CLARITY EDITION · OLD TESTAMENT
Numbers 32
Chapter 32 of 36
Chapter Overview
What happens in Numbers 32
The tribes of Reuben and Gad, who have large herds of livestock, ask to settle on the east side of the Jordan River instead of crossing into the Promised Land. Moses is alarmed at first, but the tribes promise to help the other tribes conquer Canaan before returning to their land. Half the tribe of Manasseh also settles east of the Jordan.
Scripture
Numbers 32
Reuben and Gad Ask for Land East of the Jordan
Study note
The tribes of Reuben and Gad owned very large herds of cattle and sheep. The land east of the Jordan River, which Israel had already conquered from the Amorites, was excellent pastureland. They came to Moses and asked if they could settle there instead of crossing the Jordan into Canaan.
1 The tribes of Reuben and Gad owned enormous herds of livestock. They noticed that the lands of Jazer and Gilead were ideal for raising cattle. Now the children of Reuben and the children of Gad had a very great multitude of cattle: and when they saw the land of Jazer, and the land of Gilead, that, behold, the place was a place for cattle;
2 So the men of Gad and Reuben came to Moses, Eleazar the priest, and the community leaders with a proposal. The children of Gad and the children of Reuben came and spake unto Moses, and to Eleazar the priest, and unto the princes of the congregation, saying,
3 "The towns of Ataroth, Dibon, Jazer, Nimrah, Heshbon, Elealeh, Sebam, Nebo, and Beon," Ataroth, and Dibon, and Jazer, and Nimrah, and Heshbon, and Elealeh, and Shebam, and Nebo, and Beon,
4 "the land the Lord has conquered for Israel's community, is perfect cattle country. And we, your servants, own many cattle." Even the country which the LORD smote before the congregation of Israel, is a land for cattle, and thy servants have cattle:
5 "If you are willing," they said, "please let us have this land as our property. There is no need for us to cross the Jordan." Wherefore, said they, if we have found grace in thy sight, let this land be given unto thy servants for a possession, and bring us not over Jordan.
Moses Warns Them
Study note
Moses was upset by their request. He reminded them of what happened forty years earlier when the spies discouraged Israel from entering the Promised Land. That act of fear and disobedience had led to forty years of wandering and the death of an entire generation. Moses warned that if Reuben and Gad refused to cross the Jordan and fight, it could discourage the other tribes and bring God's anger on all of Israel again.
6 Moses asked the men of Gad and Reuben, "Are you going to sit here while the rest of your fellow Israelites go off to war?" And Moses said unto the children of Gad and to the children of Reuben, Shall your brethren go to war, and shall ye sit here?
7 "Why would you try to discourage the Israelites from crossing into the land the Lord has given them?" And wherefore discourage ye the heart of the children of Israel from going over into the land which the LORD hath given them?
8 "This is exactly the same thing your fathers did when I sent them from Kadesh-barnea to scout the land." Thus did your fathers, when I sent them from Kadesh-barnea to see the land.
9 "They went up to the Valley of Eshcol and saw the land. But then they talked the Israelites out of going into the land the Lord had given them." For when they went up unto the valley of Eshcol, and saw the land, they discouraged the heart of the children of Israel, that they should not go into the land which the LORD had given them.
10 "The Lord's anger exploded that day, and he swore an oath:" And the LORD's anger was kindled the same time, and he sware, saying,
11 "'Not one of the men who came out of Egypt, aged twenty and older, will ever see the land I promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. They refused to follow me with their whole hearts.'" Surely none of the men that came up out of Egypt, from twenty years old and upward, shall see the land which I sware unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob; because they have not wholly followed me:
12 "The only ones left out were Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite and Joshua son of Nun. They followed the Lord with all their hearts." Save Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenezite, and Joshua the son of Nun: for they have wholly followed the LORD.
13 "The Lord's anger burned against Israel. He made them wander through the wilderness for forty years. This went on until every last person in that generation who had done evil in his sight was dead." 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 consumed.
14 "And now here you are, a new batch of sinners! You are following in your fathers' footsteps and making the Lord even more angry at Israel!" And, behold, ye are risen up in your fathers' stead, an increase of sinful men, to augment yet the fierce anger of the LORD toward Israel.
15 "If you turn your backs on him, he will leave all these people in the wilderness again. And you will be to blame for their death." For if ye turn away from after him, he will yet again leave them in the wilderness; and ye shall destroy all this people.
A Promise to Fight
Study note
The men of Reuben and Gad offered a solution. They would build shelters for their families and pens for their livestock east of the Jordan, but then the men would cross the river armed and ready to fight alongside the other tribes. They promised not to return home until every tribe had received its land in Canaan.
16 The men of Gad and Reuben came back to Moses. They said, "We will build pens for our animals here. We will build cities for our families here." And they came near unto him, and said, We will build sheepfolds here for our cattle, and cities for our little ones:
17 "But we will gear up for battle and march in front of the other Israelites until we help them reach their land. While we are gone, our families will live safely in the walled cities, guarded from the local people." 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.
18 "We will not go back to our homes until every Israelite has received their share of the land." We will not return unto our houses, until the children of Israel have inherited every man his inheritance.
19 "We are not claiming any inheritance on the western side of the Jordan. Our inheritance is right here, on the east side." For we will not inherit with them on yonder side Jordan, or forward; because our inheritance is fallen to us on this side Jordan eastward.
