God’s Word Translation
Joshua 22:26
26Then we said, ‘Let’s build an altar for ourselves. It will not be for burnt offerings or sacrifices,
Joshua 22:26 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Therefore we said, Let us now prepare to build us an altar, not for burnt offering, nor for sacrifice:
- New International Version (NIV)“That is why we said, ‘Let us get ready and build an altar—but not for burnt offerings or sacrifices.’
- English Standard Version (ESV)Therefore we said, 'Let us now build an altar, not for burnt offering, nor for sacrifice,
- New King James Version (NKJV)Therefore we said, ‘Let us now prepare to build ourselves an altar, not for burnt offering nor for sacrifice,
Context of Joshua 22:26
24“We were worried because of the situation we’re in. We thought sometime in the future your children might say to our children, ‘What relationship do you have with the Lord God of Israel? 25The Lord has made the Jordan River a dividing line between us and you, the descendants of Reuben and Gad. You have no connection with the Lord!’ So your descendants would stop our descendants from worshiping the Lord. Then we said, ‘Let’s build an altar for ourselves. It will not be for burnt offerings or sacrifices, 27but it will stand as a witness between us for generations to come. It will stand as a witness that we may worship in the presence of the Lord with our burnt offerings, sacrifices, and fellowship offerings.’ Then your descendants cannot say to our descendants, ‘You have no connection with the Lord!’ 28So we thought, if this statement is made to us or to our descendants in the future, we will answer, ‘Look at the model of the Lord’s altar our ancestors made. They didn’t make it for burnt offerings or sacrifices but to stand as a witness between us.’
Read all of Joshua 22Joshua 22:26 word by word
וַנֹּ֕אמֶר נַעֲשֶׂה־נָּ֣א לָ֔נוּ לִבְנ֖וֹת אֶת־הַמִּזְבֵּ֑חַ לֹ֥א לְעוֹלָ֖ה וְלֹ֥א לְזָֽבַח׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
Commentaries on Joshua 22:26
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 26An altar, not for burnt-offering, nor for sacrifice - Because this would have been in flat opposition to the law, Leviticus 17:8, Leviticus 17:9; Deuteronomy 12:4-6, Deuteronomy 12:10, Deuteronomy 12:11, Deuteronomy 12:13, Deuteronomy 12:14, which most positively forbade any sacrifice or offering to be made in any other place than that one which the Lord should choose. Therefore the altar built by the Reubenites, etc., was for no religious purpose, but…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 21-29Verses 21-29 The tribes took the reproofs of their brethren in good part. With solemnity and meekness they proceeded to give all the satisfaction in their power. Reverence of God is expressed in the form of their appeal. This brief confession of faith would remove their brethren's suspicion that they intended to worship other gods. Let us always speak of God with seriousness, and mention his name with a solemn pause. Those who make appeals to Heaven with…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 24-29The eastern tribes worried they might become excluded from Israel later because the Jordan River separated them from the western tribes.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 11-2911-29. and the children of Israel heard say--Fame speedily spread intelligence of what the trans-jordanic tribes had done. The act being suspected of some idolatrous design, the tribes rose in a mass, and repairing to the tabernacle at Shiloh, resolved to declare war against the two tribes and a half as apostates from God. On calmer and more mature consideration, however, they determined, in the first instance, to send a deputation consisting of the son…Read the comment
Topics related to Joshua 22:26
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Joshua 22
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
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