Numbers 32:2

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

Numbers 32:2 Meaning and Commentary

Numbers 32:2

The children of Gad and the children of Reuben came and spake
unto Moses
The children of Gad are mentioned first, though Reuben was the firstborn, and had a standard under which Gad pitched: it may be, as Aben Ezra thinks, the Gadites were the first authors of this counsel, the contrivers of this scheme; who first moved it to the Reubenites, which they had an opportunity of doing, lying encamped by them; or however, they might be the most busy and active in this affair, or the best spokesmen; for it could be only some, in the name of the whole, that addressed Moses on this account, and spoke to him about it:

and to Eleazar the priest, and unto the princes of the congregation;
who perhaps were the seventy elders, and with Moses the chief ruler, and Eleazar the high priest, made up the grand sanhedrim, or great council of the nation, and were undoubtedly the most proper persons to apply unto:

saying:
as follows.

Numbers 32:2 In-Context

1 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,

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

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

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

5 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."