And when they came unto the borders of Jordan, that [are] in the land of Canaan,.... To the banks of it, or the sand heaps, some take the word to signify, which were thrown up to restrain the waters from overflowing; some by Geliloth understand a place so called; and Jerom says it was near Jordan in the tribe of Benjamin: but rather the word signifies the meanders, windings, and turnings, of the river ; and such circuits and compasses it fetched near Jericho, as the same writer observes, where we may suppose these tribes went over, and at a place where the river jetted out into the land of Canaan:the children of Reuben, and the children of Gad, built there an altar by Jordan; or "then"; that is, when they had passed over the river into their own country, for which Josephus is express ; and certain it is, that the altar was built not on the Canaan side of Jordan, but on the opposite side, as is clear from Jos 22:11: and indeed they had no right to build on any other ground than their own; and they pitched upon a spot where the river jetted out into the land of Canaan, as most proper to erect it on, to be a witness, that though separated from the rest of the Israelites by the river Jordan, yet were a part of them, and had a right to join them in the service of God, and bring their sacrifices to the altar of God in the tabernacle, as more fully appears in some after verses:a great altar to see to; built up very high, so that it might be seen at a great distance.
De loc. Heb. fol. 92. C. Vid. Gusset. Ebr. Comment. p. 170, 573. Reland. Palestin. Illustrat. tom. 1. l. 1. c. 43. p. 274, 279. Ut supra, (De loc. Heb. fol. 92.) G. Antiqu. l. 5. c. 1. sect.