Numbers 32:6-16

6 To whom Moses answered, Whether your brethren shall go to battle, and ye shall sit here?

7 Why mis-turn ye the thoughts of the sons of Israel, that they dare not pass (over) into the place, which the Lord shall give to them? (Why would ye want to discourage the Israelites, so that they dare not cross over to the place, which the Lord shall give them?)

8 Whether your fathers did not so, when I sent them from Kadeshbarnea to espy the land, (This is just what your fathers did, when I sent them from Kadeshbarnea to spy out the land,)

9 and when they came to the valley of Cluster, when all the country was compassed, they turned into fear the heart of the sons of Israel, that they entered not into the coasts, which the Lord had given to them. (and they went as far as the Eshcol Valley, and then when all the land was surveyed, they came back, and turned the hearts of the Israelites to fear, so that they would not enter into the land, which the Lord had given them.)

10 And the Lord therefore was wroth (And so the Lord was angry), and he swore, saying,

11 These men that went up from Egypt, from twenty years of age and above, shall not see the land which I promised under an oath to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and [they] would not follow me, (These men who went up from Egypt, from twenty years of age and older, shall not see the land which I promised under an oath to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, for they would not follow me,)

12 except Caleb, (the) Kenezite, the son of Jephunneh, and Joshua, the son of Nun; these twain fulfilled my will.

13 And the Lord was wroth against Israel, and led him about the desert by forty years (And so the Lord was angry with the Israelites, and led them about in the wilderness for forty years), till all the generation was wasted, that had done (this) evil in the sight of the Lord.

14 And Moses said, Lo! ye the increasings, and nourished children, of sinful men, have risen (up) for your fathers, that ye should increase the strong vengeance of the Lord against Israel. (And Moses said, Lo! now ye, the increasings, and nourished children, of sinful men, have taken your fathers? place, and ye would provoke the strong vengeance of the Lord against Israel once again.)

15 That if ye will not follow the Lord, in the wilderness he shall (again) forsake the people, and ye shall be [the] cause of the death of all (these) men. (For if ye will not follow the Lord, he shall again forsake the people in the wilderness, and ye shall be responsible for the death of all these people.)

16 And they went nigh, and said, We shall make sheepfolds, and stables of beasts, and we shall make strengthened cities to our little children. (And they came near, and said to him, We shall make sheepfolds, and stables for our beasts, and we shall make our cities safe and strong for our little children.)

Numbers 32:6-16 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.