1 Now the children of Reuben and the children of Gad had a very great multitude of cattle: and when they saw the land of Jazer, and the land of Gilead, that, behold, the place was a place for cattle;

2The children of Gad and the children of Reuben came and spake unto Moses, and to Eleazar the priest, and unto the princes of the congregation, saying,

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

4Even the country which the LORD smote before the congregation of Israel, is a land for cattle, and thy servants have cattle:

5Wherefore, said they, if we have found grace in thy sight, let this land be given unto thy servants for a possession, and bring us not over Jordan.

6And Moses said unto the children of Gad and to the children of Reuben, Shall your brethren go to war, and shall ye sit here?

7And wherefore discourage ye the heart of the children of Israel from going over into the land which the LORD hath given them?

8Thus did your fathers, when I sent them from Kadeshbarnea to see the land.

9For when they went up unto the valley of Eshcol, and saw the land, they discouraged the heart of the children of Israel, that they should not go into the land which the LORD had given them.

10And the LORD'S anger was kindled the same time, and he sware, saying,

11Surely none of the men that came up out of Egypt, from twenty years old and upward, shall see the land which I sware unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob; because they have not wholly followed me:

12Save Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenezite, and Joshua the son of Nun: for they have wholly followed the LORD.

13And the LORD'S anger was kindled against Israel, and he made them wander in the wilderness forty years, until all the generation, that had done evil in the sight of the LORD, was consumed.

14And, behold, ye are risen up in your fathers' stead, an increase of sinful men, to augment yet the fierce anger of the LORD toward Israel.

15For if ye turn away from after him, he will yet again leave them in the wilderness; and ye shall destroy all this people.

16And they came near unto him, and said, We will build sheepfolds here for our cattle, and cities for our little ones:

17But we ourselves will go ready armed before the children of Israel, until we have brought them unto their place: and our little ones shall dwell in the fenced cities because of the inhabitants of the land.

18We will not return unto our houses, until the children of Israel have inherited every man his inheritance.

19For we will not inherit with them on yonder side Jordan, or forward; because our inheritance is fallen to us on this side Jordan eastward.

20And Moses said unto them, If ye will do this thing, if ye will go armed before the LORD to war,

21And will go all of you armed over Jordan before the LORD, until he hath driven out his enemies from before him,

22And the land be subdued before the LORD: then afterward ye shall return, and be guiltless before the LORD, and before Israel; and this land shall be your possession before the LORD.

23But if ye will not do so, behold, ye have sinned against the LORD: and be sure your sin will find you out.

24Build you cities for your little ones, and folds for your sheep; and do that which hath proceeded out of your mouth.

25And the children of Gad and the children of Reuben spake unto Moses, saying, Thy servants will do as my lord commandeth.

26Our little ones, our wives, our flocks, and all our cattle, shall be there in the cities of Gilead:

27But thy servants will pass over, every man armed for war, before the LORD to battle, as my lord saith.

28So concerning them Moses commanded Eleazar the priest, and Joshua the son of Nun, and the chief fathers of the tribes of the children of Israel:

29And Moses said unto them, If the children of Gad and the children of Reuben will pass with you over Jordan, every man armed to battle, before the LORD, and the land shall be subdued before you; then ye shall give them the land of Gilead for a possession:

30But if they will not pass over with you armed, they shall have possessions among you in the land of Canaan.

31And the children of Gad and the children of Reuben answered, saying, As the LORD hath said unto thy servants, so will we do.

32We will pass over armed before the LORD into the land of Canaan, that the possession of our inheritance on this side Jordan may beours.

33And Moses gave unto them, even to the children of Gad, and to the children 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 the cities thereof in the coasts, even the cities of the country round about.

34And the children of Gad built Dibon, and Ataroth, and Aroer,

35And Atroth, Shophan, and Jaazer, and Jogbehah,

36And Bethnimrah, and Bethharan, fenced cities: and folds for sheep.

37And the children of Reuben built Heshbon, and Elealeh, and Kirjathaim,

38And Nebo, and Baalmeon, (their names being changed,) and Shibmah: and gave other names unto the cities which they builded.

39And the children of Machir the son of Manasseh went to Gilead, and took it, and dispossessed the Amorite which was in it.

40And Moses gave Gilead unto Machir the son of Manasseh; and he dwelt therein.

41And Jair the son of Manasseh went and took the small towns thereof, and called them Havothjair.

42And Nobah went and took Kenath, and the villages thereof, and called it Nobah, after his own name.

