1 Now the children of Reuben and the children of Gad had a very great multitude of livestock: and when they saw the land of Jazer, and the land of Gilead, that behold, the place was a place for livestock; 2 the children of Gad and the children of Reuben came and spoke to Moses, and to Eleazar the priest, and to the princes of the congregation, saying, 3 "Ataroth, and Dibon, and Jazer, and Nimrah, and Heshbon, and Elealeh, and Sebam, and Nebo, and Beon, 4 the land which Yahweh struck before the congregation of Israel, is a land for livestock; and your servants have livestock." 5 They said, "If we have found favor in your sight, let this land be given to your servants for a possession; don't bring us over the Jordan." 6 Moses said to the children of Gad, and to the children of Reuben, "Shall your brothers go to the war, and shall you sit here? 7 Why do you discourage the heart of the children of Israel from going over into the land which Yahweh has given them? 8 Your fathers did so when I sent them from Kadesh Barnea to see the land. 9 For when they went up to 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 Yahweh had given them. 10 Yahweh's anger was kindled in that day, and he swore, saying, 11 'Surely none of the men who came up out of Egypt, from twenty years old and upward, shall see the land which I swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob; because they have not wholly followed me: 12 except Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite, and Joshua the son of Nun; because they have followed Yahweh completely.' 13 Yahweh's anger was kindled against Israel, and he made them wander back and forth in the wilderness forty years, until all the generation, who had done evil in the sight of Yahweh, was consumed. 14 "Behold, you have risen up in your fathers' place, an increase of sinful men, to augment yet the fierce anger of Yahweh toward Israel. 15 For if you turn away from after him, he will yet again leave them in the wilderness; and you will destroy all this people." 16 They came near to him, and said, "We will build sheepfolds here for our livestock, and cities for our little ones: 17 but we ourselves will be ready armed to go before the children of Israel, until we have brought them to their place: and our little ones shall dwell in the fortified cities because of the inhabitants of the land. 18 We will not return to our houses, until the children of Israel have inherited every man his inheritance. 19 For we will not inherit with them on the other side of the Jordan, and forward; because our inheritance is fallen to us on this side of the Jordan eastward." 20 Moses said to them, "If you will do this thing, if you will arm yourselves to go before Yahweh to the war, 21 and every armed man of you will pass over the Jordan before Yahweh, until he has driven out his enemies from before him, 22 and the land is subdued before Yahweh; then afterward you shall return, and be guiltless towards Yahweh, and towards Israel; and this land shall be to you for a possession before Yahweh. 23 "But if you will not do so, behold, you have sinned against Yahweh; and be sure your sin will find you out. 24 Build cities for your little ones, and folds for your sheep; and do that which has proceeded out of your mouth." 25 The children of Gad and the children of Reuben spoke to Moses, saying, "Your servants will do as my lord commands. 26 Our little ones, our wives, our flocks, and all our livestock, shall be there in the cities of Gilead; 27 but your servants will pass over, every man who is armed for war, before Yahweh to battle, as my lord says." 28 So Moses commanded concerning them to Eleazar the priest, and to Joshua the son of Nun, and to the heads of the fathers' (houses) of the tribes of the children of Israel. 29 Moses said to them, "If the children of Gad and the children of Reuben will pass with you over the Jordan, every man who is armed to battle, before Yahweh, and the land shall be subdued before you; then you shall give them the land of Gilead for a possession: 30 but if they will not pass over with you armed, they shall have possessions among you in the land of Canaan." 31 The children of Gad and the children of Reuben answered, saying, "As Yahweh has said to your servants, so will we do. 32 We will pass over armed before Yahweh into the land of Canaan, and the possession of our inheritance (shall remain) with us beyond the Jordan." 33 Moses gave to them, even to the children of Gad, and to the children of Reuben, and to the half-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, according to the cities of it with (their) borders, even the cities of the surrounding land. 34 The children of Gad built Dibon, and Ataroth, and Aroer, 35 and Atrothshophan, and Jazer, and Jogbehah, 36 and Beth Nimrah, and Beth Haran: fortified cities, and folds for sheep. 37 The children of Reuben built Heshbon, and Elealeh, and Kiriathaim, 38 and Nebo, and Baal Meon, (their names being changed), and Sibmah: and they gave other names to the cities which they built. 39 The children of Machir the son of Manasseh went to Gilead, and took it, and dispossessed the Amorites who were therein. 40 Moses gave Gilead to Machir the son of Manasseh; and he lived therein. 41 Jair the son of Manasseh went and took its towns, and called them Havvoth Jair. 42 Nobah went and took Kenath, and its villages, and called it Nobah, after his own name.
The record of the last war to the east of the Jordan is followed by the assignment of the lands already conquered to the tribes of Reuben and Gad and to certain families of the tribe of Manasseh.
