יהושע, פרק כ״ב, פסוק כ״ד

The tribes living on the eastern side of the Jordan River reveal their true motive for building a large altar. Rather than an act of rebellion, the construction was a desperate, preventive measure born from a genuine fear of losing their connection with the rest of the nation. They frame their explanation as a solemn oath [ביאור שטיינזלץ], declaring that if their actions were not truly driven by the anxiety they are about to describe, God Himself should punish them [מצודת דוד].

Their anxiety reflects a profound dread of the future, a deep fear and terror [רש"י]. Ironically, the very outcome they dreaded is exactly what the rest of the nation is currently accusing them of: a deliberate disconnection from the community of Israel and the Tabernacle of God [מלבי"ם]. Their primary fear was one of eventual disgrace and rejection [רש"י]. Because the Jordan River acts as a physical barrier separating them from the main body of the nation, and because they reside outside the borders where many commandments apply, they anticipated a future crisis. They worried about the day they would travel to offer sacrifices at the Tabernacle in Shiloh [רש"י, מלבי"ם].

They feared that at some point in the future [מצודת דוד, ביאור שטיינזלץ], the western tribes would look at their descendants and question their right to worship, asking what connection they could possibly have with God. Such a statement would represent a complete severance, implying that the eastern tribes have no part in God, and God has no part in them [מצודת דוד]. The ultimate danger of such harsh rejection is not merely social isolation. The eastern tribes worried that these dismissive words would poison the hearts of their children, ultimately causing the next generation to abandon their reverence for God entirely [מלבי"ם].