Глава 22

1–9. Joshua's farewell speech to the auxiliary detachment from the East Jordan tribes before his return. 10–12. Construction of a large altar near the Jordan. 13–21. Embassy from the West Jordanian tribes to the East Jordanian ones. 22–34. The latter's reassuring response and agreement with him. Joshua 22:1. Then Jesus called the tribe of Reuben, Gad, and half the tribe of Manasseh and said to them: “Then Jesus called the tribe of Reuben,” i.e. after the division of the land of Canaan between 9 1/2 tribes and the assignment of cities to the tribe of Levi. At the end of the war, the auxiliary detachment from the East Jordanian tribes was not released in order, one must think, to be present as a representative of these tribes in the people's assembly in Shiloh (Joshua 22:9), which, therefore, was nationwide. The last business of this meeting was the decision to return the auxiliary detachment to its place of residence. Joshua 22:2. you have done everything that Moses the servant of the Lord commanded you, and you have obeyed my words in everything that I commanded you; Joshua 22:3. You have not forsaken your brothers for many days until this day, and you have done what was necessary to do according to the commandment of the Lord your God: Joshua 22:4. Now the Lord your God has given rest to your brothers, as He spoke to them; therefore return and go to your tents, to the land of your possession, which Moses the servant of the Lord gave you beyond the Jordan; Joshua 22:5. just try to carefully fulfill the commandments and the law that Moses the servant of the Lord commanded you: to love the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways, to keep His commandments, to cleave to Him and to serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul. Joshua 22:6. Then Jesus blessed them and sent them away, and they went to their tents. Just as during preparations for crossing the Jordan, the Israeli leader addressed the East Jordanian tribes with words of reminder and exhortation (Joshua 1:12–15), similarly he admonishes the returning detachment with a special speech and blessing. Joshua 22:7. Moses gave one half of the tribe of Manasseh an inheritance in Bashan, and the other half of it Joshua gave an inheritance with his brothers on this side of the Jordan to the west. And when Jesus sent them away into their tents and blessed them, Joshua 22:8. Then he said to them: “You are returning to your tents with great wealth, with a great abundance of livestock, with silver, with gold, with copper and with iron, and with a great abundance of clothing; share the spoils taken from your enemies with your brothers. Joshua 22:7–8 provides an explanation and addition to what was said in the preceding verses. Joshua 22:7 explains why Joshua called “half the tribe of Manasseh” along with the tribes of Reuben and Gad. Although this was said earlier by the writer of this book (Josh. 13:29–31, 14:3), he, like other Old Testament writers, does not make reference to the previous one, but briefly repeats what he has already spoken about, as a result of which there are numerous repetitions in the Old Testament books, which constitute one of the distinctive features of the Old Testament writings, called breadth of speech, another example of which can be the fact that the failure of the tribe of Levi to receive a special inheritance is stated in this book 4 times (Joshua 13:14,33,14:3,18:7). In the words of Joshua 22:8 one can see an addition to the farewell speech of Joshua, perhaps drawn by the writer from a special written monument, the words of which he added to the speech, speaking in today's terms, in the form of a note. The commandment to share spoils with brothers is based on the divine command to Moses at the end of the war with the Midianites (Num. 31:27). Joshua 22:9. And the children of Reuben and the children of Gad and the half tribe of Manasseh returned and went from the children of Israel from Shiloh, which is in the land of Canaan, to go to the land of Gilead, to the land of their possession, which they had received for possession by the commandment of the Lord given through Moses. The name “Gilead” is used here in the sense of designating the entire East Jordan country, in contrast to the “land of Canaan,” that is, the West Jordan country. Joshua 22:10. Having come to the region of Jordan, which is in the land of Canaan, the sons of Reuben and the sons of Gad and half the tribe of Manasseh built an altar there near the Jordan, a large altar in appearance. The area where the auxiliary detachment of the East Jordanian tribes built an altar upon their return is defined by the words “in the vicinity of Jordan, in the land of Canaan.” The name of the latter, as in the previous verse and other places (Josh. 5:12; Num. 32:30, 33:51), is used to designate the West Jordan country in which, therefore, it was precisely near the Jordan, on its western side, that an altar was built, “large in appearance,” so high and wide that it could be seen from afar. The place of this altar monument, as can be seen from the subsequent narrative, called “Ed” (Joshua 22:34) - “witness”, was, as learned travelers indicate, that high mountain protruding into the Jordan Valley, north of Jericho, which is currently called Karn Sartabe and which was mentioned above (Joshua 3:16). The basis for such an idea about the location of this altar is, first of all, that this mountain “on its northern side is called Tal-atabu-Eid by the Arabs” i.e. “the outcome leading