The Reubenites and Gadites request Moses to give them their inheritance on this side of Jordan, Numbers 32:1-5. Moses expostulates with and reproves them, Numbers 32:6-15. They explain themselves, and propose conditions, with which Moses is satisfied - they are to build cities for their wives and children, and folds for their cattle, and go ever Jordan armed with the other tribes, and fight against their enemies till the land is subdued; after which they are to return, Numbers 32:16-27. Moses proposes the business to Eleazar, Joshua, and the elders, Numbers 32:28-30. The Gadites and Reubenites promise a faithful observance of the conditions, Numbers 32:31, Numbers 32:32; on which Moses assigns to them, and the half tribe of Manasseh, the kingdom of Sihon, king of the Amorites, and the kingdom of Og, king of Bashan, Numbers 32:33. The cities built by the Gadites, Numbers 32:34-36. The cities built by the Reubenites, Numbers 32:37, Numbers 32:38. The children of Machir, the son of Manasseh, expel the Amorites from Gilead, Numbers 32:39, which Moses grants to them, Numbers 32:40. Jair, the son of Manasseh, takes the small towns of Gilead, Numbers 32:41. And Nobah takes Kenath and its villages, Numbers 32:42.
INTRODUCTION TO NUMBERS 32
This chapter relates, how that the tribes of Gad and Reuben requested a settlement in the country of Jazer and Gilead, being fit for the pasturage of their cattle, Numbers 32:1 at which Moses at first was very much displeased, as being unreasonable, and tending to discourage the rest of the people; and as acting a part like that their fathers had done before them, which brought the wrath of God upon them, so that they all but two perished in the wilderness; and this he suggests would be the case again, if such measures were taken, Numbers 32:6 upon which they explain themselves, and declare they had no intention of forsaking their brethren, but were willing to leave their children and cattle to the care of divine Providence, and go armed before Israel, until they were brought into, and settled in the land of Canaan; nor did they desire any part or inheritance in it, Numbers 32:16, this satisfied Moses, and he agreed to it, that the land they requested should be their possession, provided the conditions were fulfilled by them, which they proposed, Numbers 20:20, and which they again agreed unto, and promised to perform, Numbers 32:25, wherefore Moses gave orders to Eleazar, Joshua, and the chief fathers of the tribes, to put them in possession of the land of Gilead on those conditions, Numbers 32:28 and which were again promised that they would observe, Numbers 32:31, and at the same time Moses made a grant of the kingdoms of Sihon and of Og to the tribes of Reuben and Gad, and to half the tribe of Manasseh, Numbers 32:33 and the chapter is closed with an account of the cities built or repaired by the children of Gad and Reuben, Numbers 32:34 and of the cities in Gilead taken and possessed by the children of Machir, and by Jair, who were of the tribe of Manasseh, Numbers 32:39.
(Numbers 32:1-5) The tribes of Reuben and Gad request an inheritance on the east of Jordan.
(Numbers 32:6-15) Moses reproves the Reubenites and Gadites.
(Numbers 32:16-27) They explain their views, Moses consents.
(Numbers 32:28-42) They take possession of the land to the east of Jordan.
Division of the Conquered Land Beyond the Jordan Among the Tribes of Reuben, Gad, and Half-Manasseh - Numbers 32
(Note: This chapter is also cut in pieces by Knobel: Numbers 32:1, Numbers 32:2, Numbers 32:16-19, Numbers 32:24, Numbers 32:28-30, and Numbers 32:33-38, being assigned to the Elohist; and the remainder, viz., Numbers 32:3-5, Numbers 32:6-15, Numbers 32:20-23, Numbers 32:25-27, Numbers 32:31, Numbers 32:32, and Numbers 32:39-42, to the Jehovist. But as the supposed Elohistic portions are fragmentary, inasmuch as it is assumed, for example, in Numbers 32:19, that the tribes of Reuben and Gad had already asked for the land of the Jordan and been promised it by Moses, whereas there is nothing of the kind stated in Numbers 32:1 and Numbers 32:2, the Elohistic account is said to have been handed down in a fragmentary state. The main ground for this violent hypothesis is the fancy of the critic, that the tribes mentioned could not have been so shameless as to wish to remain on the eastern side of the Jordan, and leave the conquest of Canaan to the other tribes, and that the willingness to help their brethren to conquer Canaan which they afterwards express in Numbers 32:16., is irreconcilable with their previous refusal to do this, - arguments which need no refutation for an unprejudiced reader of the Bible who is acquainted with the selfishness of the natural heart. The arguments founded upon the language employed are also all weak. Because there are words in Numbers 32:1 and Numbers 32:29, which the critics pronounce to be Jehovistic, they must proceed, both here and elsewhere, to remove all that offends them with their critical scissors, in order that they may uphold the full force of their dicta!)
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