Numbers 32:20

20 And Moses said to them, If ye do this thing, if ye arm yourselves before Jehovah for war,

Numbers 32:20 Meaning and Commentary

Numbers 32:20

And Moses said unto them
Being better disposed towards them, and more satisfied with the reasonableness of their request, it being explained unto him:

if ye will do this thing;
which they had promised:

if ye will go armed before the Lord to war;
they had said they would go ready armed before the children of Israel, but Moses expresses it "before the Lord"; which is more agreeable to their encampment and order in marching, for not the standard of Reuben but that of Judah went foremost, yet the standard of Reuben marched directly before the sanctuary bore by the Kohathites, ( Numbers 10:18 Numbers 10:21 ) , and so might be properly said to go before the Lord, who dwelt there.

Numbers 32:20 In-Context

18 We will not return to our houses, until the children of Israel have inherited each one his inheritance.

19 For we will not inherit with them on yonder side the Jordan, and further, because our inheritance is fallen to us on this side the Jordan eastward.

20 And Moses said to them, If ye do this thing, if ye arm yourselves before Jehovah for war,

21 and all of you that are armed go over the Jordan before Jehovah, until he have dispossessed his enemies from before him,

22 and the land is subdued before Jehovah, and afterwards ye return, ye shall be guiltless toward Jehovah and toward Israel, and this land shall be your possession before Jehovah.