Numbers 32
32
The Petition of the Reubenites and Gadites
1#sn While the tribes are on the other side of Jordan, the matter of which tribes would settle there has to be discussed. This chapter begins the settlement of Israel into the tribal territories, something to be continued in Joshua. The chapter has the petitions (vv. 1-5), the response by Moses (vv. 6-15), the proposal (vv. 16-27), and the conclusion of the matter (vv. 28-42). For literature on this subject, both critical and conservative, see S. E. Loewenstein, “The Relation of the Settlement of Gad and Reuben in Numbers 32:1-38, Its Background and Its Composition,” Tarbiz 42 (1972): 12-26; J. Mauchline, “Gilead and Gilgal, Some Reflections on the Israelite Occupation of Palestine,” VT 6 (1956): 19-33; and A. Bergmann, “The Israelite Tribe of Half-Manasseh,” JPOS 16 (1936): 224-54. Now the Reubenites and the Gadites possessed a very large number of cattle. When they saw that the lands of Jazer and Gilead were ideal for cattle,#tn Heb “the place was a place of/for cattle.” 2 the Gadites and the Reubenites came and addressed Moses, Eleazar the priest, and the leaders of the community. They said, 3 “Ataroth, Dibon, Jazer, Nimrah, Heshbon, Elealeh, Sebam,#tc Smr and the LXX have Sibmah. Cf. v. 38. Nebo, and Beon,#tn Cf. Baal-meon in v. 38. 4 the land that the Lord subdued#tn The verb is the Hiphil perfect of נָכָה (nakhah), a term that can mean “smite, strike, attack, destroy.” before the community of Israel, is ideal for cattle, and your servants have cattle.” 5 So they said, “If we have found favor in your sight,#tn Heb “eyes.” let this land be given to your servants for our inheritance. Do not have us cross#tn The verb is the Hiphil jussive from עָבַר (’avar, “to cross over”). The idea of “cause to cross” or “make us cross” might be too harsh, but “take across” with the rest of the nation is what they are trying to avoid. the Jordan River.”#tn The word “River” is not in the Hebrew text, but has been supplied in the translation for clarity.
Moses’ Response
6 Moses said to the Gadites and the Reubenites, “Must your brothers go to war while you#tn The vav (ו) is a vav disjunctive prefixed to the pronoun; it fits best here as a circumstantial clause, “while you stay here.” remain here? 7 Why do you frustrate the intent#tn Heb “heart.” So also in v. 9. of the Israelites to cross over into the land which the Lord has given them? 8 Your fathers did the same thing when I sent them from Kadesh Barnea to see the land. 9 When#tn The preterite with vav (ו) consecutive is here subordinated to the parallel yet chronologically later verb in the next clause. they went up to the Eshcol Valley and saw the land, they frustrated the intent of the Israelites so that they did not enter#tn The infinitive construct here with lamed (ל) is functioning as a result clause. the land that the Lord had given#tn The Lord had not given it yet, but was going to give it. Hence, the perfect should be classified as a perfect of resolve. them. 10 So the anger of the Lord was kindled that day, and he swore, 11 ‘Because they have not followed me wholeheartedly,#tn The clause is difficult; it means essentially that “they have not made full [their coming] after” the Lord. not#tn The sentence begins with “if they see….” This is the normal way for Hebrew to express a negative oath – “they will by no means see….” The sentence is elliptical; it is saying something like “[May God do so to me] if they see,” meaning they won’t see. Of course here God is taking the oath, which is an anthropomorphic act. He does not need to take an oath, and certainly could not swear by anyone greater, but it communicates to people his resolve. one of the men twenty years old and upward#tc The LXX adds “those knowing bad and good.” who came from Egypt will see the land that I swore to give#tn The words “to give” are not in the Hebrew text but have been supplied in the translation for clarity. to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, 12 except Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite, and Joshua son of Nun, for they followed the Lord wholeheartedly.’ 13 So the Lord’s anger was kindled against the Israelites, and he made them wander in the wilderness for forty years, until all that generation that had done wickedly before#tn Heb “in the eyes of.” the Lord was finished.#tn The verb is difficult to translate, since it has the idea of “complete, finish” (תָּמָם, tamam). It could be translated “consumed” in this passage (so KJV, ASV); NASB “was destroyed.” 14 Now look, you are standing in your fathers’ place, a brood of sinners, to increase still further the fierce wrath of the Lord against the Israelites. 15 For if you turn away from following him, he will once again abandon#tn The construction uses a verbal hendiadys with the verb “to add” serving to modify the main verb. them in the wilderness, and you will be the reason for their destruction.”#tn Heb “and you will destroy all this people.”
