Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Joshua 22:31
And Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest said unto the children of Reuben, and to the children of Gad, and to the children of Manasseh, This day we perceive that the LORD [is] among us, because ye have not committed this trespass against the LORD: now ye have delivered the children of Israel out of the hand of the LORD.
31. is among us ] Phinehas recognises the presence of God in the congregation, because His Providence had restrained their brethren from even the semblance of idolatry.
out of the hand of the Lord ] As otherwise a punishment like that in Num 25:9 might have again fallen on the whole people.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Verse 31. We perceive that the Lord is among us] Or, according to the Targum of Jonathan. “This day we know that the majesty of Jehovah dwelleth among us, because ye have not committed this prevarication against the WORD of the Lord, and thus ye have delivered the children of Israel from the hand of the WORD of the Lord.” They rejoice to find them innocent, and that there is no ground of quarrel between the children of the same family. And from this they draw a very favourable conclusion, that as God was among them as the sole object of their religious worship, so he would abide with them as their protector and their portion; and as they were his friends, they take it for granted that he will deliver them from the hands of their enemies.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
The Lord is among us, by his gracious presence and preventing goodness, in keeping you from so great an offence, and all of us from those dismal calamities that would have followed upon it.
Out of the hand of the Lord, i.e. from the wrath and dreadful judgments of God; by avoiding that sin which would have involved both you and us in a most bloody war, you have delivered us from the evils we feared. He that prevents an unexpected or approaching disease or mischief, doth as truly deliver a man from it, as he that cures or removes it after it hath been inflicted.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
And Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest,…. As the mouth of the deputation, and in their name:
said unto the children of Reuben, and to the children of Gad, and to the children of Manasseh; the representatives of them assembled together on this occasion:
this day we perceive that the Lord [is] among us; his Shechinah, as the Targum; his powerful Presence in preserving their brethren from committing a trespass, as they feared; his gracious Presence smiling upon them; and as the God of peace and order, and not of confusion, uniting and cementing their hearts in love to one another:
because ye have not committed this trespass against the Lord; which they were fearful and jealous of they had, but they found that the Lord had been good and gracious in preserving them from it:
now ye have delivered the children of Israel out of the hand of the Lord; into which they would have fallen, had that been the case, and would have felt the effects of the divine resentment, but now they were secure from them.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
(31) We perceive that the Lord is among us, because ye have not committed this trespass . . .The best token of the Divine presence among men is the Divine likeness and holiness in men. if we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie . . . but if we walk in the light, we have fellowship one with another.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
31. The Lord is among us The commission were more than satisfied with the explanation; they were delighted with the loyalty and fidelity of their misjudged brethren. This whole account is highly honourable to both the accusing party and the accused, inasmuch as it shows that both were animated with the high and holy purpose of cleaving to the worship of the true God.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
‘ And Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest, said to the children of Reuben, and to the children of Gad, and to the children of Manasseh, “This day we know that YHWH is among us, because you have not committed this trespass against YHWH. Now you have delivered the children of Israel out of the hand of YHWH.” ’
The official verdict was given. The Transjordan tribes were not guilty of what they had been accused of. They had done nothing contrary to the Law. The great relief that was felt comes out in the final comment. There would be no punishment on Israel from YHWH as a result of this behaviour. They had been ‘delivered’ from such by the facts. Not the threefold repetition of YHWH which parallels the threefold usage by the Transjordanians, bringing home the importance that they too laid on being pleasing to Him.
“The son of Eleazar the priest.” In giving the official verdict, which was probably recorded in writing, Phinehas’ position was made clear. He was acting as his father’s representative and in his name.
“Among us.” See Lev 26:11-12, ‘I will set my Dwellingplace (Tabernacle) among you and not abhor you, and I will walk among you, and will be your God, and you will be my people.’ The sense of God’s presence among them, and of His love and severity against sin, was very real.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Ver. 31. This day we perceive that the Lord is among us, because, &c. Rejoiced to find by the answer of their brethren, that they were perfectly innocent, Phinehas and his associates think it their duty to acknowledge that God was among them; that they had done nothing unworthy of his protection; and that, consequently, neither of them had any thing to apprehend from the divine displeasure, as they had feared at seeing the altar on the bank of the Jordan: the latter clause might in this view be rendered thus; Now, therefore, behold, we are happily delivered from our fears. Jonathan, in his paraphrase, reads the whole sentence as follows: This day we perceive that the SHECHINAH is amongst you, because ye have not committed this trespass against the word of the Lord: thus ye have delivered the children of Israel out of the hand of the word of the Lord.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Phinehas is a most engaging character in scripture. If the Reader will consult what is said of him elsewhere, he will, I think, be led to see in him, a lively type of the ever blessed Jesus. Num 25:10-13 .
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Jos 22:31 And Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest said unto the children of Reuben, and to the children of Gad, and to the children of Manasseh, This day we perceive that the LORD [is] among us, because ye have not committed this trespass against the LORD: now ye have delivered the children of Israel out of the hand of the LORD.
Ver. 31. And Phinehas. ] Who here showed himself to be, as an ambassador should be, Vir bonus dicendi peritus; a good man and well spoken.
This day we perceive that the Lord is among us.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
the Lord is: Jos 3:10, Lev 26:11, Lev 26:12, Num 14:41-43, 2Ch 15:2, Psa 68:17, Isa 12:6, Zec 8:23, Mat 1:23, 1Co 14:25
now: Heb. then
Reciprocal: Exo 6:25 – Phinehas Exo 17:7 – Is the Lord Num 25:7 – Phinehas Ezr 7:5 – Phinehas
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
22:31 And Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest said unto the children of Reuben, and to the children of Gad, and to the children of Manasseh, This day we perceive that the LORD [is] {q} among us, because ye have not committed this trespass against the LORD: now ye have {r} delivered the children of Israel out of the hand of the LORD.
(q) By preserving and governing us.
(r) Whom if ye had offended; he would have punished with you.