The Eastern Tribes' Altar of Witness

Joshua 22

10 And when they came to the region of the Jordan that is in the land of Canaan, the people of Reuben and the people of Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh built there an altar by the Jordan, an altar of imposing size. 11 And the people of Israel g heard it said, "Behold, the people of Reuben and the people of Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh have built the altar at the frontier of the land of Canaan, in the region about the Jordan, on the side that belongs to the people of Israel." 12 And when the people of Israel heard of it, h the whole assembly of the people of Israel gathered at Shiloh to make war against them.

13 Then the people of Israel sent to the people of Reuben and the people of Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh, in the land of Gilead, i Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest, 14 and with him ten chiefs, one from each of the tribal families of Israel, j every one of them the head of a family among the clans of Israel. 15 And they came to the people of Reuben, the people of Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh, in the land of Gilead, and they said to them, 16 "Thus says the whole congregation of the Lord, 'What is this breach of faith that you have committed against the God of Israel in turning away this day from following the Lord by building yourselves an altar this day k in rebellion against the Lord? 17 Have we not had enough of l the sin at Peor from which even yet we have not cleansed ourselves, and for which there came a plague upon the congregation of the Lord, 18 that you too must turn away this day from following the Lord? And if k you too rebel against the Lord today then tomorrow m he will be angry with the whole congregation of Israel. 19 But now, if the land of your possession is unclean, pass over into the Lord's land n where the Lord's tabernacle stands, and take for yourselves a possession among us. o Only do not rebel against the Lord or make us as rebels by building for yourselves an altar other than the altar of the Lord our God. 20 p Did not Achan the son of Zerah break faith in the matter of the devoted things, and m wrath fell upon all the congregation of Israel? And he did not perish alone for his iniquity.'"

21 Then the people of Reuben, the people of Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh said in answer to the heads of the families of Israel, 22 "The Mighty One, q God, the Lord! The Mighty One, God, the Lord! r He knows; and let Israel itself know! If it was in rebellion or in breach of faith against the Lord, do not spare us today 23 for building an altar to turn away from following the Lord. Or if we did so to offer burnt offerings or grain offerings or peace offerings on it, may the Lord himself s take vengeance. 24 No, but we did it from fear that t in time to come your children might say to our children, 'What have you to do with the Lord, the God of Israel? 25 For the Lord has made the Jordan a boundary between us and you, you people of Reuben and people of Gad. You have no portion in the Lord.' So your children might make our children cease to worship the Lord. 26 Therefore we said, 'Let us now build an altar, not for burnt offering, nor for sacrifice, 27 but to be u a witness between us and you, and between our generations after us, that we v do perform the service of the Lord in his presence with our burnt offerings and sacrifices and peace offerings, so your children will not say to our children in time to come, "You have no portion in the Lord."' 28 And we thought, If this should be said to us or to our descendants in time to come, we should say, 'Behold, the copy of the altar of the Lord, which our fathers made, not for burnt offerings, nor for sacrifice, but to be u a witness between us and you.' 29 Far be it from us that we should w rebel against the Lord and turn away this day from following the Lord w by building an altar for burnt offering, grain offering, or sacrifice, other than the altar of the Lord our God that stands before his tabernacle!"

30 When x Phinehas the priest and the chiefs of the congregation, the heads of the families of Israel who were with him, heard the words that the people of Reuben and the people of Gad and the people of Manasseh spoke, y it was good in their eyes. 31 And Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest said to the people of Reuben and the people of Gad and the people of Manasseh, "Today we know that z the Lord is in our midst, because you have not committed this breach of faith against the Lord. Now you have delivered the people of Israel from the hand of the Lord."

32 Then Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest, and the chiefs, returned from the people of Reuben and the people of Gad a in the land of Gilead to the land of Canaan, to the people of Israel, and brought back word to them. 33 And the report b was good in the eyes of the people of Israel. And the people of Israel c blessed God and spoke no more of making war against them to destroy the land where the people of Reuben and the people of Gad were settled. 34 The people of Reuben and the people of Gad called the altar Witness, "For," they said, d "it is a witness between us that the Lord is God."

