Numbers32
King James Version · Public Domain
1Now the children of Reuben and the children of Gad had a very great multitude of cattle: and when they saw the land of Jazer, and the land of Gilead, that, behold, the place was a place for cattle;
2The children of Gad and the children of Reuben came and spake unto Moses, and to Eleazar the priest, and unto the princes of the congregation, saying,
3Ataroth, and Dibon, and Jazer, and Nimrah, and Heshbon, and Elealeh, and Shebam, and Nebo, and Beon,
4Even the country which the Lord smote before the congregation of Israel, is a land for cattle, and thy servants have cattle:
5Wherefore, said they, if we have found grace in thy sight, let this land be given unto thy servants for a possession, and bring us not over Jordan.
6And Moses said unto the children of Gad and to the children of Reuben, Shall your brethren go to war, and shall ye sit here?
7And wherefore discourage ye the heart of the children of Israel from going over into the land which the Lord hath given them?
8Thus did your fathers, when I sent them from Kadesh–barnea to see the land.
9For when they went up unto the valley of Eshcol, and saw the land, they discouraged the heart of the children of Israel, that they should not go into the land which the Lord had given them.
10And the Lord's anger was kindled the same time, and he sware, saying,
11Surely none of the men that came up out of Egypt, from twenty years old and upward, shall see the land which I sware unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob; because they have not wholly followed me:
12Save Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenezite, and Joshua the son of Nun: for they have wholly followed the Lord.
13And the Lord's anger was kindled against Israel, and he made them wander in the wilderness forty years, until all the generation, that had done evil in the sight of the Lord, was consumed.
14And, behold, ye are risen up in your fathers' stead, an increase of sinful men, to augment yet the fierce anger of the Lord toward Israel.
15For if ye turn away from after him, he will yet again leave them in the wilderness; and ye shall destroy all this people.
16And they came near unto him, and said, We will build sheepfolds here for our cattle, and cities for our little ones:
17But we ourselves will go ready armed before the children of Israel, until we have brought them unto their place: and our little ones shall dwell in the fenced cities because of the inhabitants of the land.
18We will not return unto our houses, until the children of Israel have inherited every man his inheritance.
19For we will not inherit with them on yonder side Jordan, or forward; because our inheritance is fallen to us on this side Jordan eastward.
20And Moses said unto them, If ye will do this thing, if ye will go armed before the Lord to war,
21And will go all of you armed over Jordan before the Lord, until he hath driven out his enemies from before him,
22And the land be subdued before the Lord: then afterward ye shall return, and be guiltless before the Lord, and before Israel; and this land shall be your possession before the Lord.
23But if ye will not do so, behold, ye have sinned against the Lord: and be sure your sin will find you out.
24Build you cities for your little ones, and folds for your sheep; and do that which hath proceeded out of your mouth.
25And the children of Gad and the children of Reuben spake unto Moses, saying, Thy servants will do as my lord commandeth.
26Our little ones, our wives, our flocks, and all our cattle, shall be there in the cities of Gilead:
27But thy servants will pass over, every man armed for war, before the Lord to battle, as my lord saith.
28So concerning them Moses commanded Eleazar the priest, and Joshua the son of Nun, and the chief fathers of the tribes of the children of Israel:
29And Moses said unto them, If the children of Gad and the children of Reuben will pass with you over Jordan, every man armed to battle, before the Lord, and the land shall be subdued before you; then ye shall give them the land of Gilead for a possession:
30But if they will not pass over with you armed, they shall have possessions among you in the land of Canaan.
31And the children of Gad and the children of Reuben answered, saying, As the Lord hath said unto thy servants, so will we do.
32We will pass over armed before the Lord into the land of Canaan, that the possession of our inheritance on this side Jordan may be ours.
33And Moses gave unto them, even to the children of Gad, and to the children of Reuben, and unto half the tribe of Manasseh the son of Joseph, the kingdom of Sihon king of the Amorites, and the kingdom of Og king of Bashan, the land, with the cities thereof in the coasts, even the cities of the country round about.
34And the children of Gad built Dibon, and Ataroth, and Aroer,
35And Atroth Shophan, and Jaazer, and Jogbehah,
36And Beth–nimrah, and Beth–haran, fenced cities: and folds for sheep.
37And the children of Reuben built Heshbon, and Elealeh, and Kiriathaim,
38And Nebo, and Baal–meon, (their names being changed,) and Sibmah: and gave other names unto the cities which they builded.
39And the children of Machir the son of Manasseh went to Gilead, and took it, and dispossessed the Amorite which was in it.