to Eid” 221. The origin of this name for the area, which coincides with the biblical name of the altar, is rightly explained by the event that took place here during the time of Joshua. The very features of the area also fully correspond to the biblical instructions regarding the location of the altar. If it was erected on Mount Sartabe, then it was really in plain sight, visible from afar, from all sides. He was on the direct route from Shiloh to Gilead, along which one must think a detachment of the East Jordanian tribes headed upon their return; on the other eastern side of the Jordan, somewhat north of Sartabe, the ruins of the bridge across the Jordan that was on this route, called Jizr Damie, have still been preserved. At the same time, the altar was located “near the Jordan”, on its bank 222. This correspondence with Mount Sartabe, both in terms of the special name given to it by local residents and in terms of its position, is quite conducive to recognizing its peak as the site of the altar-monument erected by the East Jordanian detachment. Joshua 22:11. And the children of Israel heard that they said, Behold, the children of Reuben and the children of Gad and half the tribe of Manasseh have built an altar in the land of Canaan, in the region of Jordan, opposite the children of Israel. In the words of the West Jordanian Israelites cited here, some of the biblical scholars find the expression of a different idea of ​​​​the altar, as if it was erected on the eastern side of the Jordan. This idea, expressed by Josephus Josephus in his Antiquities (Jude Ancients 5:1, 26), is also expressed in our domestic literature in the form of a seemingly generally accepted understanding 223. The reasons for this are indicated in the fact that the words “in the vicinity of the Jordan” in the LXX are translated ἐπὶ τοῦ Γαλααδ τοῦ Ιορδάνου – “in Gilead of the Jordan”, and that the last words of the verse, read in the Hebrew text (“el ever benei yezrael”) mean “by that side of the children of Israel" 224. Both of these reasons, however, have a ghostly character. The translation of the Hebrew word “gelilot”, meaning “district, neighborhood”, through the name Gilead is found only in the ancient Vatican list; in other ancient and later Greek lists it is either replaced by the left without translation Γαλιλωθ - in Galiloth, according to the Slavic Bible, or is excluded, as in the Lucian lists, in which only ἐπὶ is read τοῦ Ιορδάνου - “at the Jordan.” In this state of reading of the Greek lists regarding this expression, the Vatican represents. list, the saying “Gilead” as an exceptional phenomenon, not repeated in other lists, cannot serve as a reliable basis for conclusions. Rather, it raises the idea of ​​a mistake by the scribe who wrote the more famous name “Gilead” instead of “Geliloth”, which is an error in other Greek. lists was avoided and not repeated. As for the above translation of Hebrew words, its correctness is more than doubtful. That the word “ever” does not always mean “on the other side” was already indicated above (Joshua 1:14). That it is not used in this meaning in this place is evident from the unusualness of the expression obtained when translating this word in this meaning: “beyond the children of Israel.” The expression “beyond the Jordan... river” is understandable, but to say “beyond the children of Israel” would mean using an incomprehensible, unusual expression, as can be seen from the fact that such an expression does not appear in other places in the Old Testament books. If it were meant to designate the other, eastern side of the Jordan, then after “ever” there would be “Jordan” as in other places. If the biblical writer does not give this necessary addition, then one must think that the word “ever” is used here in a different meaning, namely in the meaning of “transition, crossing,” which is the original meaning of this word as a noun. In this meaning, it was actually accepted by Symmachus, who translated the words in question πρὸς τὴν διάβασιν τῶν υἱῶν Ισραηλ 225 - “at the passage of the children of Israel.” Moreover, by “crossing” we mean, as one might think, the above-mentioned place of crossing the Jordan, located near Mount Sargabe, on the way from the West Jordanian country to the East Jordanian country, on which a bridge was built in later times. There is, however, another translation of the expression “el-ever” in this place with the words “on the side of the children of Israel” 226, i.e. on the side on which the “sons of Israel” lived, opposed to “the sons of Reuben, the sons of Gad, and half the tribe of Manasseh.” And with this translation, the expression in question is also alien to the idea of ​​the East Jordan side as the place of the altar in question. (For further confirmation of the idea of ​​the location of the altar on the west side of the Jordan, see Josh. 22:19). Despite the existence of this kind of translation of the expression in question, commentators of the critical school are in favor of rendering it with the words: “beyond the children of Israel” because the idea expressed by the latter about the place of the altar on the eastern side of the Jordan, and not on the western, in Joshua 22:10, serves as confirmation of their opinion about the different written views that are expressed in the monuments from which the 22nd chapter is compiled. This translation, in addition to being unclear, can rightly be called tendentious, inspired by the views of negative criticism. The translation “opposite the children of Israel” corresponds to the translation of Blessed Jerome: contra filios Israel - “against the children of Israel.” Joshua 22:12. When the children of Israel heard this, the whole congregation of the children of Israel gathered together at Shiloh to go to war against them. The motivation for which the Israelites on the western side of the Jordan, having heard about the construction of the altar, decided to “go ... to war” against the East Jordanian tribes, was that they saw in this building the latter’s intention to offer their sacrifices to God on this altar, which was prohibited by the law (Lev. 17: 8-9; Deut. 12: 5-14). Joshua 22:13. However, the children of Israel first sent Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest to the children of Reuben and to the children of Gad and to half the tribe of Manasseh in the land of Gilead. A preliminary embassy from the West Jordanian tribes to the East Jordanian tribes was sent in accordance with the law, which required that in the event of news of the appearance of wicked people in any of the Israeli cities, a thorough investigation of the matter should be carried out, and only if this news turned out to be fair, the perpetrators would be punished (Deut. 13:12-16). Joshua 22:17. Is the iniquity of Peor not enough for us, from which we have not been cleansed to this day and for which the congregation of the Lord was defeated? “Is the iniquity of Peor not enough for us, from which we have not been cleansed to this day,” that is, to which the Israelis remained inclined even at this time. Joshua 22:19. If the land of your possession seems unclean to you, then go over to the land of the Lord's possession, in which is the tabernacle of the Lord, take an inheritance among us, but do not rebel against the Lord and do not rebel against us by building an altar for yourself, except the altar of the Lord our God; In the words: “If the land of your possession seems unclean to you,” what is meant is that the East Jordanian detachment built an altar not on its own, not on the eastern side of the Jordan, but on the western side; This choice of location led to the assumption that those who built the altar considered their land unclean, on which it was impossible to serve the God of Israel. The construction of another altar than the one existing in the Tabernacle of the Lord, intended for offering sacrifices on it, was a crime both against the Lord and against the West Jordanian Israelites ("against us"), who, leaving this offense unpunished, were inevitably subject to heavy responsibility for it, as can be seen from the example of Achan given later. Joshua 22:22. The God of gods is the Lord, the God of gods is the Lord, He knows, and let Israel know! If we rebel and retreat from the Lord, then may the Lord not have mercy on us this day! The oath of purity of intentions with which the East Jordanian tribes begin their response to the ambassadors of the West Jordanian tribes is sealed by invoking the Lord with the pronunciation of His three names. In the Hebrew text, as in Ps. 49:1, the divine names El, Elohim, Jehovah (or Jehweh) were pronounced. In the translation lists of LXX and in accordance with them in the interpretation. They are transmitted to the Bible ὁ Θεὸς ὁ Θεὸς Κύριος ... ὁ Θεὸς ὁ Θεὸς Κύριος - “God God, Lord... God God Lord”; also in the translation of Blessed Jerome: “Fortissimus Deus Dominus, Fortissimus Deus Dominus” - “Almighty God the Lord, Almighty God the Lord.” From these translations it is clear that the second divine name (Elohim) was recognized here as a special name of God, and not as an addition to the first, as it is when translated: “God of gods.” The Lord is invoked through the utterance of His three names, which are repeated to confirm the unwavering fidelity of the oath taken and the purity of intentions with which the altar was built. Joshua 22:23. If we have built an altar in order to depart from the Lord [our God], and in order to offer burnt offerings and grain offerings on it, and to make peace offerings on it, then may the Lord Himself demand it! Joshua 22:24. But we did this out of fear that in the future your sons would say to our sons: “What have you to do with the Lord God of Israel! Joshua 22:25. The Lord has set the Jordan as a boundary between us and you, sons of Reuben and sons of Gad: you have no part in the Lord.” Thus, your sons would not allow our sons to honor the Lord. Joshua 22:26. Therefore we said, Let us build ourselves an altar, not for burnt offerings or for sacrifices, Joshua 22:27. but so that between us and you, between our subsequent generations, he may be a witness that we can serve the Lord with our burnt offerings and our sacrifices and our thanksgivings, and so that in the future your sons will not say to our sons: “You have no part in the Lord.” Joshua 22:28. We said: if they say this to us and to our generations in the next time, then we will say: see the likeness of the altar of the Lord, which our fathers made, not for burnt offerings and not for sacrifice, but that it might be a witness between us and you [and between our sons]. Joshua 22:29. Let it not be that we should rebel against the Lord, and now turn away from the Lord, and build an altar for burnt offerings, and for grain offerings, and for sacrifices, besides the altar of the Lord our God, which is before His tabernacle. These intentions were completely different from those that the West Jordanian tribes saw in this. The only purpose for which