Numbers 32:20-30

20 To whom Moses said, If ye do that, that ye promise, be ye made ready, and go ye to (the) battle before the Lord;

21 and each fighting man be armed, and pass he [over] Jordan (and cross he over the Jordan River, and remain there), till the Lord destroy his enemies,

22 and all the land be made subject to him; then ye shall be made guiltless with God, and with Israel, and ye shall wield the countries, which ye will, before the Lord. (and all the land be made subject to him; then ye shall have fulfilled your obligation to God, and to Israel, and ye shall possess the land, which ye desire, in the sight of the Lord.)

23 But if ye do not that, that ye say, it is no doubt to any man, that not ye sin against God; and know ye, that your sin shall take (hold of) you. (But if ye do not do what ye say ye will, no one shall have any doubt, but that ye have sinned against God; and know ye, that your sin shall catch up with you.)

24 Therefore build ye cities to your little children, and folds, and stables to your sheep, and to beasts; and [ful]fill ye that, that ye have promised. (And so build ye cities for your little children, and folds for your sheep, and stables for your beasts; but then fulfill ye, what ye have promised to do.)

25 And the sons of Gad and of Reuben said to Moses, We be thy servants; we shall do that, that our lord commandeth.

26 We shall leave our little children, and (our) women, and our sheep, and (our) beasts, in the cities of Gilead;

27 forsooth all we thy servants shall go ready to battle, as thou, (my) lord, speakest. (but we thy servants all shall go forth, ready for battle, as thou, my lord, sayest.)

28 Therefore Moses commanded to Eleazar, the priest, and to Joshua, the son of Nun, and to the princes of the families, by the lineages of Israel, (And so Moses commanded to Eleazar, the priest, and to Joshua, the son of Nun, and to the leaders of the families, of the tribes of Israel,)

29 and he said to them, If the sons of Gad, and the sons of Reuben, go all armed with you [over Jordan], to (do) battle before the Lord, and the land be made subject to you, give ye to them Gilead into possession; (and he said to them, If the sons of Gad, and the sons of Reuben, all go armed with you across the Jordan River, to do battle before the Lord, and the land be made subject to you, give ye to them Gilead for their possession;)

30 but if they will not pass (over) with you (armed,) into the land of Canaan, take they then places to dwell among you. (but if they do not cross over with you, ready for battle, then they shall take places to live among you, in the land of Canaan.)

Numbers 32:20-30 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.