The Reubenites and the Gadites called the altar Witness, 'For,' said they, 'it is a witness between us that the LORD is God.' — The altar receives a name: 'Witness' (ʿēd), which preserves its commemorative purpose. The explanatory clause 'it is a witness between us that the LORD is God' completes the theological framework. The altar testifies not to tribal identity but to covenant fidelity and the LORD's presence among all Israel despite geographical division. The chapter concludes with covenant preservation; threatened breach becomes occasion for reaffirming underlying unity.

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