Joshua Chapter 22 — The Altar of Witness
Joshua sends the eastern tribes home with a blessing, but a misunderstanding over a new altar nearly leads to war until its purpose as a witness is revealed.
1Then Joshua called the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh,
2and said to them, “You have kept all that Moses the servant of the LORD commanded you, and have listened to my voice in all that I commanded you.
3You have not left your brothers these many days to this day, but have performed the duty of the commandment of the LORD your God.
4Now the LORD your God has given rest to your brothers, as he spoke to them. Therefore now return and go to your tents, to the land of your possession, which Moses the servant of the LORD gave you beyond the Jordan.
5Only take diligent heed to do the commandment and the law which Moses the servant of the LORD commanded you, to love the LORD your God, to walk in all his ways, to keep his commandments, to hold fast to him, and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul.”
6So Joshua blessed them, and sent them away; and they went to their tents.
7Now to the one half-tribe of Manasseh Moses had given inheritance in Bashan; but Joshua gave to the other half among their brothers beyond the Jordan westward. Moreover when Joshua sent them away to their tents, he blessed them,
8and spoke to them, saying, “Return with much wealth to your tents, with very much livestock, with silver, with gold, with bronze, with iron, and with very much clothing. Divide the plunder of your enemies with your brothers.”
9The 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 to the land of Gilead, to the land of their possession, which they owned, according to the commandment of the LORD by Moses.
10When they came to the region near the Jordan, that is in the land of Canaan, the children of Reuben and the children of Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh built an altar there by the Jordan, a great altar to look at.
11The children of Israel heard this, “Behold, the children of Reuben and the children of Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh have built an altar along the border of the land of Canaan, in the region around the Jordan, on the side that belongs to the children of Israel.”
12When the children of Israel heard of it, the whole congregation of the children of Israel gathered themselves together at Shiloh, to go up against them to war.
13The children of Israel sent to 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.
14With him were ten princes, one prince of a fathers’ house for each of the tribes of Israel; and they were each head of their fathers’ houses among the thousands of Israel.
15They came to the children of Reuben, and to the children of Gad, and to the half-tribe of Manasseh, to the land of Gilead, and they spoke with them, saying,
16“The whole congregation of the LORD says, ‘What trespass is this that you have committed against the God of Israel, to turn away today from following the LORD, in that you have built yourselves an altar, to rebel today against the LORD?
17Is the iniquity of Peor too little for us, from which we have not cleansed ourselves to this day, although there came a plague on the congregation of the LORD,
18that you must turn away today from following the LORD? It will be, since you rebel today against the LORD, that tomorrow he will be angry with the whole congregation of Israel.
19However, if the land of your possession is unclean, then pass over to the land of the possession of the LORD, in which the LORD’s tabernacle dwells, and take possession among us; but don’t rebel against the LORD, nor rebel against us, in building an altar other than the LORD our God’s altar.
20Didn’t Achan the son of Zerah commit a trespass in the devoted thing, and wrath fell on all the congregation of Israel? That man didn’t perish alone in his iniquity.’ ”
21Then the children of Reuben and the children of Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh answered, and spoke to the heads of the thousands of Israel,
22“The Mighty One, God, the LORD, the Mighty One, God, the LORD, he knows; and Israel shall know: if it was in rebellion, or if in trespass against the LORD (don’t save us today),
23that we have built us an altar to turn away from following the LORD; or if to offer burnt offering or meal offering, or if to offer sacrifices of peace offerings, let the LORD himself require it.
24“If we have not out of concern done this, and for a reason, saying, ‘In time to come your children might speak to our children, saying, “What have you to do with the LORD, the God of Israel?
25For the LORD has made the Jordan a border between us and you, you children of Reuben and children of Gad. You have no portion in the LORD.” ’ So your children might make our children cease from fearing the LORD.
26“Therefore we said, ‘Let’s now prepare to build ourselves an altar, not for burnt offering, nor for sacrifice;
27but it will be a witness between us and you, and between our generations after us, that we may perform the service of the LORD before him with our burnt offerings, with our sacrifices, and with our peace offerings;’ that your children may not tell our children in time to come, ‘You have no portion in the LORD.’
28“Therefore we said, ‘It shall be, when they tell us or our generations this in time to come, that we shall say, “Behold the pattern of the LORD’s altar, which our fathers made, not for burnt offering, nor for sacrifice; but it is a witness between us and you.” ’
29“Far be it from us that we should rebel against the LORD, and turn away today from following the LORD, to build an altar for burnt offering, for meal offering, or for sacrifice, besides the LORD our God’s altar that is before his tabernacle!”
30When Phinehas the priest, and the princes of the congregation, even the heads of the thousands of Israel that were with him, heard the words that the children of Reuben and the children of Gad and the children of Manasseh spoke, it pleased them well.
31Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest said to the children of Reuben, to the children of Gad, and to the children of Manasseh, “Today we know that the LORD is among us, because you have not committed this trespass against the LORD. Now you have delivered the children of Israel out of the LORD’s hand.”
32Phinehas 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, to the land of Canaan, to the children of Israel, and brought them word again.
33The thing pleased the children of Israel; and the children of Israel blessed God, and spoke no more of going up against them to war, to destroy the land in which the children of Reuben and the children of Gad lived.
34The children of Reuben and the children of Gad named the altar “A Witness Between Us that the LORD is God.”
WEB Translation
Notable Verses
Joshua 22:5
“Only take diligent heed to do the commandment and the law which Moses the servant of the LORD commanded you, to love the LORD your God, to walk in all his ways, to keep his commandments, to hold fast to him, and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul.”
This verse contains Joshua's final spiritual exhortation to the eastern tribes as they depart for their own lands.
Joshua 22:34
“The children of Reuben and the children of Gad named the altar “A Witness Between Us that the LORD is God.””
This verse concludes the narrative by defining the purpose of the controversial altar and affirming the tribes' monotheistic faith.
Chapter Summary
Joshua 22 recounts the return of the Reubenites, Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh to their territories east of the Jordan River. After years of assisting the other tribes in the conquest of Canaan, Joshua commends their faithfulness and sends them home with much wealth and a charge to remain devoted to the Lord's commandments. Before crossing the border, these tribes construct a large altar by the Jordan. When the rest of Israel hears of this, they fear it is an act of apostasy or rebellion against God's central place of worship. Preparing for war, they send Phinehas the priest and ten tribal leaders to investigate. The eastern tribes explain that the altar is not for sacrifices, but serves as a 'witness' to ensure future generations recognize their shared inheritance and faith in the Lord despite the geographical barrier of the river. The explanation satisfies the assembly, and peace is preserved.
Frequently Asked Questions
They built the altar as a memorial and witness for future generations. They were concerned that, over time, the western tribes might claim the eastern tribes had no connection to the Lord because the Jordan River separated their territories.
The western tribes believed the altar was intended for unauthorized sacrifices, which would have been a direct violation of God's command to offer sacrifices only at the Tabernacle. They feared that such rebellion would bring divine judgment upon the entire nation.
The congregation at Shiloh sent Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest, accompanied by ten high-ranking princes, one from each of the tribal houses of Israel.
Study Note
The name given to the altar in verse 34, often referred to as 'Ed' (meaning witness), is supplied by context and ancient manuscripts to clarify the Hebrew text.
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