Joshua 22:18
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.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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The passage emphasizes that this is not just a potential mistake, but a clear act of rebellion that will bring God's wrath upon all of Israel, not just those who built the altar. This highlights the profound interconnectedness of the community and the serious consequences when one part strays from God.
The other tribes of Israel heard that the Reubenites and Gadites had built a large altar on the edge of the Jordan River and feared it was a sign of rebellion against God. A delegation, led by Phinehas, was sent to confront them, questioning if they were turning away from the Lord by building this altar. This confrontation aims to prevent potential division and divine judgment from affecting all of Israel, referencing past national sins like those at Peor and involving Achan.
Understand the original words
anaph · Hebrew Verb
The manifest displeasure or righteous judgment of God against sin and disobedience.
This verse is spoken during a tense moment when the tribes east of the Jordan built a large altar, causing the rest of Israel to fear they were establishing a rival sanctuary and rebelling against God. The immediate threat of civil war underscores the profound importance of unified worship and the potential consequences of actions that could be perceived as dividing the covenant community.
c. 1400 BC
Conquest of Canaan
Following the death of Moses, Joshua leads the Israelites in conquering and dividing the Promised Land among the twelve tribes. The land east of the Jordan River is given to the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and half of Manasseh.
c. 1400 BC
Tribes settle east of Jordan
The tribes of Reuben, Gad, and half of Manasseh fulfill their promise to help conquer Canaan but are then permitted to settle on the lands they had been allocated east of the Jordan River.
c. 1400 BC— this verse
Altar built by Jordan
The eastern tribes build a large, prominent altar near the Jordan River. This act is later discovered by the other Israelite tribes and sparks a major dispute.
c. 1400 BC
Israelites prepare for war
Upon hearing about the altar, the remaining tribes gather at Shiloh, the central sanctuary, and resolve to go to war against their brethren, viewing the altar as a potential secession from the unified worship of God.
This passage describes the devastating consequences of the people's unfaithfulness at Baal of Peor, which is directly referenced in Joshua 22:18 as a cautionary tale about the potential wrath of God on the whole congregation for one group's rebellion.
Joshua 7:1The sin of Achan, mentioned in Joshua 22:20 as a precedent for national punishment, directly parallels the concern that rebellion by a portion of Israel could bring God's anger upon everyone.
Deuteronomy 12:5-14This foundational command from Moses stresses the importance of worshipping God at a single, chosen place, highlighting why the erection of a second altar by the eastern tribes was seen as a serious threat to the unity of worship and a potential rebellion.
1 Corinthians 10:11-12Paul reflects on these very events, warning the Corinthian church not to become conceited but to remember the lessons from Israel's history of rebellion and God's subsequent judgment, echoing the warning in Joshua 22:18 about the dangers of turning away from the Lord.
calvinJoshua 22:10-20: "And when they came unto the borders of Jordan, that are in the land of Canaan, the children of Reuben and the children of Gad and the half tribe of Manasseh built there an altar by Jordan, a great altar to see to."
And when they came unto the borders of Jordan, that are in the land of Canaan, the children of Reuben and the children of Gad and the half tribe of Manasseh built there an altar by Jordan, a great altar to see to.
Devenerunt autem ad limites Jordanis qui er…
bensonJoshua 22:18: "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 . But ye must turn away this day — Commit more sins of that nature. For whether they intended to worship other gods, or to worship the God of Israel in a manner he did not allow, it was idolatry, in the judgment of Phinehas. Ye rebel to-day, to-morrow he will be wroth — That is, s…
The passage emphasizes that this is not just a potential mistake, but a clear act of rebellion that will bring God's wrath upon all of Israel, not just those who built the altar. This highlights the profound interconnectedness of the community and the serious consequences when one part strays from God.
The other tribes of Israel heard that the Reubenites and Gadites had built a large altar on the edge of the Jordan River and feared it was a sign of rebellion against God. A delegation, led by Phinehas, was sent to confront them, questioning if they were turning away from the Lord by building this altar. This confrontation aims to prevent potential division and divine judgment from affecting all of Israel, referencing past national sins like those at Peor and involving Achan.
The other tribes of Israel heard that the Reubenites and Gadites had built a large altar on the edge of the Jordan River and feared it was a sign of rebellion against God. A delegation, led by Phinehas, was sent to confront them, questioning if they were turning away from the Lord by building this altar. This confrontation aims to prevent potential division and divine judgment from affecting all of Israel, referencing past national sins like those at Peor and involving Achan.
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c. 1400 BC
Delegation sent to eastern tribes
Before resorting to war, the Israelite congregation sends a delegation, led by Phinehas the priest, to investigate the purpose of the altar and understand the situation.
c. 1400 BC
Resolution of the altar dispute
The eastern tribes explain that the altar is a memorial, not for sacrifice, and the delegation is satisfied, averting civil war and preserving the unity of Israel under God's law.
"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." — The passage emphasizes that this is not just a potential mistake, but a clear act of rebellion that will bring God's wrath upon all of Israel, not just those who built the altar. This highlights th…
