Joshua 22:26-27
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They explicitly state the altar isn't for worship, but its primary purpose is to serve as a tangible, enduring reminder. This highlights their deep concern that their descendants might be excluded from the covenant community and forgotten by those on the west side of the Jordan.
Therefore we said, ‘Let us now build an altar, not for burnt offering, nor for sacrifice, but to be a witness between us and you, and between our generations after us, that we do perform the service of the LORD in his presence with our burnt offerings and sacrifices and peace offerings, so your children will not say to our children in time to come, “You have no portion in the LORD.”’
English Standard Version (ESV)
The other tribes of Israel were deeply alarmed by the news that the tribes of Reuben and Gad, along with half of Manasseh, had built a large altar on the border of the Jordan River. Fearing this was a sign of rebellion against God and a move towards idolatry, they sent a delegation, including the high priest's son, to confront them. This verse is the beginning of the response from the eastern tribes, where they explain their true intentions for building the altar.
When faced with accusations of straying from God, the tribes on the other side of the Jordan proposed a surprising solution: building an altar. But this altar wasn't for the usual reasons.
The tribes of Reuben and Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh, were accused of rebellion against the LORD because they built a large altar on the border of Canaan. Their response clarifies their intent: this altar was not for burnt offerings or sacrifices. Instead, they explained, it was meant to be a 'witness' between them and the rest of Israel. It was a memorial, a sign that they shared the same God and were part of the same covenant community, preventing future generations from being excluded from fellowship due to their separate geographic location. This highlights a crucial distinction: an object or place can serve as a reminder or symbol without being an object of worship itself.
Fear of future separation drove these tribes to build their unique altar. What can this teach us about preserving unity across divides?
The primary motivation behind building this altar, as the tribes explained, was to prevent their children from being cut off from the LORD in the future. They feared that the other tribes might say to their descendants, 'You have no part in the LORD,' because they lived east of the Jordan River. This geographical separation, they worried, could lead to religious and familial estrangement over time. The altar was a proactive measure – a memorial to ensure that their shared identity in God and their belonging to Israel would never be forgotten, even by generations to come. It was a tangible symbol designed to preserve their spiritual heritage and their connection to the covenant community.
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Understand the original words
mizbeach · Hebrew Noun
A structure used for ritual worship, often involving the slaughter and burning of animal offerings to God, serving as a point of mediation or memorial between God and His people.
olah · Hebrew Noun
A voluntary act of worship where the entire animal is consumed by fire on the altar, symbolizing the offerer's total dedication and surrender to God.
zebach · Hebrew Noun
A general term for any religious gift offered to God, often involving blood sacrifice, to maintain communion, express gratitude, or seek atonement.
ed · Hebrew Noun
Something that serves as evidence or testimony to establish a fact, covenant, or agreement; in this context, it confirms a shared identity and religious loyalty.
YHWH · Hebrew Proper Noun
The specific name of the God of Israel, YHWH, revealed to Moses; it signifies His eternal existence, covenant faithfulness, and redemptive nature.
shelem · Hebrew Noun
An offering brought to the temple or tabernacle as a sign of fellowship and thanksgiving; it often involved a shared meal between the worshiper and God.
cheleq · Hebrew Noun
A legal or covenantal share, inheritance, or right; here it refers to having a legitimate place and covenantal standing within the people of God.
This event highlights a critical moment of potential division within Israel, stemming from differing geographical locations and the fear of severed religious unity. The building of the altar, though misunderstood, served as a powerful symbol of their shared identity and faith in God.
c. 1406 BC
Conquest of Canaan completed
After years of warfare, Joshua leads the Israelites in conquering the Promised Land. The land is divided among the twelve tribes.
c. 1400 BC
Division of Land east of Jordan
The tribes of Reuben, Gad, and half of Manasseh are granted their inheritance east of the Jordan River, with the promise to help conquer the rest of Canaan.
c. 1399 BC
Return of Transjordanian Tribes
After assisting in the conquest of Canaan, the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and half of Manasseh return to their lands east of the Jordan.
c. 1399 BC— this verse
Building of the Altar
The Transjordanian tribes build a large altar on the western side of the Jordan River, causing consternation among the other tribes.
c. 1399 BC
Deputation Sent to Eastern Tribes
A delegation, led by Phinehas the priest, is sent to the eastern tribes to question their motives for building the altar, fearing it signals religious rebellion.
c. 1399 BC
Reconciliation and Understanding
The eastern tribes explain their altar is a memorial to ensure future generations are not excluded from worship, satisfying the delegation and preventing war.
This passage establishes God's command for Israel to build altars only in places He designates and for specific purposes, highlighting the seriousness of the two and a half tribes' intention to build one.
Deuteronomy 12:5-14These verses detail the centralization of worship at God's chosen place, reinforcing why the other tribes were concerned about an altar being built away from the main sanctuary, as it could lead to division and unauthorized worship.
Joshua 22:34This verse directly names the altar 'Ed,' meaning 'witness,' which perfectly encapsulates the purpose explained by the Reubenites and Gadites in verse 26: to serve as a memorial and symbol of unity, not for sacrifice.
1 Corinthians 10:16-17Paul's discussion of the cup and bread as a 'participation' in Christ and the 'sharing' of the body connects to the idea of unity in worship that the altar was meant to symbolize for the tribes, preventing future separation.
calvinJoshua 22:21-34: "Then the children of Reuben and the children of Gad and the half tribe of Manasseh answered, and said unto the heads of the thousands of Israel,"
Si cogitavimus aedificare nobis altare, ut averteremur ne iremus post Jehovam, et si ad immolandum super illud holocausta et sacrificium, et si ad faciendum super illud sacrificia prosperitatum, Jehova ipse inquirat.
And if we have not rather done it for fear of this thing, saying, In time to come your children might speak u…
pulpitJoshua 22:26: "Therefore we said, Let us now prepare to build us an altar, not for burnt offering, nor for sacrifice:"
Verse 26. - Let us now prepare to build us an altar. Literally, let us make now to build to us an altar. Burnt offering, nor for sacrifice. In the "burnt offering" the whole victim was consumed. In the "sacrifice" part only was offered on the altar. The rest was eaten by the priest or the person who offered it.
They explicitly state the altar isn't for worship, but its primary purpose is to serve as a tangible, enduring reminder. This highlights their deep concern that their descendants might be excluded from the covenant community and forgotten by those on the west side of the Jordan.
The other tribes of Israel were deeply alarmed by the news that the tribes of Reuben and Gad, along with half of Manasseh, had built a large altar on the border of the Jordan River. Fearing this was a sign of rebellion against God and a move towards idolatry, they sent a delegation, including the high priest's son, to confront them. This verse is the beginning of the response from the eastern tribes, where they explain their true intentions for building the altar.
The other tribes of Israel were deeply alarmed by the news that the tribes of Reuben and Gad, along with half of Manasseh, had built a large altar on the border of the Jordan River. Fearing this was a sign of rebellion against God and a move towards idolatry, they sent a delegation, including the high priest's son, to confront them. This verse is the beginning of the response from the eastern tribes, where they explain their true intentions for building the altar.
"Therefore we said, ‘Let us now build an altar, not for burnt offering, nor for sacrifice, but to be a witness between us and you, and between our generations after us, that we do perform the service of the LORD in his presence with our bur…" — They explicitly state the altar isn't for worship, but its primary purpose is to serve as a tangible, enduring reminder. This highlights their deep concern that their descendants might be excluded fr…
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Last reviewed October 2026
