Numbers 32:24-34

24 Build cities for your little ones and folds for your sheep and do that which has proceeded out of your mouth.
25 And the sons of Gad and the sons of Reuben spoke unto Moses, saying, Thy slaves will do as my lord commands.
26 Our little ones, our wives, our livestock, and all our beasts, shall be there in the cities of Gilead;
27 but thy slaves, each one armed for war, will pass before the LORD to battle, as our lord saith.
28 So concerning them Moses commanded Eleazar, the priest, and Joshua, the son of Nun, and the princes of the fathers of the tribes of the sons of Israel.
29 And Moses said unto them, If the sons of Gad and the sons of Reuben will pass the Jordan with you, each one armed to battle, before the LORD, after the land shall be subdued before you, then ye shall give them the land of Gilead for a possession.
30 But if they will not pass over with you armed, they shall have possessions among you in the land of Canaan.
31 And the sons of Gad and the sons of Reuben answered, saying, As the LORD has said unto thy slaves, so will we do.
32 We will pass over armed before the LORD into the land of Canaan, and the possession of our inheritance on this side of the Jordan shall be ours.
33 Thus Moses gave unto the sons of Gad and to the sons of Reuben and unto half the tribe of Manasseh, the son of Joseph, the kingdom of Sihon king of the Amorites and the kingdom of Og king of Bashan, the land, with its cities and borders, even the cities of the country round about.
34 And the sons of Gad built Dibon and Ataroth and Aroer

Numbers 32:24-34 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.

The Jubilee Bible (from the Scriptures of the Reformation), edited by Russell M. Stendal, Copyright © 2000, 2001, 2010