, and were pleased and delighted with what their brethren, the other two tribes, had done: AND THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL BLESSED GOD: returned thanks to him, that there was no trespass committed again... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE CHILDREN OF REUBEN, AND THE CHILDREN OF GAD, CALLED THE ALTAR [ED],.... Which signifies a "witness"; they caused such an inscription to be put upon it, or this word to be engraved on it, that so the intention of erecting it might be known in future time; that it was not for sacrifice, but to... [ Continue Reading ]