Numberschapter 32

A.A land that suits our cattlevv. 1-5

1 Now the Reubenites and Gadites, who had very large herds and flocks, surveyed the lands of Jazer and Gilead, and they saw that the region was suitable for livestock. 2 So the Gadites and Reubenites came to Moses, Eleazar the priest, and the leaders of the congregation, and said, 3 “Ataroth, Dibon, Jazer, Nimrah, Heshbon, Elealeh, Sebam, Nebo, and Beon, 4 which the LORD conquered before the congregation of Israel, are suitable for livestock—and your servants have livestock.” 5 “If we have found favor in your sight,” they said, “let this land be given to your servants as a possession. Do not make us cross the Jordan.”

B.Shall your brethren go to war while you sit?vv. 6-15

6 But Moses asked the Gadites and Reubenites, “Shall your brothers go to war while you sit here? 7 Why are you discouraging the Israelites from crossing into the land that the LORD has given them? 8 This is what your fathers did when I sent them from Kadesh-barnea to inspect the land. 9 For when your fathers went up to the Valley of Eshcol and saw the land, they discouraged the Israelites from entering the land that the LORD had given them. 10 So the anger of the LORD was kindled that day, and He swore an oath, saying, 11 ‘Because they did not follow Me wholeheartedly, not one of the men twenty years of age or older who came out of Egypt will see the land that I swore to give Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob— 12 not one except Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite and Joshua son of Nun—because they did follow the LORD wholeheartedly.’ 13 The anger of the LORD burned against Israel, and He made them wander in the wilderness forty years, until the whole generation who had done evil in His sight was gone. 14 Now behold, you, a brood of sinners, have risen up in place of your fathers to further stoke the burning anger of the LORD against Israel. 15 For if you turn away from following Him, He will once again leave this people in the wilderness, and you will be the cause of their destruction.”

C.We will go armed before our brethrenvv. 16-27

16 Then the Gadites and Reubenites approached Moses and said, “We want to build sheepfolds here for our livestock and cities for our little ones. 17 But we will arm ourselves and be ready to go ahead of the Israelites until we have brought them into their place. Meanwhile, our little ones will remain in the fortified cities for protection from the inhabitants of the land. 18 We will not return to our homes until every Israelite has taken possession of his inheritance. 19 Yet we will not have an inheritance with them across the Jordan and beyond, because our inheritance has come to us on the east side of the Jordan.” 20 Moses replied, “If you will do this—if you will arm yourselves before the LORD for battle, 21 and if every one of your armed men crosses the Jordan before the LORD, until He has driven His enemies out before Him, 22 then when the land is subdued before the LORD, you may return and be free of obligation to the LORD and to Israel. And this land will belong to you as a possession before the LORD. 23 But if you do not do this, you will certainly sin against the LORD—and be assured that your sin will find you out. 24 Build cities for your little ones and folds for your flocks, but do what you have promised.” 25 The Gadites and Reubenites said to Moses, “Your servants will do just as our lord commands. 26 Our children, our wives, our livestock, and all our animals will remain here in the cities of Gilead. 27 But your servants are equipped for war, and every man will cross over to the battle before the LORD, just as our lord says.”

D.The bargain spelled out before witnessesvv. 28-32

28 So Moses gave orders about them to Eleazar the priest, to Joshua son of Nun, and to the family leaders of the tribes of Israel. 29 And Moses said to them, “If the Gadites and Reubenites cross the Jordan with you, with every man armed for battle before the LORD, and the land is subdued before you, then you are to give them the land of Gilead as a possession. 30 But if they do not arm themselves and go across with you, then they must accept their possession among you in the land of Canaan.” 31 The Gadites and Reubenites replied, “As the LORD has spoken to your servants, so we will do. 32 We will cross over into the land of Canaan armed before the LORD, that we may have our inheritance on this side of the Jordan.”

