Numbers 32:16

16 Then they came up to him and said, "We will build sheepfolds here for our flocks, and towns for our little ones,

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 now you, a brood of sinners, have risen in place of your fathers, to increase the Lord's fierce anger against Israel!

15 If you turn away from following him, he will again abandon them in the wilderness; and you will destroy all this people."

16 Then they came up to him and said, "We will build sheepfolds here for our flocks, and towns for our little ones,

17 but we will take up arms as a vanguard before the Israelites, until we have brought them to their place. Meanwhile our little ones will stay in the fortified towns because of the inhabitants of the land.

18 We will not return to our homes until all the Israelites have obtained their inheritance.