Joshua 22:16 kjv
Thus saith the whole congregation of the LORD, What trespass is this that ye have committed against the God of Israel, to turn away this day from following the LORD, in that ye have builded you an altar, that ye might rebel this day against the LORD?
Joshua 22:16 nkjv
"Thus says the whole congregation of the LORD: 'What treachery is this that you have committed against the God of Israel, to turn away this day from following the LORD, in that you have built for yourselves an altar, that you might rebel this day against the LORD?
Joshua 22:16 niv
"The whole assembly of the LORD says: 'How could you break faith with the God of Israel like this? How could you turn away from the LORD and build yourselves an altar in rebellion against him now?
Joshua 22:16 esv
"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 22:16 nlt
"The whole community of the LORD demands to know why you are betraying the God of Israel. How could you turn away from the LORD and build an altar for yourselves in rebellion against him?
Joshua 22 16 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Deut 6:4 | "Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one!" | Centrality of One God and worship. |
| Deut 12:5-6 | "But you shall seek the place that the Lord your God chooses...and there you shall bring your burnt offerings..." | Command for centralized worship. |
| Deut 12:13-14 | "Take care that you do not offer your burnt offerings in every place that you see...but in the place that the Lord chooses..." | Prohibition of localized altars. |
| Deut 13:12-16 | "If you hear in one of your cities...certain worthless fellows have gone out among you and enticed the inhabitants of their city, saying, 'Let us go and serve other gods'..." | Warning against enticement to idolatry. |
| Exod 20:3 | "You shall have no other gods before me." | First Commandment, against idolatry. |
| Josh 7:1 | "But the people of Israel broke faith in regard to the devoted things, for Achan...took some of the devoted things..." | Corporate sin (trespass) and consequences. |
| Josh 7:11-12 | "Israel has sinned; they have transgressed my covenant that I commanded them...therefore the people of Israel cannot stand before their enemies." | God's wrath due to corporate trespass. |
| Num 5:6-7 | "When a man or woman commits any of the sins that people commit by breaking faith with the Lord, and that person realizes his guilt...he shall confess the sin he has committed." | Meaning of ma'al (trespass/breaking faith). |
| Num 14:9 | "Only do not rebel against the Lord, and do not fear the people of the land..." | Using "rebel" (marad) against God. |
| 1 Sam 15:23 | "For rebellion is as the sin of divination, and presumption as iniquity and idolatry." | Equates rebellion with serious sin. |
| Lev 5:15 | "If anyone commits a trespass and sins unintentionally in any of the holy things of the Lord..." | Example of trespass (ma'al) in context. |
| Judg 20:12 | "And the tribes of Israel sent men through all the tribe of Benjamin, saying, 'What wickedness is this that has taken place among you?'" | Interrogation concerning serious communal sin. |
| Pss 78:40 | "How often they rebelled against him in the wilderness and grieved him in the desert!" | Israel's history of rebellion. |
| Ezra 9:2 | "They have defiled the holy race with them, and in this defilement the officials and chief men have been foremost." | Instances of Israel's ma'al. |
| Neh 1:8 | "Remember the word that you commanded your servant Moses, saying, 'If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the peoples.'" | Consequence of unfaithfulness/covenant breaking. |
| Jer 3:6 | "Have you seen what faithless Israel has done, how she went up on every high hill and under every green tree, and there played the harlot?" | Metaphor of Israel's apostasy. |
| Ezek 14:13 | "Son of man, if a land sins against me by committing an act of treachery..." | Corporate sin leading to judgment. |
| Rom 1:18 | "For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth." | God's wrath against sin, though different context. |
| Heb 10:26 | "For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins..." | Grave warning against deliberate rebellion. |
| 1 John 3:4 | "Everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness; sin is lawlessness." | General principle of sin against God's law. |
Joshua 22 verses
Joshua 22 16 Meaning
Joshua 22:16 records the urgent and accusatory question posed by Phinehas, representing the whole congregation of Israel, to the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and half-Manasseh. It confronts them with a perceived "trespass" against the God of Israel, interpreted as an act of "rebellion" against the Lord by building what was thought to be a rival altar, thereby departing from the singular, commanded worship of Yahweh. The core concern is the integrity of the covenant and the potential for divine wrath to fall upon the entire nation.
Joshua 22 16 Context
Joshua 22 opens with Joshua blessing and dismissing the trans-Jordanian tribes—Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh—who had faithfully helped their brethren conquer the land of Canaan for seven years. As they departed to their inheritance east of the Jordan, they built a large altar by the river. This act was immediately misinterpreted by the rest of Israel, who resided west of the Jordan. They viewed this altar not as a memorial but as a sacrificial altar, signifying a breach of the covenant, an act of idolatry, and a departure from the central sanctuary at Shiloh, which was the only legitimate place for communal sacrifice according to Deuteronomic law (Deut 12). Fearful of incurring divine wrath upon the entire community, similar to the judgment that befell Achan (Josh 7), the assembly prepared for war. Before attacking, however, they sent a delegation led by Phinehas, the son of Eleazar the high priest, to confront the trans-Jordanian tribes. Joshua 22:16 records Phinehas's direct and fiery accusation, reflecting the zealous concern for Israel's fidelity to the Lord and the severe implications of perceived apostasy. The immediate historical context is a pivotal moment of tension and near civil war rooted in religious misunderstanding, emphasizing Israel's corporate responsibility for sin.
