7 Now to the one half H2677 of the tribe H7626 of Manasseh H4519 Moses H4872 had given H5414 possession in Bashan: H1316 but unto the other half H2677 thereof gave H5414 Joshua H3091 among H5973 their brethren H251 on this side H5676 Jordan H3383 westward. H3220 And when Joshua H3091 sent them away H7971 also unto their tents, H168 then he blessed H1288 them,
There was also a lot H1486 for the tribe H4294 of Manasseh; H4519 for he was the firstborn H1060 of Joseph; H3130 to wit, for Machir H4353 the firstborn H1060 of Manasseh, H4519 the father H1 of Gilead: H1568 because he was a man H376 of war, H4421 therefore he had Gilead H1568 and Bashan. H1316 There was also a lot for the rest H3498 of the children H1121 of Manasseh H4519 by their families; H4940 for the children H1121 of Abiezer, H44 and for the children H1121 of Helek, H2507 and for the children H1121 of Asriel, H844 and for the children H1121 of Shechem, H7928 and for the children H1121 of Hepher, H2660 and for the children H1121 of Shemida: H8061 these were the male H2145 children H1121 of Manasseh H4519 the son H1121 of Joseph H3130 by their families. H4940 But Zelophehad, H6765 the son H1121 of Hepher, H2660 the son H1121 of Gilead, H1568 the son H1121 of Machir, H4353 the son H1121 of Manasseh, H4519 had no sons, H1121 but daughters: H1323 and these are the names H8034 of his daughters, H1323 Mahlah, H4244 and Noah, H5270 Hoglah, H2295 Milcah, H4435 and Tirzah. H8656 And they came near H7126 before H6440 Eleazar H499 the priest, H3548 and before H6440 Joshua H3091 the son H1121 of Nun, H5126 and before H6440 the princes, H5387 saying, H559 The LORD H3068 commanded H6680 Moses H4872 to give H5414 us an inheritance H5159 among H8432 our brethren. H251 Therefore according to the commandment H6310 of the LORD H3068 he gave H5414 them an inheritance H5159 among H8432 the brethren H251 of their father. H1 And there fell H5307 ten H6235 portions H2256 to Manasseh, H4519 beside the land H776 of Gilead H1568 and Bashan, H1316 which were on the other side H5676 Jordan; H3383 Because the daughters H1323 of Manasseh H4519 had H5157 an inheritance H5159 among H8432 his sons: H1121 and the rest H3498 of Manasseh's H4519 sons H1121 had the land H776 of Gilead. H1568 And the coast H1366 of Manasseh H4519 was from Asher H836 to Michmethah, H4366 that lieth before H6440 Shechem; H7927 and the border H1366 went along H1980 on the right hand H3225 unto the inhabitants H3427 of Entappuah. H5887 Now Manasseh H4519 had the land H776 of Tappuah: H8599 but Tappuah H8599 on the border H1366 of Manasseh H4519 belonged to the children H1121 of Ephraim; H669 And the coast H1366 descended H3381 unto the river H5158 Kanah, H7071 southward H5045 of the river: H5158 these cities H5892 of Ephraim H669 are among H8432 the cities H5892 of Manasseh: H4519 the coast H1366 of Manasseh H4519 also was on the north side H6828 of the river, H5158 and the outgoings H8444 of it were at the sea: H3220 Southward H5045 it was Ephraim's, H669 and northward H6828 it was Manasseh's, H4519 and the sea H3220 is his border; H1366 and they met together H6293 in Asher H836 on the north, H6828 and in Issachar H3485 on the east. H4217 And Manasseh H4519 had in Issachar H3485 and in Asher H836 Bethshean H1052 and her towns, H1323 and Ibleam H2991 and her towns, H1323 and the inhabitants H3427 of Dor H1756 and her towns, H1323 and the inhabitants H3427 of Endor H5874 and her towns, H1323 and the inhabitants H3427 of Taanach H8590 and her towns, H1323 and the inhabitants H3427 of Megiddo H4023 and her towns, H1323 even three H7969 countries. H5316 Yet the children H1121 of Manasseh H4519 could H3201 not drive out H3423 the inhabitants of those cities; H5892 but the Canaanites H3669 would H2974 dwell H3427 in that land. H776
And Moses H4872 gave H5414 unto them, even to the children H1121 of Gad, H1410 and to the children H1121 of Reuben, H7205 and unto half H2677 the tribe H7626 of Manasseh H4519 the son H1121 of Joseph, H3130 the kingdom H4467 of Sihon H5511 king H4428 of the Amorites, H567 and the kingdom H4467 of Og H5747 king H4428 of Bashan, H1316 the land, H776 with the cities H5892 thereof in the coasts, H1367 even the cities H5892 of the country H776 round about. H5439
And Moses H4872 gave H5414 inheritance unto the half H2677 tribe H7626 of Manasseh: H4519 and this was the possession of the half H2677 tribe H4294 of the children H1121 of Manasseh H4519 by their families. H4940 And their coast H1366 was from Mahanaim, H4266 all Bashan, H1316 all the kingdom H4468 of Og H5747 king H4428 of Bashan, H1316 and all the towns H2333 of Jair, H2971 which are in Bashan, H1316 threescore H8346 cities: H5892 And half H2677 Gilead, H1568 and Ashtaroth, H6252 and Edrei, H154 cities H5892 of the kingdom H4468 of Og H5747 in Bashan, H1316 were pertaining unto the children H1121 of Machir H4353 the son H1121 of Manasseh, H4519 even to the one half H2677 of the children H1121 of Machir H4353 by their families. H4940
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Joshua 22
Commentary on Joshua 22 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 22
Jos 22:1-9. Joshua Dismisses the Two Tribes and a Half, with a Blessing.
