For the LORD hath made Jordan a border between us and you, ye children of Reuben and children of Gad; ye have no part in the LORD: so shall your children make our children cease from fearing the LORD.
For the LORD has made the Jordan River a boundary between us and you, people of Reuben and Gad. You have no share in the LORD. So your children will cause our children to stop worshiping the LORD.
The western tribes are worried that the Jordan River will become a barrier that separates their children from God, making future generations think the eastern tribes don't belong to God's people.
📚 Historical Context
After conquering Canaan, the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and half of Manasseh were given land east of the Jordan River, while the other tribes settled west of it. When the eastern tribes built an altar by the Jordan, the western tribes feared this would create religious division and that future generations might see the river as proof that the eastern tribes weren't truly part of Israel.
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