The events of this chap. are no doubt recorded in their proper
historical order. The auxiliary forces of the trans-Jordanic tribes
were not sent away immediately after the campaigns against the
Canaanites were over. They set forth from Shiloh, Joshua 22:9, to
which place the sanctuary had been remov... [ Continue Reading ]
The insertion of this explanation about the half tribe, and the
repetition of Joshua’s farewell, are examples of a marked
characteristic of very ancient writers and of Hebrew writers as much
as any - that of giving a completeness and finish to each section of
their story. The Jewish historian scarce... [ Continue Reading ]
GILEAD - Here used in the widest sense for the whole trans-Jordanic
district.... [ Continue Reading ]
The two tribes and a half erected this altar in order to keep alive
their claim to have the same interest as the other tribes had in the
sanctuary of God, which was established on the west side of Jordan:
and in order to forestall any assertion that the Jordan itself was a
natural barrier of exclusi... [ Continue Reading ]
GATHERED THEMSELVES TOGETHER - The various tribes had already
dispersed to their homes, and were now summoned together again.... [ Continue Reading ]
FROM WHICH WE ARE NOT CLEANSED UNTIL THIS DAY - Phinehas, who had
borne a conspicuous part in vindicating the cause of God against those
who fell away to Baal-peor, means that terrible as the punishment had
been, there were still those among them who hankered after Baal
worship, and even practiced i... [ Continue Reading ]
UNCLEAN - i. e. unholy because the sanctuary was not in it, but on the
other side of Jordan.... [ Continue Reading ]
The repeated invocation of God, and that by His three names - אל
_'êl_, אלהים _'ĕlohı̂ym_, יהוה _y__e__hovâh_: compare
Psalms 50:1 - marks the earnestness of the protestation. The conduct
of the two tribes and a half has often been noted as exemplary. They
had had a grave and capital crime most u... [ Continue Reading ]
The word עד _‛__êd_ is not found after “altar” in the text
of most manuscripts, nor is it represented in the Septuagint or
Vulgate. The passage should probably run: “the children of Reuben
and the children of Gad named the altar, that (as they said) it might
be, etc.” The title placed on the altar... [ Continue Reading ]