Joshua 22:19 kjv
Notwithstanding, if the land of your possession be unclean, then pass ye over unto the land of the possession of the LORD, wherein the LORD's tabernacle dwelleth, and take possession among us: but rebel not against the LORD, nor rebel against us, in building you an altar beside the altar of the LORD our God.
Joshua 22:19 nkjv
Nevertheless, if the land of your possession is unclean, then cross over to the land of the possession of the LORD, where the LORD's tabernacle stands, and take possession among us; but do not rebel against the LORD, nor rebel against us, by building yourselves an altar besides the altar of the LORD our God.
Joshua 22:19 niv
If the land you possess is defiled, come over to the LORD's land, where the LORD's tabernacle stands, and share the land with us. But do not rebel against the LORD or against us by building an altar for yourselves, other than the altar of the LORD our God.
Joshua 22:19 esv
But now, if the land of your possession is unclean, pass over into the LORD's land where the LORD's tabernacle stands, and take for yourselves a possession among us. 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.
Joshua 22:19 nlt
"If you need the altar because the land you possess is defiled, then join us in the LORD's land, where the Tabernacle of the LORD is situated, and share our land with us. But do not rebel against the LORD or against us by building an altar other than the one true altar of the LORD our God.
Joshua 22 19 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Lev 17:8-9 | “Any one… offers a burnt offering or sacrifice, and does not bring it to the entrance of the tent of meeting… that man shall be cut off…” | Condemns unauthorized sacrifice away from Tabernacle. |
| Deut 12:5-7 | “But you shall seek the place that the LORD your God will choose… and there you shall bring your burnt offerings…” | Establishes one central place of worship for offerings. |
| 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 will choose…” | Strict prohibition against multiple worship centers. |
| 1 Ki 12:28-30 | So the king took counsel and made two calves of gold… And this thing became a sin. | Jeroboam's unauthorized altars led to national sin. |
| Hos 8:11-12 | “Because Ephraim has multiplied altars for sinning, altars have become to him for sinning…” | Multiple altars are linked directly to idolatry and sin. |
| Num 3:7-10 | The priests alone… shall minister and whoever else comes near shall be put to death. | Priestly authority for cultic duties at the sanctuary. |
| Exod 32:7-8 | “Your people… have corrupted themselves… They have made for themselves a golden calf and have worshiped it…” | Example of direct rebellion against the LORD through false worship. |
| 1 Sam 15:23 | For rebellion is as the sin of divination, and presumption as iniquity and idolatry. | Connects rebellion directly with serious spiritual offenses. |
| Deut 7:25-26 | “You shall not bring an abominable thing into your house and become devoted to destruction like it…” | Warning against bringing defiling objects/practices into their midst. |
| Zech 2:12 | “The LORD will inherit Judah as his portion in the holy land and will again choose Jerusalem.” | Concept of the land of Israel as 'holy land.' |
| Lev 18:24-28 | “Do not make yourselves unclean… for by all these the nations… became unclean… the land vomited out its inhabitants.” | The land’s purity depends on the people’s actions, implying its ability to expel impurity. |
| Jer 7:4-7 | “Do not trust in these deceptive words: ‘This is the temple of the LORD…’ If you truly execute justice… then I will let you dwell in this place…” | False sense of security through outward religious acts without obedience. |
| 1 Cor 10:19-21 | “I imply that what pagans sacrifice they offer to demons… You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons.” | The exclusive nature of worship and avoiding syncretism. |
| Matt 12:30 | “Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.” | Principle of either aligning with or rebelling against divine purpose. |
| Eph 4:4-6 | There is one body and one Spirit… one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all… | Emphasizes the spiritual unity that Israel was meant to embody. |
| John 17:21-23 | “…that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me and I in you…” | Jesus' prayer for the unity of believers, reflecting a core divine desire. |
| Heb 10:25 | not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another… | The importance of corporate worship and community. |
| Num 16:1-3 | Now Korah… took men. And they rose before Moses with some of the people of Israel… “You have gone too far! For all in the congregation are holy…” | Korah’s rebellion involved usurping legitimate authority, akin to establishing alternative worship. |
| Deut 32:15-18 | But Jeshurun grew fat… and forsook God who made him… they sacrificed to demons that were no gods… | Describes rebellion against God through turning to other deities/practices. |
| Ps 78:40-41 | How often they rebelled against him in the wilderness and grieved him in the desert! | Illustrates God's sorrow over Israel's repeated rebellion. |
| Mal 1:6-7 | “‘A son honors his father… If I am a father, where is my honor?’… By offering polluted food on my altar.” | Disobedience through dishonoring the LORD's altar. |
Joshua 22 verses
Joshua 22 19 Meaning
Joshua 22:19 is a plea and a warning from the western tribes of Israel to the Reubenites, Gadites, and half-tribe of Manasseh, who had just built a large altar east of the Jordan River. It directly addresses a potential reason for building such an altar—the belief that their land (east of Jordan) might be considered ritually unclean, making proper worship difficult or impossible. The verse offers a dramatic solution: if their land is indeed unclean, they are welcome to abandon their inheritance and resettle among the western tribes, sharing in the pure land where the LORD's Tabernacle stands. This generous offer is immediately followed by a stern admonition not to rebel against the LORD by building a separate, unauthorized altar, which would lead to defection and spiritual disaster for all Israel. It emphasizes the unity of worship and the singular, designated place for sacrifice.
