Joshua 22:25 kjv
For the LORD hath made Jordan a border between us and you, ye children of Reuben and children of Gad; ye have no part in the LORD: so shall your children make our children cease from fearing the LORD.
Joshua 22:25 nkjv
For the LORD has made the Jordan a border between you and us, you children of Reuben and children of Gad. You have no part in the LORD." So your descendants would make our descendants cease fearing the LORD.'
Joshua 22:25 niv
The LORD has made the Jordan a boundary between us and you?you Reubenites and Gadites! You have no share in the LORD.' So your descendants might cause ours to stop fearing the LORD.
Joshua 22:25 esv
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.
Joshua 22:25 nlt
The LORD has placed the Jordan River as a barrier between our people and you people of Reuben and Gad. You have no claim to the LORD.' So your descendants may prevent our descendants from worshiping the LORD.
Joshua 22 25 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Deut 3:16-17 | To the Reubenites and Gadites I gave the territory from Gilead as far as the Arnon Valley...and the Jordan River with its border... | Jordan as the physical border for tribes. |
| Num 32:1-5 | Now the sons of Reuben and the sons of Gad had a very great number of livestock. So they saw the land of Jazer and the land of Gilead... | Tribes requesting land east of Jordan. |
| Josh 1:12-18 | But to the Reubenites and Gadites and to the half-tribe of Manasseh, Joshua said...you shall go over armed before your brothers... | Their agreement to help in conquest. |
| Deut 12:5-7 | But you shall seek the place which the LORD your God will choose from all your tribes to establish His name there for His dwelling... | Centralization of worship to a single place. |
| Deut 18:1 | The Levitical priests, all the tribe of Levi, will have no portion or inheritance with Israel; they will eat the LORD's offerings... | Levites' "portion" is the LORD Himself. |
| Num 26:62 | The Levites were not numbered among the sons of Israel, for no inheritance was given to them among the sons of Israel. | Levites having no land inheritance. |
| Ps 16:5 | The LORD is the portion of my inheritance and my cup; You support my lot. | The LORD as one's spiritual portion/inheritance. |
| Lam 3:24 | The LORD is my portion," says my soul, "Therefore I will wait for Him." | Affirming the LORD as one's sole portion. |
| Isa 56:3 | Let not the foreigner who has joined himself to the LORD say, "The LORD will surely exclude me from His people." | God's inclusivity counters fear of exclusion. |
| Eph 2:12 | Remember that you were at that time separate from Christ, excluded from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise... | Spiritual exclusion and lack of hope. |
| Col 1:12 | ...giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in Light. | Believers sharing in divine inheritance. |
| 1 Sam 2:30 | ...for those who honor Me I will honor, and those who despise Me will be lightly esteemed. | Consequences of despising the LORD. |
| Acts 8:21 | You have no part or portion in this matter, for your heart is not right before God. | Simon the sorcerer, lacking true spiritual part. |
| Job 27:8 | For what hope has the godless when he gains profit, when God takes away his life? | Losing one's portion implies spiritual destitution. |
| Josh 7:1-5 | But the sons of Israel acted unfaithfully regarding the devoted things, for Achan, the son of Carmi...took some of the devoted things; so the anger of the LORD.. | Corporate sin and its consequences for all Israel. |
| Num 25:1-9 | While Israel remained at Shittim, the people began to prostitute themselves with the daughters of Moab...and the anger of the LORD burned against Israel. | Peor, collective punishment for unfaithfulness. |
| Deut 29:22-28 | All the nations will say, 'Why has the LORD done this to this land? Why this fierce outburst of anger?'...because they abandoned the covenant of the LORD... | Consequence of abandoning the covenant. |
| Isa 2:2-4 | Now it will come about that In the last days The mountain of the house of the LORD Will be established as the head of the mountains... | Future global worship converging on God's chosen place. |
| Ps 73:26 | My flesh and my heart may fail, But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. | God as the ultimate, eternal portion. |
| Jer 10:16 | The portion of Jacob is not like these; For He is the designer of everything...The LORD of armies is His name. | God as the portion contrasted with idols. |
| Gal 5:4 | You have been severed from Christ, you who are seeking to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace. | Being "severed" from spiritual connection. |
| Heb 10:29 | How much severer punishment do you think he will deserve who has trampled underfoot the Son of God... | Grave spiritual consequence of rejection. |
| Ps 119:57 | The LORD is my portion; I have promised to keep Your words. | Affirmation of God as one's portion tied to obedience. |
Joshua 22 verses
Joshua 22 25 Meaning
Joshua 22:25 presents the accusation made by the western tribes of Israel against the eastern tribes (Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh) for building an altar by the Jordan River. Their grave concern was that the LORD had appointed the Jordan as a definitive boundary, not merely geographic but also spiritual, thereby indicating a divine separation between the western tribes and the eastern tribes. The core and most severe part of the accusation is the pronouncement that the eastern tribes, by their perceived deviation, would effectively have "no portion in the LORD," implying a complete disinheritance from the covenant community, its blessings, and their relationship with God.