Joshua 22 16 Word analysis
- "Thus says" (כֹּה אָמַר - koh amar): This is a formal, authoritative declaration, typical in prophetic or divine pronouncements (e.g., "Thus says the Lord"). Here, it conveys the gravity and unified resolve of the accusers, signifying that their words carry the weight of the entire covenant community, echoing divine authority.
- "the whole congregation of the Lord" (כָּל־עֲדַת יְהוָה - kal-edat Yahweh): "Congregation" ('edah) signifies the divinely established community of Israel. Their unified voice expresses corporate responsibility and deep zeal for God's honor and the covenant's integrity. It emphasizes that this accusation is not personal but communal, born of fear for collective judgment.
- "What trespass" (מָה מַעַל - mah ma'al): "What" (mah) conveys shock and incredulity. "Trespass" (ma'al) is a severe theological term, referring to a profound breach of covenant fidelity, often against God or consecrated things. It implies disloyalty, unfaithfulness, or defiling sacred matters (Lev 5:15; Num 5:6). It’s not just an error, but a betrayal.
- "is this" (זֹאת - zot): Demonstrative, directly pointing to the perceived act of building the altar, making the accusation specific and tangible.
- "you have committed" (בְגַדְתֶּם - bagadtem): The verb bagad means "to deal treacherously," "act faithlessly," or "betray." It's a strong indictment of deliberate disloyalty.
- "against the God of Israel" (בֵּאלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל - be'elohei Yisra'el): Explicitly states the offended party: the God who specifically chose Israel and bound them to Himself through covenant. This emphasizes the personal and sacred nature of the perceived offense.
- "by turning away...from following the Lord" (לָשׁוּב מֵאַחֲרֵי יְהוָה - lashuv me'akharei Yahweh): "Turning away" (lashuv) means to backslide or apostatize. "From following" (me'akharei) implies deserting the path of obedience and allegiance to Yahweh. It directly accuses them of apostasy.
- "this day" (הַיּוֹם - hayyom): Repeated twice, stressing the immediate, ongoing, and current nature of the perceived transgression, highlighting the urgency of the situation and the perceived present danger of God's wrath.
- "in building yourselves an altar" (בִּבְנוֹתְכֶם מִזְבֵּחַ - bivnotkhem mizbe'ach): The concrete act being accused. The emphasis is on "yourselves," suggesting a self-willed act contrary to divine command. "Altar" (mizbe'ach) here is the signifier of the perceived rival worship.
- "in order to rebel against the Lord" (לִמְרוֹד בַּיהוָה - limrod ba'Yahweh): "Rebel" (marad) is one of the strongest words in Hebrew for deliberate defiance against legitimate authority, especially divine authority. This is the ultimate and most severe charge, implying a direct challenge to God's sovereignty and His exclusive right to Israel's worship (1 Sam 15:23).
Joshua 22 16 Bonus section
The strong language used in this verse, reflecting deep fear and righteous indignation, paradoxically opens the door to wise deliberation. The very vehemence of the accusation forces the accused tribes to give a clear and comprehensive defense (Josh 22:21-29), preventing a potential civil war. This incident demonstrates the crucial importance of investigation and open communication within the community of faith before judgments are made, even when suspicion of spiritual defection is high. The perceived act of rebellion was rooted in sincere devotion, showing how misunderstandings, left unchecked, can lead to serious conflict, but also how communal zeal can, with grace, lead to clarification and strengthened unity. The polemic is against all forms of syncretism and polytheism, as the one God demands one place of worship and undivided allegiance.
Joshua 22 16 Commentary
Joshua 22:16 vividly portrays the zealous, yet initially misdirected, concern of the Israelites for their covenant with Yahweh. The charge laid against the trans-Jordanian tribes is one of supreme disloyalty—a ma'al (trespass/treachery) escalating to marad (rebellion). This profound accusation stemmed from their deep commitment to the Deuteronomic mandate for centralized worship and exclusive devotion to Yahweh, understanding that any deviation, particularly building another altar, was a direct affront to God and risked corporate judgment, as seen with Achan's sin. The intensity of their language reveals the existential threat they felt: perceived apostasy threatened to sever Israel's relationship with God, leading to immediate divine wrath and destruction of the nation. It reflects a profound understanding of corporate responsibility before a holy God. The urgency implied by "this day" underlines the fear that the sin was already active and could provoke an instant divine response.