the altar was built was for it to be an eternal monument of their fidelity and devotion to the God of their fathers - “to be a witness” (according to the Hebrew text “Ed”) of “to serve the Lord” (literally from Hebrew and according to the Greek-Slavic translation: “to serve the service of the Lord with our burnt offerings and our sacrifices... The altar was a likeness altar of the Lord,” i.e. it was built on the model of the altar located in the Tabernacle of the Lord, which, therefore, differed in its very design from pagan altars. The idea of ​​building a monument in the form of an altar could have been inspired by the example of Moses, who, during his wanderings in the desert, built an altar to perpetuate the victory over the Amalekites (Ex. 17:15). Joshua 22:31. And Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest said to the children of Reuben and the children of Gad and the children of Manasseh: Today we have learned that the Lord is among us, that you have not committed this crime against the Lord; now you have delivered the children of Israel from the hand of the Lord. “Now you have delivered the children of Israel from the hand of the Lord,” i.e. from the punishment that would have befallen the people of Israel if the East Jordanian tribes had intended to build, in the proper sense, an altar separate from that existing in the Tabernacle of the Lord, and if this violation of the law had been left unpunished by the West Jordanian tribes. Joshua 22:33. And the children of Israel approved of this, and the children of Israel blessed God and put off going against them to war to destroy the land in which the children of Reuben and the children of Gad [and half the tribe of Manasseh] dwelt. “The children of Israel blessed God,” i.e. They gave Him glory and thanksgiving for deliverance from grave sin and inevitable punishment. Joshua 22:34. And the children of Reuben and the children of Gad [and half the tribe of Manasseh] called the altar: [Ed] 228 because, they said, he is a witness among us that the Lord is our God... In the Slavic Bible, according to the LXX translation, this verse reads: “And Jesus called the church of the sons of Reuben, and the sons of Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh, and said: for there is a witness among them, for the Lord God is their God.” According to this translation, the name of the altar is given not by the East Jordanian tribes, but by Joshua. The particular importance of such a translation is that it gives the event described in Chapter 22 the most appropriate conclusion. If Joshua gave the altar the name “testimony” (μαρτύριόν), which represents the transfer of the Hebrew “Ed” - “witness”, then this served as a clear expression of the agreement of him and all the people with the explanation of the purpose of this altar, which was given by the East Jordanian tribes (Joshua 22:27). If, on the contrary, giving the altar this name was the work of only the East Jordanian tribes, then the last verse of chapter 22 represents, in essence, nothing more than a repetition of what these tribes said before; the idea of ​​​​national agreement with the latter is unexpressed in the final verse of the chapter. Joshua 23–24. Like the prophet Moses, Joshua, sensing the approach of death, turned to his people with instructions and admonitions, which are set out in the last two chapters of the book that bears his name. These exhortations, pronounced at different times, although not far from each other, are aimed at achieving one goal - to establish unchanging loyalty and sincere devotion to the Lord God and His Law among the Israeli people, but in relation to the disclosure and substantiation of this position, they differ somewhat from each other. In the exhortation set out in Joshua 23, Joshua exclusively focuses on the immediate events that were directly known to the generation of that time, and from here extracts the basic principles on which the Israeli people must organize their lives if they want good for themselves: a position, a state of complete devotion to the Lord in fulfilling the law of Moses and in isolation from the Canaanites remaining among the Israelites. This exhortation is of a preliminary or preparatory nature to the second, set out in Joshua 24. The second exhortation, delivered in the name of the Lord, is not limited to immediate events and general instructions, but begins with a reminder of the times of the ancestors of the Israelite people, to whom, like their descendants, the Lord has invariably shown and continues to show His greatest mercies, obliging those who receive these mercies to honor the Lord and serve Him. The one who makes the exhortation does not stop at this conclusion, but by appealing to the people’s conscience, he achieves the free decision of the people - to serve the Lord, which decision is approved by the Covenant of the people with God. Tristram. Bible places, 200–201. A. A. Olesnitsky. Megalithic monuments of the Holy Land, p. 159–160. See, for example, Dillmann. Numeri-Iosua, 576–577. Field. Origenis Hexaplorum… Of course, Jewish dictionaries: Genesia in the 9th edition and Fürst, as well as the translation of the St. Petersburg Theological Academy. The expression seems to you to be missing from the Hebrew text. Instead of: “unclean” according to the Hebrew text is read in the Greek copies: μικρὰ – “mala” in the Slavic Bible; this appeared, as they guess (Masius in Field) instead of the original μυαρα - “unclean”. You might be interested in: