Commentary - Joshua 22:13-20

Bird's-eye view

This passage in Joshua 22 presents a moment of high tension, a near civil war within Israel. The tribes west of the Jordan hear that their brothers on the east, Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh, have built a large altar. To the western tribes, this looks like blatant apostasy, a direct violation of the central sanctuary principle established in the law of Moses. The unity of Israel, centered on the one true altar of Yahweh at Shiloh, appears to be fracturing. This is not a small matter; it is a potential covenantal rupture that threatens the entire nation with God's judgment. The response is therefore swift and severe. A high-level delegation, led by Phinehas the priest, is dispatched to confront the eastern tribes, not with swords drawn just yet, but with a sharp and weighty accusation of unfaithfulness. Their charge is rooted in historical precedent, recalling the disastrous consequences of past sins like Peor and Achan, which brought corporate judgment upon all of Israel. The core issue is the sanctity of worship and the corporate solidarity of God's people. One sin can defile the whole camp, and one unauthorized altar can provoke the wrath of God against the entire congregation.

The speech of the delegation, recorded here, is a masterful piece of covenantal remonstrance. It is filled with zeal for God's glory, a deep understanding of Israel's history, and a genuine, albeit fearful, concern for their brothers. They lay out the charge of rebellion, remind them of the consequences, and even offer a gracious, if pointed, solution: if the eastern land is unclean, they should abandon it and come live among their brothers on the west side. The central point is unmistakable: unity in worship at the one true altar is non-negotiable. Anything else is rebellion against Yahweh and, consequently, rebellion against the rest of Israel, because their fates are tied together in the covenant.

Outline

Context In Joshua

This episode occurs at a crucial transition point in the book of Joshua. The conquest of the land is largely complete, and the tribes have received their inheritances. The two and a half tribes, who had settled east of the Jordan, have fulfilled their promise to fight alongside their brothers and are now returning home. The unity and faithfulness demonstrated throughout the conquest are now being tested. Having fought together against external enemies, the nation now faces an internal crisis that threatens to tear it apart. The principle of a single, central place of worship, where the tabernacle of Yahweh dwells, was a cornerstone of the Mosaic covenant (Deut. 12). This was not merely a matter of liturgical preference; it was a safeguard against the idolatrous practices of the Canaanites, who had high places and altars scattered throughout their lands. The altar at Shiloh was the symbol and substance of Israel's unity as one people before the one true God. Any rival altar was, by definition, an act of schism and rebellion.

Key Issues

Clause-by-Clause Commentary

v. 13 Then the sons of Israel sent to the sons of Reuben and to the sons of Gad and to the half-tribe of Manasseh, into the land of Gilead, Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest,

The response of the western tribes is immediate and official. They don't send a mob; they send a formal delegation. This is a judicial and ecclesiastical matter of the highest order. And who do they send to lead it? Phinehas. This is the same Phinehas who, with righteous zeal, turned back God's wrath at Peor by executing an Israelite man and a Midianite woman in their flagrant sin (Num. 25). His presence alone is a potent message. He is a man who has proven he does not tolerate apostasy and understands the devastating consequences of covenantal unfaithfulness. He is the son of the high priest, representing the central authority of the sanctuary itself. This is not a political squabble; it is a theological crisis, and so the priest must lead.

v. 14 and with him ten leaders, one leader for each father’s household from each of the tribes of Israel; and each one of them was the head of his father’s household among the thousands of Israel.

Alongside Phinehas are ten leaders, representing the tribes west of the Jordan. This shows the unity of the western tribes in this matter. This isn't one tribe getting hot-headed; this is the collective leadership of the congregation. These are not low-level functionaries; they are heads of their fathers' households, men of stature and authority. The phrase "thousands of Israel" refers to the military and social divisions of the nation. The point is that the entire political and military establishment of western Israel is represented here. The weight of the whole nation is behind this accusation. They are taking this with the utmost seriousness, as they should.

v. 15 So they came to the sons of Reuben and to the sons of Gad and to the half-tribe of Manasseh, to the land of Gilead, and they spoke with them saying,

The delegation crosses the Jordan and enters the territory of the accused. They don't shout accusations from the other side of the river. They go to them, face to face. This is confrontational, but it is also brotherly. It is the hard work of maintaining covenantal unity. They come to speak, to lay out the case. Before any swords are drawn, words must be exchanged. The health of the covenant depends on this kind of direct, albeit painful, communication.

v. 16 “Thus says the whole congregation of Yahweh, ‘What is this unfaithful act which you have committed against the God of Israel, turning away from following Yahweh this day, by building yourselves an altar, to rebel against Yahweh this day?

The charge is laid out in the starkest possible terms. The delegation speaks on behalf of the "whole congregation of Yahweh." This is God's people speaking. The act is described as an "unfaithful act" (ma'al), a word that denotes treachery, a breach of trust, particularly in a covenantal relationship. They see this altar not as a memorial, but as a definitive act of turning away from Yahweh. Note the repetition of "this day." The sin is immediate, present, and active. And the motive is assumed to be rebellion. To build another altar is to set up a rival government, a rival god, a rival center of worship. In the theocracy of Israel, this is high treason against the divine King. There is only one throne and one altar, and they are at Shiloh.

v. 17 Is the iniquity of Peor too small a thing for us, from which we have not cleansed ourselves to this day, although there was a plague on the congregation of Yahweh?

Here is the first historical lesson. Phinehas, of all people, would remember Peor vividly. At Baal Peor, Israelite men yoked themselves to a false god through sexual immorality with Moabite women, and a plague from Yahweh killed twenty-four thousand Israelites. The delegation's point is sharp: have we forgotten so soon? The consequences of that sin still linger, "we have not cleansed ourselves to this day." Corporate sin has long-lasting effects; it stains the whole community. The memory of God's wrath should be a powerful deterrent against any new form of idolatry or rebellion. They are saying, "We have not even finished dealing with the fallout from our last great apostasy, and here you are starting another one."

v. 18 Yet you are turning away this day from following Yahweh. Now it will be that, if you rebel against Yahweh today, He will be angry with the whole congregation of Israel tomorrow.

This verse gets to the heart of their fear: corporate solidarity. The sin of the eastern tribes will not be an isolated event with localized consequences. If you rebel today, God will be angry with all of us tomorrow. This is the logic of the covenant. They are one body. A disease in the foot threatens the whole body. They understand that Yahweh does not grade on a curve. He doesn't say, "Well, the western tribes are being faithful, so I'll only punish the eastern ones." No, the covenant is with the whole congregation of Israel. Unfaithfulness in one part of the nation defiles the whole and invites judgment on the whole.

v. 19 If, however, the land of your possession is unclean, then cross into the land of the possession of Yahweh, where the tabernacle of Yahweh dwells, and take possession among us. But do not rebel against Yahweh, nor rebel against us by building an altar for yourselves, besides the altar of Yahweh our God.

This is a remarkable offer, and it reveals the depth of their concern. They are willing to consider the possibility that the eastern tribes acted out of a misguided fear. Perhaps they felt their land, being on the "other side" of the Jordan, was somehow less holy, less a part of Yahweh's possession. Perhaps they felt "unclean." If that's the problem, the solution is radical: abandon your inheritance. Come back across the Jordan, live with us, and we will make room for you. We would rather have you crowded in here with us, worshiping at the one true altar, than have you over there with your own land and your own altar. The unity of worship is more important than real estate. Then comes the central plea, which clarifies the dual nature of the sin: "do not rebel against Yahweh, nor rebel against us." Rebellion against God is rebellion against His people, because their identity is found in Him. To build a rival altar is to declare independence not just from God, but from the community He has established.

v. 20 Did not Achan the son of Zerah act unfaithfully in the things devoted to destruction, and indignation fall on all the congregation of Israel? But he was not the only man to breathe his last in his iniquity.’ ”

The second historical lesson is the story of Achan from Joshua chapter 7. Achan took some of the devoted things from Jericho. It was one man's sin, done in secret. But what happened? Israel was defeated at Ai, and God's wrath came upon the "whole congregation." Achan's sin was not a private matter. And when he was judged, his entire family perished with him. The lesson is driven home with brutal clarity: "he was not the only man to breathe his last in his iniquity." Sin is never truly private. It has corporate consequences. The delegation is applying this principle directly to the situation at hand. They are saying, "You men of the eastern tribes, if you persist in this sin, you will not perish alone. You will bring judgment down on all of us, just as Achan did." This is the logic of a people bound together by a holy covenant, where the faithfulness of each part is essential to the well-being of the whole.

Application

This passage is a powerful reminder for the church today about the seriousness of worship and the reality of our corporate identity in Christ. First, we must take the purity of worship with the utmost seriousness. The Israelites were ready to go to war over an unauthorized altar. While our context is different, the principle remains. We are not at liberty to invent our own methods of approaching God. We must worship Him according to His Word, centered on the one true sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Any "altar" we build, whether it be of human tradition, personal preference, or cultural accommodation, that detracts from the finished work of Christ is an act of rebellion.

Second, we must recover a robust understanding of corporate solidarity. We live in a hyper-individualistic age, and this has infected the church. We think of our sin as a private affair between "me and Jesus." But the stories of Peor and Achan, and the fears of the western tribes, teach us otherwise. Our sin affects the body. Our unfaithfulness can bring reproach and even judgment upon the whole church. Conversely, our faithfulness contributes to the health and strength of the whole. We are bound together in Christ. We are our brother's keeper.

Finally, this passage models the difficult duty of brotherly confrontation. When we see a brother or a sister straying into what appears to be serious sin, our response should not be gossip or passive indifference. It should be direct, serious, and motivated by a love for God's glory and a genuine concern for our brother and the whole church. The delegation from Israel acted with zeal, courage, and a deep knowledge of God's Word and His past dealings with His people. They were willing to risk conflict to preserve the purity and unity of the covenant community. May God grant us the same courage and wisdom.