The Offer of the Reubenites and Gadites
16 Then they came very close to him and said, “We will build sheep folds here for our flocks and cities for our families,#tn Heb “our little ones.” 17 but we will maintain ourselves in armed readiness#tn The MT has חֻשִׁים (khushim); the verbal root is חוּשׁ (khush, “to make haste” or “hurry”). But in light of the Greek and Latin Vulgate the Hebrew should probably be emended to חֲמֻשִׁים (hamushim), a qal passive participle meaning “in battle array.” See further BDB 301 s.v. I חוּשׁ, BDB 332 s.v. חֲמֻשִׁים; HALOT 300 s.v. I חושׁ, חישׁ; HALOT 331 s.v. I חמשׁ. and go before the Israelites until whenever we have brought them to their place. Our descendants will be living in fortified towns as a protection against#tn Heb “from before.” the inhabitants of the land. 18 We will not return to our homes until every Israelite has his inheritance. 19 For we will not accept any inheritance on the other side of the Jordan River#tn The word “River” is not in the Hebrew text, but has been supplied in the translation for clarity. and beyond, because our inheritance has come to us on this eastern side of the Jordan.”
20 Then Moses replied,#tn Heb “said to them.” “If you will do this thing, and if you will arm yourselves for battle before the Lord, 21 and if all your armed men cross the Jordan before the Lord until he drives out his enemies from his presence 22 and the land is subdued before the Lord, then afterward you may return and be free of your obligation to the Lord and to Israel. This land will then be your possession in the Lord’s sight.
23 “But if you do not do this, then look, you will have sinned#tn The nuance of the perfect tense here has to be the future perfect. against the Lord. And know that your sin will find you out. 24 So build cities for your descendants and pens for your sheep, but do what you have said#tn Heb “that which goes out/has gone out of your mouth.” you would do.”
25 So the Gadites and the Reubenites replied to Moses, “Your servants will do as my lord commands. 26 Our children, our wives, our flocks, and all our livestock will be there in the cities of Gilead, 27 but your servants will cross over, every man armed for war, to do battle in the Lord’s presence, just as my lord says.”
28 So Moses gave orders about them to Eleazar the priest, to Joshua son of Nun, and to the heads of the families of the Israelite tribes. 29 Moses said to them: “If the Gadites and the Reubenites cross the Jordan with you, each one equipped for battle in the Lord’s presence, and you conquer the land,#tn Heb “and the land is subdued before you.” then you must allot them the territory of Gilead as their possession. 30 But if they do not cross over with you armed, they must receive possessions among you in Canaan.” 31 Then the Gadites and the Reubenites answered, “Your servants will do what the Lord has spoken.#tn Heb “that which the Lord has spoken to your servants, thus we will do.” 32 We will cross armed in the Lord’s presence into the land of Canaan, and then the possession of our inheritance that we inherit will be ours on this side of the Jordan River.”#tn The word “River” is not in the Hebrew text, but has been supplied in the translation for clarity.
Land Assignment
33 So Moses gave to the Gadites, the Reubenites, and to half the tribe of Manasseh son of Joseph the realm of King Sihon of the Amorites, and the realm of King Og of Bashan, the entire land with its cities and the territory surrounding them.#tn Heb “the land with its cities in the borders of the cities of the land all around.” 34 The Gadites rebuilt Dibon, Ataroth, Aroer, 35 Atroth Shophan, Jazer, Jogbehah, 36 Beth Nimrah, and Beth Haran as fortified cities, and constructed pens for their flocks. 37 The Reubenites rebuilt Heshbon, Elealeh, Kiriathaim, 38 Nebo, Baal Meon (with a change of name), and Sibmah. They renamed#tn Heb “called names.” the cities they built.
39 The descendants of Machir son of Manasseh went to Gilead, took it, and dispossessed the Amorites who were in it. 40 So Moses gave Gilead to Machir, son of Manasseh, and he lived there.#tn Heb “in it.” 41 Now Jair son of Manasseh went and captured their small towns and named them Havvoth Jair. 42 Then Nobah went and captured Kenath and its villages and called it Nobah after his own name.
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Numbers 32
32
Gad and Reuben Inherit Gilead
1The descendants#Or “sons” of Reuben and the descendants#Or “sons” of Gad had a very large number of livestock. And they saw the land of Jazer and the land of Gilead, and behold it was a place for livestock. 2The descendants#Or “sons” of Gad and the descendants#Or “sons” of Reuben came, and they said to Moses and to Eleazar the priest and to the leaders of the community, saying, 3“Ataroth, Dibon, Jazer, Nimrah, Heshbon, Elealeh, Sebam, Nebo, and Beon, 4the land that Yahweh struck before the community of Israel, is a land of livestock, and your servants have livestock.” 5They said, “If we have found favor in your sight,#Literally “your eyes” let this land be given to your servants as property; do not lead us across the Jordan.”
