Joshua 22 18

Joshua 22:18 kjv

But that ye must turn away this day from following the LORD? and it will be, seeing ye rebel to day against the LORD, that to morrow he will be wroth with the whole congregation of Israel.

Joshua 22:18 nkjv

but that you must turn away this day from following the LORD? And it shall be, if you rebel today against the LORD, that tomorrow He will be angry with the whole congregation of Israel.

Joshua 22:18 niv

And are you now turning away from the LORD? "?'If you rebel against the LORD today, tomorrow he will be angry with the whole community of Israel.

Joshua 22:18 esv

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.

Joshua 22:18 nlt

And yet today you are turning away from following the LORD. If you rebel against the LORD today, he will be angry with all of us tomorrow.

Joshua 22 verses

Joshua 22 18 Meaning

Joshua 22:18 expresses the deep fear and immediate warning given by Phinehas and the ten princes to the Reubenites, Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh. It posits that their perceived act of turning away from YHWH, particularly by constructing an altar that implied illicit worship, would trigger YHWH’s swift and severe wrath. This divine anger would not only fall upon the tribes responsible but, crucially, would extend to and impact the entire congregation of Israel, highlighting the profound concept of corporate responsibility within God's covenant with His people.

Joshua 22 18 Context

Joshua chapter 22 chronicles the delicate period following the conquest and division of the land. The eastern tribes of Reuben, Gad, and half of Manasseh, having faithfully participated in the Canaan campaigns, were returning to their allotted inheritance east of the Jordan River. Before crossing, they erected a large, imposing altar near the Jordan. This act immediately ignited suspicion and fear among the western tribes, who perceived it as a potential act of apostasy—an attempt to establish an independent worship site or engage in forbidden practices.

This concern stemmed from several critical factors:

1. Deuteronomic Law: God’s law, particularly Deut 12, explicitly commanded that all Israelite worship and sacrifices were to be conducted at one central sanctuary (the Tabernacle, then later the Temple), designated by YHWH. Building another altar was seen as a direct violation of this principle, which was crucial for maintaining religious purity and national unity.
2. Historical Precedent: The memory of severe divine judgments due to collective sin was fresh. The most traumatic example was the incident at Baal-Peor (Num 25), where Israelite men joined in idol worship and immorality, leading to a plague that killed 24,000. Another was Achan's sin (Josh 7), where one man's transgression brought defeat and judgment upon the entire army and ultimately the whole community.
3. Maintaining Covenant Fidelity: The core identity of Israel as YHWH's covenant people depended on absolute fidelity to Him and His commands. Any perceived turning away or "forsaking" Him was not merely a personal transgression but a national crisis threatening their unique relationship with God. Phinehas, a key figure in addressing the Baal-Peor sin, was therefore profoundly concerned about repeating past mistakes. The verse, thus, highlights the extreme seriousness with which even the appearance of covenant infidelity was treated, due to the swift and widespread nature of God’s potential judgment.

Joshua 22 18 Word analysis

• And will you forsake (וּמַדַּעְתֶּ֥ם - ū-maddahʿattem from שׁוּב - shuv): The verb shuv means "to turn back," "return," or "turn away." In this context, with the prefixed ma (an interrogative mi with Daghesh Forte, hence maddahʿattem meaning "how (then) are you turning away?"), it emphasizes an astonished question implying severe departure or apostasy from YHWH. It’s a deliberate act of disloyalty to the covenant God.
• The LORD (יְהוָה - YHWH): This is the divine personal name of God, highlighting the specific and intimate covenant relationship Israel had with Him. Forsaking YHWH is a direct affront to His unique authority and fidelity, unlike serving a foreign deity.
• And if you do, tomorrow (מָחָר - machar): While literally "tomorrow," in prophetic and legal contexts, this term signifies certainty and immediacy, conveying "soon," "inevitably," or "without delay." It indicates that divine judgment would follow promptly, not necessarily literally the next day, but with an urgency that leaves no doubt about its coming.
• He will be angry (וְקָצַף - ve-qatsaf from קָצַף - qatsaph): This strong verb means "to be enraged," "furious," or "fiercely indignant." It describes God's righteous wrath against profound covenant transgression. It's not a mere displeasure but an intense, active displeasure that brings severe consequences.
• With the whole congregation (כָל־הָֽעֵדָה֙ - kol-hāʿēḏāh): "Whole" (kol) emphasizes totality, and "congregation" (edah) refers to the organized assembly of Israel, encompassing all tribes and their representatives. This stresses the communal solidarity and collective accountability before God, where the sin of a part could implicate the entire body.
• Of Israel (בְיִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל - b'yisrael): Specifies that this refers to the entirety of God's covenant people, the nation bearing His name. The potential judgment would be a national calamity, affecting all, underscoring the interdependency of each tribe on the covenant faithfulness of the others.

