Joshua 22:19
22:19 But if your own land 1 is impure, 2 cross over to the Lord’s own land, 3 where the Lord himself lives, 4 and settle down among us. 5 But don’t rebel against the Lord or us 6 by building for yourselves an altar aside from the altar of the Lord our God.
Joshua 22:28
22:28 We said, ‘If in the future they say such a thing 7 to us or to our descendants, we will reply, “See the model of the Lord’s altar that our ancestors 8 made, not for burnt offerings or sacrifices, but as a reminder to us and you.”’ 9
Joshua 23:15-16
23:15 But in the same way every faithful promise the Lord your God made to you has been realized, 10 it is just as certain, if you disobey, that the Lord will bring on you every judgment 11 until he destroys you from this good land which the Lord your God gave you.
23:16 If you violate the covenantal laws of the Lord your God which he commanded you to keep, 12 and follow, worship, and bow down to other gods, 13 the Lord will be very angry with you and you will disappear 14 quickly from the good land which he gave to you.”
Joshua 24:15
24:15 If you have no desire 15 to worship 16 the Lord, choose today whom you will worship, 17 whether it be the gods whom your ancestors 18 worshiped 19 beyond the Euphrates, 20 or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living. But I and my family 21 will worship 22 the Lord!”
1 tn Heb “the land of your possession.”
2 sn The western tribes here imagine a possible motive for the action of the eastern tribes. T. C. Butler explains the significance of the land’s “impurity”: “East Jordan is impure because it is not Yahweh’s possession. Rather it is simply ‘your possession.’ That means it is land where Yahweh does not live, land which his presence has not sanctified and purified” (Joshua [WBC], 247).
3 tn Heb “the land of the possession of the Lord.”
4 tn Heb “where the dwelling place of the Lord resides.”
sn The phrase where the Lord himself lives refers to the tabernacle.
5 tn Heb “and take for yourselves in our midst.”
6 tc Heb “and us to you rebel.” The reading of the MT, the accusative sign with suffix (וְאֹתָנוּ, vÿ’otanu), is problematic with the verb “rebel” (מָרַד, marad). Many Hebrew mss correctly read the negative particle אַל (’al) for the preposition אֶל (’el, “to”).
7 tn The words “such a thing” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
8 tn Heb “fathers.”
9 tn Heb “but it is a witness between us and you.”
10 tn Heb “and it will be as every good word which the Lord your God spoke to you has come to pass.”
11 tn Heb “so the Lord will bring every injurious [or “evil”] word [or “thing”] upon you.”
12 tn Heb “when you violate the covenant of the Lord your God which he commanded you.”
13 tn Heb “and you walk and serve other gods and bow down to them.”
14 tn Or “perish.”
15 tn Heb “if it is bad in your eyes.”
16 tn Or “to serve.”
17 tn Or “will serve.”
18 tn Heb “your fathers.”
19 tn Or “served.”
20 tn Heb “the river,” referring to the Euphrates. This has been specified in the translation for clarity; see v. 3.
21 tn Heb “house.”
22 tn Or “will serve.”