Numbers 32:14-24

14 Behold, you stand in the place of your fathers, a brood of sinful men, to increase still more {Yahweh's fierce anger} against Israel.
15 If you turn from following him, he will again abandon them in the wilderness, and you would have destroyed all these people."
16 They came near to him and said, "We will build sheep pens here for [the] flock of our livestock and cities for our little children;
17 but we ourselves will become armed [and] ready before the {Israelites} until we have brought them to their place, and our little children will live in the fortified cities because of the inhabitants of the land.
18 We will not return to our houses until the {Israelites} each obtain their inheritance for themselves.
19 For we will not take possession with them from across the Jordan and beyond because our inheritance has come to us from across the Jordan to the east."
20 So Moses said to them, "If you do this thing, if you arm yourselves {before} Yahweh for the war,
21 and everyone of you armed cross the Jordan {before} Yahweh until he has driven out his enemies from before him,
22 and the land is subdued {before} Yahweh, then afterward you will return and be free of obligation from Yahweh and from Israel, and this land will be your property {before} Yahweh.
23 But if you do not do so, behold, you have sinned against Yahweh, and know that your sin will find you.
24 Build for yourselves cities for your little children and sheep pens for your flocks; what has gone out from your mouth you will do."

Numbers 32:14-24 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO NUMBERS 32

This chapter relates, how that the tribes of Gad and Reuben requested a settlement in the country of Jazer and Gilead, being fit for the pasturage of their cattle, Nu 32:1-5 at which Moses at first was very much displeased, as being unreasonable, and tending to discourage the rest of the people; and as acting a part like that their fathers had done before them, which brought the wrath of God upon them, so that they all but two perished in the wilderness; and this he suggests would be the case again, if such measures were taken, Nu 32:6-15 upon which they explain themselves, and declare they had no intention of forsaking their brethren, but were willing to leave their children and cattle to the care of divine Providence, and go armed before Israel, until they were brought into, and settled in the land of Canaan; nor did they desire any part or inheritance in it, Nu 32:16-19, this satisfied Moses, and he agreed to it, that the land they requested should be their possession, provided the conditions were fulfilled by them, which they proposed, Nu 20:20-24, and which they again agreed unto, and promised to perform, Nu 32:25-27, wherefore Moses gave orders to Eleazar, Joshua, and the chief fathers of the tribes, to put them in possession of the land of Gilead on those conditions, Nu 32:28-30 and which were again promised that they would observe, Nu 32:31,32, and at the same time Moses made a grant of the kingdoms of Sihon and of Og to the tribes of Reuben and Gad, and to half the tribe of Manasseh, Nu 32:33 and the chapter is closed with an account of the cities built or repaired by the children of Gad and Reuben, Nu 32:34-38 and of the cities in Gilead taken and possessed by the children of Machir, and by Jair, who were of the tribe of Manasseh, Nu 32:39-42.

Footnotes 9

  • [a]. Literally "the fierce anger of Yahweh's nose"
  • [b]. Hebrew "him"
  • [c]. Literally "sons/children of Israel"
  • [d]. Literally "sons/children of Israel"
  • [e]. Hebrew "his"
  • [f]. Literally "in the presence of"
  • [g]. Literally "in the presence of"
  • [h]. Literally "in the presence of"
  • [i]. Literally "in the presence of"
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