Num. 32:20-32 NOTES
vv. 20-33. Moses said unto them, If ye will do this thing--with sincerity and zeal.
go before the Lord to war--The phrase was used in allusion to the order of march in which the tribes of Reuben and Gad immediately preceded the ark ( Numbers 10:18-21 ), or to the passage over the Jordan, in which the ark stood in mid-channel, while all the tribes marched by in succession ( Joshua 3:4 ), of course including those of Reuben and Gad, so that, literally, they passed over before the Lord and before the rest of Israel ( Joshua 4:13 ). Perhaps, however, the phrase is used merely in a general sense to denote their marching on an expedition, the purpose of which was blessed with the presence, and destined to promote the glory, of God. The displeasure which Moses had felt on the first mention of their proposal had disappeared on the strength of their solemn assurances. But a lurking suspicion of their motives seems still to have been lingering in his mind--he continued to speak to them in an admonitory strain; and he concluded by warning them that in case of their failing to redeem their pledge, the judgments of an offended God would assuredly fall upon them. This emphatic caution against such an eventuality throws a strong doubt on the honesty of their first intentions; and yet, whether through the opposing attitude or the strong invectives of Moses they had been brought to a better state of mind, their final reply showed that now all was right.
vv. 28-32. concerning them Moses commanded--The arrangement itself, as well as the express terms on which he assented to it, was announced by the leader to the public authorities. The pastoral country the two tribes had desired was to be granted them on condition that they would lend their aid to their brethren in the approaching invasion of Canaan. If they refused or failed to perform their promise, those possessions should be forfeited, and they themselves compelled to go across the Jordan and fight for a settlement like the rest of their brethren
NUMBERS 32:20-42 Summary
Moses accepts compromise with Gad and Reuben (20-24), Gad and Reuben agree and swear to conditions (25-32), Moses assigns Transjordan to Gad, Reuben, and Manasseh (33-38), Manasseh conquers Gilead (39-42).
The Gadites and Reubenites have agreed to send the men as a vanguard or as shock-troops into battle during the conquest (with their women and children settled back home in the Transjordan). Moses accepts their compromise, but strengthens it as an oath in two ways (Milgrom). First, he adds God's name to their promise, making it an unbreakable oath. Second, he adds a blessing for faithfulness to the oath ("you shall return and be free of obligation") and a curse for unfaithfulness ("your sin will find you out"). They agree to send their soldiers as vanguard troops "before the Lord," literally to charge ahead of the Ark with the rest of Israel behind (Milgrom). This is confirmed in Joshua 6:7-13 where Israel attacks Jericho in a formation including a vanguard, then the Ark, and then the rest of Israel. Strangely in vs. 33 Manasseh suddenly appears as another tribe seeking territory in the Transjordan (there is no explanation, critical scholars suggest this was added later). An account of Manasseh conquering the northern Transjordan follo
Num. 32:20-32 EW Commentary
B. The issue of the eastern tribes is settled.
1. (Num 32:16-19) The tribal leaders of Reuben and Gad offer to send their troops to help conquer the land west of the Jordan River.
Then they came near to him and said: "We will build sheepfolds here for our livestock, and cities for our little ones, but we ourselves will be armed, ready to go before the children of Israel until we have brought them to their place; and our little ones will dwell in the fortified cities because of the inhabitants of the land. We will not return to our homes until every one of the children of Israel has received his inheritance. For we will not inherit with them on the other side of the Jordan and beyond, because our inheritance has fallen to us on this eastern side of the Jordan."
a. We ourselves will be armed, ready to go before the children of Israel until we have brought them to their place: This effectively answered the issue of discouragement. None of the tribes would envy Reuben or Gad, resting in ease, while the rest of them are battling for their lands. The men of Reuben and Gad would fight right beside them.
2. (Num 32:20-24) Moses receives their offer - providing they fulfill it.
Then Moses said to them: "If you do this thing, if you arm yourselves before the LORD for the war, and all your armed men cross over the Jordan before the LORD until He has driven out His enemies from before Him, and the land is subdued before the LORD, then afterward you may return and be blameless before the LORD and before Israel; and this land shall be your possession before the LORD. But if you do not do so, then take note, you have sinned against the LORD; and be sure your sin will find you out. Build cities for your little ones and folds for your sheep, and do what has proceeded out of your mouth."
a. If you do this thing: If they do as they said, then they would be blameless before the LORD and before Israel. But if they did not, they would surely be guilty.
b. But if you do not do so, then take note, you have sinned against the LORD; and be sure your sin will find you out: And if they failed to do as they said, they could be sure that your sin will find you out. While it is true that any sin may find us out, the sin specifically spoken of here is the sin of doing nothing!
i. If the tribes of Reuben and Gad did nothing - if they stayed at home while their brothers were battling for life and death to take possession of the Promised Land - then their sin of doing nothing would surely find them out.
ii. Sometimes, doing nothing is a great sin - and it is a sin that will certainly become evident, and will find us out.
