Joshua 22:27

Parents and children

²⁵ For the LORD has made the Jordan a border between us and you Reubenites and Gadites. You have no share in the LORD!’ So your descendants could cause ours to stop fearing the LORD.

²⁶ That is why we said, ‘Let us take action and build an altar for ourselves, but not for burnt offerings or sacrifices.

Rather, let it be a witness between us and you and the generations to come, that we will worship the LORD in His presence with our burnt offerings, sacrifices, and peace offerings.’ Then in the future, your descendants cannot say to ours, ‘You have no share in the LORD!’

²⁸ Therefore 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.’

²⁹ Far be it from us to rebel against the LORD and turn away from Him today by building an altar for burnt offerings, grain offerings, or sacrifices, other than the altar of the LORD our God, which stands before His tabernacle.”

Here the Bible tells a story about someone else. Ask yourself what it can say to us today. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.

Compare

BSB: Rather, let it be a witness between us and you and the generations to come, that we will worship the LORD in His presence with our burnt offerings, sacrifices, and peace offerings.’ Then in the future, your descendants cannot say to ours, ‘You have no share in the LORD!’
KJV: But that it may be a witness between us, and you, and our generations after us, that we might do the service of the LORD before him with our burnt offerings, and with our sacrifices, and with our peace offerings; that your children may not say to our children in time to come, Ye have no part in the LORD.
WEB: but it will be a witness between us and you, and between our generations after us, that we may perform the service of the LORD before him with our burnt offerings, with our sacrifices, and with our peace offerings;’ that your children may not tell our children in time to come, ‘You have no portion in the LORD.’
ASV: but it shall be a witness between us and you, and between our generations after us, that we may do the service of Jehovah before him with our burnt-offerings, and with our sacrifices, and with our peace-offerings; that your children may not say to our children in time to come, Ye have no portion in Jehovah.
DARBY: but to be a witness between us and you, and between our generations after us, that we might do service to Jehovah before him with our burnt-offerings, and with our sacrifices, and with our peace-offerings; that your children may not say to our children in future, Ye have no portion in Jehovah.
BLB: but [that] a witness it [may be] between us and between you⁺ and between our generations after us, that we may perform the service of YHWH before Him with our burnt offerings, and with our sacrifices, and with our peace offerings,’ that your⁺ sons may not say hereafter to our sons, ‘To you⁺ [is] no portion in YHWH.’

ÅB: men det skal være et vitne mellom oss og dere og mellom våre etterkommere om at vi vil tjene Herren for hans åsyn med våre brennoffer og slaktoffer og takkoffer, for at ikke deres barn engang skal si til våre barn: Dere har ingen del i Herren.
OTB: I stedet skal det være et vitne mellom oss og dere og de kommende generasjoner, at vi vil tilbe Herren ved Hans helligdom med våre brennoffer, ofre og fellesskapsoffer. Da vil ikke deres etterkommere i fremtiden kunne si til våre: 'Dere har ingen del i Herren.'
B1930: men det skal være et vidne mellem oss og eder og mellem våre efterkommere om at vi vil tjene Herren for hans åsyn med våre brennoffer og slaktoffer og takkoffer, forat ikke eders barn engang skal si til våre barn: I har ingen del i Herren.

Study notes (Tyndale)

Original text and word study

Cross references

Joshua 24:27
And Joshua said to all the people, “You see this stone. It will be a witness against us, for it has heard all the words the LORD has spoken to us, and it will be a witness against you if you ever deny your God.”
Read in context
Genesis 31:48
Then Laban declared, “This mound is a witness between you and me this day.” Therefore the place was called Galeed.
Read in context
Deuteronomy 12:5–6
Instead, you must seek the place the LORD your God will choose from among all your tribes to establish as a dwelling for His Name, and there you must go.
Read in context
Joshua 22:34
So the Reubenites and Gadites named the altar Witness, for they said, “It is a witness between us that the LORD is God.”
Read in context
Deuteronomy 12:11
then the LORD your God will choose a dwelling for His Name. And there you are to bring everything I command you: your burnt offerings and sacrifices, your tithes and special gifts, and all the choice offerings you vow to the LORD.
Read in context
Deuteronomy 12:17–18
Within your gates you must not eat the tithe of your grain or new wine or oil, the firstborn of your herds or flocks, any of the offerings that you have vowed to give, or your freewill offerings or special gifts.
Read in context
Deuteronomy 12:26–27
But you are to take your holy things and your vow offerings and go to the place the LORD will choose.
Read in context
1 Samuel 7:12
Afterward, Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen. He named it Ebenezer, saying, “Thus far the LORD has helped us.”
Read in context