Joshua 22:9

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 our God, as the best of beings, and the best of friends; and as far as that principle rules in the heart, there will be constant care and endeavour to walk in his ways, even those that are narrow and up-hill. In every instance to keep his commandments. At all times, and in all conditions, with purpose of heart to cleave unto the Lord, and to serve him and his kingdom among men, with all our heart, and with all our soul. This good counsel is given to all; may God give us grace to take it!

And the children of Reuben, and the children of Gad, and the half tribe of Manasseh, returned,.... First to the camp to take their substance, and then set forward to their own land: and departed from the children of Israel; from the rest of them, for otherwise they were children of Israel also: out of Shiloh, which is in the land of Canaan; for here the camp of Israel was, as well as the tabernacle: to go unto the country of Gilead, to the land of their possession, whereof they were possessed; Gilead is put for the whole country on the other side Jordan, as the land of Jazer, and the kingdom of Bashan, which the two tribes of Reuben and Gad, and the half tribe of Manasseh, were possessed of: according to the word of the Lord by the hand of Moses; for when they moved to have that country, Moses, it seems, consulted the Lord about it, who declared it to be his will they should have it, on performing what they promised, see Numbers 32:1.

9, 10. Return of the Tribes. Erection of an Altar on the Jordan 9 . out of Shiloh ] where the division of the land had been carried out. See Joshua 18:1 . which is in the land of Canaan ] Only the country west of the Jordan is regarded as the Land of Canaan . That on the east of the river is simply called here Gilead (comp. Numbers 32:1 ; Numbers 32:28-29 ), although it embraced Gilead and Bashan, the kingdoms of Sihon and Og.

And the children of Reuben and the children of Gad and the half tribe of Manasseh returned, and departed from the children of Israel out of Shiloh, which is in the land of Canaan, to go unto the country of Gilead, to the land of their possession, whereof they were possessed, according to the word of the LORD by the hand of Moses.

Verse 9. - Out of Shiloh. See note on ver. 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 which was according to the genius of the Hebrew language. Joshua 22:9

On the way home, when the two tribes and a half had reached the border of Canaan, they built a large conspicuous altar in the district of the Jordan, in the land of Canaan, i.e., on this side of the Jordan: "a great altar to see to," i.e., one which caught the eye on account of its size, since it was to serve for a memorial ( Joshua 22:24 .). The definition appended to Shiloh, "in the land of Canaan" ( Joshua 22:9 ), serves to bring out the antithesis "into the land of Gilead," by which we are to understand the whole of the country to the east of the Jordan, as in Numbers 32:29 ; Deuteronomy 34:1 ; Judges 5:17 , etc. נאחז, both in the form and meaning the same as in Numbers 32:30 , made possessors, i.e., settled down. היּרדּן גּלילות, the circles of the Jordan, is synonymous with היּרדּן כּכּר in Genesis 13:10 , and signifies that portion of the Ghor which was upon the western side of the Jordan.

9 . Gilead ] Here apparently, as in Joshua 22:9 , Gilead includes the whole district occupied by the Israelites to the E. of the Jordan, and not merely the central portion of it, between the S. end of the Lake of Gennesaret and the N. end of the Dead Sea. the Ashurites ] Probably an alternative form or a corrupt reading for Asherites ( Jdg 1:32 ), i.e. the tribe of Asher, named as the principal inhabitants of Western Palestine north of the plain of Esdraelon. The Targum gives “house of Asher.” The Vulgate and Syriac versions however read Geshurites . If this reading is adopted, by Geshurites must be understood the tribe which maintained itself among the Israelites in the district S. of Mount Hermon ( Joshua 13:13 ), to be distinguished from the independent kingdom of Geshur in Syria (ch. 2 Samuel 3:3 ), and from the Geshurites on the borders of Philistia ( 1 Samuel 27:8 ). Jezreel ] The great plain of Esdraelon is thus named from its principal city. See note on 1 Samuel 29:1 . all Israel ] Ish-bosheth’s dominions were gradually extended until they included all the country which afterwards formed the kingdom of Israel as distinguished from that of Judah.

Smend observes that the word commonly employed in the priest-cede to denote "tribes" is מַטּות ( Numbers 26:55 ; Numbers 30:1 ; Numbers 31:4 ; Numbers 33:54 ; Joshua 14:1 ; Joshua 21:1 ; Joshua 22:14 ), which is never used by Ezekiel, who habitually selects, as here, the term שְׁבָטִים ( Ezekiel 37:19 ; Ezekiel 45:8 ; Ezekiel 48:1 ), which also was not unknown to the priest-cede ( Exodus 39:14 ; Numbers 18:2 ; Joshua 13:29 ; Joshua 21:16 ; Joshua 22:9, 10, 11, 13 ). That is to say, if the priest-cede existed before Ezekiel, he had the choice of both terms, and selected shebhet ; whereas if Ezekiel existed before the priest-cede, and prepared the way for it, the author of the latter rejected Ezekiel's word shebhet , and adopted another perfectly unknown to the prophet. This fact appears to point to a dependence of Ezekiel on the priest-cede rather than of the priest-cede on Ezekiel. Joseph shall have two portions ; rather, Joseph portions , as חֲבָלִים is not dual . Yet that two were intended is undoubted (see Genesis 48:22 ; Joshua 17:14, 17 ). Ezekiel 47:13

[Reformed Biblical] Sincerely and heartily, as in God’s presence. Or rather, 2. Before the ark, which was the token of God’s presence. He alludes either to the order of the tribes in their march, whereby Reuben and Gad marched next and immediately before the ark, as ## appears from Num_2:10 ,14,16,17 ; or to the manner of their passage over Jordan, wherein the ark went first into Jordan, and stood there whilst all the tribes marched over Jordan by and before it, Jos 3 Jos 5 , and these amongst the rest, as is expressly noted in these very words, that they passed over before the Lord , Jos_4:13. Numbers 32:21 Numbers 32:22 ## Before the Lord, i.e. by his presence, and gracious and powerful assistance. Numbers 32:23 i.e. The punishment of your sin; as that word is very oft used. Numbers 32:24 Which you have uttered and promised to do. See this or the like phrase Num_20:2 Mat_15:8. Numbers 32:25 Numbers 32:26 ## Largely so called, as that word is oft used, for that whole country beyond Jordan, as in other places it is taken more strictly for a part of it, as here below, Num_32:39 ,40 , and elsewhere. Numbers 32:27 Numbers 32:28 Numbers 32:29 Numbers 32:30 They shall forfeit and lose their possessions in Gilead, and shall be constrained to go over Jordan, and to seek possessions there among their brethren. Numbers 32:31 ## As the Lord hath said; either at this time by thy mouth; or formerly, where he commandeth us as well as our brethren to go into Canaan and possess it. Numbers 32:32 Numbers 32:33 ## Ha