6But Moses said to the descendants#Or “sons” of Gad and to the descendants#Or “sons” of Reuben, “Will your brothers go to war while you yourselves live here? 7Why are you discouraging the hearts of the Israelites#Literally “sons/children of Israel” from crossing into the land that Yahweh gave to them? 8This is what your fathers did when I sent them from Kadesh Barnea to see the land. 9When they went up to the valley#Or “the wadi” of Eshcol and saw the land, they discouraged the heart of the Israelites#Literally “sons/children of Israel” so that they did not come to the land that Yahweh gave to them. 10So Yahweh’s anger burned#Literally “Yahweh’s nose became hot” on that day, and he swore an oath, saying, 11‘The men who went up from Egypt, from those twenty years old#Literally “a son of twenty years” and above, will not see the land that I swore with an oath to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob because they have not wholly followed me, 12except Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite and Joshua son of Nun, because they followed Yahweh wholly.’ 13And Yahweh became angry,#Literally “Yahweh’s nose became hot” and he made them wander in the desert forty years until the entire generation who did evil in the sight of Yahweh#Literally “eyes of Yahweh” had died.#Literally “had completed” 14Behold, you stand in the place of your fathers, a brood of sinful men, to increase still more Yahweh’s fierce anger#Literally “the fierce anger of Yahweh’s nose” against Israel. 15If you turn from following him, he will again abandon them#Hebrew “him” in the wilderness, and you would have destroyed all these people.”
16They came near to him and said, “We will build sheep pens here for the flock of our livestock and cities for our little children; 17but we ourselves will become armed and ready before the Israelites#Literally “sons/children of Israel” until we have brought them to their place, and our little children will live in the fortified cities because of the inhabitants of the land. 18We will not return to our houses until the Israelites#Literally “sons/children of Israel” each obtain their#Hebrew “his” inheritance for themselves. 19For we will not take possession with them from across the Jordan and beyond because our inheritance has come to us from across the Jordan to the east.”
20So Moses said to them, “If you do this thing, if you arm yourselves before#Literally “in the presence of” Yahweh for the war, 21and everyone of you armed cross the Jordan before#Literally “in the presence of” Yahweh until he has driven out his enemies from before him, 22and the land is subdued before#Literally “in the presence of” Yahweh, then afterward you will return and be free of obligation from Yahweh and from Israel, and this land will be your property before#Literally “in the presence of” Yahweh. 23But if you do not do so, behold, you have sinned against Yahweh, and know that your sin will find you. 24Build for yourselves cities for your little children and sheep pens for your flocks; what has gone out from your mouth you will do.”
25So the descendants#Or “sons” of Gad and the descendants#Or “sons” of Reuben said to Moses, saying, “Your servants will do just as my lord commands. 26Our little children, our wives, our livestock, and all of our animals#Hebrew “animal” will remain#Literally “will be there” in the cities of Gilead, 27but your servants, everyone who is armed for battle, will cross over before#Literally “in the presence of” Yahweh to the war, just as my lord says.”
28So Moses commanded them, Eleazar the priest, Joshua son of Nun, and the heads of the families#Literally “fathers” of the tribes of the Israelites.#Literally “sons/children of Israel” 29Moses said to them, “If the descendants#Or “sons” of Gad and the descendants#Or “sons” of Reuben, everyone who is armed for the war, cross over the Jordan before#Literally “in the presence of” Yahweh, and the land is subdued before you, you will give them the land of Gilead as property. 30But if they will not cross over with you armed, they will acquire land in your midst in Canaan.” 31The descendants#Or “sons” of Gad and the descendants of Reuben answered and said, “What Yahweh has commanded your servants, we will do. 32We ourselves will cross over armed before#Literally “in the presence of” Yahweh to the land of Canaan, and the property of our inheritance will remain with us beyond the Jordan.”
33So Moses gave to them, to the descendants#Or “sons” of Gad and the descendants#Or “sons” of Reuben, and to half of the tribe of Joseph’s son Manasseh, the kingdom of Sihon the king of Amorites and the kingdom of Og the king of the Bashan, the land with its cities and their territories, the cities of the surrounding land. 34The descendants#Or “sons” of Gad rebuilt Dibon, Ataroth, and Aroer, 35and Atroth Shophan, Jazer, and Jogbehah, 36and Beth Nimrah and Beth Haran, the cities of Mibzar, and the sheep pens for flocks. 37The descendants#Or “sons” of Reuben rebuilt Heshbon, Elealeh, and Kiriathaim, 38and Nebo, Baal Meon (their names#Hebrew “name” were changed), and Sibmah, and they renamed#Literally “they called to names the names” the cities that they rebuilt. 39The descendants#Or “sons” of Makir son of Manasseh went to Gilead, and they captured it and drove out the Amorites#Hebrew “Amorite” who were in it. 40So Moses gave Gilead to Makir son of Manasseh, and he lived in it. 41And Jair son of Manasseh went and captured their unwalled villages, and he called them Havvoth Jair. 42Nobah went and captured Kenath and its villages, and he called it Nobah after his own name.
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