Chapter commentary
Joshua Chapter 22
1
Jos 22:1-9.
简体中文
English original
Jos 22:1-9.
JOSHUA DISMISSES THE TWO TRIBES AND A HALF, WITH A BLESSING.
1. Then Joshua called the Reubenites, and the Gadites, and the half tribe of Manasseh--The general war of invasion being ended and the enemy being in so dispirited and isolated a condition that each tribe, by its own resources or with the aid of its neighboring tribe, was able to repress any renewed hostilities, the auxiliary Israelites from the eastern side of the Jordan were now discharged from service. Joshua dismissed them with high commendations for their fidelity and earnest admonitions to cultivate perpetual piety in life. The redundancy of the language is remarkable
[Jos 22:2-5].
It shows how important, in the judgment of the venerable leader, a steadfast observance of the divine law was to personal happiness, as well as national prosperity.
3
Untitled
简体中文
3. 你们这些日子没有撇下你们的弟兄，直到今日——前后共计七年之久。
English original
3. Ye have not left your brethren these many days unto this day--for the space of seven years.
4
Untitled
简体中文
4-7. 你们回帐棚去吧——意即回家，因为他们的家眷都留在坚固的城里
(民 32:17)。
English original
4-7. get you unto your tents--that is, home; for their families had been left in fortified towns
(Nu 32:17).
8
Untitled
简体中文
8. 对他们说话，说：你们带回许多财物——即牛羊、衣物和贵重的金属。
将仇敌的掠物分给你们的弟兄——
(参
民 31:25-39)。
English original
8. he spake unto them, saying, Return with much riches--in cattle, clothes, and precious metals.
divide the spoil of your enemies with your brethren--(See on
Nu 31:25-39).
10
Jos 22:10.
简体中文
书 22:10。
他们在归途上筑坛为证
10. 他们到了约旦河一带迦南地的境界，流便的子孙……在那里筑了一座坛——这座坛大概是一大堆石头和泥土。一般译者认为它是建在约旦河岸上、迦南本境之内。但稍加细察，便会得出无可推诿的结论：它的位置在河的东岸；理由有二：第一，因为经上说
(书 22:11)
它是建在「对面」，即在迦南地能望见之处——而非在迦南境内；第二，因为约旦河东的以色列人明说他们筑坛的动机，是为防止迦南的弟兄日后说：「日后你们与耶和华以色列的神有什么关涉呢？因为耶和华使约旦河作我们和你们的交界」，等等
[书 22:24、25]。
这两个半支派既在约旦河东自己境内有一座与示罗祭坛相同的复制品，作为他们敬奉同一真神、奉行同样敬拜之礼的见证，上述那种讥诮显然便可被防止或驳倒。
English original
Jos 22:10.
THEY BUILD THE ALTAR OF TESTIMONY ON THEIR JOURNEY.
10. when they came unto the borders of Jordan, that are in the land of Canaan, the children of Reuben . . . built there an altar by Jordan--This altar was probably an immense pile of stones and earth. The generality of our translators supposes that it was reared on the banks of the Jordan, within the limits of Canaan proper. But a little closer examination seems to make the conclusion irresistible that its position was on the eastern side of the river, for these two reasons; first, because it is said
(Jos 22:11)
to have been built "over against," or in the sight of the land of Canaan--not within it; and secondly, because the declared motive of the trans-jordanic Israelites in erecting it was to prevent their brethren in Canaan ever saying, "in time to come, What have ye to do with the Lord God of Israel? For the Lord hath made Jordan a border between us and you," &c.
[Jos 22:24, 25].
Such a taunt would be obviously prevented or confuted by the two tribes and a half having on the eastern side of Jordan, within their own land, a facsimile of the altar at Shiloh, as a witness that they acknowledged the same God and practised the same rites of worship as the brethren in Canaan.
11
Jos 22:11-29.
