Numbers 32 - ESV - Bible Reading / Study Notes

Numbers 32

Reuben and Gad Settle in Gilead

32:1 Now the people of Reuben and the people of Gad had a very great number of livestock. And they saw the land of Jazer and the land of Gilead, and behold, the place was a place for livestock. 2 So the people of Gad and the people of Reuben came and said to Moses and to Eleazar the priest and to the chiefs of the congregation, 3 “Ataroth, Dibon, Jazer, Nimrah, Heshbon, Elealeh, Sebam, Nebo, and Beon, 4 the land that the LORD struck down before the congregation of Israel, is a land for livestock, and your servants have livestock.” 5 And they said, “If we have found favor in your sight, let this land be given to your servants for a possession. Do not take us across the Jordan.”

6 But Moses said to the people of Gad and to the people of Reuben, “Shall your brothers go to the war while you sit here? 7 Why will you discourage the heart of the people of Israel from going over into the land that the LORD has given them? 8 Your fathers did this, 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 people of Israel from going into the land that the LORD had given them. 10 And the LORD’s anger was kindled on 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 that I swore to give to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, because they have not wholly followed me, 12 none except Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite and Joshua the son of Nun, for they have wholly followed the LORD.’ 13 And the LORD’s anger was kindled against Israel, and he made them wander in the wilderness forty years, until all the generation that had done evil in the sight of the LORD was gone. 14 And behold, you have risen in your fathers’ place, a brood of sinful men, to increase still more the fierce anger of the LORD against Israel! 15 For if you turn away from following him, he will again abandon them in the wilderness, and you will destroy all this people.”

16 Then they came near to him and said, “We will build sheepfolds here for our livestock, and cities for our little ones, 17 but we will take up arms, ready to go before the people of Israel, until we have brought them to their place. And our little ones shall live in the fortified cities because of the inhabitants of the land. 18 We will not return to our homes until each of the people of Israel has gained his inheritance. 19 For we will not inherit with them on the other side of the Jordan and beyond, because our inheritance has come to us on this side of the Jordan to the east.” 20 So Moses said to them, “If you will do this, if you will take up arms to go before the LORD for the war, 21 and every armed man of you will pass over the Jordan before the LORD, until he has driven out his enemies from before him 22 and the land is subdued before the LORD; then after that you shall return and be free of obligation to the LORD and to Israel, and this land shall be your possession before the LORD. 23 But if you will not do so, behold, you have sinned against the LORD, and be sure your sin will find you out. 24 Build cities for your little ones and folds for your sheep, and do what you have promised.” 25 And the people of Gad and the people of Reuben said to Moses, “Your servants will do as my lord commands. 26 Our little ones, our wives, our livestock, and all our cattle shall remain there in the cities of Gilead, 27 but your servants will pass over, every man who is armed for war, before the LORD to battle, as my lord orders.”

28 So Moses gave command 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 people of Israel. 29 And Moses said to them, “If the people of Gad and the people of Reuben, every man who is armed to battle before the LORD, will pass with you over the Jordan and the land shall be subdued before you, then you shall give them the land of Gilead for a possession. 30 However, if they will not pass over with you armed, they shall have possessions among you in the land of Canaan.” 31 And the people of Gad and the people of Reuben answered, “What the LORD has said to your servants, we will do. 32 We will pass over armed before the LORD into the land of Canaan, and the possession of our inheritance shall remain with us beyond the Jordan.”

33 And Moses gave to them, to the people of Gad and to the people 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 and its cities with their territories, the cities of the land throughout the country. 34 And the people of Gad built Dibon, Ataroth, Aroer, 35 Atroth-shophan, Jazer, Jogbehah, 36 Beth-nimrah and Beth-haran, fortified cities, and folds for sheep. 37 And the people of Reuben built Heshbon, Elealeh, Kiriathaim, 38 Nebo, and Baal-meon (their names were changed), and Sibmah. And they gave other names to the cities that they built. 39 And the sons of Machir the son of Manasseh went to Gilead and captured it, and dispossessed the Amorites who were in it. 40 And Moses gave Gilead to Machir the son of Manasseh, and he settled in it. 41 And Jair the son of Manasseh went and captured their villages, and called them Havvoth-jair.¹ 42 And Nobah went and captured Kenath and its villages, and called it Nobah, after his own name.

Footnotes

[1] 32:41 Havvoth-jair means the villages of Jair

Commentary

v1-5: Reuben and Gad were satisfied with the land they were staying in, east of the Jordan. But this was not the land of Canaan. Moses made it clear that they were being disobedient.

In Judg 1, neither Reuben nor Gad had conflict with the Canaanite tribes. To follow the Lord wholeheartedly means enduring conflict and trial.

v6-7: The lack of commitment by Reuben and Gad would discourage the other tribes, as well as robbing themselves of blessing.

v8-9: The people had been discouraged before, when the spies returned with the bad report of the land.

v10-13: The Lord's anger was displayed against those who had discouraged others; they could not enter the promised land. Now, two tribes had chosen not to enter the promised land.

v14-15: Moses brought firm words against this "brood of sinners". He said they were in danger of incurring the Lord's wrath again.

v16-19: The reply from Reuben and Gad. They offered to fight with the other tribes to enable them to inherit the land. But they insisted that their inheritance was east of the Jordan.

v20-22: Moses accepted the offer, and brought peace. However, it is clear that this was not the best option. They received the desire of their hearts.

v23: 'people with a hole in their integrity will be found out' ( R T Kendalll, Christianity magazine March 2020)

v25-27: The tribes of Reuben and Gad agreed that they would fight for the other tribes.

v28-30: Moses passed on orders to Joshua and Eleazar. If Reuben and Gad did what they promised, then they could inherit Gilead. If not then they must find their inheritance in Canaan.

v31-32: Again, Reuben and Gad confirmed their side of the bargain.

v33: Half the tribe of Manasseh also joined with Reuben and Gad. It is not clear at what stage they joined with the other two tribes.

v34-38: They fortified the cities east of Jordan, so that they could leave their families and flocks there, see v16-17. We understand that this meant that the houses would be surrounded by wooden stockades, not large stone walls.

We note that they Israelites remained in the plains of Moab for around 7 months (compare 33.38 with Josh 4.19).

v39-42: See also v33; Moses, not God, gave the land to Reuben, Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh. Manasseh drove out the inhabitants of the land; this was commendable.

v41: Jair, a descendant of Manasseh, is also mentioned in Judg 10.3.