Numbers 32:21

21 and all your armed men cross over the Jordan before the Lord until He has driven out His enemies from before Him,

Numbers 32:21 Meaning and Commentary

Numbers 32:21

And will go all of you armed over Jordan before the Lord
Moses tries them thoroughly, and is very express in his words, requiring them not only to go armed, or march from the place where they were, towards the land of Canaan, but to go over Jordan, and not some of them only, but all, and that before the Lord; though indeed, when the tribes came to the river Jordan, the ark, which was the symbol of the divine Presence, went before all the tribes into it, and there stayed till they passed over, and then these two tribes and the half tribe of Manasseh passed before the children of Israel, and before the Lord, unto battle, ( Joshua 3:11 Joshua 3:17 ) ( Joshua 4:12 Joshua 4:13 )

until he hath driven out his enemies before him:
the Canaanites, who were the enemies of the Lord, as well as of his people; and because of their sins, in which they showed their enmity to God, the land spewed them out, and he drove them out to make way for his people Israel, and till this was done the tribes of Reuben and Gad were to continue with them.

Numbers 32:21 In-Context

19 For we will not inherit with them on the other side of the Jordan and beyond, because our inheritance has fallen to us on this eastern side of the Jordan."
20 Then Moses said to them: "If you do this thing, if you arm yourselves before the Lord for the war,
21 and all your armed men cross over the Jordan before the Lord until He has driven out His enemies from before Him,
22 and the land is subdued before the Lord, then afterward you may return and be blameless before the Lord and before Israel; and this land shall be your possession before the Lord.
23 But if you do not do so, then take note, you have sinned against the Lord; and be sure your sin will find you out.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.