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Matthew Henry on Joshua 22:1-9
Joshua dismisses the tribes with good counsel. Those who have the commandment have it in vain, unless they do the commandment; and it will not be done aright unless we take diligent heed. In particular to love the Lord…
The Reubenites, Gadites, and Half Tribe of Manasseh Dismissed. (b. c. 1444.)
THE REUBENITES, GADITES, AND HALF TRIBE OF MANASSEH DISMISSED. (B. C. 1444.) The war being ended, and ended gloriously, Joshua, as a prudent general, disbands his army, who never designed to make war their trade, and se…
The Pulpit Commentary on Joshua 22:1-34
EXPOSITION
The Pulpit Commentary on Joshua 22:1
The Reubenites and the Gadites. According to the Hebrew idiom, these are in the original in the singular, as in Genesis 12:6. Thus a tribe, as has been before remarked, or even a family (Joshua 6:25), is spoken of frequ…
The Pulpit Commentary on Joshua 22:1-34
Reuben and Gad and the half tribe of Manasseh at home. Three points are especially noticeable in this chapter. First, the reward of those who have laboured on behalf of their brethren; next, the duty of claiming our pri…
The Pulpit Commentary on Joshua 22:1-9
We have seen the Reubenites and Gadites generously taking their part in the war for the conquest of Canaan, though they had already come into possession themselves of their assigned share on the other side of Jordan. In…
The Pulpit Commentary on Joshua 22:1-4
Service and reward. I. THE SERVICE. This is characterised by the following points of merit: 1. Obedience to discipline. The two tribes and the half tribe are commended for obedience to their supreme commanders. Soldiers…
The Pulpit Commentary on Joshua 22:3
Many days (see note on Joshua 22:1). The expression in the original implies more, a great many days, the usual expression for a period of considerable length. Thus the military service of these tribes must under any cir…
The Pulpit Commentary on Joshua 22:4
Given rest. LXX. κατέπαυσε, the word used in Hebrews 4:8.
The Pulpit Commentary on Joshua 22:5
Loyalty to God in separation from the Church. I. THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF TRIAL. 1. Isolation. The Reubenites and their associates had chosen an inheritance which would separate them from their brethren. There was danger le…
The Pulpit Commentary on Joshua 22:5
But take diligent heed. This passage is a quotation from the Book of Deuteronomy (Joshua 6:5; Joshua 10:12; Joshua 11:13, Joshua 11:22; 30:6, 16, 20, etc) The expressions, as Keil well remarks, are "crowded together, so…
The Pulpit Commentary on Joshua 22:6
To their tents. It would seem that, during the whole of these "many days," the conquered cities had remained tenantless, waiting for the return of the warriors from their long expedition. "Those that were first in the a…
The Pulpit Commentary on Joshua 22:7
Now to the one half of the tribe of Manasseh. We have here, as Keil remarks, a specimen of our author's habit of repetition. Four times do we read (Joshua 13:14, Joshua 13:33; Joshua 14:3; Joshua 18:7) that the Levites…
The Pulpit Commentary on Joshua 22:8
Riches. The word here used is an uncommon one, and occurs only here and in the later Hebrew. Divide the spoil of your enemies with your brethren. This was the just reward for their toils. And here, as elsewhere, we may…
The Pulpit Commentary on Joshua 22:9
Out of Shiloh. See note on Joshua 22:1. In the land of Canaan. To distinguish it from Gilead, the land of their possession, on the other side of Jordan. Whereof they were possessed. Another instance of that repetition w…
The Pulpit Commentary on Joshua 22:9-21
The Cause of this Outbreak of Wrath The feeling excited in the people of Israel by the news that the Reubenites and Gadites had set up an altar beyond Jordan is a proof that the religious condition of the nation after t…
Matthew Henry on Joshua 22:10-20
Here is the care of the separated tribes to keep their hold of Canaan's religion. At first sight it seemed a design to set up an altar against the altar at Shiloh. God is jealous for his own institutions; we should be s…
The Altar of the Reubenites. (b. c. 1444.)
THE ALTAR OF THE REUBENITES. (B. C. 1444.) Here is, I. The pious care of the separated tribes to keep their hold of Canaan's religion, even when they were leaving Canaan's land, that they might not be as the sons of the…
The Pulpit Commentary on Joshua 22:10-34
Misunderstandings among good people. Bitter contention often arises from simple misunderstanding. The Israelites were on the verge of a civil war as a result of a simple mistake of judgment. Much unhappiness might be av…
The Pulpit Commentary on Joshua 22:10
Trespass. The Hebrew word signifies to act deceitfully or faithlessly. It was an act of ingratitude towards the God who had established them in the good land in which they now found themselves. Such ingratitude and dese…
The Pulpit Commentary on Joshua 22:10
The borders of Jordan. Literally, the circles (cf. notes on Joshua 13:2; Joshua 18:17; Joshua 20:7; Joshua 21:32). Conder suggests downs, and it is most probable that the word refers to curved outlines, such as we frequ…
The Pulpit Commentary on Joshua 22:11
Half tribe of Manasseh. Throughout this part of the narrative, when the body politic, rather than the descent of the tribe, is to be indicated, we have, not מַטֶּה, but שֶׁבֶט. See above, Joshua 13:29. An altar. The ori…
The Pulpit Commentary on Joshua 22:12
Gathered themselves together at Shiloh. The commentators refer here to Le Joshua 17:8, Joshua 17:9, and Deuteronomy 12:4-14. See also Le Deuteronomy 17:4. The punishment for the sin is to be found in Deuteronomy 13:12-1…
The Pulpit Commentary on Joshua 22:13
Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest. Their messenger was well chosen. He was the representative of the high priest, whose duty it was to call attention to all infringements of the law. He had proved his own fiery zea…