1 Now the children of Reuben, and the children of Gad, had a very great multitude of cattell: and when they saw the land of Iazer, and the land of Gilead, that behold, the place was a place for cattell;

2The children of Gad, and the children of Reuben, came and spake vnto Moses, and to Eleazar the Priest, and vnto the Princes of the Congregation, saying,

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

4Euen the countrey which the Lord smote before the Congregation of Israel, is a land for cattell, and thy seruants haue cattell.

5Wherefore, said they, if wee haue found grace in thy sight, let this lande be giuen vnto thy seruants for a possession, and bring vs not ouer Iordane.

6 And Moses said vnto the children of Gad, and to the children of Reuben, Shall your brethren goe to warre, and shall ye sit here?

7And wherefore discourage yee the heart of the children of Israel from going ouer into the lande, which the Lord hath giuen them?

8Thus did your fathers, when I sent them from Kadesh Barnea to see the land.

9For when they went vp vnto the valley of Eshcol, and saw the land, they discouraged the heart of the children of Israel, that they should not goe into the land which the Lord had giuen them.

10And the Lords anger was kindled the same time, and hee sware, saying,

11Surely none of the men that came vp out of Egypt, from twentie yeeres old and vpward, shall see the lande which I sware vnto Abraham, vnto Isaac, and vnto Iacob, because they haue not wholly followed me:

12Saue Caleb the sonne of Iephunneh the Kenezite, and Ioshua the sonne of Nun: for they haue wholly followed the Lord.

13And the Lords anger was kindled against Israel, and hee made them wander in the wildernesse fourty yeeres, vntill all the generation that had done euill in the sight of the Lord was consumed.

14And beholde, ye are risen vp in your fathers stead, an increase of sinfull men, to augment yet the fierce anger of the Lord toward Israel.

15For if yee turne away from after him, hee will yet againe leaue them in the wildernesse, and ye shall destroy all this people.

16 And they came neere vnto him, and said, Wee will build sheepfoldes here for our cattell, and cities for our litle ones.

17But we ourselues will goe ready armed before the children of Israel, vntill wee haue brought them vnto their place: and our litle ones shall dwell in the fenced cities, because of the inhabitants of the land.

18Wee will not returne vnto our houses, vntill the children of Israel haue inherited euery man his inheritance:

19For wee will not inherite with them on yonder side Iordane, or forward, because our inheritance is fallen to vs on this side Iordane Eastward.

20 And Moses said vnto them, If ye will doe this thing, if ye will goe armed before the Lord to warre,

21And will goe all of you armed ouer Iordane before the Lord, vntill he hath driuen out his enemies from before him,

22And the land bee subdued before the Lord: then afterward ye shall returne, and bee guiltlesse before the Lord, and before Israel; and this land shall be your possession before the Lord.

23But if ye will not doe so, behold, yee haue sinned against the Lord: and bee sure your sinne will finde you out.

24Build ye cities for your litle ones, and folds for your sheepe, and doe that which hath proceeded out of your mouth.

25And the children of Gad, and the children of Reuben spake vnto Moses, saying, Thy seruants will doe as my lord commandeth.

26Our little ones, our wiues, our flocks, and all our cattell shall be there in the cities of Gilead.

27But thy seruants will passe ouer, euery man armed for warre, before the Lord to battell, as my lord saith.

28So concerning them Moses commaunded Eleazar the Priest, and Ioshua the sonne of Nun, and the chiefe fathers of the tribes of the children of Israel:

29And Moses said vnto them, If the children of Gad, and the children of Reuben will passe with you ouer Iordane, euery man armed to battell before the Lord, and the land shall be subdued before you, then ye shall giue them the land of Gilead for a possession:

30But if they will not passe ouer with you armed, they shall haue possessions among you in the land of Canaan.

31And the children of Gad, and the children of Reuben answered, saying, As the Lord hath said vnto thy seruants, so will we doe.

32Wee will passe ouer armed before the Lord into the land of Canaan, that the possession of our inheritance on this side Iordane may be ours.

33And Moses gaue vnto them, euen to the children of Gad, and to the children of Reuben; and vnto halfe the tribe of Manasseh the sonne of Ioseph, the kingdome of Sihon King of the Amorites, and the kingdome of Og King of Bashan, the land with the cities thereof, in the coastes, euen the cities of the countrey round about.

34 And the children of Gad built Dibon, and Ataroth, and Aroer,

35And Atroth, Shophan, and Iaazer, and Iogbehah,

36And Bethnimrah, and Bethharan, fenced cities: and foldes for sheepe.

