22:16a

This is what the whole congregation of the LORD says: The phrase the whole congregation of the LORD refers to all the Israelite clans who lived on the west side of the Jordan River. They refer to themselves as representing the whole of Israel.

Here is another way to translate this phrase:

the entire community of Yahweh

Here are some other ways to translate this part of the verse:

The whole community of Yahweh says ⌊to you⌋
-or-
This is what the entire assembly of Yahweh says:

22:16b–d

What is this breach of faith you have committed today against the God of Israel by turning away from the LORD and building for yourselves an altar, that you might rebel against the LORD this day?: This is a long rhetorical question. It functions as a rebuke. The western clans rebuked the eastern clans for building the altar.

The Berean Standard Bible has translated this question as one long sentence. It may be more natural in some languages to translate it as two or more sentences. For example:

Why have you done this evil thing against the God of Israel? You have rebelled against the Lord by building this altar for yourselves! You are no longer following him! (Good News Translation)

22:16b

What is this breach of faith you have committed today against the God of Israel: This is a rhetorical question that functions as a rebuke. The western clans rebuked the eastern clans for building the altar.

There are two ways to translate this question:

• As a rhetorical question. For example:

How could you break faith with the God of Israel like this? (New International Version)

• As a statement. For example:

You have acted disloyally and sinned against the God of Israel.
-or-
You have turned against the God of Israel.

The Hebrew word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as breach of faith comes from the same root as the word that describes the sin of Achan in 7:1. It means to act unfaithfully or disloyally.

22:16c

by turning away from the LORD: The Hebrew clause is more literally “turn back from after Yahweh.” This is a Hebrew idiom. It indicates that the western clans thought the eastern clans had stopped being faithful to Yahweh. Some languages may have a different idiom to express this meaning.

Here are some other ways to translate this part of the verse:

you have turned your back on the Lord (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
Today you have stopped being faithful to Yahweh
-or-
You have turned back from following Yahweh today

22:16d

and building for yourselves an altar, that you might rebel against the LORD this day: The Israelite leaders thought the clans of Reuben, Gad and the half-clan of Manasseh had rebelled against Yahweh, because they had built an altar other than the one that was in the tent of meeting at Shiloh. This violated the command of Yahweh found in Leviticus 17:8-9. They had acted against God’s Law and disobeyed him.

this day: The phrase this day means “today.”

Here are some other ways to translate this part of the verse:

Today you have built an altar for yourselves and rebelled against Yahweh.
-or-
How could you turn away from the Lord and build yourselves an altar in rebellion against him now? (New International Version)
-or-
You have acted against Yahweh’s command and built an altar for yourselves.

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