Numbers32

The tribes of Reuben and Gad, possessing vast herds, requested to settle in the fertile lands east of the Jordan River, suitable for their cattle. Moses initially rebuked them, fearing they would discourage the other Israelites from entering Canaan, reminiscent of the past rebellion at Kadeshbarnea. However, the tribes proposed a compromise: they would build cities for their families and folds for their cattle, but then arm themselves and fight alongside the other tribes until all of Canaan was subdued. Moses agreed to this condition, warning that if they failed to fulfill their promise, their sin would find them out, and subsequently allotted the land to Reuben, Gad, and half the tribe of Manasseh.

The Request for Land East of Jordan

The descendants of Re'uven and the descendants of Gad had vast quantities of livestock. When they saw that the land of Ya'zer and the land of Gil'ad were good for livestock,

the descendants of Gad and of Re'uven came and spoke to Moshe, El'azar the cohen and the community leaders. They said,

"'Atarot, Divon, Ya'zer, Nimrah, Heshbon, El'aleh, S'vam, N'vo and Be'on,

the country that ADONAI conquered before the community of Isra'el, is livestock country; and your servants have livestock.

If you regard us favorably," they went on, "let this land be given to your servants as their possession; and don't have us cross the Yarden."

Moses Rebukes the Tribes

Moshe answered the descendants of Gad and of Re'uven: "Are your brothers to go to war while you stay here?

Besides, why are you trying to discourage the people of Isra'el from crossing into the land ADONAI gave them?

This is what your fathers did when I sent them from Kadesh-Barnea to see the land.

For when they went up to the Eshkol Valley and saw the land, they disheartened the people of Isra'el, so that they wouldn't enter the land ADONAI had given them.

ADONAI's anger blazed up on that day; and he swore,

'None of the people aged twenty or more who came out of Egypt will see the land I swore to Avraham, Yitz'chak and Ya'akov; because they haven't followed me unreservedly -

except Kalev the son of Y'funeh the K'nizi and Y'hoshua the son of Nun, because they have followed ADONAI unreservedly.'

Thus ADONAI's anger blazed against Isra'el, so that he made them wander here and there in the desert forty years, until all the generation that had done evil in the sight of ADONAI had died out.

Now you, another brood of sinners, have arisen in your fathers' place to increase still more the fierce anger of ADONAI toward Isra'el!

For if you turn away from him, he will leave them in the desert again, and thus you will cause the destruction of all these people!"

The Tribes Offer a Compromise

But they came up to him and said, "Here we will build enclosures for our livestock and cities for our little ones,

but we ourselves will be armed and ready for action to march at the head of the people of Isra'el, until we have brought them to their place. Our little ones will stay in the fortified cities here because of the people now living in the land.

However, we will not return to our own homes until every man in Isra'el has taken possession of his land for inheritance.

We will not have an inheritance with them on the other side of the Yarden, westward; because our inheritance has fallen to us on this side of the Yarden, eastward."

Moses States the Conditions

Moshe said to them, "If you will do this - if you will arm yourselves to go before ADONAI to the war,

and if every one of your soldiers will cross the Yarden before ADONAI, until he has driven out his enemies ahead of him,

and if the land has been conquered before ADONAI, and only after that do you return - then you will be clear before ADONAI and before Isra'el, and this land here will be yours to possess before ADONAI.

But if you will not do this, then you have sinned against ADONAI, and you must understand that your sin will find you out.

Build cities for your little ones and enclosures for your sheep; then do what you said you would do."

The descendants of Gad and the descendants of Re'uven said to Moshe, "Your servants will do as my lord orders.

Our little ones, wives, flocks and all our livestock will be there in the cities of Gil'ad;

but your servants will cross over, every man armed for war, before ADONAI to do battle, as my lord says."

The Territory is Assigned

So Moshe gave orders concerning them to El'azar the cohen, Y'hoshua the son of Nun and the clan leaders of the tribes of the people of Isra'el.

Moshe said to them, "If the descendants of Gad and of Re'uven cross over the Yarden with you, every man armed for battle, before ADONAI; and if the land is conquered before you, then you are to give them the land of Gil'ad as theirs to possess.

But if they do not cross with you armed, they are to possess land along with you in Kena'an."

The descendants of Gad and of Re'uven answered, "We will do as ADONAI has said to your servants.

We will cross over into the land of Kena'an armed before ADONAI, and the land we will possess for inheritance will be on this side of the Yarden."

So Moshe gave the descendants of Gad and of Re'uven, and also to the half-tribe of M'nasheh the son of Yosef, the kingdom of Sichon king of the Emori and the kingdom of 'Og king of Bashan - the country and its cities within its borders, along with their surrounding towns.

Settlement and City Building

The descendants of Gad built Divon, 'Atarot, 'Aro'er,

'Atrot-Shofan, Ya'zer, Yogbehah,

Beit-Nimrah and Beit-Haran - fortified cities; and also enclosures for sheep.

The descendants of Re'uven built Heshbon, El'aleh, Kiryatayim,

N'vo, Ba'al-M'on (these names have been changed) and Sivmah; they renamed the cities they built.

The descendants of Machir the son of M'nasheh went to Gil'ad and conquered it, dispossessing the Emori who were there.

Moshe gave Gil'ad to Machir the son of M'nasheh, and he lived in it.

Ya'ir the son of M'nasheh went and captured its villages and called them Havot-Ya'ir [villages of Ya'ir].

Novach went and captured K'nat with its villages and named it Novach after himself.

Study Notes for Numbers 32

Verse 1

The tribes of Reuben and Gad were primarily pastoralists, and the fertile plains of Gilead and Jazer, recently conquered from the Amorites, were ideal grazing land, driving their request to settle immediately.

Verse 5

Their request to settle 'this side Jordan' (the eastern bank) was highly unusual, as the covenant promise focused entirely on the land of Canaan (the western bank), raising concerns about their commitment to the national mission.

Verse 6

Moses immediately suspects their motivation is selfish and fears their desire to settle early will undermine the morale and unity of the rest of the tribes preparing for the main conquest.

Verse 8

Moses draws a direct parallel between their reluctance and the catastrophic failure of the twelve spies at Kadesh-barnea forty years earlier, highlighting the danger of disobedience and lack of faith.

Verse 14

Moses declares this generation is repeating the sin of their fathers, implying that if they fail to uphold the covenant mission, they will augment God’s wrath and potentially lead to the destruction of the whole nation.

Verse 17

This commitment details their compromise: they will leave their families secure but send their fighting men fully armed across the Jordan to participate in the conquest until it is finished.

Verse 22

Moses defines the terms of their release from duty. If they fight until the land is subdued, they will be considered 'guiltless' of any obligation to the western conquest, both before God and Israel.

Verse 23

This is an important theological dictum. Moses warns that if they fail to fulfill their vow, their transgression will inevitably be revealed and punished by God; sin finds its perpetrator.

Verse 33

This verse confirms the tribal distribution, permanently establishing the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and half of Manasseh east of the Jordan, incorporating the territory of the defeated kings Sihon and Og.

Verse 38

The renaming of cities, particularly those associated with pagan deities like Baalmeon, was a symbolic act asserting Israelite control and purifying the place names.

Verse 40

The inclusion of the half-tribe of Manasseh (specifically the clan of Machir) was based on their proactive role in conquering the northern region of Gilead and Bashan (cf. Num 21:33-35).

Use ← → arrow keys to navigate

Numbers32

The Request for Land East of Jordan

Moses Rebukes the Tribes

The Tribes Offer a Compromise

Moses States the Conditions

The Territory is Assigned

Settlement and City Building

Reading Style

Typeface

Font Size 19px

Options