Now the ETERNAL your God has given your kindred rest, as [God] promised them. Therefore turn and go to your homes, to the land of your holdings beyond the Jordan that Moses the servant of GOD assigned to you.
But be very careful to fulfill the Instruction and the Teaching that Moses the servant of GOD enjoined upon you: to love the ETERNAL your God, to walk in godly ways, to keep the commandments, and to hold fast to [God]—and to render service with all your heart and soul.”
Word-by-Word Analysis
רק
300
שמרו
546
מאד
45
לעשות
806
אתהמצוה
547
ואתהתורה
1023
אשר
501
צוה
101
אתכם
461
משה
345
עבדיהוה
102
לאהבה
43
אתיהוה
427
אלהיכם
106
וללכת
486
בכלדרכיו
292
ולשמר
576
מצותיו
552
ולדבקהבו
155
ולעבדו
118
בכללבבכם
146
ובכלנפשכם
548
Joshua 22:6
Gematria: 1337
ויברכםיהושעוישלחםוילכואלאהליהםפ
Then Joshua blessed them and dismissed them, and they went to their homes.
To the one half-tribe of Manasseh Moses had assigned territory in Bashan, and to the other Joshua assigned [territory] on the west side of the Jordan, with their kindred.atheir kindred I.e., the other nine tribes. Furthermore, when Joshua sent the two and a half tribesbthe two and a half tribes Heb. “them.” off to their homes, he blessed them
and said to them, “Return to your homes with great wealth—with very much livestock, with silver and gold, with copper and iron, and with a great quantity of clothing. Share the spoil of your enemies with your kin.”
So the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh left the Israelites at Shiloh, in the land of Canaan, and made their way back to the land of Gilead, the land of their own holding, which they had acquired by GOD’s command through Moses.
When they came to the region of the Jordan in the land of Canaan, the Reubenites and the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh built an altar there by the Jordan, a great conspicuous altar.
A report reached the Israelites: “The Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh have built an altar opposite the land of Canaan, in the region of the Jordan, across from the Israelites.”
When the Israelites heard this, the whole community of the Israelitescwhole community of the Israelites I.e., the leadership or the militia, on the community’s behalf. assembled at Shiloh to make war on them.
But [first] the Israelites sent the priest Phinehas son of Eleazar to the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh in the land of Gilead,
accompanied by ten chieftains, one chieftain from each of the tribal families of Israel, every one of them a family head among the contingents of Israel.
“Thus said all of GOD’s community: What is this treachery that you have committed this day against the God of Israel, turning away from GOD, building yourselves an altar and rebelling this day against GOD!
If it is because the land of your holding is impure, cross over into the land of GOD’s own holding, where the Tabernacle of GOD abides, and acquire holdings among us. But do not rebel against GOD, and do not rebel against us by building for yourselves an altar other than the altar of the ETERNAL our God.
When Achan son of Zerah violated the proscription, anger struck the whole community of Israel; he was not the only one who perished for that sin.”dhe was not the only one who perished for that sin Or “—and he was [just] one man! Did he not perish for his sin?”
“God, the ETERNAL God! God, the ETERNAL God, surely knows, and Israel too shall know! If we acted in rebellion or in treachery against GOD, do not vindicate us this day!
If we built an altar to turn away from GOD, if it was to offer burnt offerings or grain offerings upon it, or to present sacrifices of well-being upon it, may GOD be the one to demand [a reckoning].
We did this thing only out of our concern that, in time to come, your children might say to our children, ‘What have you to do with the ETERNAL, the God of Israel?
GOD has made the Jordan a boundary between you and us, O Reubenites and Gadites; you have no share in GOD!’ Thus your children might prevent our children from worshiping GOD.
Word-by-Word Analysis
וגבול
47
נתןיהוה
526
ביננו
118
וביניכם
138
בניראובן
321
ובניגד
75
אתהירדן
670
איןלכם
151
חלק
138
ביהוה
28
והשביתו
729
בניכם
122
אתבנינו
519
לבלתי
472
ירא
211
אתיהוה
427
Joshua 22:26
Gematria: 2066
ונאמרנעשהנאלנולבנותאתהמזבחלאלעולהולאלזבח
So we decided to provide [a witness] for ourselves by building an altar—not for burnt offerings or [other] sacrifices,
but as a witness between you and us, and between the generations to come—that we may perform the service of GOD at Shiloheat Shiloh Lit. “before Him.” with our burnt offerings, our sacrifices, and our offerings of well-being; and that your children should not say to our children in time to come, ‘You have no share in GOD.’
We reasoned: should they speak thus to us and to our children in time to come, we would reply, ‘See the replica of GOD’s altar,fGOD’s altar At Shiloh. which our fathers made—not for burnt offerings or sacrifices, but as a witness between you and us.’
Far be it from us to rebel against GOD, or to turn away this day from GOD and build an altar for burnt offerings, grain offerings, and sacrifices other than the altar of the ETERNAL our God that stands before the Tabernacle.”
When the priest Phinehas and the chieftains of the community—the heads of the contingents of Israel—who were with him heard the explanation given by the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the Manassites, they approved.
The priest Phinehas son of Eleazar said to the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the Manassites, “Now we know that GOD is in our midst, since you have not committed such treachery against GOD. You have indeed saved the Israelites from punishment by GOD.”
Then the priest Phinehas son of Eleazar and the chieftains returned from the Reubenites and the Gadites in the land of Gilead to the Israelites in the land of Canaan, and gave them their report.
The Israelites were pleased, and the Israelites praised God; and they spoke no more of going to war against them, to ravage the land in which the Reubenites and Gadites dwelt.