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Joshua’s first farewell was to the Transjordanian tribes as he sent them home. His admonition to continued faithfulness is characteristic of Joshua and of the themes of the book.
As they came to the Jordan, the Transjordanian tribes built an altar, which nearly precipitated a civil war. The other tribes initially interpreted this altar as a move away from allegiance to God. They saw it as a threat of rebellion and reminded its builders of Achan’s sin, which had troubled Israel at the beginning of the Conquest. They did not want a similar event at the end of the Conquest.
The Transjordanian tribes protested that this was not an altar of sacrifice but of witness. They were concerned that the other tribes in days to come might deny them participation in the covenant because they lived across the Jordan. Though they were on the fringe, they intended to remain faithful to God. Because they were on the fringe, they needed a strong witness to the other tribes of their faithfulness to God. The representatives of the western tribes accepted this explanation. The eastern tribes had the witness they desired, and war was averted.