Altar of Witness of the Eastern Tribes

Excerpt from the Lexham Bible Dictionary, the most advanced Bible dictionary.

A large altar built by the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and Manasseh (Josh 22:10–11, 34). The Reubenites, Gadites, and half-tribe of Manasseh built the altar when they returned to their land, which was located across the Jordan River from the other tribes. The other Israelite tribes were offended, thinking that the action represented a deplorable religious act and that it would cause Yahweh to be angry with them (Josh 22:16–19). The tribes of Reuben, Gad, and Manasseh denied this intention. They replied that it was only a memorial altar to remind them of Yahweh and thus was not against the religious viewpoints of Israel. This response leads to the action being sanctioned by the other Israelite tribes via the Israelite priesthood (Josh 22:20–33). The passage concludes with the people of Reuben and Gad noting that the altar “is a witness between us that Yahweh is God” (Josh 22:34).

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The Lexham Bible Dictionary

Altar of Witness

Altar of Witness A large altar built by the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and Manasseh (Josh 22:10–11, 34). The Reubenites, Gadites, and half-tribe of Manasseh built the altar when they returned to their land, which was located across the Jordan River from the other tribes. The other Israelite tribes were offended,

The Anchor Yale Bible Dictionary

Witness, Altar of (Place)

WITNESS, ALTAR OF (PLACE) [Heb lammizbēaḥ kı̂ ʿēd hûʾ (לַמִּזְבֵּחַ כִּי עֵד הוּא)]. An altar the Transjordan tribes erected to show that they also worshiped the Lord and were part of his people (Josh 22:34). The KJV simply transliterates the name of the altar calling it “Ed.” The best Hebrew mss

Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible

Ed. Name of an altar built in God’s honor by the Reubenites, Gadites, and the half tribe of Manasseh (Jos 22:10, 34) when these tribes took possession of Gilead. The tribes west of the Jordan opposed the erection of the altar (v 11). The Hebrew Masoretic text and the Greek Septuagint do not contain the

Witness, Altar of

Witness, Altar of. Altar built by the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half tribe of Manasseh in the frontier of Israel near the Jordan (Jos 22:10–34). The building of the altar incited the remainder of Israel to threaten war for the presumed treachery. After the Transjordanian tribes explained their

The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, Revised

Ed ed [Heb. ʿēḏ—‘witness’] (AV Josh. 22:34).See Witness. The name of the altar erected by the trans-Jordanic tribes upon finally taking possession of Gilead (Josh. 22:10f, 34).

Tyndale Bible Dictionary

Edh

EDH* Hebrew name of an altar built in God’s honor by the Reubenites, Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh (Jos 22:10, 34, nlt mg) when these tribes took possession of Gilead. The name means “witness.” The Hebrew Masoretic Text and the Greek Septuagint do not contain the word, but it has the authority

Witness, Altar of

WITNESS, ALTAR OF Altar built by the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh in the frontier of Israel near the Jordan (Jos 22:10–34). The building of the altar incited the remainder of Israel to threaten war for the presumed treachery. After the Transjordanian tribes explained their

The Wycliffe Bible Encyclopedia

ED. A name appearing in Josh 22:34, transliterated from Heb. (’ed), “witness.” The Heb. word has dropped out of the MT, but is obviously required by the context (see vv. 27, 28, 34 b, where the word does appear). It is the name the two and one-half eastern tribes gave to an altar built in Jordan Valley,

The New Bible Dictionary, Third Edition

ED. It is related in Jos. 22 that when the two and a half tribes left Shiloh to take up their possessions, E of Jordan, they set up ‘an altar of great size’ (v. 10) on the banks of the river, not for sacrifice, but as a ‘witness’ (Heb. ‘ēḏ). Fearing a schism, their brethren sent Phinehas and ten princes

Eerdmans Bible Dictionary

Ed [ĕd] (Heb. ˓ēḏ). An altar erected at the Jordan river by the Transjordanian tribes (so KJV, Josh. 22:34) symbolizing that they had witnessed (RSV “Witness”) God’s majesty and faithfulness. Because the name does not occur in the MT, some commentators interpret the qualifying phrase which

Smith’s Bible Dictionary

Ed (witness), a word inserted in the Authorized Version of Josh. 22:34, apparently on the authority of a few MSS, and also of the Syriac and Arabic versions, but not existing in the generally-received Hebrew text.

The New Unger’s Bible Dictionary

ED (Heb. ˓ēd, a “witness”). A word inserted in the KJV of Josh. 22:34, apparently on the authority of a few manuscripts and also of the Syr. and Arab. versions, but not existing in the generally received Heb. text. In the NASB and NIV the word used is “witness.”

Easton’s Bible Dictionary

Ed—witness, a word not found in the original Hebrew, nor in the LXX. and Vulgate, but added by the translators in the Authorized Version, also in the Revised Version, of Josh. 22:34. The words are literally rendered: “And the children of Reuben and the children of Gad named the altar. It is a witness

Nelson’s New Illustrated Bible Dictionary

ED [ed] (witness) — the name of an altar built by the Reubenites, Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh who settled east of the Jordan River. The altar served as a witness of the loyalty of these tribes to God and to the 9 1/2 tribes west of the Jordan (Josh. 22:34; witness, NKJV).

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