  1. Cross References
    Deuteronomy 13:12 - 15
    If you hear in one of your cities, which the Lord your God is giving you to dwell there.
  2. Cross References
    Judges 20:1
    Then all the people of Israel came out, from Dan to Beersheba, including the land of Gilead, and the congregation assembled as one man to the Lord at Mizpah.
  3. Cross References
    Exodus 6:25
    Eleazar, Aaron's son, took as his wife one of the daughters of Putiel, and she bore him Phinehas. These are the heads of the fathers' houses of the Levites by their clans.
    Numbers 25:7
    When Phinehas the son of Eleazar, son of Aaron the priest, saw it, he rose and left the congregation and took a spear in his hand
    Judges 20:28
    And Phinehas the son of Eleazar, son of Aaron, ministered before it in those days), saying, "Shall we go out once more to battle against our brothers, the people of Benjamin, or shall we cease?" And the Lord said, "Go up, for tomorrow I will give them into your hand.
  4. Cross References
    Numbers 1:4
    And there shall be with you a man from each tribe, each man being the head of the house of his fathers.
  5. Cross References
    Joshua 22:18 - 19
    That you too must turn away this day from following the Lord ? And if you too rebel against the Lord today then tomorrow he will be angry with the whole congregation of Israel.
    Numbers 14:9
    Only do not rebel against the Lord. And do not fear the people of the land, for they are bread for us. Their protection is removed from them, and the Lord is with us; do not fear them.
    Leviticus 17:8 - 9
    And you shall say to them, Any one of the house of Israel, or of the strangers who sojourn among them, who offers a burnt offering or sacrifice
    Deuteronomy 12:13 - 14
    Take care that you do not offer your burnt offerings at any place that you see.
  6. Cross References
    Numbers 25:3
    So Israel yoked himself to Baal of Peor. And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel.
    Deuteronomy 4:3
    Your eyes have seen what the Lord did at Baal-peor, for the Lord your God destroyed from among you all the men who followed the Baal of Peor.
    Psalms 106:28
    Then they yoked themselves to the Baal of Peor, and ate sacrifices offered to the dead.
  7. Cross References
    Joshua 22:16
    Thus says the whole congregation of the Lord, 'What is this breach of faith that you have committed against the God of Israel in turning away this day from following the Lord by building yourselves an altar this day in rebellion against the Lord ?
  8. Cross References
    Numbers 16:22
    And they fell on their faces and said, "O God, the God of the spirits of all flesh, shall one man sin, and will you be angry with all the congregation?
  9. Cross References
    Joshua 18:1
    Then the whole congregation of the people of Israel assembled at Shiloh and set up the tent of meeting there. The land lay subdued before them.
  10. Cross References
    Joshua 22:16
    Thus says the whole congregation of the Lord, 'What is this breach of faith that you have committed against the God of Israel in turning away this day from following the Lord by building yourselves an altar this day in rebellion against the Lord ?
    Joshua 22:18
    That you too must turn away this day from following the Lord ? And if you too rebel against the Lord today then tomorrow he will be angry with the whole congregation of Israel.
  11. Cross References
    Joshua 7:1
    But the people of Israel broke faith in regard to the devoted things, for Achan the son of Carmi, son of Zabdi, son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took some of the devoted things. And the anger of the Lord burned against the people of Israel.
    Joshua 7:5
    And the men of Ai killed about thirty-six of their men and chased them before the gate as far as Shebarim and struck them at the descent. And the hearts of the people melted and became as water.
  12. Cross References
    Joshua 22:18
    That you too must turn away this day from following the Lord ? And if you too rebel against the Lord today then tomorrow he will be angry with the whole congregation of Israel.
  13. Cross References
    Deuteronomy 10:17
    For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God, who is not partial and takes no bribe.
  14. Cross References
    1 Kings 8:39
    Then hear in heaven your dwelling place and forgive and act and render to each whose heart you know, according to all his ways ( for you, you only, know the hearts of all the children of mankind).
  15. Cross References
    Deuteronomy 18:19
    And whoever will not listen to my words that he shall speak in my name, I myself will require it of him.
    1 Samuel 20:16
    And Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David, saying, "May the Lord take vengeance on David's enemies.
