Notwithstanding, if the land of your possession be unclean, then pass ye over unto the land of the possession of the LORD, wherein the LORD’s tabernacle dwelleth, and take possession among us: but rebel not against the LORD, nor rebel against us, in building you an altar beside the altar of the LORD our God.
However, if the land where you live is unclean, then come over to the land that belongs to the LORD, where the LORD's tabernacle is located, and settle among us. But don't rebel against the LORD or against us by building your own altar alongside the altar of the LORD our God.
The writer is offering the eastern tribes a place to live on the west side of the Jordan if their land is spiritually unclean, but warns them not to rebel by building unauthorized altars.
📚 Historical Context
This verse comes from a tense confrontation when the western tribes discovered that the eastern tribes (Reuben, Gad, and half of Manasseh) had built an altar near the Jordan River. The western tribes feared this was an act of rebellion against God, since all sacrifices were supposed to happen at the central tabernacle. They were offering to share their land rather than see their brothers fall into sin.
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