20 Moses replied, "If you truly do this -- if you arm yourselves and march before the Lord into battle," And Moses said unto them, If ye will do this thing, if ye will go armed before the LORD to war,
21 "Every one of your fighting men must cross the Jordan ahead of the Lord. They must fight until he has driven out all his foes." And will go all of you armed over Jordan before the LORD, until he hath driven out his enemies from before him,
22 "and the land is fully conquered before the Lord -- then after that you may come back. You will have fulfilled your obligation to the Lord and to Israel, and this land on the east side will be yours before the Lord." 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.
23 "But if you fail to keep this promise, you will have sinned against the Lord. And make no mistake -- your sin will find you out." But if ye will not do so, behold, ye have sinned against the LORD: and be sure your sin will find you out.
24 "Go ahead and build towns for your families and pens for your animals. But you must keep the promise you made." Build you cities for your little ones, and folds for your sheep; and do that which hath proceeded out of your mouth.
25 The men of Gad and Reuben answered Moses, "We, your servants, will do exactly as you command." And the children of Gad and the children of Reuben spake unto Moses, saying, Thy servants will do as my lord commandeth.
26 "Our children, wives, flocks, and all our livestock will remain here in the cities of Gilead." Our little ones, our wives, our flocks, and all our cattle, shall be there in the cities of Gilead:
27 "But every one of us who can fight will cross over, armed for battle before the Lord, just as you have said." But thy servants will pass over, every man armed for war, before the LORD to battle, as my lord saith.
Moses Accepts Their Terms
Study note
Moses agreed to the arrangement but made it clear: if they broke their promise, they would receive land in Canaan instead of east of the Jordan. Moses told Eleazar the priest and Joshua about the agreement. He then gave the land east of the Jordan to the tribes of Gad, Reuben, and half the tribe of Manasseh. This included the former kingdoms of Sihon and Og.
28 Moses gave orders about them. He spoke to Eleazar the priest, Joshua son of Nun, and the Israelite tribal leaders. 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:
29 Moses told them, "The men of Gad and Reuben must cross the Jordan with you. They must be fully armed for battle before the Lord. Once you conquer the land, give them Gilead as their own." 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:
30 "But if they refuse to cross over armed with you, they must get their land in Canaan along with the rest of you." But if they will not pass over with you armed, they shall have possessions among you in the land of Canaan.
31 Gad and Reuben replied, "We will do exactly what the Lord has told us." And the children of Gad and the children of Reuben answered, saying, As the LORD hath said unto thy servants, so will we do.
32 "We will cross the Jordan fully armed. We will march before the Lord into Canaan. Our own land will stay here on the east side of the Jordan." 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.
33 So Moses gave land to the tribes of Gad, Reuben, and the half-tribe of Manasseh son of Joseph. He gave them the whole kingdom of Sihon the Amorite king and the kingdom of Og king of Bashan -- all the cities and the land around them. And Moses gave unto them, even to the children of Gad, and to the children of Reuben, and unto 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 the cities thereof in the coasts, even the cities of the country round about.
Building Cities and Settlements
Study note
The tribes of Gad and Reuben immediately began rebuilding cities and building pens for their sheep. They renamed some of the towns and settled into the area. The clan of Machir, from the tribe of Manasseh, also conquered and settled parts of Gilead. Jair and Nobah, also from Manasseh, captured additional towns in the region.
34 The people of Gad rebuilt the towns of Dibon, Ataroth, and Aroer, And the children of Gad built Dibon, and Ataroth, and Aroer,
35 along with Atroth-shophan, Jazer, and Jogbehah, And Atroth, Shophan, and Jaazer, and Jogbehah,
36 and Beth-nimrah and Beth-haran. They fortified these cities and built pens for their sheep. And Beth-nimrah, and Beth-haran, fenced cities: and folds for sheep.
37 The people of Reuben rebuilt Heshbon, Elealeh, and Kiriathaim, And the children of Reuben built Heshbon, and Elealeh, and Kirjathaim,
38 as well as Nebo and Baal-meon (whose names were changed) and Sibmah. They renamed the cities they rebuilt. And Nebo, and Baal-meon, (their names being changed,) and Shibmah: and gave other names unto the cities which they builded.
39 The descendants of Machir, from the tribe of Manasseh, went into Gilead and took it over. They drove out the Amorites who lived there. And the children of Machir the son of Manasseh went to Gilead, and took it, and dispossessed the Amorite which was in it.
40 Moses gave Gilead to the clan of Machir son of Manasseh, and they made it their home. And Moses gave Gilead unto Machir the son of Manasseh; and he dwelt therein.
41 Jair, a descendant of Manasseh, captured several small towns in the region and named them Havvoth-jair. And Jair the son of Manasseh went and took the small towns thereof, and called them Havoth-jair.
42 Nobah captured Kenath and the villages around it. He renamed it Nobah, after himself. And Nobah went and took Kenath, and the villages thereof, and called it Nobah, after his own name.
Key Themes
Themes in Numbers 32
The tension between personal comfort and community responsibilityKeeping commitments to the broader communitySettling for less than God's bestUnity in achieving shared goals
Apply This Today
Living Numbers 32
Reuben and Gad wanted to settle short of the Promised Land. Moses wisely required them to still help their brothers conquer Canaan first. This teaches that personal blessings come with communal obligations. We cannot enjoy God's gifts while abandoning our responsibility to others in the faith community.
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