Numbers 32:17
in Numbers 32But 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.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
but we ourselves will be ready armed to go before the children of Israel, until we have brought them unto their place: and our little ones shall dwell in the fortified cities because of the inhabitants of the land.
KJV
But 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.
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This verse in Numbers 32
Commentary
5 notes on this verseBecause of the inhabitants of the land - These were the Ammonites, Moabites, Idumeans, and the remains of the Midianites and Amorites. But could the women and children even keep the defenced cities, when placed in them? This certainly cannot be supposed possible. Many of the men of war must of course stay behind. In the last census, Numbers 26, the tribe of Reuben consisted of 43,730 men; the tribe of Gad, 40,500; the tribe of Manasseh, 52,700; the half of which is 26,350. Add this to the sum of the other two tribes, and the amount is 110,5
This site's exposition
We will build sheepfolds here
on Numbers 32:16-17
They come near and answer with a plan rather than a defence. Their word order puts the sheepfolds before the cities and the cattle before the little ones, and Moses turns both around at verse 24. Going armed before the children of Israel means going in the front rank, and Joshua 4:12-13 records about forty thousand of them crossing that way, ahead of the nation.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
But we ourselves will go ready armed before the children of Israel,....
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
Whether they had really meditated such a withdrawal from all share in the war of invasion, or the effect of their leader's expostulation was to drive them from their original purpose, they now, in answer to his impressive appeal, declared it to be their sincere intention to co-operate with their brethren; but, if so, they ought to have been more explicit at first.
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
We ourselves will go ready armed--that is, all of us in a collective body, or as many as may be deemed necessary, while the rest of our number shall remain at home to provide for the sustenance and secure the protection of our families and flocks.
The words behind it
19 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַאֲנַ֜חְנוּ | vaanachnu | and we | H587 → | 120 times |
| נֵחָלֵ֣ץ | nechaletz | we will equip ourselves | H2502 → | 44 times |
| חֻשִׁ֗ים | chushim | hurried | H2363 → | |
| לִפְנֵי֙ | lifnei | <to> before | H6440 → | 2123 times |
| בְּנֵ֣י | benei | [the] people of | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל | yisrael | Israel | H3478 → | 2507 times |
| עַ֛ד | ʾad | until | H5704 → | 1261 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֥ר | ʾasher | that | H834 → | 5497 times |
| אִם־ | ʾim- | <if> | H518 → | 1069 times |
| הֲבִֽיאֹנֻ֖ם | havionum | we have brought them | H935 → | 2568 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| מְקוֹמָ֑ם | mekomam | place their | H4725 → | 401 times |
| וְיָשַׁ֤ב | veyashav | and it will remain | H3427 → | 1079 times |
| טַפֵּ֙נוּ֙ | tapenu | little one[s] our | H2945 → | 42 times |
| בְּעָרֵ֣י | bearei | in [the] cities of | H5892 → | 1090 times |
| הַמִּבְצָ֔ר | hamivtzar | <the> fortification | H4013 → | 37 times |
| מִפְּנֵ֖י | mipenei | <from> because of | H6440 → | 2123 times |
| יֹשְׁבֵ֥י | yoshevei | [the] inhabitants of | H3427 → | 1079 times |
| הָאָֽרֶץ׃ | haaretz | the land | H776 → | 2504 times |
וַאֲנַ֜חְנוּand we
vaanachnuH587 →120 times
נֵחָלֵ֣ץwe will equip ourselves
nechaletzH2502 →44 times
חֻשִׁ֗יםhurried
chushimH2363 →
לִפְנֵי֙<to> before
lifneiH6440 →2123 times
בְּנֵ֣י[the] people of
beneiH1121 →4930 times
יִשְׂרָאֵ֔לIsrael
yisraelH3478 →2507 times
עַ֛דuntil
ʾadH5704 →1261 times
אֲשֶׁ֥רthat
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
אִם־<if>
ʾim-H518 →1069 times
הֲבִֽיאֹנֻ֖םwe have brought them
havionumH935 →2568 times
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
מְקוֹמָ֑םplace their
mekomamH4725 →401 times
וְיָשַׁ֤בand it will remain
veyashavH3427 →1079 times
טַפֵּ֙נוּ֙little one[s] our
tapenuH2945 →42 times
בְּעָרֵ֣יin [the] cities of
beareiH5892 →1090 times
הַמִּבְצָ֔ר<the> fortification
hamivtzarH4013 →37 times
מִפְּנֵ֖י<from> because of
mipeneiH6440 →2123 times
יֹשְׁבֵ֥י[the] inhabitants of
yosheveiH3427 →1079 times
הָאָֽרֶץ׃the land
haaretzH776 →2504 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
About Numbers
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.