Joshua 22:28
in Joshua 22Therefore we said, ‘If they ever say this to us or to our descendants, we will answer: Look at the replica of the altar of the LORD that our fathers made, not for burnt offerings or sacrifices, but as a witness between us and you.’
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Therefore said we, It shall be, when they so say to us or to our generations in time to come, that we shall say, Behold the pattern of the altar of Jehovah, which our fathers made, not for burnt-offering, nor for sacrifice; but it is a witness between us and you.
KJV
Therefore said we, that it shall be, when they should so say to us or to our generations in time to come, that we may say again, Behold the pattern of the altar of the Lord, which our fathers made, not for burnt offerings, nor for sacrifices; but it is a witness between us and you.
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This verse in Joshua 22
Commentary
5 notes on this verseBut let us see what sacrament lies within this deed. The former people of the circumcision are represented in Reuben, who was the firstborn; but also in Gad, who also is the firstborn out of Zilpah; and Manasseh, no less a firstborn. But insofar as I say "firstborn," I speak chronologically. Therefore, these things are said not that it might be evident some division and separation is between us and those who were righteous before the coming of Christ, but that they might reveal themselves to still be our brothers even if they existed before the coming of Christ.
This site's exposition
Look at the replica of the altar of the LORD
on Joshua 22:28-29
The word rendered replica is the word rendered pattern at Exodus 25:9. It is shaped like an altar to be pointed at, and no fire is laid on it. Verse 29 says "Far be it from us" and places the lawful altar before the tabernacle, as Deuteronomy 12 did.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
Therefore said we,....
Every one that saw this altar, and observed that it was never used for sacrifice and offering, would enquire what was the meaning of it, and this answer would be given to that enquiry, that it was built by those separate tribes, in token of their communion with their brethren and their joint-interest with them in the altar 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
26 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַנֹּ֕אמֶר | vanomer | and we said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| וְהָיָ֗ה | vehayah | and it will be | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| כִּֽי־ | ki- | that | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| יֹאמְר֥וּ | yomeru | they will say | H559 → | 5305 times |
| אֵלֵ֛ינוּ | ʾeleinu | to us | H413 → | 5510 times |
| וְאֶל־ | veel- | and to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| דֹּרֹתֵ֖ינוּ | doroteinu | generations our | H1755 → | |
| מָחָ֑ר | machar | tomorrow | H4279 → | 52 times |
| וְאָמַ֡רְנוּ | veamarnu | and we will say | H559 → | 5305 times |
| רְא֣וּ | reu | see | H7200 → | 1300 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| תַּבְנִית֩ | tavnit | [the] copy of | H8403 → | |
| מִזְבַּ֨ח | mizbach | [the] altar of | H4196 → | 401 times |
| יְהוָ֜ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| אֲשֶׁר־ | ʾasher- | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| עָשׂ֣וּ | ʾasu | they made | H6213 → | 2628 times |
| אֲבוֹתֵ֗ינוּ | ʾavoteinu | ancestors our | H1 → | 1212 times |
| לֹ֤א | lo' | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| לְעוֹלָה֙ | leolah | for burnt offering | H5930 → | 287 times |
| וְלֹ֣א | velo' | and not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| לְזֶ֔בַח | lezevach | for sacrifice | H2077 → | 162 times |
| כִּי־ | ki- | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| עֵ֣ד | ʾed | [is] a witness | H5707 → | 70 times |
| ה֔וּא | hu' | it | H1931 → | 1879 times |
| בֵּינֵ֖ינוּ | beineinu | between us | H996 → | 407 times |
| וּבֵינֵיכֶֽם׃ | uveineikhem | and between you | H996 → | 407 times |
וַנֹּ֕אמֶרand we said
vanomerH559 →5305 times
וְהָיָ֗הand it will be
vehayahH1961 →3559 times
כִּֽי־that
ki-H3588 →4482 times
יֹאמְר֥וּthey will say
yomeruH559 →5305 times
אֵלֵ֛ינוּto us
ʾeleinuH413 →5510 times
וְאֶל־and to
veel-H413 →5510 times
דֹּרֹתֵ֖ינוּgenerations our
doroteinuH1755 →
מָחָ֑רtomorrow
macharH4279 →52 times
וְאָמַ֡רְנוּand we will say
veamarnuH559 →5305 times
רְא֣וּsee
reuH7200 →1300 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
תַּבְנִית֩[the] copy of
tavnitH8403 →
מִזְבַּ֨ח[the] altar of
mizbachH4196 →401 times
יְהוָ֜הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
אֲשֶׁר־which
ʾasher-H834 →5497 times
עָשׂ֣וּthey made
ʾasuH6213 →2628 times
אֲבוֹתֵ֗ינוּancestors our
ʾavoteinuH1 →1212 times
לֹ֤אnot
lo'H3808 →5168 times
לְעוֹלָה֙for burnt offering
leolahH5930 →287 times
וְלֹ֣אand not
velo'H3808 →5168 times
לְזֶ֔בַחfor sacrifice
lezevachH2077 →162 times
כִּי־for
ki-H3588 →4482 times
עֵ֣ד[is] a witness
ʾedH5707 →70 times
ה֔וּאit
hu'H1931 →1879 times
בֵּינֵ֖ינוּbetween us
beineinuH996 →407 times
וּבֵינֵיכֶֽם׃and between you
uveineikhemH996 →407 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Hebrews 8:5The place where they serve is a copy and shadow of what is in heaven. This is why Moses was warned when he was about to build the tabernacle: “See to it that you…
it leads to
- Exodus 25:40
See to it that you make everything according to the pattern shown you on the mountain.
- Exodus 26:30
So you are to set up the tabernacle according to the pattern shown you on the mountain.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Colossians 2:17
These are a shadow of the things to come, but the body that casts it belongs to Christ.
- Hebrews 10:1
For the law is only a shadow of the good things to come, not the realities themselves. It can never, by the same sacrifices offered year after year, make perfect those who draw near…
- Exodus 27:8
Construct the altar with boards so that it is hollow. It is to be made just as you were shown on the mountain.
- Exodus 25:40
Through
Exodus 25:40See to it that you make everything according to the pattern shown you on the mountain.
it leads to
- Acts 7:44
Our fathers had the tabernacle of the Testimony with them in the wilderness. It was constructed exactly as God had directed Moses, according to the pattern he had seen.
- Hebrews 8:5
The place where they serve is a copy and shadow of what is in heaven. This is why Moses was warned when he was about to build the tabernacle: “See to it that you…
- Exodus 25:9
You must make the tabernacle and design all its furnishings according to the pattern I show you.
- Acts 7:44
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies1
About Joshua
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Keil and Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament: Joshua, Judges, Ruth; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Origen of Alexandria, HOMILIES ON JOSHUA 26.3.