Numbers 32:2

2 the children of Gad and the children of Re'uven came and spoke to Moshe, and to El`azar the Kohen, and to the princes of the congregation, saying,

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 Now the children of Re'uven and the children of Gad had a very great multitude of cattle: and when they saw the land of Ya`zer, and the land of Gil`ad, that behold, the place was a place for cattle;

2 the children of Gad and the children of Re'uven came and spoke to Moshe, and to El`azar the Kohen, and to the princes of the congregation, saying,

3 `Atrot, and Divon, and Ya`zer, and Nimrah, and Heshbon, and El`aleh, and Sevam, and Nevo, and Be`on,

4 the land which the LORD struck before the congregation of Yisra'el, is a land for cattle; and your servants have cattle.

5 They said, If we have found favor in your sight, let this land be given to your servants for a possession; don't bring us over the Yarden.