Deuteronomy 22
Joshua 22 deals with the process by which the half-tribe of Reuben, Gad, and Manasseh who lived on the east side of Canaan return to their original land, as well as the misunderstandings and reconciliation that arise along the way. This chapter helps us reflect on unity within the Israelite community, standards of faith, and wise communication that clears up misunderstandings.
1verseYou shall not see your brother’s ox or his sheep go astray and hide yourself from them. You shall surely bring them again to your brother.
2verseIf your brother isn’t near to you, or if you don’t know him, then you shall bring it home to your house, and it shall be with you until your brother comes looking for it, and you shall restore it to him.
3verseSo you shall do with his donkey. So you shall do with his garment. So you shall do with every lost thing of your brother’s, which he has lost and you have found. You may not hide yourself.
4verseYou shall not see your brother’s donkey or his ox fallen down by the way, and hide yourself from them. You shall surely help him to lift them up again.
5verseA woman shall not wear men’s clothing, neither shall a man put on women’s clothing; for whoever does these things is an abomination to the LORD your God.
6verseIf you come across a bird’s nest on the way, in any tree or on the ground, with young ones or eggs, and the hen sitting on the young, or on the eggs, you shall not take the hen with the young.
7verseYou shall surely let the hen go, but the young you may take for yourself, that it may be well with you, and that you may prolong your days.
8verseWhen you build a new house, then you shall make a railing around your roof, so that you don’t bring blood on your house if anyone falls from there.
9verseYou shall not sow your vineyard with two kinds of seed, lest all the fruit be defiled, the seed which you have sown, and the increase of the vineyard.
10verseYou shall not plow with an ox and a donkey together.
11verseYou shall not wear clothes of wool and linen woven together.
12verseYou shall make yourselves fringes on the four corners of your cloak with which you cover yourself.
13verseIf any man takes a wife, and goes in to her, hates her,
14verseaccuses her of shameful things, gives her a bad name, and says, “I took this woman, and when I came near to her, I didn’t find in her the tokens of virginity;”
15versethen the young lady’s father and mother shall take and bring the tokens of the young lady’s virginity to the elders of the city in the gate.
16verseThe young lady’s father shall tell the elders, “I gave my daughter to this man as his wife, and he hates her.
17verseBehold, he has accused her of shameful things, saying, ‘I didn’t find in your daughter the tokens of virginity;’ and yet these are the tokens of my daughter’s virginity.” They shall spread the cloth before the elders of the city.
18verseThe elders of that city shall take the man and chastise him.
19verseThey shall fine him one hundred shekels of silver, and give them to the father of the young lady, because he has given a bad name to a virgin of Israel. She shall be his wife. He may not put her away all his days.
20verseBut if this thing is true, that the tokens of virginity were not found in the young lady,
21versethen they shall bring out the young lady to the door of her father’s house, and the men of her city shall stone her to death with stones, because she has done folly in Israel, to play the prostitute in her father’s house. So you shall remove the evil from among you.
22verseIf a man is found lying with a woman married to a husband, then they shall both die, the man who lay with the woman and the woman. So you shall remove the evil from Israel.
23verseIf there is a young lady who is a virgin pledged to be married to a husband, and a man finds her in the city, and lies with her,
24versethen you shall bring them both out to the gate of that city, and you shall stone them to death with stones; the lady, because she didn’t cry, being in the city; and the man, because he has humbled his neighbor’s wife. So you shall remove the evil from among you.
25verseBut if the man finds the lady who is pledged to be married in the field, and the man forces her and lies with her, then only the man who lay with her shall die;
26versebut to the lady you shall do nothing. There is in the lady no sin worthy of death; for as when a man rises against his neighbor and kills him, even so is this matter;
27versefor he found her in the field, the pledged to be married lady cried, and there was no one to save her.
28verseIf a man finds a lady who is a virgin, who is not pledged to be married, grabs her and lies with her, and they are found,
29versethen the man who lay with her shall give to the lady’s father fifty shekels of silver. She shall be his wife, because he has humbled her. He may not put her away all his days.
30verseA man shall not take his father’s wife, and shall not uncover his father’s skirt.
Structure and Flow
- Verses 1-9: Joshua praises the eastern tribes for their faithful service up to that point, and encourages them to fear God and follow the Law. They return peacefully to the east side of the Jordan, with their families.
- Verses 10-20: When the eastern tribes build a large altar by the bank of the Jordan River, the western Israelite tribes misunderstand it as an act of betrayal and prepare for war. Phinehas and representatives are sent to investigate.
- Verses 21-29: The eastern tribes explain that they set up the altar not for sacrificial purposes, but as evidence between God and Israel. They make it clear that it is not disobedience or idolatry.
- Verses 30-34: Phinehas and the representatives listen to the explanation, regain peace, and give thanks to God. Israel confirms that they are united again.
The Overall Meaning
Joshua 22 shows the misunderstandings and conflicts that can arise in community life, as well as the wisdom for resolving them. If we judge only by appearances, conflict can intensify, but it also shows that trust and unity can be restored through conversation and clarification. It also emphasizes that faithfulness toward God is at the center of the community.
Points for Reflection
- When misunderstandings or conflicts arise in the community, how are we responding?
- Just because our thoughts differ, do we rashly judge the other person, and do we have an attitude of listening and trying to understand? It is worth checking these things.
- Take time to reflect on whether loving God and keeping His commands is the foundation of all our actions.
Apply It to My Life
- In relationships where communication has broken down and misunderstandings have accumulated, we need to make an effort to reach out to the other person sincerely first and to talk with them.
- As one person within the community, let us pray so that we can carry out the role of acknowledging differences and building trust.
- Let us examine whether my altar in life (my priorities, my values) is set properly before God, and let us reaffirm my commitment to our relationship with Him.
As part of Coupang Partners activities, this post may earn a commission from qualifying purchases.