E.Cities rebuilt east of the Jordanvv. 33-42

33 So Moses gave to the Gadites, to the Reubenites, and to the half-tribe of Manasseh son of Joseph the kingdom of Sihon king of the Amorites and the kingdom of Og king of Bashan—the land including its cities and the territory surrounding them. 34 And the Gadites built up Dibon, Ataroth, Aroer, 35 Atroth-shophan, Jazer, Jogbehah, 36 Beth-nimrah, and Beth-haran as fortified cities, and they built folds for their flocks. 37 The Reubenites built up Heshbon, Elealeh, Kiriathaim, 38 as well as Nebo and Baal-meon (whose names were changed), and Sibmah. And they renamed the cities they rebuilt. 39 The descendants of Machir son of Manasseh went to Gilead, captured it, and drove out the Amorites who were there. 40 So Moses gave Gilead to the clan of Machir son of Manasseh, and they settled there. 41 Jair, a descendant of Manasseh, went and captured their villages and called them Havvoth-jair. 42 And Nobah went and captured Kenath and its villages and called it Nobah, after his own name.

← Back: Numbers 31 Continue: Numbers 33 →

Chapter summary

Reuben and Gad east of Jordan.

Read the rest, the context and the outline ▾Show less ▴

Reuben and Gad east of Jordan. Their cattle are very great; they see the land of Jazer and Gilead and ask Moses for their inheritance east of Jordan rather than crossing. Moses suspects a replay of the spies and charges them sharply. They answer: ‘we ourselves will go ready armed before the children of Israel, until we have brought them unto their place … we will not return unto our houses, until the children of Israel have inherited every man his inheritance’. Moses accepts the terms. Half the tribe of Manasseh joins them. Ten and a half tribes will go over; two and a half will settle first and fight second.

Drawn from Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory, Matthew Henry, Complete Commentary, John Wesley, Notes on the Old Testament and John Calvin, Commentaries.

Context

Law · Moses — Numbers overview

A. 1–5 A land that suits our cattle
B. 6–15 Shall your brethren go to war while you sit?
C. 16–27 We will go armed before our brethren
D. 28–32 The bargain spelled out before witnesses
E. 33–42 Cities rebuilt east of the Jordan

Top cross-references8 chapters ▾

Numbers 147 verses
- Numbers 14:2All the Israelites grumbled against Moses and Aaron, and the whole congregation said to them, “If only we had died in the land of Egypt, or if only we had died in this wilderness!
- Numbers 14:11And the LORD said to Moses, “How long will this people treat Me with contempt? How long will they refuse to believe in Me, despite all the signs I have performed among them?
- Numbers 14:24But because My servant Caleb has a different spirit and has followed Me wholeheartedly, I will bring him into the land he has entered, and his descendants will inherit it.
- Numbers 14:28So tell them: As surely as I live, declares the LORD, I will do to you exactly as I heard you say.
- Numbers 14:29Your bodies will fall in this wilderness—all who were numbered in the census, everyone twenty years of age or older—because you have grumbled against Me.
- Numbers 14:30Surely none of you will enter the land in which I swore to settle you, except Caleb son of Jephunneh and Joshua son of Nun.
- Read Numbers 14: 1 more there →
Numbers 326 verses
- Numbers 32:1Now the Reubenites and Gadites, who had very large herds and flocks, surveyed the lands of Jazer and Gilead, and they saw that the region was suitable for livestock.
- Numbers 32:3“Ataroth, Dibon, Jazer, Nimrah, Heshbon, Elealeh, Sebam, Nebo, and Beon,
- Numbers 32:16Then the Gadites and Reubenites approached Moses and said, “We want to build sheepfolds here for our livestock and cities for our little ones.
- Numbers 32:29And Moses said to them, “If the Gadites and Reubenites cross the Jordan with you, with every man armed for battle before the LORD, and the land is subdued before you, then you are to give them the land of Gilead as a possession.
- Numbers 32:34And the Gadites built up Dibon, Ataroth, Aroer,
- Numbers 32:35Atroth-shophan, Jazer, Jogbehah,
- Read Numbers 32 →
Deuteronomy 35 verses
- Deuteronomy 3:13To the half-tribe of Manasseh I gave the rest of Gilead and all of Bashan, the kingdom of Og. (The entire region of Argob, the whole territory of Bashan, used to be called the land of the Rephaim.)
- Deuteronomy 3:14Jair, a descendant of Manasseh, took the whole region of Argob as far as the border of the Geshurites and Maacathites. He renamed Bashan after himself, Havvoth-jair, by which it is called to this day.
- Deuteronomy 3:18At that time I commanded you: “The LORD your God has given you this land to possess. All your men of valor are to cross over, armed for battle, ahead of your brothers, the Israelites.
- Deuteronomy 3:20until the LORD gives rest to your brothers as He has to you, and they too have taken possession of the land that the LORD your God is giving them across the Jordan. Then each of you may return to the possession I have given you.”
- Deuteronomy 3:25Please let me cross over and see the good land beyond the Jordan—that pleasant hill country as well as Lebanon!”
- Read Deuteronomy 3 →
Joshua 224 verses
- Joshua 22:1Then Joshua summoned the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh
- Joshua 22:4And now that the LORD your God has given your brothers rest as He promised them, you may return to your homes in the land that Moses the servant of the LORD gave you across the Jordan.
- Joshua 22:9So the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh left the Israelites at Shiloh in the land of Canaan to return to their own land of Gilead, which they had acquired according to the command of the LORD through Moses.
- Joshua 22:19If indeed the land of your inheritance is unclean, then cross over to the land of the LORD’s possession, where the LORD’s tabernacle stands, and take possession of it among us. But do not rebel against the LORD or against us by building for yourselves an altar other than the altar of the LORD our God.
- Read Joshua 22 →

