Joshua 9:27

9:27 and that day made them woodcutters and water carriers for the community and for the altar of the Lord at the divinely chosen site. (They continue in that capacity to this very day.) ¹ 

Joshua 22:10-11

Civil War is Averted

22:10 The Reubenites, Gadites, and half-tribe of Manasseh came to Geliloth near the Jordan in the land of Canaan and built there, near the Jordan, an impressive altar. ²  22:11 The Israelites received this report: ³  “Look, the Reubenites, Gadites, and half-tribe of Manasseh have built an altar at the entrance to ⁴  the land of Canaan, at Geliloth near the Jordan on the Israelite side.”

Joshua 22:16

22:16 “The entire community of the Lord says, ‘Why have you disobeyed the God of Israel by turning back today from following the Lord? You built an altar for yourselves and have rebelled today against the Lord. ⁵ 

Joshua 22:23

22:23 If we have built ⁶  an altar for ourselves to turn back from following the Lord by making ⁷  burnt sacrifices and grain offerings on it, or by offering ⁸  tokens of peace ⁹  on it, the Lord himself will punish us. ¹⁰ 

---

¹ tn Heb “and Joshua made them in that day woodcutters and water carriers for the community, and for the altar of the Lord to this day at the place which he chooses.”

² tn Heb “and they went to Geliloth of the Jordan which is in the land of Canaan, and the sons of Reuben, the sons of Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh built there an altar near the Jordan, an altar great with respect to appearance.”

³ tn Heb “the sons of Israel heard, saying.”

⁴ tn Heb “toward the front of.”

⁵ tn Heb “What is this unfaithfulness with which you have been unfaithful against the God of Israel, turning today from after the Lord, when you built for yourselves an altar, rebelling today against the Lord?”

⁶ tn Heb “by building.” The prepositional phrase may be subordinated to what precedes, “if in unfaithfulness…by building.”

⁷ tn Heb “or if to offer up.”

⁸ tn Heb “or if to make.”

⁹ tn Or “peace offerings.”

¹⁰ tn Heb “the Lord, he will seek.” Perhaps this is a self-imprecation in an oath, “may the Lord himself punish us.”