Numbers 32:3

3 Ataroth, and Dibon, and Jazer, and Nimrah, Heshbon, and Elealeh, and Shebam, and Nebo, and Beon,

Numbers 32:3 Meaning and Commentary

Numbers 32:3

Ataroth, Dibon, and Jazer
These were places which belonged to the Amorites, and were taken from Sihon, their king: of Ataroth we read nowhere else but in this chapter; of Dibon see ( Isaiah 15:2 ) , Jazer was a city, from whence the land about it had its name; it is the same with Jaazer, ( Numbers 21:32 ) and stood about fifteen miles from Heshbon ^F11, the capital city of the kingdom of Sihon:

and Nimrah, and Heshbon, and Elealeh, and Shebam, and Nebo, and Beon;
these were all places in the same country; of Heshbon see ( Numbers 21:25 Numbers 21:26 ) ( Isaiah 15:4 ) , Nimrah is the same with Bethnimrah, ( Numbers 32:36 ) and sometimes called Nimrim, famous for its water, ( Isaiah 15:6 ) . Jerom says ^F12 the name of it in his time was Benamerium, and lay to the north of Zoar; Elealeh, according to the same writer ^F13 was but a mile from Heshbon, of which see ( Isaiah 15:4 ) . Shebam is the same with Shibmah, ( Numbers 32:36 ) , and seems to be a place famous for vines, ( Isaiah 16:8 ) ( Jeremiah 48:32 ) ; it is thought to be the same with the Seba of Ptolemy ^F14, and according to Jerom ^F15, there were scarce five hundred paces between this place and Heshbon; Nebo, the Targums of Onkelos and Jonathan call the grave of Moses, because on a mountain of this name Moses died, and where it is supposed he was buried; but it is certain he was buried not on a mountain, but in a valley, ( Deuteronomy 34:6 ) , this perhaps had its name from the mountain near which it was, and of which see ( Isaiah 15:2 ) . Beon is the same that is called Baalmeon, ( Numbers 32:38 ) and Bethbaalmeon, ( Joshua 13:17 ) , where was very probably a temple of Baal; it was about nine miles from Heshbon ^F16.

---

FOOTNOTES:

F11 Jerom. de loc. Heb. fol. 92. G.
F12 lbid. K.
F13 Ibid. fol. 91. A.
F14 Geograph. l. 5. c. 19.
F15 Comment. in Esaiam, c. 16. 8.
F16 Eusebius apud Reland: Palest. Illustr. par. 2. l. 3. p. 611.

Numbers 32:3 In-Context

1 Soothly the sons of Reuben and of Gad had many beasts, and cattle without number was to them, in work beasts. And when they had seen Jazer and Gilead, to be covenable lands to beasts to be fed, (Now the sons of Reuben and of Gad had many beasts, and of work beasts, they had cattle without number. And so when they had seen that Jazer and Gilead had suitable lands, where beasts could be pastured,)

2 they came to Moses, and to Eleazar, the priest, and to the princes of the multitude (and to the leaders of the multitude), and said,

3 Ataroth, and Dibon, and Jazer, and Nimrah, Heshbon, and Elealeh, and Shebam, and Nebo, and Beon,

4 (that is,) the land which the Lord smote in the sight of the sons of Israel, is of most plenteous country to the pasture of beasts (is very fine land for pasturing beasts); and we thy servants have full many beasts;

5 and we pray thee, if we have found grace before thee, that thou give to us thy servants that country into possession, and make not us to pass [over] Jordan. (and we pray thee, that if we have found grace before thee, that thou give to us thy servants this land for our possession, and do not make us cross over the Jordan River to live.)