3. (Num 32:25-27) The tribal leaders of Reuben and Gad agree.
And the children of Gad and the children of Reuben spoke to Moses, saying: "Your servants will do as my lord commands. Our little ones, our wives, our flocks, and all our livestock will be there in the cities of Gilead; but your servants will cross over, every man armed for war, before the LORD to battle, just as my lord says."
4. (Num 32:28-42) The agreement is settled, and cities are given to the tribes settling on the lands east of the Jordan River.
So Moses gave command concerning them to Eleazar the priest, to Joshua the son of Nun, and to the chief fathers of the tribes of the children of Israel. And Moses said to them: "If the children of Gad and the children of Reuben cross over the Jordan with you, every man armed for battle before the LORD, and the land is subdued before you, then you shall give them the land of Gilead as a possession. But if they do not cross over armed with you, they shall have possessions among you in the land of Canaan." Then the children of Gad and the children of Reuben answered, saying: "As the LORD has said to your servants, so we will do. We will cross over armed before the LORD into the land of Canaan, but the possession of our inheritance shall remain with us on this side of the Jordan." So Moses gave to the children of Gad, to the children of Reuben, and to 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 its cities within the borders, the cities of the surrounding country. And the children of Gad built Dibon and Ataroth and Aroer, Atroth and Shophan and Jazer and Jogbehah, Beth Nimrah and Beth Haran, fortified cities, and folds for sheep. And the children of Reuben built Heshbon and Elealeh and Kirjathaim, Nebo and Baal Meon (their names being changed) and Shibmah; and they gave other names to the cities which they built. And the children of Machir the son of Manasseh went to Gilead and took it, and dispossessed the Amorites who were in it. So Moses gave Gilead to Machir the son of Manasseh, and he dwelt in it. Also Jair the son of Manasseh went and took its small towns, and called them Havoth Jair. Then Nobah went and took Kenath and its villages, and he called it Nobah, after his own name.
a. So Moses gave to the children of Gad, to the children of Reuben, and to half the tribe of Manasseh the son of Joseph: Numbers 32:33 introduces another tribe - actually, half the tribe of Manasseh - who were likewise content to settle on the lands east of the Jordan River. So, in total, two and one-half tribes never took possession of land west of the Jordan River.
Num. 32 Commentary Cont'd
Verses 20-24: These verses lay out the conditions by which the tribes of "Reuben" and "Gad" could have the land they wanted: they would have to send their fighting men with the rest of Israel when Israel crossed into Canaan, and they would have to lead the troops. They could only return after the land was "subdued" and Israel's enemies were driven out.
Numbers 32:20 "And Moses said unto them, If ye will do this thing, if ye will go armed before the LORD to war,"
Being better disposed towards them, and more satisfied with the reasonableness of their request, it being explained unto him.
"If ye will do this thing": Which they had promised.
"If ye will go armed before the Lord to war": They had said they would go ready armed before the children of Israel. But Moses expresses it "before the Lord"; which is more agreeable to their encampment and order in marching. For not the standard of Reuben but that of Judah went foremost. Yet the standard of Reuben marched directly before the sanctuary bore by the Kohathites, (Num. 10:18). And so might be properly said to go before the Lord, who dwelt there.
The key to this is "if". Moses puts a condition on them receiving the land they wish.
Numbers 32:21 "And will go all of you armed over Jordan before the LORD, until he hath driven out his enemies from before him,"
Moses tries them thoroughly, and is very express in his words. Requiring them not only to go armed, or march from the place where they were, towards the land of Canaan, but to go over Jordan. and not some of them only, but all, and that before the Lord. Though indeed, when the tribes came to the river Jordan, the ark, which was the symbol of the divine Presence, went before all the tribes into it. And there stayed till they passed over. And then these two tribes and the half tribe of Manasseh passed before the children of Israel, and before the Lord, unto battle (Joshua 3:11).
"Until he hath driven out his enemies before him": The Canaanites, who were the enemies of the Lord, as well as of his people. And because of their sins, in which they showed their enmity to God, the land spewed them out. And he drove them out to make way for his people Israel. And till this was done the tribes of Reuben and Gad were to continue with them.
They are not to shirk their duties as one of the twelve tribes. They are to fight with Israel. They are to help drive out the enemy.