4 more chapters this one speaks with

Numbers 214 verses
- Numbers 21:24And Israel put him to the sword and took possession of his land, from the Arnon to the Jabbok—but only up to the border of the Ammonites, because it was fortified.
- Numbers 21:27That is why the poets say: “Come to Heshbon, let it be rebuilt; let the city of Sihon be restored.
- Numbers 21:32After Moses had sent spies to Jazer, Israel captured its villages and drove out the Amorites who were there.
- Numbers 21:34But the LORD said to Moses, “Do not fear him, for I have delivered him into your hand, along with all his people and his land. Do to him as you did to Sihon king of the Amorites, who lived in Heshbon.”
- Read Numbers 21 →
Joshua 134 verses
- Joshua 13:8The other half of Manasseh, along with the Reubenites and Gadites, had received the inheritance Moses had given them beyond the Jordan to the east, just as Moses the servant of the LORD had assigned to them:
- Joshua 13:17to Heshbon and all its cities on the plateau, including Dibon, Bamoth-baal, Beth-baal-meon,
- Joshua 13:29This is what Moses had given to the clans of the half-tribe of Manasseh, that is, to half the tribe of the descendants of Manasseh:
- Joshua 13:30The territory from Mahanaim through all Bashan—all the kingdom of Og king of Bashan, including all the towns of Jair that are in Bashan, sixty cities;
- Read Joshua 13 →
Deuteronomy 14 verses
- Deuteronomy 1:19And just as the LORD our God had commanded us, we set out from Horeb and went toward the hill country of the Amorites, through all the vast and terrifying wilderness you have seen. When we reached Kadesh-barnea,
- Deuteronomy 1:24They left and went up into the hill country, and came to the Valley of Eshcol and spied out the land.
- Deuteronomy 1:28Where can we go? Our brothers have made our hearts melt, saying: ‘The people are larger and taller than we are; the cities are large, with walls up to the heavens. We even saw the descendants of the Anakim there.’”
- Deuteronomy 1:36except Caleb son of Jephunneh. He will see it, and I will give him and his descendants the land on which he has set foot, because he followed the LORD wholeheartedly.”
- Read Deuteronomy 1 →
Joshua 12 verses
- Joshua 1:13“Remember what Moses the servant of the LORD commanded you when he said, ‘The LORD your God will give you rest, and He will give you this land.’
- Joshua 1:14Your wives, your young children, and your livestock may remain in the land that Moses gave you on this side of the Jordan. But all your mighty men of valor must be armed for battle to cross over ahead of your brothers and help them,
- Read Joshua 1 →

Cross-references from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge and OpenBible.info.