Numbers 32:16

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 32:16 Meaning and Commentary

Numbers 32:16

And they came near unto him
The heads of the tribes of Gad and Reuben came a little nearer to Moses, having something more to say unto him, in order to explain their meaning, and in doing which they used some degree of freedom and boldness with him, see ( Genesis 44:18 )

and said, we will build sheepfolds here for our cattle, and cities for
our little ones
not build new ones, but repair the old ones; for there were cities enough in the country, as before named, and no doubt sheepfolds too, as the land was a place of cattle, but those were through the war broken down and demolished, and needed repairing; and this they proposed to do, and leave their children and their cattle to the care of their servants, under the protection of the divine Providence, and did not mean for the present to take up their abode here.

Numbers 32:16 In-Context

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.)

17 Forsooth we ourselves shall be armed to defense, and shall be girded with arms to assailing, and shall go to battle before the sons of Israel, till we bring them into their places; (but) our little children, and whatever thing we may have, shall be in strengthened cities, for the treasons of the dwellers (hereabout). (And then we ourselves shall be armed for defense, and shall be girded for assault, and we shall go forth to battle at the front of the Israelites, until we have brought them into their land; but our little children, and whatever things we have, shall stay here safe in our cities, made strong against the treasons of the inhabitants hereabout.)

18 We shall not turn again into our houses, till the sons of Israel wield their heritage; (We shall not return to our houses, until the Israelites possess their inheritance;)