Charles Ellicott Commentary Joshua 22:28

"Therefore said we, It shall be, when they so say to us or to our generations in time to come, that we shall say, Behold the pattern of the altar of Jehovah, which our fathers made, not for burnt-offering, nor for sacrifice; but it is a witness between us and you." — Joshua 22:28 (ASV)

The altar of the Lord, which our fathers made, not for burnt offerings, nor for sacrifices. —The words suggest the reflection that there are many other so-called “altars” in the present day, which are also an occasion of dispute; and it would tend greatly to peace and acquiescence in their existence if we could be assured that, like this altar, they are “not for sacrifice” but for a witness to that common worship of Christ as God, which is an essential feature of Christianity.