Joshua 22 19 Context
Joshua 22 recounts the highly sensitive departure of the Transjordanian tribes (Reuben, Gad, and half-Manasseh) back to their inherited land east of the Jordan River, having faithfully assisted the other tribes in conquering Canaan. Upon crossing the Jordan, they construct a large altar by the river, distinct from the central altar at the Tabernacle in Shiloh. The western tribes immediately misinterpret this act, fearing it signifies a rebellion against the LORD, a turn to idolatry, or an attempt to establish an independent worship center, which would break the unity of Israel and violate divine law concerning the singular place of sacrifice. Verse 19 is part of the speech delivered by Phinehas, the priest, and ten leaders sent by the western tribes to confront the Transjordanian tribes. Their mission is not immediate warfare, but an urgent investigation and a plea to avert a catastrophic sin that could bring divine wrath upon all Israel, similar to past transgressions. This verse specifically addresses a potential theological justification for the eastern tribes' actions – the idea that their land outside the immediate "Promised Land" west of the Jordan might be inherently less sacred or even "unclean."
Joshua 22 19 Word analysis
However, if the land of your possession is unclean:
- However: Signifies a significant shift in thought or a new proposition. Here, it introduces a crucial "what if" scenario regarding their motive.
- land of your possession: Refers to the inheritance (achuzzah) of the Transjordanian tribes east of the Jordan. It's their God-given territory, yet its holiness is being questioned implicitly by their action.
- unclean (tame): Refers to ritual impurity. In Israelite theology, uncleanness made one unable to participate in sanctuary worship or reside fully within the community. The implication here is a radical one: could their entire land be considered unfit for sacred activities, thus prompting a separate altar? This question highlights the profound concern for ritual purity and its geographical implications. This shows the western tribes were trying to understand their motives from a spiritual perspective.
pass over into the land of the possession of the Lord, where the Lord's tabernacle stands, and take for yourselves a possession among us.
- pass over (ivru): A strong verb, meaning to cross over. It's a call to immediate action, abandoning their eastern inheritance.
- land of the possession of the Lord: This clearly identifies the land west of the Jordan, particularly around Shiloh, as uniquely consecrated and blessed, distinct from other lands, as it is where the LORD chooses to dwell.
- the Lord's tabernacle (mishkan Yahweh): The central sanctuary, the tent of meeting. This is the legitimate, God-ordained place for worship, sacrifices, and interaction with the Divine Presence. Its location was paramount to Israel's worship. The phrase explicitly marks the distinction and sacredness.
- take for yourselves a possession among us: An incredibly magnanimous and unprecedented offer. It indicates the grave spiritual stakes perceived by the western tribes. Rather than permit schism or idolatry, they offer to share their own precious, limited inheritance—an extreme act of devotion to God's unity and to prevent sin within Israel. It reflects a prioritizing of spiritual obedience over material inheritance.
But do not rebel against the Lord or make us rebels by building for yourselves an altar other than the altar of the Lord our God.
- But do not rebel (al timrodu): A strong prohibition using the Hebrew term marad, meaning to revolt, defy, or break covenant. This elevates the building of another altar from a simple mistake to an act of outright spiritual insurrection against God Himself.
- make us rebels: Implies corporate guilt. The sin of a part of the nation could defile or bring judgment upon the whole, necessitating immediate intervention. The sin would be contagious, involving the entire community in the rebellion.
- an altar other than the altar of the Lord our God: The crucial theological point. The divine law (especially in Deut 12) specified one legitimate altar for national offerings to the LORD, located at His chosen sanctuary. Building any other altar for worship, regardless of stated intent, was a direct challenge to God's command and to the theological uniqueness of His chosen dwelling place. This was a clear polemic against any attempt at syncretism or decentralized worship.
Joshua 22 19 Bonus section
The concern about "unclean land" points to a profound aspect of Israelite theology where the sanctity of the land was intricately linked to the holiness of the people inhabiting it and their adherence to the covenant. Disobedience and idolatry would "defile" the land, leading to its expulsion of its inhabitants (Lev 18:25-28). The Transjordanian tribes might have worried that being outside the central portion of the land, which directly housed the Tabernacle, inherently diminished their land's spiritual status, thus justifying a separate means of worship. This verse addresses and corrects that potential misunderstanding, reaffirming that the issue is not the land's inherent purity based on location (though location mattered for the Tabernacle), but the unity of Israel in their singular worship of the LORD at His designated place. The offer to resettle them is a testament to the fact that spiritual unity and correct worship were prioritized above tribal boundaries and physical inheritances. This episode, though resolved peacefully, foreshadows later schisms and unauthorized worship centers that plagued Israel's history (e.g., Jeroboam's golden calves at Bethel and Dan), highlighting the constant temptation to deviate from God's prescribed worship.
Joshua 22 19 Commentary
Joshua 22:19 succinctly captures the intense concern of the Israelite community for doctrinal purity and corporate responsibility. The western tribes, confronted with an alarming sight, immediately fear an apostasy that could jeopardize the entire nation. Their generous offer to resettle the Transjordanian tribes underscores the perceived gravity of potential spiritual rebellion: a clean land with the LORD’s presence is infinitely more valuable than a separated, impure one, regardless of inherited portion. This verse is a powerful declaration against spiritual deviation and challenges any perception of religious obligation tied to geographical location rather than a unified heart. The demand for a singular altar for the LORD serves as a reminder that genuine worship is characterized by obedience to God's specific commands, not human innovation, no matter how well-intended. It exemplifies the early community’s understanding of holiness, covenant loyalty, and the devastating consequences of schism, stressing that spiritual rebellion affects not just the individual or group, but the entire covenant people.