Joshua 22 10

Joshua 22:10 kjv

And when they came unto the borders of Jordan, that are in the land of Canaan, the children of Reuben and the children of Gad and the half tribe of Manasseh built there an altar by Jordan, a great altar to see to.

Joshua 22:10 nkjv

And when they came to the region of the Jordan which is in the land of Canaan, the children of Reuben, the children of Gad, and half the tribe of Manasseh built an altar there by the Jordan?a great, impressive altar.

Joshua 22:10 niv

When they came to Geliloth near the Jordan in the land of Canaan, the Reubenites, the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh built an imposing altar there by the Jordan.

Joshua 22:10 esv

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 22:10 nlt

But while they were still in Canaan, and when they came to a place called Geliloth near the Jordan River, the men of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh stopped to build a large and imposing altar.

Joshua 22 verses

Joshua 22 10 Meaning

This verse details the specific action taken by the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh as they returned from assisting the other Israelite tribes in the conquest of Canaan. They constructed a large altar in a prominent location near the Jordan River, on the western, or Canaanite, side. This immediate act, building an impressive altar outside the designated central sanctuary at Shiloh, ignited alarm and profound suspicion among the other Israelite tribes, who swiftly perceived it as an act of rebellion, idolatry, or a dangerous move toward establishing a rival worship system, threatening the core unity and fidelity of Israel's covenant with God.

Joshua 22 10 Context

Joshua chapter 22 recounts the dramatic and emotionally charged departure of the Transjordanian tribes (Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh) who had fulfilled their pledge to help conquer Canaan. Joshua, in verses 1-9, commends their faithfulness and sends them back to their inherited land east of the Jordan River, urging them to remain devoted to YHWH and His commandments. Immediately following this farewell, verse 10 presents their pivotal act: constructing a massive altar right at the border, on the west bank of the Jordan. This construction on what was considered Israel proper was a perceived direct violation of the Mosaic Law which commanded exclusive worship at the central tabernacle (then at Shiloh). The perceived offense was so severe that it triggered a national emergency among the remaining Israelite tribes, threatening to escalate into a civil war due to what was feared as apostasy against God's unified covenant with Israel.

Joshua 22 10 Word analysis

• "And they came": Refers to the collective action of the Reubenites, Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh as they journey homeward. This implies a coordinated, purposeful movement after receiving Joshua’s blessing and dismissal.

• "to the region of the Jordan": The Hebrew g'lilót haYarden (גְלִילוֹת הַיַּרְדֵּן) denotes the "circles," "districts," or "regions" along the Jordan River. It’s a border zone, a crucial geographic area that acted as both a bridge and a barrier between the western and eastern territories.

• "that is in the land of Canaan": This specific geographical detail is profoundly significant. It emphasizes that the altar was built on the west side of the Jordan, the land designated for the rest of Israel, rather than on their own allotted land east of the Jordan. This placement instantly raised questions about allegiance and proper worship site.

• "and the people of Reuben and the people of Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh": These three specific tribes are explicitly identified, underscoring that their joint action led to the national crisis. They had been loyal and obedient in war; now their loyalty was under scrutiny for a perceived religious transgression.

• "built there an altar": The Hebrew term is mizbeach (מִזְבֵּחַ), a structure primarily used for offerings or sacrifices to a deity. According to Mosaic Law, all sacrificial worship was to be centralized at the Tent of Meeting (Lev 17:8-9; Deut 12:5). Any unauthorized altar building, especially for sacrifices, was considered a serious religious deviation and potential idolatry, which could bring divine wrath upon the entire nation.

• "a very large altar": The Hebrew gadol m'od (גָּדוֹל מְאֹד) stresses the monumental size and conspicuousness of the structure. It was not a private or humble altar but a grand, public edifice. Its immense scale made it undeniable and highly provocative to the other tribes, reinforcing the suspicion that it was intended as a rival place of worship. This size served to amplify the misunderstanding and the initial shock.

• "They came... to the region of the Jordan, that is in the land of Canaan": This phrasing highlights the precise geographical point of contention. By building on the "Canaanite" side of the Jordan, they positioned their altar not in their own territory but in a place that symbolized unity with the larger Israelite body, yet contradicted its established central worship system.

• "built there an altar, a very large altar": The emphatic repetition of "altar" coupled with "very large" accentuates the deliberate nature and immense scale of the construction. This wasn't an accidental gathering of stones, but a planned, visible, and imposing monument that naturally triggered the extreme concern and anger of the western tribes.

Joshua 22 10 Bonus section

The building of the altar described in Joshua 22:10 reflects a deeper tension between tribal identity, geographical boundaries, and the overriding covenantal unity of Israel. The trans-Jordanian tribes, living on the 'other side,' perhaps felt a potential for disconnect or diminishing religious affiliation over time. Their proactive construction of a highly visible monument served, from their perspective (as explained later in the chapter), as a perpetual 'witness' or 'sign' (Hebrew ed) of their shared inheritance and participation in the covenant of YHWH with the rest of Israel (Josh 22:27-28). It was designed to ensure their children would not be excluded from the Israelite community, thereby maintaining religious identity and access to the central sanctuary. This proactive step, although misinterpreted by the main body of Israel as an act of schism, was ironically an attempt to preserve unity in the long term by publicly affirming their shared God and heritage.

Joshua 22 10 Commentary

Joshua 22:10 is the narrative turning point where geographical and perceived theological division threatens to erupt into civil war. The act of the Transjordanian tribes constructing a "very large altar" on the west bank of the Jordan, ostensibly within the territory of "Canaan," was immediately misconstrued by the other Israelite tribes. In a culture where centralized worship was paramount (Deut 12), any altar built outside the designated sanctuary at Shiloh was seen as a grave act of rebellion against YHWH and the covenant, akin to establishing a new, unauthorized, and potentially idolatrous worship site. The sheer size of the altar only amplified these fears, signaling a formidable challenge to Israel's religious unity and divine law. This verse sets the stage for a critical dialogue in which clarity and intent resolve a profound misunderstanding rooted in the zealous desire to protect the integrity of God's command and the nation's spiritual unity.