Passage Resources Hebrew/Greek Your Content
Previous Next
Add parallel Print Page Options

Numbers 32-33
New English Translation

The Petition of the Reubenites and Gadites

32 [a] 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,[b] 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,[c] Nebo, and Beon,[d] 4 the land that the Lord subdued[e] 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,[f] let this land be given to your servants for our inheritance. Do not have us cross[g] the Jordan River.”[h]

Moses’ Response

6 Moses said to the Gadites and the Reubenites, “Must your brothers go to war while you[i] remain here? 7 Why do you frustrate the intent[j] of the Israelites to cross over into the land that 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[k] they went up to the Eshcol Valley and saw the land, they frustrated the intent of the Israelites so that they did not enter[l] the land that the Lord had given[m] them. 10 So the anger of the Lord was kindled that day, and he swore, 11 ‘Because they have not followed me wholeheartedly,[n] not[o] one of the men twenty years old and upward[p] who came from Egypt will see the land that I swore to give[q] 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[r] the Lord was finished.[s] 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[t] them in the wilderness, and you will be the reason for their destruction.”[u]

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,[v] 17 but we will maintain ourselves in armed readiness[w] 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[x] 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[y] and beyond, because our inheritance has come to us on this eastern side of the Jordan.”

20 Then Moses replied,[z] “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[aa] 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[ab] 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,[ac] 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.[ad] 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.”[ae]

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.[af] 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[ag] 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.[ah] 41 Now Jair son of Manasseh went and captured their small towns and named them Havvoth Jair.[ai] 42 Then Nobah went and captured Kenath and its villages and called it Nobah after his own name.

Wanderings from Egypt to Sinai

33 [aj] These are the journeys of the Israelites, who went out of the land of Egypt by their divisions under the authority[ak] of Moses and Aaron. 2 Moses recorded their departures[al] according to their journeys, by the commandment[am] of the Lord; now these are their journeys according to their departures. 3 They departed from Rameses in the first month, on the fifteenth day of the first month; on the day after[an] the Passover the Israelites went out defiantly[ao] in plain sight[ap] of all the Egyptians. 4 Now the Egyptians were burying all their firstborn, whom the Lord had killed among them; the Lord also executed judgments on their gods.

5 The Israelites traveled from Rameses and camped in Sukkoth.

6 They traveled from Sukkoth, and camped in Etham, which is on the edge of the desert. 7 They traveled from Etham, and turned again to Pi Hahiroth, which is before Baal Zephon; and they camped before Migdal. 8 They traveled from Pi Hahiroth,[aq] and passed through the middle of the sea into the wilderness, and went three days’ journey in the wilderness of Etham, and camped in Marah. 9 They traveled from Marah and came to Elim; in Elim there are twelve fountains of water and seventy palm trees, so they camped there.

10 They traveled from Elim, and camped by the Red Sea. 11 They traveled from the Red Sea and camped in the wilderness of Sin. 12 They traveled from the wilderness of Sin and camped in Dophkah. 13 And they traveled from Dophkah, and camped in Alush.

14 They traveled from Alush and camped at Rephidim, where there was no water for the people to drink. 15 They traveled from Rephidim and camped in the desert of Sinai.

Wanderings in the Wilderness

16 They traveled from the desert of Sinai and camped at Kibroth Hattaavah. 17 They traveled from Kibroth Hattaavah and camped at Hazeroth. 18 They traveled from Hazeroth and camped in Rithmah. 19 They traveled from Rithmah and camped at Rimmon Perez. 20 They traveled from Rimmon Perez and camped in Libnah. 21 They traveled from Libnah and camped at Rissah. 22 They traveled from Rissah and camped in Kehelathah. 23 They traveled from Kehelathah and camped at Mount Shepher. 24 They traveled from Mount Shepher and camped in Haradah. 25 They traveled from Haradah and camped in Makheloth. 26 They traveled from Makheloth and camped at Tahath. 27 They traveled from Tahath and camped at Terah. 28 They traveled from Terah and camped in Mithcah. 29 They traveled from Mithcah and camped in Hashmonah. 30 They traveled from Hashmonah and camped in Moseroth. 31 They traveled from Moseroth and camped in Bene Jaakan. 32 They traveled from Bene Jaakan and camped at Hor Haggidgad. 33 They traveled from Hor Haggidgad and camped in Jotbathah. 34 They traveled from Jotbathah and camped in Abronah. 35 They traveled from Abronah and camped at Ezion Geber. 36 They traveled from Ezion Geber and camped in the wilderness of Zin, that is, Kadesh.

Wanderings from Kadesh to Moab

37 They traveled from Kadesh and camped at Mount Hor at the edge of the land of Edom. 38 Aaron the priest ascended Mount Hor at the command[ar] of the Lord, and he died there in the fortieth year after the Israelites had come out of the land of Egypt on the first day of the fifth month. 39 Now Aaron was 123 years old when he died on Mount Hor. 40 The king of Arad, the Canaanite king who lived in the south of the land of Canaan, heard about the approach of the Israelites.

41 They traveled from Mount Hor and camped in Zalmonah. 42 They traveled from Zalmonah and camped in Punon. 43 They traveled from Punon and camped in Oboth. 44 They traveled from Oboth and camped in Iye Abarim, on the border of Moab. 45 They traveled from Iim[as] and camped in Dibon Gad. 46 They traveled from Dibon Gad and camped in Almon Diblathaim. 47 They traveled from Almon Diblathaim and camped in the mountains of Abarim before Nebo. 48 They traveled from the mountains of Abarim and camped in the rift valley plains[at] by Moab along the Jordan River[au] across from Jericho. 49 They camped by the Jordan, from Beth Jeshimoth as far as Abel Shittim in the rift valley plains of Moab.