37And the children of Reuben built Heshbon, and Elealeh, and Kiriathaim,

38And Nebo, and Baalmeon (their names being changed) and Shibmah: and gaue other names vnto the cities which they builded.

39And the children of Machir, the sonne of Manasseh, went to Gilead, and tooke it, and dispossessed the Amorite which was in it.

40And Moses gaue Gilead vnto Machir the sonne of Manasseh, and he dwelt therein.

41And Iair the sonne of Manasseh went and tooke the small townes thereof, and called them Hauoth-Iair.

42And Nobah went and tooke Kenath, and the villages thereof, and called it Nobah, after his owne name.

I == Num 21:32 ; Josh 13:25 ; 2nd Sam 24:5

 

 

 

 

 

 

III == Num 32:36

 

IV == Num 21:24 , 34

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

VIII == Num 13:3 , 26 ; Deut 1:22

IX == Num 13:24 , 31 ; Deut 1:24 , 28

 

X == Num 14:11 , 21 ; Deut 1:34

 

XI == Num 14:24 , 28-30 ; Deut 1:35

 

 

 

XII == Num 14:24 ; Deut 1:36 ; Josh 14:8-9

 

XIII == Num 14:33-35 ; 26:64 -65

 

 

XIV == Deut 1:34

 

XV == Deut 30:17 ; Josh 22:16 , 18 ; 2nd Chr 7:19 ; 15:2

 

 

 

 

XVII == Josh 4:12-13

 

 

 

XVIII == Josh 22:4

 

XIX == Num 32:33 ; Josh 12:1 ; 13:8

 

XX == Deut 3:18 ; Josh 1:14 ; 4:12-13

 

 

 

XXII == Deut 3:12 , 15-16 , 18 , 20 ; Josh 1:15 ; 11:23 ; 13:8 , 32 ; 18:1 ; 22:4 , 9

 

 

XXIII == Gen 4:7 ; 44:16 ; Isa 59:12

XXIV == Num 32:16 , 34-42

 

 

 

 

Josh 1:14

 

 

XXVII == Josh 4:12

 

XXVIII == Josh 1:13

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

XXXIII == Num 21:24 , 33 , 35 ; Deut 3:12-17 ; 29:8 ; Josh 12:6 ; 13:8 ; 22:4

 

 

 

 

XXXIV == Num 33:45-46 ; Deut 2:36

XXXV == Num 32:1 , 3

Num 32:3

 

 

XXXVII == Num 21:27

XXXVIII == Ex 23:13 ; Num 22:41 ; 32:3 ; Josh 23:7 ; Isa 46:1

XXXIX == Gen 50:23

 

XL == Deut 3:12 , 13 , 15 ; Josh 13:31 ; 17:1

 

XLI == Deut 3:14 ; Josh 13:30 ; Judg 10:4 ; 1st Kings 4:13 ; 1st Chr 2:21-23

 

1 Now the Reubenites and Gadites had a very large number of livestock. Noticing that the land of Jazer and of Gilead was grazing country,

2 they came to Moses and the priest Eleazar and to the princes of the community and said,

3 "The region of Ataroth, Dibon, Jazer, Nimrah, Heshbon, Elealeh, Sebam, Nebo and Baal-meon,

4 which the LORD has laid low before the community of Israel, is grazing country. Now, since your servants have livestock,"

5 they continued, "if we find favor with you, let this land be given to your servants as their property. Do not make us cross the Jordan."

6 But Moses answered the Gadites and Reubenites: "Are your kinsmen, then, to engage in war, while you remain here?

7 Why do you wish to discourage the Israelites from crossing to the land the LORD has given them?

8 That is just what your fathers did when I sent them from Kadesh-barnea to reconnoiter the land.

9 They went up to the Wadi Eshcol and reconnoitered the land, then so discouraged the Israelites that they would not enter the land the LORD had given them.

10 At that time the wrath of the LORD flared up, and he swore,

11 'Because they have not followed me unreservedly, none of these men of twenty years or more who have come up from Egypt shall ever see this country I promised under oath to Abraham and Isaac and Jacob,

12 except the Kenizzite Caleb, son of Jephunneh, and Joshua, son of Nun, who have followed the LORD unreservedly.'

13 So in his anger with the Israelites the LORD made them wander in the desert forty years, until the whole generation that had done evil in the sight of the LORD had died out.