Joshua 22 25 Context
Joshua chapter 22 marks a pivotal moment at the close of the conquest. The tribes of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh, who had inherited land east of the Jordan River, had faithfully fulfilled their obligation to aid the other tribes in conquering Canaan. Upon completing this task, Joshua blessed and dismissed them to return to their homes (Josh 22:1-9). As they journeyed, they built a large altar by the Jordan River. This action immediately ignited profound alarm and anger among the western tribes, who perceived it as a grave act of apostasy, a violation of the centralized worship commanded by the Mosaic Law (specifically in Deuteronomy). They feared that building an unauthorized altar was an attempt to establish a rival sanctuary, which would incite divine wrath upon all of Israel, echoing past national sins like the incident at Peor or Achan's transgression. Joshua 22:25 directly conveys the intense theological accusation hurled at the eastern tribes: their perceived idolatry meant a total severance of their relationship with the LORD, implying a spiritual exclusion from the covenant.
Joshua 22 25 Word analysis
- For (כִּי - ki): This conjunction introduces the reason or explanation for the western tribes' severe accusation. It justifies their premise.
- the LORD (יְהוָה - YHWH): Refers to the covenant God of Israel. The accusers attribute the division of land and its spiritual implications directly to divine will. Their concern is about offending YHWH.
- has made (נָתַן - natan): "Given," "placed," or "appointed." It implies intentional action on God's part. The Jordan is not just a natural barrier, but a divinely ordained one.
- the Jordan (הַיַּרְדֵּן - haYarden): The river, a significant geographic feature. Here, it transforms from a physical boundary to a symbolic theological dividing line by the western tribes' interpretation.
- a boundary (גְּבוּל - gevul): A limit, border, or frontier. In this context, it takes on an ecclesiastical and covenantal significance beyond mere geography. It defines inclusion or exclusion.
- between us and you: Clearly delineates the two opposing parties: "us" representing the united, faithful (in their view) congregation west of the Jordan, and "you" referring to the tribes east of the Jordan.
- you people of Reuben and Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh: The specific enumeration highlights the directness of the accusation. These are the identified "offenders."
- You have no portion (אֵין לָכֶם חֵלֶק - ein lakhem cheleq): A powerful declaration of disinheritance. Chēleq means "share," "part," or "inheritance." This is a severe legal and spiritual judgment.
- in the LORD (בַּיהוָה - ba'YHWH): This is the critical element. The lack of "portion" is not merely in the land but in God Himself. It implies spiritual disenfranchisement from His blessings, His presence, and His covenant relationship. The Levites' special relationship, where the LORD is their "portion," offers a stark contrast. The western tribes feared the eastern tribes were rejecting this very concept, thereby forfeiting their identity as Israel.
Words-group by words-group analysis:
- For the LORD has made the Jordan a boundary: This phrase asserts divine authority behind the Jordan's role. It's not a mere river, but a divinely established marker of spiritual distinctiveness and belonging. This underlines the perceived gravity of crossing this divine intent.
- between us and you: This emphasizes the immediate rupture in communal identity. It's a stark division between those considered faithful and those perceived as unfaithful. The "us" implicitly claims righteousness, while "you" designates deviation.
- You have no portion in the LORD: This is the climax of the accusation, signifying complete spiritual alienation. It is the strongest possible charge, equivalent to being cast out of the covenant community and stripped of the very relationship that defines Israel. This goes beyond land or physical inheritance to the core of their spiritual being and identity as God's people.
Joshua 22 25 Bonus section
The underlying theological principle guiding the accusers in Joshua 22:25 is the Deuteronomic concept of centralized worship, emphasizing the single designated place "where the LORD will choose to establish His name." Any deviation, even if unintentional, was seen as an existential threat to Israel's unique covenant relationship with God. This concern reflected a genuine fear of provoking the LORD's jealousy and bringing divine wrath upon the entire nation, a pattern they had witnessed with Achan's sin and the Baal of Peor. The concept of "no portion in the LORD" is also deeply rooted in the Israelite understanding of covenant inheritance, where tribal identity and blessings were intrinsically tied to faithful adherence to God's commands and participation in legitimate worship. The eastern tribes, on the other hand, explained their altar as a "witness" (עד – ed) to their continued fidelity and portion in the LORD, preventing their children from being excluded in the future by the children of the western tribes. This entire episode serves as a powerful biblical case study on zeal, misunderstanding, corporate responsibility, and the urgent need for clear communication and discernment within the community of faith.
Joshua 22 25 Commentary
Joshua 22:25 is the sharp articulation of the western tribes' profound fear and theological conviction regarding the unauthorized altar built by Reuben, Gad, and half-Manasseh. Their accusation springs from a sincere but misinformed zeal for the purity of Israel's worship, heavily influenced by the Deuteronomic injunctions for a singular, central sanctuary. They interpret the Jordan as a divinely intended boundary, signifying a theological divide. For them, setting up another altar east of the river amounted to secession from the LORD, creating a rival religious system that would lead to corporate judgment on all of Israel. The most devastating part of their pronouncement, "You have no portion in the LORD," reveals their deepest anxiety: that these tribes had forfeited their identity, their spiritual inheritance, and their very relationship with the God of Israel. This concern over centralized worship and avoiding corporate sin demonstrates their fidelity to God's law as they understood it, even if their understanding of the eastern tribes' intentions was erroneous. The incident highlights the critical importance of communication, discernment, and gracious inquiry in resolving theological misunderstandings among God's people.