Words-Group analysis:

• "And will you forsake the LORD": This phrase captures the core accusation: a turning away from fundamental covenant fidelity. It points to perceived theological drift and potential idolatry, a direct violation of the First Commandment ("You shall have no other gods before Me," Ex 20:3). The language of "forsaking" God is common in the Bible to describe spiritual infidelity, leading to dire consequences.
• "Tomorrow He will be angry": This phrase conveys the immediacy and certainty of divine retribution. It underscores God's active involvement in maintaining the covenant and His readiness to judge violations swiftly and decisively. The past judgments (like Peor and Achan) demonstrate this pattern.
• "With the whole congregation of Israel": This critical phrase emphasizes the principle of corporate solidarity and shared accountability within the covenant. A sin committed by a portion of the community, especially a significant act perceived as national apostasy, was understood to defile the entire body and invoke a judgment that affected all. This reinforced unity and vigilance against sin across all tribal lines.

Joshua 22 18 Bonus section

The intense reaction described in Joshua 22:18 also reflects a crucial aspect of Israelite theology: the meticulous care taken to avoid rituals of illicit syncretism. The law (Deut 12) mandated one central place of worship to prevent the kind of religious blend that characterized surrounding pagan nations, where local shrines and altars allowed for fragmented, often idolatrous, worship practices. The very appearance of an altar, regardless of its true purpose, threatened to undermine this singular focus and open a door to the very idolatry from which YHWH had consistently warned His people to separate themselves. This highlights the vital importance of external practices aligning with covenant principles. While the eastern tribes had good intentions (as a witness, not for sacrifice), their actions lacked clarity and understanding from the perspective of their western brethren, underscoring the importance of transparent communication and clear adherence to biblical precepts, especially when dealing with matters of corporate faith and worship.

Joshua 22 18 Commentary

Joshua 22:18 vividly illustrates the deep anxiety within post-conquest Israel concerning covenant faithfulness and national unity. The western tribes' initial interpretation of the Transjordanian altar was not an irrational outburst but a deeply rooted theological fear, grounded in recent catastrophic experiences (Baal-Peor, Achan) where national sin incurred collective divine judgment. The core concern was "forsaking the LORD," not merely a turning away but a grave act of apostasy that challenged YHWH's exclusive claim on Israel's worship and threatened the integrity of the centralized cult prescribed by the Deuteronomic Law (Deut 12).

The prophetic immediacy conveyed by "tomorrow he will be angry" reflects the Israelite understanding of God's character as both holy and just—swift to respond to direct challenges to His covenant. This swiftness serves as a potent deterrent. Moreover, the terrifying prospect that judgment would fall upon the "whole congregation of Israel" underscores the corporate nature of Israel's identity and responsibility. In God's covenant dealings with Israel, sin, particularly idolatry or rebellion against His command concerning worship, had communal repercussions, not merely individual ones. This principle fostered inter-tribal accountability and emphasized that the spiritual health of one part of the nation directly impacted the well-being of the whole. The verse, therefore, served as a passionate, high-stakes plea to the eastern tribes, born out of a genuine desire to avert another national tragedy and preserve Israel's covenant relationship with YHWH. It highlights the gravity with which the Israelites regarded fidelity to the singular, true God.