40And Moses gave Gilead unto Machir the son of Manasseh; and he dwelt therein.
41And Jair the son of Manasseh went and took the small towns thereof, and called them Havoth–jair.
42And Nobah went and took Kenath, and the villages thereof, and called it Nobah, after his own name.
Study Guide
Public-domain commentary and original-language notes for Numbers 32.
Chapter Summary
In this chapter: The tribes of Reuben and Gad request an inheritance on the east of Jordan. (1–5). Moses reproves the Reubenites and Gadites. (6–15). They explain their views, Moses consents. (16–27). They take possession of the land to the east of Jordan. (28–42).
vv1-5
Here is a proposal made by the Reubenites and Gadites, that the land lately conquered might be allotted to them. Two things common in the world might lead these tribes to make this choice; the lust of the eye, and the pride of life. There was much amiss in the principle they went upon; they consulted their own private convenience more than the public good. Thus to the present time, many seek their own things more than the things of Jesus Christ; and are led by worldly interests and advantages to take up short of the heavenly Canaan.
vv6-15
The proposal showed disregard to the land of Canaan, distrust of the Lord's promise, and unwillingness to encounter the difficulties and dangers of conquering and driving out the inhabitants of that land. Moses is wroth with them. It will becomes any of God's Israel to sit down unconcerned about the difficult and perilous concerns of their brethren, whether public or personal. He reminds them of the fatal consequences of the unbelief and faint-heartedness of their fathers, when they were, as themselves, just ready to enter Canaan. If men considered as they ought what would be the end of sin, they would be afraid of the beginning of it.
vv16-27
Here is the good effect of plain dealing. Moses, by showing their sin, and the danger of it, brought them to their duty, without murmuring or disputing. All men ought to consider the interests of others as well as their own; the law of love requires us to labour, venture, or suffer for each other as there may be occasion. They propose that their men of war should go ready armed before the children of Israel into the land of Canaan, and that they should not return till the conquest of Canaan was ended. Moses grants their request, but he warns them of the danger of breaking their word. If you fail, you sin against the Lord, and not against your brethren only; God will certainly reckon with you for it. Be sure your sin will find you out. Sin will surely find out the sinner sooner or later. It concerns us now to find our sins out, that we may repent of them, and forsake them, lest they find us out to our ruin.
Key Words
בֵּן: a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or condition, etc., (like father or brother), etc.)
רְאוּבֵן: Reuben, a son of Jacob
גָּד: Gad, a son of Jacob, including his tribe and its territory; also a prophet
מְאֹד: properly, vehemence, i.e. (with or without preposition) vehemently; by implication, wholly, speedily, etc. (often with other words as an intensive or superlative; especially when repeated)
עָצוּם: powerful (specifically, a paw); by implication, numerous
רַב: abundant (in quantity, size, age, number, rank, quality)
מִקְנֶה: something bought, i.e. property, but only livestock; abstractly, acquisition
רָאָה: to see, literally or figuratively (in numerous applications, direct and implied, transitive, intransitive and causative)
אֶרֶץ: the earth (at large, or partitively a land)
יַעֲזֵיר: Jaazer or Jazer, a place East of the Jordan
Cross References
Numbers 32Explicit fulfillment of Reuben, Gad, and Manasseh crossing over armed before Israel to war.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Moses reiterates the command for trans-Jordanic tribes to go armed before their brethren.
Supported by JFB
Joshua reminds Reuben, Gad, and Manasseh of their oath to assist in Canaan.
Supported by JFB
Parallel account of Moses distributing the conquered eastern lands to Reuben, Gad, and Manasseh.
Supported by JFB
Reuben, Gad, and Manasseh depart Shiloh to possess the land of Gilead.
Supported by JFB
The oath of God concerning the exclusion of the murmuring generation, referenced here.
Supported by Matthew Henry, Matthew Poole, John Calvin
Gilead and Bashan are prophesied as restored rich pastures for Israel's flocks.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Historical account of the spies exploring Eshcol and discouraging Israel's heart.
Supported by Matthew Henry, Matthew Poole, John Calvin
Parallel detail of Jair, son of Manasseh, taking the region and naming Havoth-jair.
Supported by JFB
Prophetic call for Israel to feed in Bashan and Gilead as in old times.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Joshua reviews the eastern inheritance given by Moses to the trans-Jordanic tribes.
Supported by Matthew Poole
The land is formally subdued before the Lord and Israel at Shiloh.
Supported by JFB