Numbers 32:22 "And 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."
For the inhabitants fleeing before his people, and being conquered by them. Might be said to be subdued before the Lord. This being done in his presence, by his power, and for his people.
"Then afterward ye shall return": To this side of Jordan. the land of Jazer and Gilead, to their cities, and families there.
"And be guiltless before the Lord, and before Israel": Having fulfilled all that they promised.
"And this land shall be your possession before the Lord": Be established and settled in it as their inheritance. The Lord seeing and approving of it, and protecting them in the enjoyment of it.
If they do all the things Moses lined out for them, then they shall inherit this land they want, and the LORD will not be angry with them. They were not fearful. They just liked this particular plot of land. There is no sin in that.
Numbers 32:23 "But if ye will not do so, behold, ye have sinned against the LORD: and be sure your sin will find you out."
"Your sin will find you out": The two tribes committed themselves to provide their warriors for the conquest of the Land. This agreement satisfied Moses, although he added that non-participation would be sin and God would certainly find and judge the tribes for their sin.
This warning related to the condition of going into Palestine and fulfilling their obligations of fighting. It is interesting that in the ancient Near East the "great king" owned crown land which he distributed "free of charge" to fighting men and their families, with the requirement that they go to battle when needed. In Israel God was the "great King". He owned the land (Lev. 25:23), and distributed to the tribes by lot. One of His requirements was for all of the tribes to enter into battle and then settle in their prescribed locations.
If they do not keep their bargain, they will be punished by the LORD. He knows even the intents of our heart. He certainly knows our deeds.
Numbers 32:24 "Build you cities for your little ones, and folds for your sheep; and do that which hath proceeded out of your mouth."
For their safety and security, as they proposed to do.
"And do that which proceeded out of your mouth": All that they had promised.
Moses gives them permission to build their folds for their sheep, and their cities for their wives and children. He is the same as saying, they have taken a vow with their mouth. They had better keep it.
Numbers 32:25 "And the children of Gad and the children of Reuben spake unto Moses, saying, Thy servants will do as my lord commandeth."
In answer to his speech.
"Thy servants will do as my lord commandeth": Both with respect to their march before the Lord to battle. And with respect to their provision for their children and flocks.
The families of Reuben and Gad agreed to all of the terms Moses set down.
Numbers 32:26 "Our little ones, our wives, our flocks, and all our cattle, shall be there in the cities of Gilead:"
Their families, and their substance.
"Shall be there in the cities of Gilead": Such as are before mentioned (Num. 32:3). And which they proposed to repair and fortify. To preserve their families and possessions from the Amorites about them.
Their wives and children will stay with their flocks in the land of Gilead, while they go to war.
Numbers 32:27 "But thy servants will pass over, every man armed for war, before the LORD to battle, as my lord saith."
The river Jordan, and go into the land of Canaan.
"Every man armed for war": Moses had required that all should go over, and they consent to it. And promise that everyone should, though this was not insisted on when they came to it. For only about 40,000 went over (Joshua 4:13). Whereas the two tribes of Gad and Reuben, and the half tribe of Manasseh, numbered more than 110,000 (see Num. 26:7).
"Before the Lord to battle, as my lord saith": For now, instead of saying, "before the children of Israel". A phrase they first used, they say, "before the Lord", as Moses had expressed it.
All of the men 20 years old and older, who were able to go to war, gathered their war gear, and went with the other tribes.
Numbers 32:28 "So 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:"
That they should have a grant of the land they requested. This looks as if Moses determined the case himself, though perhaps it was by the vote. And with the consent of the whole court; only Moses strictly enjoined them to observe it, namely.
"Eleazar the priest, and Joshua the son of Nun, and the chief fathers of the tribes of the children of Israel": And the reason he did this, because he knew that he would die. And not see either the thing itself or the conditions of it performed.
Moses knew before this all was completed, that he would die. He would not cross over Jordan. He tells Eleazar and Joshua the conditions of Gad and Reuben receiving the land on this side Jordan.
Numbers 32:29 "And 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:"
To Eleazar, Joshua, and the princes of the congregation.
"If the children of Gad and the children of Reuben will pass with you over Jordan, every man armed to battle before the Lord": As they have promised they will.
"And the land shall be subdued before you": Which must be done before their return.
"Then ye shall give them the land of Gilead for a possession": Which, no doubt, included that of Jaazer too. Since Jaazer, which is the same, is after mentioned as one of the cities built by the children of Gad (Num. 32:35).
This is the condition for them to receive the land.
Numbers 32:30 "But if they will not pass over with you armed, they shall have possessions among you in the land of Canaan."
