Numbers 32:6

6 To whom Moses answered, Whether your brethren shall go to battle, and ye shall sit here?

Numbers 32:6 Meaning and Commentary

Numbers 32:6

And Moses said unto the children of Gad, and to the children of
Reuben
Being displeased with their motion, as his following discourse shows, it having at first sight an appearance of covetousness and cowardice:

shall your brethren go to war, and shall ye sit here?
it is not reasonable that your brethren should be left by you and engage in a war with your common enemies, to dispossess them of their land before they can settle in it and you remain here easy and quiet in the possession of a fruitful country.

Numbers 32:6 In-Context

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.)

6 To whom Moses answered, Whether your brethren shall go to battle, and ye shall sit here?

7 Why mis-turn ye the thoughts of the sons of Israel, that they dare not pass (over) into the place, which the Lord shall give to them? (Why would ye want to discourage the Israelites, so that they dare not cross over to the place, which the Lord shall give them?)

8 Whether your fathers did not so, when I sent them from Kadeshbarnea to espy the land, (This is just what your fathers did, when I sent them from Kadeshbarnea to spy out the land,)