1. Then Joshua called the Reubenites, and the Gadites, and the half tribe of Manasseh—The general war of invasion being ended and the enemy being in so dispirited and isolated a condition that each tribe, by its own resources or with the aid of its neighboring tribe, was able to repress any renewed hostilities, the auxiliary Israelites from the eastern side of the Jordan were now discharged from service. Joshua dismissed them with high commendations for their fidelity and earnest admonitions to cultivate perpetual piety in life. The redundancy of the language is remarkable [Jos 22:2-5]. It shows how important, in the judgment of the venerable leader, a steadfast observance of the divine law was to personal happiness, as well as national prosperity.
3. Ye have not left your brethren these many days unto this day—for the space of seven years.
4-7. get you unto your tents—that is, home; for their families had been left in fortified towns (Nu 32:17).
8. he spake unto them, saying, Return with much riches—in cattle, clothes, and precious metals.
divide the spoil of your enemies with your brethren—(See on Nu 31:25-39).
Jos 22:10. They Build the Altar of Testimony on Their Journey.
10. when they came unto the borders of Jordan, that are in the land of Canaan, the children of Reuben … built there an altar by Jordan—This altar was probably an immense pile of stones and earth. The generality of our translators supposes that it was reared on the banks of the Jordan, within the limits of Canaan proper. But a little closer examination seems to make the conclusion irresistible that its position was on the eastern side of the river, for these two reasons; first, because it is said (Jos 22:11) to have been built "over against," or in the sight of the land of Canaan—not within it; and secondly, because the declared motive of the trans-jordanic Israelites in erecting it was to prevent their brethren in Canaan ever saying, "in time to come, What have ye to do with the Lord God of Israel? For the Lord hath made Jordan a border between us and you," &c. [Jos 22:24, 25]. Such a taunt would be obviously prevented or confuted by the two tribes and a half having on the eastern side of Jordan, within their own land, a facsimile of the altar at Shiloh, as a witness that they acknowledged the same God and practised the same rites of worship as the brethren in Canaan.
Jos 22:11-29. Contention Thereupon.
11-29. and the children of Israel heard say—Fame speedily spread intelligence of what the trans-jordanic tribes had done. The act being suspected of some idolatrous design, the tribes rose in a mass, and repairing to the tabernacle at Shiloh, resolved to declare war against the two tribes and a half as apostates from God. On calmer and more mature consideration, however, they determined, in the first instance, to send a deputation consisting of the son of the high priest, and ten eminent persons from each tribe, to make inquiry into this rumored rebellion against God (De 13:13-15). The quality of the deputies evinced the deep solicitude that was felt on the occasion to maintain the purity of the divine worship throughout Israel. In the presumptive belief that the two tribes and a half had really built an altar, the deputies expressed astonishment at their so soon falling into such a heinous crime as that of violating the unity of divine worship (Ex 20:24; Leviticus 17:8, 9; De 12:5-13). They reminded their eastern brethren of the disastrous consequences that were entailed on the nation at large by the apostasy at Peor and by the sin of Achan, and finally exhorted them, if they felt the want of the tabernacle and altar and repented of their rash choice in preferring worldly advantages to religious privileges, to remove to the western side of the Jordan, where all the tribes would form a united and obedient community of worshippers.
21. Then the children of Reuben … answered—repudiating, in the strongest terms, the alleged crime, and deponing that so far from entertaining the intention imputed to them, their only object was to perpetuate the memory of their alliance with Israel [Jos 22:24, 25], and their adherence to the worship of Israel's God [Jos 22:26, 27].
Jos 22:30-34. The Deputies Satisfied.
33, 34. the thing pleased the children of Israel—The explanation not only gave perfect satisfaction to the deputies, but elicited from them expressions of unbounded joy and thankfulness. "This day we perceive that the Lord is among us" [Jos 22:31], that is, by His gracious presence and preventing goodness, which has kept you from falling into the suspected sin and rescued the nation from the calamity of a fratricidal war or providential judgments. This episode reflects honor upon all parties and shows that piety and zeal for the honor and worship of God animated the people that entered Canaan to an extent far beyond what was exemplified in many other periods of the history of Israel.