Joshua 22:15
And they came unto the children of Reuben, and to the children of Gad, and to the half tribe of Manasseh, unto the land of Gilead, and they spake with them, saying,
Original Language Analysis
וַיָּבֹ֜אוּ
And they came
H935
וַיָּבֹ֜אוּ
And they came
Strong's:
H935
Word #:
1 of 17
to go or come (in a wide variety of applications)
בְּנֵי
and to the children
H1121
בְּנֵי
and to the children
Strong's:
H1121
Word #:
3 of 17
a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or
בְּנֵי
and to the children
H1121
בְּנֵי
and to the children
Strong's:
H1121
Word #:
6 of 17
a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or
גָ֛ד
of Gad
H1410
גָ֛ד
of Gad
Strong's:
H1410
Word #:
7 of 17
gad, a son of jacob, including his tribe and its territory; also a prophet
שֵֽׁבֶט
tribe
H7626
שֵֽׁבֶט
tribe
Strong's:
H7626
Word #:
10 of 17
a scion, i.e., (literally) a stick (for punishing, writing, fighting, ruling, walking, etc.) or (figuratively) a clan
מְנַשֶּׁ֖ה
of Manasseh
H4519
מְנַשֶּׁ֖ה
of Manasseh
Strong's:
H4519
Word #:
11 of 17
menashsheh, a grandson of jacob, also the tribe descended from him, and its territory
הַגִּלְעָ֑ד
of Gilead
H1568
הַגִּלְעָ֑ד
of Gilead
Strong's:
H1568
Word #:
14 of 17
gilad, a region east of the jordan; also the name of three israelites
וַיְדַבְּר֥וּ
and they spake
H1696
וַיְדַבְּר֥וּ
and they spake
Strong's:
H1696
Word #:
15 of 17
perhaps properly, to arrange; but used figuratively (of words), to speak; rarely (in a destructive sense) to subdue
Historical Context
Gilead, the Transjordan territory allocated to Reuben, Gad, and half of Manasseh (Joshua 13), was prime grazing land but geographically isolated from the main worship center. This separation created legitimate concerns about future generations maintaining covenant loyalty.
Questions for Reflection
- Why is face-to-face confrontation essential in resolving potential church divisions (rather than rumors or third-party reports)?
- How does their willingness to travel to Gilead demonstrate the principle of pursuing peace and unity?
- What modern church conflicts might be resolved if we followed this pattern of personal, direct engagement?
Related Resources
Explore related topics, people, and study resources to deepen your understanding of this passage.
Analysis & Commentary
They came unto the children of Reuben, and to the children of Gad, and to the half tribe of Manasseh, unto the land of Gilead—The geography is critical: Gilead lies east of the Jordan River, separating these tribes from the tabernacle at Shiloh. The delegation physically crossed the Jordan to address the crisis face-to-face rather than making accusations from a distance.
They spake with them, saying—The verb דָּבַר (dabar) means to speak formally or declare, suggesting this was an official inquiry rather than casual conversation. The delegation came prepared to hear the defense, modeling biblical conflict resolution that assumes innocent intent until proven otherwise (Proverbs 18:17).