Shall change their minds, and break their promise. And refuse to go over the river Jordan with the other tribes. And armed ready to engage in battle with the enemy.
"They shall have possessions among you in the land of Canaan": Take their lot there, but have no inheritance or possessions on this side Jordan.
This is the condition for them not to receive the land they wanted.
Numbers 32:31 "And the children of Gad and the children of Reuben answered, saying, As the LORD hath said unto thy servants, so will we do."
The word is in the singular number, and shows their unanimity. That they agreed to what Moses said. And replied all of them as one man, as Jarchi expresses it. And it may be there was one that was the mouth of them all, and answered for them.
"Saying, as the Lord hath said unto thy servants, so will we do": Here they make use of the word Jehovah. Taking what Moses had said unto them as from the Lord. And therefore should strictly and punctually observe it, as if they heard the Lord himself speak it.
The children of Gad and the children of Reuben were in total agreement with the conditions.
Numbers 32:32 "We 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."
This is repeated again and again, for the confirmation of it. Assuring that it should be strictly performed according to the true intent of it.
"That the possession of our inheritance on this side Jordan may be ours": That is, that the possession and inheritance they desired. And which had been granted them, on conditions to be performed by them, might be ratified. And confirmed unto them on their fulfilment of them.
This is stated again, as if they were swearing they would do this.
Chapter 32 - The land east of the Jordan river - Numbers 32:1-42
v1 Reuben's *tribe and Gad's *tribe owned many cows and sheep. They saw that the regions called Jazer and Gilead were suitable for these animals. v2 So they went to Moses, Eleazar the priest and the other leaders of *Israel.
They said, v3-4 'The *LORD has helped us to *capture some land that is suitable for cows and sheep. And we have many cows and sheep. This land is near the towns called Ataroth, Dibon, Jazer, Nimrah, Heshbon, Elealeh, Sebam, Nebo and Beon. v5 Please give this land to us as our property. Do not make us live in the country across the Jordan river.'
v6 Moses said to Reuben's *tribe and Gad's *tribe, 'The rest of the *Israelites are going to war! But you say that you want to stay here. v7 If you stay here, the other *Israelites will not want to cross the river. Then they will not enter the country that the *LORD has promised to give to them. v8 The same thing happened when I sent your *ancestors from Kadesh-Barnea to look at the country. v9 They went to Eshcol valley and they saw the country. Then they returned. They told the people that they should not enter the country. This was the country that the *LORD had given to them.
v10 The *LORD became very angry on that day. He made a serious promise. v11 He said, "No adult *Israelite will enter the *Promised Land. No person who left the country called Egypt as an adult will enter it. (Adult here means over 20 years old.) They will not enter the country that I promised to give to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. This is because none of these adults was loyal to me, v12 except Caleb and Joshua. (Caleb is the son of Jephunneh, from the family of Kenaz. Joshua is the son of Nun.) Caleb and Joshua remained completely loyal to me."
v13 The *LORD was very angry with all the other *Israelites. So he made them wander in the *desert for 40 years. After 40 years, everyone from that *generation had died who had *sinned against God.
v14 But now you (people from Reuben's *tribe and Gad's *tribe) are doing the same thing! You are wicked men, like your *ancestors. You are making the *LORD even more angry with *Israel. v15 If you refuse to follow the *LORD, he will leave his people in the *desert again. It will be your fault!'
v16 The men from Reuben's *tribe and Gad's *tribe answered, 'Let us build pens for our animals here. Also, let us build towns for our wives and children. v17 They can stay in the towns. There, they will be safe against attack. But we will get ready to fight and to lead the other *tribes into battle. We will continue to fight until they have received their land. v18 We will not return to our homes until every *Israelite has received his own property. v19 We will not take any land on the other side of the Jordan river. Our land is here, on the east side of the river.'
v20 Moses said, 'You have promised to get ready to fight for the *LORD. v21-22 Also, you have agreed to cross the Jordan river. And you have agreed to stay with the other *tribes, until the *LORD defeats our enemies. You have agreed to fight until the *LORD has made our enemies leave the land. If you do all this, then afterwards you can return to your own land. You do not have to stay with the other *Israelites. You will then be free from your duties to the *LORD and to the other *Israelites. And the *LORD will give you this land (on the east of the river) as your property. v23 But if you do not do this, you will be *sinning against the *LORD. And you will definitely receive a punishment because of your *sin.
v24 So go and build towns for your wives and children. Build pens for your animals. But do what you have promised!'
v25 The men from Reuben's *tribe and Gad's *tribe said, 'Sir, we are your servants. We will do what you have ordered. v26 Our wives, children and animals will stay here, in the towns in Gilead. v27 But every man among us will prepare for battle. We will cross the Jordan river. We will fight for the *LORD. We will do what you have said.'
