And now the LORD your God hath given rest unto your brethren, as he promised them: therefore now return ye, and get you unto your tents, and unto the land of your possession, which Moses the servant of the LORD gave you on the other side Jordan.

JOSHUA 22:4KJV
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Joshua 22:4 (KJV)

What does Joshua 22:4 mean?

Joshua 22:4 tells the eastern tribes of Israel that, since God has fulfilled His promise and given their fellow Israelites rest from their enemies, they are now free to return to their homes and lands east of the Jordan River, which Moses had given them. Joshua is releasing them from their military duties so they can go back to their families and possessions.

In this verse, Joshua is speaking to the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh. These tribes had helped the rest of Israel conquer the land west of the Jordan, as they had promised Moses. Now that the fighting is over and Israel is settled, Joshua acknowledges God’s faithfulness and instructs them to return to their own territory on the east side of the Jordan River.

The Hebrew behind Joshua 22:4

  • "Rest" (נוּחַ, nuach): This word often means a sense of peace, security, or relief from struggle. Here, it highlights that Israel’s battles are over and they can settle down without fear.
  • "Possession" (יְרֻשָּׁה, yerushah): This word refers to land that is inherited or allotted. Joshua is reminding the tribes that their land east of the Jordan is a permanent inheritance, not just a temporary place.
  • "Return" (פָּנָה, panah): This verb means to turn back or go back. Joshua is not just letting them leave; he is formally sending them back to their rightful place.
  • "Tents" (אֹהֶל, ohel): Refers to their homes or dwelling places, emphasizing a return to normal life and family after a long period of war.

Why Joshua 22:4 matters

  • This verse clarifies that the eastern tribes fulfilled their commitment to help their fellow Israelites, showing the importance of keeping promises and working together.
  • It emphasizes God’s faithfulness in giving Israel "rest" as He had promised, connecting this moment to earlier promises made through Moses.
  • The verse sets up the next events in the chapter, where the return of these tribes leads to a misunderstanding and a need for reconciliation, highlighting the challenges of unity even after victory.

Where else these words appear

“possession” Hebrew H272 · used in 58 verses

  • Genesis 17:8 And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.
  • Leviticus 25:41 And then shall he depart from thee, both he and his children with him, and shall return unto his own family, and unto the possession of his fathers shall he return.
  • Joshua 21:41 All the cities of the Levites within the possession of the children of Israel were forty and eight cities with their suburbs.

“rest” Hebrew H5117 · used in 64 verses

  • Genesis 8:4 And the ark rested in the seventh month, on the seventeenth day of the month, upon the mountains of Ararat.
  • 2 Samuel 21:10 And Rizpah the daughter of Aiah took sackcloth, and spread it for her upon the rock, from the beginning of harvest until water dropped upon them out of heaven, and suffered neither the birds of the air to rest on them by day, nor the beasts of the field by night.
  • Isaiah 7:19 And they shall come, and shall rest all of them in the desolate valleys, and in the holes of the rocks, and upon all thorns, and upon all bushes.

“side” Hebrew H5676 · used in 84 verses

  • Genesis 50:10 And they came to the threshingfloor of Atad, which is beyond Jordan, and there they mourned with a great and very sore lamentation: and he made a mourning for his father seven days.
  • Joshua 7:7 And Joshua said, Alas, O Lord GOD, wherefore hast thou at all brought this people over Jordan, to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us? would to God we had been content, and dwelt on the other side Jordan!
  • 2 Samuel 10:16 And Hadarezer sent, and brought out the Syrians that were beyond the river: and they came to Helam; and Shobach the captain of the host of Hadarezer went before them.

“return” Hebrew H6437 · used in 128 verses

  • Genesis 18:22 And the men turned their faces from thence, and went toward Sodom: but Abraham stood yet before the LORD.
  • Judges 18:21 So they turned and departed, and put the little ones and the cattle and the carriage before them.
  • Psalms 119:132 Look thou upon me, and be merciful unto me, as thou usest to do unto those that love thy name.