25 For the LORD H3068 hath made H5414 Jordan H3383 a border H1366 between us and you, ye children H1121 of Reuben H7205 and children H1121 of Gad; H1410 ye have no part H2506 in the LORD: H3068 so shall your children H1121 make H7673 our children H1121 cease H7673 from H1115 fearing H3372 the LORD. H3068
But that it may be a witness H5707 between us, and you, and our generations H1755 after H310 us, that we might do H5647 the service H5656 of the LORD H3068 before H6440 him with our burnt offerings, H5930 and with our sacrifices, H2077 and with our peace offerings; H8002 that your children H1121 may not say H559 to our children H1121 in time to come, H4279 Ye have no part H2506 in the LORD. H3068
Now therefore, I pray thee, let my lord H113 the king H4428 hear H8085 the words H1697 of his servant. H5650 If the LORD H3068 have stirred thee up H5496 against me, let him accept H7306 an offering: H4503 but if they be the children H1121 of men, H120 cursed H779 be they before H6440 the LORD; H3068 for they have driven H1644 me out this day H3117 from abiding H5596 in the inheritance H5159 of the LORD, H3068 saying, H559 Go, H3212 serve H5647 other H312 gods. H430
And there happened H7122 to be there a man H376 of Belial, H1100 whose name H8034 was Sheba, H7652 the son H1121 of Bichri, H1075 a Benjamite: H1145 and he blew H8628 a trumpet, H7782 and said, H559 We have no part H2506 in David, H1732 neither have we inheritance H5159 in the son H1121 of Jesse: H3448 every H376 man H376 to his tents, H168 O Israel. H3478
So H7725 when all Israel H3478 saw H7200 that the king H4428 hearkened H8085 not unto them, the people H5971 answered H1697 the king, H4428 saying, H559 What portion H2506 have we in David? H1732 neither have we inheritance H5159 in the son H1121 of Jesse: H3448 to your tents, H168 O Israel: H3478 now see H7200 to thine own house, H1004 David. H1732 So Israel H3478 departed H3212 unto their tents. H168
If this people H5971 go up H5927 to do H6213 sacrifice H2077 in the house H1004 of the LORD H3068 at Jerusalem, H3389 then shall the heart H3820 of this people H5971 turn again H7725 unto their lord, H113 even unto Rehoboam H7346 king H4428 of Judah, H3063 and they shall kill H2026 me, and go again H7725 to Rehoboam H7346 king H4428 of Judah. H3063 Whereupon the king H4428 took counsel, H3289 and made H6213 two H8147 calves H5695 of gold, H2091 and said H559 unto them, It is too much H7227 for you to go up H5927 to Jerusalem: H3389 behold thy gods, H430 O Israel, H3478 which brought thee up H5927 out of the land H776 of Egypt. H4714 And he set H7760 the one H259 in Bethel, H1008 and the other H259 put H5414 he in Dan. H1835 And this thing H1697 became a sin: H2403 for the people H5971 went H3212 to worship before H6440 the one, H259 even unto Dan. H1835
Because of the sins H2403 of Jeroboam H3379 which he sinned, H2398 and which he made Israel H3478 sin, H2398 by his provocation H3708 wherewith he provoked the LORD H3068 God H430 of Israel H3478 to anger. H3707
Then they came H5066 to Zerubbabel, H2216 and to the chief H7218 of the fathers, H1 and said H559 unto them, Let us build H1129 with you: for we seek H1875 your God, H430 as ye do; and we do sacrifice H2076 unto him since the days H3117 of Esarhaddon H634 king H4428 of Assur, H804 which brought us up hither. H5927 But Zerubbabel, H2216 and Jeshua, H3442 and the rest H7605 of the chief H7218 of the fathers H1 of Israel, H3478 said H559 unto them, Ye have nothing to do with us to build H1129 an house H1004 unto our God; H430 but we ourselves together H3162 will build H1129 unto the LORD H3068 God H430 of Israel, H3478 as king H4428 Cyrus H3566 the king H4428 of Persia H6539 hath commanded H6680 us.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Joshua 22
Commentary on Joshua 22 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 22
Many particular things we have read concerning the two tribes and a half, though nothing separated them from the rest of the tribes except the river Jordan, and this chapter is wholly concerning them.
Jos 22:1-9
The war being ended, and ended gloriously, Joshua, as a prudent general, disbands his army, who never designed to make war their trade, and sends them home, to enjoy what they had conquered, and to beat their swords into plough-shares and their spears into pruning-hooks; and particularly the forces of these separate tribes, who had received their inheritance on the other side Jordan from Moses upon this condition, that their men of war should assist the other tribes in the conquest of Canaan, which they promised to do (Num. 32:32), and renewed the promise to Joshua at the opening of the campaign, Jos. 1:16. And, now that they had performed their bargain, Joshua publicly and solemnly in Shiloh gives them their discharge. Whether this was done, as it was placed, not till after the land was divided, as some think, or whether after the war was ended, and before the division was made, as others think (because there was no need of their assistance in dividing the land, but only in conquering it, nor were there any of their tribes employed as commissioners in that affair, but only of the other ten, Num. 34:18, etc.), this is certain, it was not done till after Shiloh was made the head-quarters (v. 2), and the land was begun to be divided before they removed from Gilgal, ch. 14:6.
It is probable that this army of Reubenites and Gadites, which had led the van in all the wars of Canaan, had sometimes, in the intervals of action, and when the rest of the army retired into winter-quarters, some of them at least, made a step over Jordan, for it was not far, to visit their families, and to look after their private affairs, and perhaps tarried at home, and sent others in their room more serviceable; but still these two tribes and a half had their quota of troops ready, 40,000 in all, which, whenever there was occasion, presented themselves at their respective posts, and now attended in a body to receive their discharge. Though their affection to their families, and concern for their affairs, could not but make them, after so long an absence, very desirous to return, yet, like good soldiers, they would not move till they had orders from their general. So, though our heavenly Father's house above be ever so desirable (it is bishop Hall's allusion), yet must we stay on earth till our warfare be accomplished, wait for a due discharge, and not anticipate the time of our removal.
Jos 22:10-20
Here is,
Jos 22:21-29
We may suppose there was a general convention called of the princes and great men of the separate tribes, to give audience to these ambassadors; or perhaps the army, as it came home, was still encamped in a body, and not yet dispersed; however it was, there were enough to represent the two tribes and a half, and to give their sense. Their reply to the warm remonstrance of the ten tribes is very fair and ingenuous. They do not retort their charge, upbraid them with the injustice and unkindness of their threatenings, nor reproach them for their rash and hasty censures, but give them a soft answer which turns away wrath, avoiding all those grievous words which stir up anger; they demur not to their jurisdiction, nor plead that they were not accountable to them for what they had done, nor bid them mind their own business, but, by a free and open declaration of their sincere intention in what they did, free themselves from the imputation they were under, and set themselves right in the opinion of their brethren, to do which they only needed to state the case and put the matter in a true light.
Jos 22:30-34
We have here the good issue of this controversy, which, if there had not been on both sides a disposition to peace, as there was on both sides a zeal for God, might have been of ill consequence; for quarrels about religion, for want of wisdom and love, often prove the most fierce and most difficult to be accommodated. But these contending parties, when the matter was fairly stated and argued, were so happy as to understand one another very well, and so the difference was presently compromised.