14 And now here you are, a brood of sinners, rising up in your fathers' place to add still more to the LORD'S blazing wrath against the Israelites.

15 If you turn away from following him, he will make them stay still longer in the desert, and so you will bring about the ruin of this whole nation."

16 But they were insistent with him: "We wish only to build sheepfolds here for our flocks, and towns for our families;

17 but we ourselves will march as troops in the van of the Israelites, until we have led them to their destination. Meanwhile our families can remain here in the fortified towns, safe from attack by the natives.

18 We will not return to our homes until every one of the Israelites has taken possession of his heritage,

19 and will not claim any heritage with them once we cross the Jordan, so long as we receive a heritage for ourselves on this eastern side of the Jordan."

20 Moses said to them in reply: "If you keep your word to march as troops in the LORD'S vanguard

21 and to cross the Jordan in full force before the LORD until he has driven his enemies out of his way

22 and the land is subdued before him, then you may return here, quit of every obligation to the LORD and to Israel, and this region shall be your possession before the LORD.

23 But if you do not do this, you will sin against the LORD, and you can be sure that you will not escape the consequences of your sin.

24 Build the towns, then, for your families, and the folds for your flocks, but also fulfill your express promise."

25 The Gadites and Reubenites answered Moses, "Your servants will do as you command, my lord.

26 While our wives and children, our herds and other livestock remain in the towns of Gilead,

27 all your servants will go across as armed troops to battle before the LORD, just as your lordship says."

28 Moses, therefore, gave this order in their regard to the priest Eleazar, to Joshua, son of Nun, and to the heads of the ancestral tribes of the Israelites:

29 "If all the Gadites and Reubenites cross the Jordan with you as combat troops before the LORD, you shall give them Gilead as their property when the land has been subdued before you.

30 But if they will not go across with you as combat troops before the LORD, you shall bring their wives and children and livestock across before you into Canaan, and they shall have their property with you in the land of Canaan."

31 To this the Gadites and Reubenites replied, "We will do what the LORD has commanded us, your servants.

32 We ourselves will go across into the land of Canaan as troops before the LORD, but we will retain our hereditary property on this side of the Jordan."

33 So Moses gave them (the Gadites and Reubenites, as well as half the tribe of Manasseh, son of Joseph, the kingdom of Sihon, king of the Amorites, and the kingdom of Og, king of Bashan,) the land with its towns and the districts that surrounded them.

34 The Gadites rebuilt the fortified towns of Dibon, Ataroth, Aroer,

35 Atroth-shophan, Jazer, Jogbehah,

36 Beth-nimrah and Beth-haran, and they built sheepfolds.

37 The Reubenites rebuilt Heshbon, Elealeh, Kiriathaim,

38 Nebo, Baal-meon (names to be changed!), and Sibmah. These towns, which they rebuilt, they called by their old names.

39 The descendants of Machir, son of Manasseh, invaded Gilead and captured it, driving out the Amorites who were there.

40 (Moses gave Gilead to Machir, son of Manasseh, and he settled there.)

41 Jair, a Manassehite clan, campaigned against the tent villages, captured them and called them Havvoth-jair.

42 Nobah also campaigned against Kenath, captured it with its dependencies and called it Nobah after his own name.

v 1-5. Reuben and Gad (and half the tribe of Manasseh) had a multitude of cattle and east of Jordan was good pasture, so they requested that as their possession.

 

 

 

 

 

 

v 6-15. Moses rebuked them with a reminder of God’s judgment in the past for not entering the land, and a warning that they would be destroyed as their parents were.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

v 16-19. They explained that they wanted only to build sheep pens and patch city walls for family safety, but they would cross Jordan & fight till the others had their land.

 

 

 

 

 

v 20-33. This met with Moses’ approval, but also a stern warning that if they did not keep their word, v 24, “be sure your sin will find you out”. Moses informed Eleazar the priest and the other leaders of the option that had been chosen.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

v 34-42. This lists the main cities which the two and one half tribes dispossessed from the Amorites and took over for themselves. Those who chose their inheritance outside the land symbolize carnal Christians, who miss many blessings. There were no natural frontiers for protection, and the other tribes had do come over and rescue them, 1 Sam. 11 and 1 Kings 22:3. Though they cities of refuge and levites living among them, they dropped out of fellowship with the others. By the time of Jesus, most of the Gileadites had become apostate and lost claim to the promises God had made to Abraham. In Mark 5:1-17 after Jesus had cast demons out of a man and allowed them to go into swine, the people urged Jesus to depart from them.