Bamidbar 32:2

2 The Bnei Gad and the Bnei Reuven came and spoke unto Moshe, and to Eleazar HaKohen, and unto the nasiim of the Edah, saying,

Bamidbar 32:2 Meaning and Commentary

Numbers 32:2

The children of Gad and the children of Reuben came and spake
unto Moses
The children of Gad are mentioned first, though Reuben was the firstborn, and had a standard under which Gad pitched: it may be, as Aben Ezra thinks, the Gadites were the first authors of this counsel, the contrivers of this scheme; who first moved it to the Reubenites, which they had an opportunity of doing, lying encamped by them; or however, they might be the most busy and active in this affair, or the best spokesmen; for it could be only some, in the name of the whole, that addressed Moses on this account, and spoke to him about it:

and to Eleazar the priest, and unto the princes of the congregation;
who perhaps were the seventy elders, and with Moses the chief ruler, and Eleazar the high priest, made up the grand sanhedrim, or great council of the nation, and were undoubtedly the most proper persons to apply unto:

saying:
as follows.

Bamidbar 32:2 In-Context

1 2 Now the Bnei Reuven and the Bnei Gad had a very great multitude of mikneh; and when they saw Eretz Yazer, and Eretz Gil`ad, that, hinei, the makom was a makom for mikneh;

2 The Bnei Gad and the Bnei Reuven came and spoke unto Moshe, and to Eleazar HaKohen, and unto the nasiim of the Edah, saying,

3 Atarot, and Divon, and Yazer, and Nimrah, and Chesbon, and Elealeh, and Sevam, and Nevo, and Beon,

4 Even HaAretz which Hashem struck to conquer before the Adat Yisroel, is an eretz for mikneh, and thy avadim have mikneh.

5 They said, If we have found chen in thy sight, let this land be given unto thy avadim for an achuzzah, and bring us not over Yarden.