At the Border of Canaan

50 The Lord spoke to Moses in the rift valley plains of Moab along the Jordan, across from Jericho. He said: 51 “Speak to the Israelites and tell them, ‘When you have crossed the Jordan into the land of Canaan, 52 you must drive out all the inhabitants of the land before you. Destroy all their carved images, all their molten images,[av] and demolish their high places. 53 You must dispossess the inhabitants of the land and live in it, for I have given you the land to possess it. 54 You must divide the land by lot for an inheritance among your families. To a larger group you must give a larger inheritance, and to a smaller group you must give a smaller inheritance. Everyone’s inheritance must be in the place where his lot falls. You must inherit according to your ancestral[aw] tribes. 55 But if you do not drive out the inhabitants of the land before you, then those whom you allow to remain will be irritants in your eyes and thorns in your side, and will cause you trouble in the land where you will be living. 56 And what I intended to do to them I will do to you.’”

Footnotes

  1. Numbers 32:1 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.
  2. Numbers 32:1 tn Heb “the place was a place of/for cattle.”
  3. Numbers 32:3 tc Smr and the LXX have Sibmah. Cf. v. 38.
  4. Numbers 32:3 tn Cf. Baal Meon in v. 38.
  5. Numbers 32:4 tn The verb is the Hiphil perfect of נָכָה (nakhah), a term that can mean “smite, strike, attack, destroy.”
  6. Numbers 32:5 tn Heb “eyes.”
  7. Numbers 32:5 tn The verb is the Hiphil jussive from עָבַר (ʿavar, “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.
  8. Numbers 32:5 tn The word “River” is not in the Hebrew text, but has been supplied in the translation for clarity.
  9. Numbers 32:6 tn The vav (ו) is a vav disjunctive prefixed to the pronoun; it fits best here as a circumstantial clause, “while you stay here.”
  10. Numbers 32:7 tn Heb “heart.” So also in v. 9.
  11. Numbers 32:9 tn The preterite with vav (ו) consecutive is here subordinated to the parallel yet chronologically later verb in the next clause.
  12. Numbers 32:9 tn The infinitive construct here with ל (lamed) is functioning as a result clause.
  13. Numbers 32:9 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.
  14. Numbers 32:11 tn The clause is difficult; it means essentially that “they have not made full [their coming] after” the Lord.
  15. Numbers 32:11 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.
  16. Numbers 32:11 tc The LXX adds “those knowing bad and good.”
  17. Numbers 32:11 tn The words “to give” are not in the Hebrew text but have been supplied in the translation for clarity.
  18. Numbers 32:13 tn Heb “in the eyes of.”
  19. Numbers 32:13 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.”
  20. Numbers 32:15 tn The construction uses a verbal hendiadys with the verb “to add” serving to modify the main verb.
  21. Numbers 32:15 tn Heb “and you will destroy all this people.”
  22. Numbers 32:16 tn Heb “our little ones.”
  23. Numbers 32:17 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.
  24. Numbers 32:17 tn Heb “from before.”
  25. Numbers 32:19 tn The word “River” is not in the Hebrew text, but has been supplied in the translation for clarity.
  26. Numbers 32:20 tn Heb “said to them.”
  27. Numbers 32:23 tn The nuance of the perfect tense here has to be the future perfect.
  28. Numbers 32:24 tn Heb “that which goes out/has gone out of your mouth.”
  29. Numbers 32:29 tn Heb “and the land is subdued before you.”
  30. Numbers 32:31 tn Heb “that which the Lord has spoken to your servants, thus we will do.”
  31. Numbers 32:32 tn The word “River” is not in the Hebrew text, but has been supplied in the translation for clarity.
  32. Numbers 32:33 tn Heb “the land with its cities in the borders of the cities of the land all around.”
  33. Numbers 32:38 tn Heb “called names.”
  34. Numbers 32:40 tn Heb “in it.”
  35. Numbers 32:41 sn Havvoth Jair. The Hebrew name means “villages of Jair.”
  36. Numbers 33:1 sn This material can be arranged into four sections: from Egypt to Sinai (vv. 1-15), the wilderness wanderings (vv. 16-36), from Kadesh to Moab (vv. 37-49), and final orders for Canaan (vv. 50-56).
  37. Numbers 33:1 tn Heb “hand.”
  38. Numbers 33:2 tn Heb “their goings out.”
  39. Numbers 33:2 tn Heb “mouth.”
  40. Numbers 33:3 tn Heb “morrow.”
  41. Numbers 33:3 tn Heb “with a high hand”; the expression means “defiantly; boldly” or “with confidence.” The phrase is usually used for arrogant sin and pride, the defiant fist, as it were. The image of the high hand can also mean the hand raised to deliver the blow (Job 38:15).
  42. Numbers 33:3 tn Heb “in the eyes.”
  43. Numbers 33:8 tc So many medieval Hebrew manuscripts, Smr, Syriac, and Latin Vulgate. Other witnesses have “from before Hahiroth.”
  44. Numbers 33:38 tn Heb “mouth.”
  45. Numbers 33:45 tn Iim is a shortened form of the name Iye-abarim mentioned in v. 44.
  46. Numbers 33:48 sn This is the area of the rift valley basin to the north of the Dead Sea and east of the Jordan. See the note at Num 21:1.
  47. Numbers 33:48 tn The word “River” is not in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for clarity.
  48. Numbers 33:52 tn The Hebrew text repeats the verb “you will destroy.”
  49. Numbers 33:54 tn Heb “of your fathers.”
Next
Numbers 31
Numbers 34
Next
dropdown
New English Translation (NET)

NET Bible® copyright ©1996-2017 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. http://netbible.com All rights reserved.