Joshua 22:16
in Joshua 22“This is what the whole congregation of the LORD says: ‘What is this breach of faith you have committed today against the God of Israel by turning away from the LORD and building for yourselves an altar, that you might rebel against the LORD this day?
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Thus saith the whole congregation of Jehovah, What trespass is this that ye have committed against the God of Israel, to turn away this day from following Jehovah, in that ye have builded you an altar, to rebel this day against Jehovah?
KJV
Thus saith the whole congregation of the Lord, What trespass is this that ye have committed against the God of Israel, to turn away this day from following the Lord, in that ye have builded you an altar, that ye might rebel this day against the Lord?
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This verse in Joshua 22
Commentary
5 notes on this verseThis site's exposition
This is what the whole congregation of the LORD says
on Joshua 22:16-17
The Hebrew word behind "breach of faith" is the word used of Achan's sin at 7:1, and the delegation names Achan four verses later. Peor is raised as a sin uncleansed "to this day", though its 24,000 dead at Numbers 25:9 had been gone a generation. The charge assumes a second altar means a second worship, which Deuteronomy 12:5-14 made a capital matter.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
), that the building of this altar was a trespass against the God of Israel, and a trespass no less heinous than the revolt of soldiers from their captain ( you turn from following the Lord ), and the rebellion of subjects against their sovereign: that you might rebel this day against the Lord. It is well they were not able to make good their charge.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens
What trespass - How heinous a crime is this! This day - That is, so soon after God hath obliged you by such wonderful favours, and when God is now conducting you home to reap the fruits of all your pains and hazards. Rebel - With a design to rebel against God, and against his express command of worshipping him at one only altar.
Thus saith the whole congregation of the Lord,....
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
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;
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
The words behind it
22 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| כֹּ֣ה | koh | thus | H3541 → | 577 times |
| אָמְר֞וּ | ʾameru | they say | H559 → | 5305 times |
| כֹּ֣ל׀ | kol | all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| עֲדַ֣ת | ʾadat | [the] congregation of | H5712 → | 149 times |
| יְהוָ֗ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| מָֽה־ | mah- | what? | H4100 → | 752 times |
| הַמַּ֤עַל | hamaal | [is] the unfaithfulness | H4604 → | 28 times |
| הַזֶּה֙ | hazeh | <the> this | H2088 → | 1180 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֤ר | ʾasher | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| מְעַלְתֶּם֙ | mealtem | you have acted unfaithfully | H4603 → | 36 times |
| בֵּאלֹהֵ֣י | belohei | against [the] God of | H430 → | 2601 times |
| יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל | yisrael | Israel | H3478 → | 2507 times |
| לָשׁ֣וּב | lashuv | by turning back | H7725 → | 1056 times |
| הַיּ֔וֹם | haiyom | this day | H3117 → | 2304 times |
| מֵאַחֲרֵ֖י | meacharei | from after | H310 → | 715 times |
| יְהוָ֑ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| בִּבְנֽוֹתְכֶ֤ם | bivnotkhem | when built you | H1129 → | 376 times |
| לָכֶם֙ | lakhem | for <the> yourselves | ||
| מִזְבֵּ֔חַ | mizbeach | an altar | H4196 → | 401 times |
| לִמְרָדְכֶ֥ם | limradekhem | by rebelling your | H4775 → | 25 times |
| הַיּ֖וֹם | haiyom | this day | H3117 → | 2304 times |
| בַּיהוָֽה׃ | bayahweh | against Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
כֹּ֣הthus
kohH3541 →577 times
אָמְר֞וּthey say
ʾameruH559 →5305 times
כֹּ֣ל׀all
kolH3605 →5413 times
עֲדַ֣ת[the] congregation of
ʾadatH5712 →149 times
יְהוָ֗הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
מָֽה־what?
mah-H4100 →752 times
הַמַּ֤עַל[is] the unfaithfulness
hamaalH4604 →28 times
הַזֶּה֙<the> this
hazehH2088 →1180 times
אֲשֶׁ֤רwhich
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
מְעַלְתֶּם֙you have acted unfaithfully
mealtemH4603 →36 times
בֵּאלֹהֵ֣יagainst [the] God of
beloheiH430 →2601 times
יִשְׂרָאֵ֔לIsrael
yisraelH3478 →2507 times
לָשׁ֣וּבby turning back
lashuvH7725 →1056 times
הַיּ֔וֹםthis day
haiyomH3117 →2304 times
מֵאַחֲרֵ֖יfrom after
meachareiH310 →715 times
יְהוָ֑הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
בִּבְנֽוֹתְכֶ֤םwhen built you
bivnotkhemH1129 →376 times
לָכֶם֙for <the> yourselves
lakhem
מִזְבֵּ֔חַan altar
mizbeachH4196 →401 times
לִמְרָדְכֶ֥םby rebelling your
limradekhemH4775 →25 times
הַיּ֖וֹםthis day
haiyomH3117 →2304 times
בַּיהוָֽה׃against Yahweh
bayahwehH3068 →6520 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
About Joshua
This page draws on Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament; Keil and Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament: Joshua, Judges, Ruth and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.