简体中文
书 22:11-29。
因此而起争论
11-29. 以色列人听见说——风声很快便把约旦河东两支派所作的事传开。这事既被怀疑有拜偶像的企图，众支派便群情激愤，聚集到示罗的会幕前，决意向这两个半支派宣战，视之为背道之民。但经过较冷静、较成熟的商议，他们决定先派一个使团——由大祭司之子及每支派各十位首脑人物组成——去查究这一传闻中的背叛神之举
(申 13:13-15)。
使团成员的规格，显出他们对维护以色列全境神圣敬拜之纯洁何等关切。使团既假定这两个半支派果真筑了一座坛，便对他们这么快就犯了破坏敬拜独一真神之统一这样的大罪，深表惊骇
(出 20:24；
利 17:8、9；
申 12:5-13)。
他们提醒河东的弟兄，当年在毗珥的背道和亚干的罪给全国招来何等惨重的灾祸；最后又劝勉他们，若他们觉得缺少会幕和祭坛，悔悟自己因贪图世俗利益而轻忽宗教特权的轻率选择，便当迁到约旦河西去，好使各支派在那里组成一个合一、顺服的敬拜群体。
English original
Jos 22:11-29.
CONTENTION THEREUPON.
11-29. 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 of the high priest, and ten eminent persons from each tribe, to make inquiry into this rumored rebellion against God
(De 13:13-15).
The quality of the deputies evinced the deep solicitude that was felt on the occasion to maintain the purity of the divine worship throughout Israel. In the presumptive belief that the two tribes and a half had really built an altar, the deputies expressed astonishment at their so soon falling into such a heinous crime as that of violating the unity of divine worship
(Ex 20:24; Leviticus 17:8, 9; De 12:5-13).
They reminded their eastern brethren of the disastrous consequences that were entailed on the nation at large by the apostasy at Peor and by the sin of Achan, and finally exhorted them, if they felt the want of the tabernacle and altar and repented of their rash choice in preferring worldly advantages to religious privileges, to remove to the western side of the Jordan, where all the tribes would form a united and obedient community of worshippers.
21
Untitled
简体中文
21. 于是流便的子孙……回答说——他们以最强烈的措辞驳斥了所控之罪，并声明他们不但绝无被归罪之意，其唯一目的不过是要记念他们与以色列的联盟
[书 22:24、25]，
并表明他们坚守对以色列之神的敬拜
[书 22:26、27]。
English original
21. Then the children of Reuben . . . answered--repudiating, in the strongest terms, the alleged crime, and deponing that so far from entertaining the intention imputed to them, their only object was to perpetuate the memory of their alliance with Israel
[Jos 22:24, 25],
and their adherence to the worship of Israel's God
[Jos 22:26, 27].
30
Jos 22:30-34.
简体中文
书 22:30-34。
使团满意
English original
Jos 22:30-34.
THE DEPUTIES SATISFIED.
33
Untitled
简体中文
33、34. 以色列人以这事为美——这番解释不仅使使团完全满意，更使他们发出无限的喜乐和感恩之声。「今日我们知道耶和华在我们中间」
[书 22:31]，
即借着祂施恩的同在和预先的恩慈——这恩典使你们免陷于被疑之罪，又救全国免遭弟兄相残之战或神的审判之灾。这一段插曲使各方都得着荣耀，并表明进入迦南的那一代百姓，其敬虔与为神荣耀和敬拜而发的热心，远超过以色列历史许多其他时代所显出的。
English original
33, 34. the thing pleased the children of Israel--The explanation not only gave perfect satisfaction to the deputies, but elicited from them expressions of unbounded joy and thankfulness. "This day we perceive that the Lord is among us"
[Jos 22:31],
that is, by His gracious presence and preventing goodness, which has kept you from falling into the suspected sin and rescued the nation from the calamity of a fratricidal war or providential judgments. This episode reflects honor upon all parties and shows that piety and zeal for the honor and worship of God animated the people that entered Canaan to an extent far beyond what was exemplified in many other periods of the history of Israel.
约书亚记 22:1-9。
约书亚为二个半支派祝福并遣返
1. 当时约书亚召了流便人、迦得人、和玛拿西半支派的人——全面的入侵之战既已结束，敌人又陷于如此丧胆孤立的境地，以致每个支派靠自己的力量或邻支派的援助，就能压制任何重新挑起的敌对行动，于是约旦河东的以色列援军便被遣散。约书亚在遣散他们时，对他们的忠心大加赞赏，并恳切劝勉他们要在生活中常存敬虔。这里用语的重复十分显著
[书 22:2-5]，
显明在这位年高德劭的领袖看来，谨守神的律法对个人幸福和国泰民安都何等重要。