v28 Then Moses gave some instructions to Eleazar the priest, Joshua (Nun's son) and the other leaders of *Israel. He said, v29 'Every man from Reuben's *tribe and Gad's *tribe must get ready for battle. They must cross the Jordan river with you. If they do this, give the region called Gilead to them as their property. You can do this when, with their help, you have *captured the country.
v30 But if they do not cross the Jordan river with you, do not allow them to have that region. If they do not fight with you, their only right will be to receive property with the other *tribes. They will have to live in the country called Canaan (on the west side of the Jordan river).'
v31 The men from Gad's *tribe and Reuben's *tribe answered, 'Sir, we are your servants. We will obey the *LORD's commands. v32 We will cross the Jordan river. We will be ready to fight for the *LORD in the country called Canaan. But we will keep the land that is our property here, east of the Jordan river.'
v33 So Moses gave land to Gad's *tribe, Reuben's *tribe and half of Manasseh's *tribe. He gave them the country that King Sihon had ruled. Also, he gave to them the country that King Og had ruled. This included all the towns with the land round them. (Sihon was the king of the *Amorites. Og was the king of the country called Bashan.)
v34 Gad's *tribe built again the towns called Dibon, Ataroth, Aroer, v35 Atroth-Shophan, Jazer, Jogbehah, v36 Beth-Nimrah and Beth-Haran. They built walls that surrounded these towns. Also, they built pens for their sheep and goats.
v37 Reuben's *tribe built again Heshbon, Elealeh, Kiriathaim, and v38 Sibmah. Also, they built again the towns that used to be called Nebo and Baal-Meon. They gave new names to these towns.
v39 Machir's *clan, from Manasseh's *tribe, went to the region called Gilead. They *captured its towns and they forced the *Amorites to leave. v40 So Moses gave Gilead to Machir's *clan. They *settled there.
v41 A man called Jair, from Manasseh's *tribe, attacked and *captured some villages. He renamed them 'Jair's villages'. v42 A man called Nobah *captured the town called Kenath and its villages. He renamed it 'Nobah'.
Verses 1-5 The *Israelites were approaching the country called Canaan from the south east. Already, they controlled much of the land east of the Jordan river. They were preparing to cross the Jordan river to enter the *Promised Land.
However, Reuben's *tribe and Gad's *tribe wanted to *settle on the east side of the river. The *Israelites had *captured this land from King Og and King Sihon (Numbers 21:21-35). It had much grass, so it was good for cows and sheep.
So Reuben's *tribe and Gad's *tribe came to Moses and the other leaders with this request.
Verses 6-15 But Moses was angry because these two *tribes did not want to cross the river. He did not want to grant their request. If he granted it, the other *tribes might not want to enter the *Promised Land. He wanted all the *tribes to be united and to enter the *Promised Land together. Also, he thought that Reuben's *tribe and Gad's *tribe were afraid to enter the *Promised Land. He reminded them that the *Israelites' *ancestors had been afraid to enter the *Promised Land. God had given this land to them. So it was a serious *sin to refuse to enter it. And God had punished the *Israelites (Numbers chapter 14). Moses did not want this to happen again. So he refused the request of Reuben's *tribe and Gad's *tribe.
Verses 16-19 But Reuben's *tribe and Gad's *tribe emphasised that their men would enter the *Promised Land with the other *tribes. They were not afraid of the people who lived there. They promised to fight with the other *tribes to defeat those people. But first, they wanted to build towns on the east side of the river. Then, after they had fought, the two *tribes wanted to return to their own land outside the country called Canaan.
Verses 20-27 So Moses agreed to grant their request. He reminded the two *tribes about what they had promised to do. If they did not fight with the other *tribes, they would receive a punishment for their *sin. Also, they would have to live in the country called Canaan, like the other *tribes.
Verses 28-32 Moses would die before the *Israelites entered the *Promised Land. He knew this (Numbers 27:12-14). So he gave instructions about this agreement to Eleazar, Joshua and the other leaders.
Verses 33-41 So each *tribe built again towns in their land, which was east of the Jordan river. Half of Manasseh's *tribe had land there also. Reuben's *tribe *settled in the south part. Gad's *tribe had land in the north. Manasseh's *tribe had land even further north (Joshua 13:15-33).
These *tribes did what they promised to do. They helped the other *tribes to fight for the land in Canaan. They continued to fight until those battles were over. Then they returned to their homes on the east side of the Jordan river. See Joshua chapter 22 for the rest of this story.