  16. Cross References
    Joshua 4:6
    That this may be a sign among you. When your children ask in time to come, 'What do those stones mean to you?
    Joshua 4:21
    And he said to the people of Israel, "When your children ask their fathers in times to come, 'What do these stones mean?
  17. Cross References
    Joshua 22:34
    The people of Reuben and the people of Gad called the altar Witness, "For," they said, "it is a witness between us that the Lord is God.
    Joshua 24:27
    And Joshua said to all the people, "Behold, this stone shall be a witness against us, for it has heard all the words of the Lord that he spoke to us. Therefore it shall be a witness against you, lest you deal falsely with your God.
    Genesis 31:48
    Laban said, "This heap is a witness between you and me today." Therefore he named it Galeed.
  18. Cross References
    Deuteronomy 12:5 - 6
    But you shall seek the place that the Lord your God will choose out of all your tribes to put his name and make his habitation there. There you shall go.
    Deuteronomy 12:17 - 18
    You may not eat within your towns the tithe of your grain or of your wine or of your oil, or the firstborn of your herd or of your flock, or any of your vow offerings that you vow, or your freewill offerings or the contribution that you present.
  19. Cross References
    Joshua 22:27
    But to be a witness between us and you, and between our generations after us, that we do perform the service of the Lord in his presence with our burnt offerings and sacrifices and peace offerings, so your children will not say to our children in time to come, "You have no portion in the Lord."
  20. Cross References
    Joshua 22:16
    Thus says the whole congregation of the Lord, 'What is this breach of faith that you have committed against the God of Israel in turning away this day from following the Lord by building yourselves an altar this day in rebellion against the Lord ?
  21. Cross References
    Joshua 22:16
    Thus says the whole congregation of the Lord, 'What is this breach of faith that you have committed against the God of Israel in turning away this day from following the Lord by building yourselves an altar this day in rebellion against the Lord ?
  22. Cross References
    Joshua 22:13 - 14
    Then the people of Israel sent to the people of Reuben and the people of Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh, in the land of Gilead, Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest.
  23. Cross References
    Joshua 22:33
    And the report was good in the eyes of the people of Israel. And the people of Israel blessed God and spoke no more of making war against them to destroy the land where the people of Reuben and the people of Gad were settled.
  24. Cross References
    Leviticus 26:11 - 12
    I will make my dwelling among you, and my soul shall not abhor you.
  25. Cross References
    Joshua 22:10 - 11
    And when they came to the region of the Jordan that is in the land of Canaan, the people of Reuben and the people of Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh built there an altar by the Jordan, an altar of imposing size.
    Joshua 22:15
    And they came to the people of Reuben, the people of Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh, in the land of Gilead, and they said to them.
  26. Cross References
    Joshua 22:30
    When Phinehas the priest and the chiefs of the congregation, the heads of the families of Israel who were with him, heard the words that the people of Reuben and the people of Gad and the people of Manasseh spoke, it was good in their eyes.
  27. Cross References
    1 Chronicles 29:20
    Then David said to all the assembly, "Bless the Lord your God." And all the assembly blessed the Lord, the God of their fathers, and bowed their heads and paid homage to the Lord and to the king.
    Nehemiah 8:6
    And Ezra blessed the Lord, the great God, and all the people answered, "Amen, Amen," lifting up their hands. And they bowed their heads and worshiped the Lord with their faces to the ground.
    Daniel 2:19
    Then the mystery was revealed to Daniel in a vision of the night. Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven.
    Luke 2:28
    He took him up in his arms and blessed God and said.
  28. Cross References
    Joshua 22:27
    But to be a witness between us and you, and between our generations after us, that we do perform the service of the Lord in his presence with our burnt offerings and sacrifices and peace offerings, so your children will not say to our children in time to come, "You have no portion in the Lord.
English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers.
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