Numbers 32:31-41

31 And the sons of Gad and the sons of Reuben answered, As the Lord hath spoken to his servants, so we shall do;

32 we shall go armed before the Lord, into the land of Canaan, and we acknowledge, that we have taken now possession over Jordan. (we all shall go armed before the Lord, into the land of Canaan, and we acknowledge, that we have now received our possession, here on the eastern side of the Jordan River).

33 And so Moses gave to the sons of Gad, and of Reuben, and to half the lineage of Manasseh, the son of Joseph, the realm of Sihon, king of Amorites, and the realm of Og, king of Bashan, and their land(s), with their cities, by compass.

34 Therefore the sons of Gad builded Dibon, and Ataroth, and Aroer,

35 and Atroth, Shophan, and Jaazer, and Jogbehah,

36 and Bethnimrah, and Bethharan, strengthened cities; and folds to their beasts. (and Bethnimrah, and Bethharan, all of them fortified cities, with folds for their beasts.)

37 Soothly the sons of Reuben builded Heshbon, and Elealeh, and Kiriathaim,

38 and Nebo, and Baalmeon, when the names were turned, and they builded Shibmah; and they putted names to the cities, which they had builded. (and Nebo, and Baalmeon, whose name they changed, and Shibmah; these were the names of the cities that they built.)

39 Soothly the sons of Machir, the son of Manasseh, went into Gilead, and destroyed it, and they killed (the) Amorite, the dweller thereof (and they killed the Amorites, who lived there).

40 Therefore Moses gave the land of Gilead to (the sons of) Machir, the son of Manasseh, the which Machir dwelled therein. (And so Moses gave the land of Gilead to the sons of Machir, and that is where the Machirites lived.)

41 Soothly Jair, the son of Manasseh, went, and occupied the towns thereof, which he called Havothjair, that is, the towns of Jair.

Numbers 32:31-41 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.