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Numbers 32
The Voice
Numbers 32
The Voice
32 Now it so happens that a couple of the tribes (the Reubenites and Gadites) had an exceptionally large herd of livestock. They observed that on this eastern side of the Jordan, in the regions of Jazer and Gilead, there was some excellent grazing land. 2 So the heads of the Reuben and Gad tribes approached Moses, the priest Eleazar, and other of the community’s leaders.
Reubenites and Gadites: 3-5 This territory, which the Eternal One has already enabled us to dominate, is for livestock land; and we have livestock. If it is pleasing to you, may we settle here instead of crossing the Jordan into the promised land? We’d like this territory to be ours (Ataroth, Dibon, Jazer, Nimrah, Heshbon, Elealeh, Sebam, Nebo, and Beon) rather than laying claim to any territory across the Jordan.
Although slightly misunderstood by Moses, Reuben and Gad still express loyalty to the Lord and to their Israelite kin, but they like the prospects of settling in the fertile land that they will also share with the Ammonites, Moabites, and Edomites.
Moses: 6-9 You’re missing the big picture. How can I let you settle here on this side of the Jordan, while your kinsmen on the other side of the Jordan may have to go to war in order to possess the land? Why would you dishearten the rest of the people today just as the spies did who disheartened the people in the last generation after I sent them from Kadesh-barnea and they saw the Eshcol Valley and the surrounding land? 10 Remember how angry the Eternal became with them that day? He declared that 11-13 even though that particular land had been promised to the Israelites beginning with Abraham, then to Isaac and to Jacob after him, the whole generation that left Egypt when they were 20 years or older would have to die, wandering aimlessly in the desert, before God would allow the community to enter that great land. Only Caleb the Kenizzite (Jephunneh’s son) and Joshua (Nun’s son) out of that generation would be allowed to enjoy settlement there because they followed Him completely. 14 Now you dare to propose this—you’re as sinful as your predecessors! The Eternal will surely loose His tremendous anger against us again. 15 If you decide to stop following God’s plan for the land, He will abandon the whole congregation out here in the wilderness, and it’s you who will be blamed for our people’s destruction.
Reubenites and Gadites (approaching Moses): 16-19 What if we lay claim to the land here, but then proceed with the others west across the Jordan and into their land? We would fight alongside all the other Israelites, but we wouldn’t take any of that land for ourselves since our inheritance is on the eastern side of the Jordan. Only after we’ve seen to it that everyone else is safely settled there would we return here to take up our lives as residents of this place. We could set up preliminary dwellings now for our sheep and livestock and towns for our women and children. The towns should be fortified, since there are still inhabitants in the land who would like to run us out. We really feel that we’ve found our home here, east of the Jordan.
Moses: 20 If you keep your word—to fight with us before the Eternal One Himself 21 until by our warfare God drives out His enemies 22 and that land becomes undeniably ours—then, yes. Then you will have satisfied your responsibilities to the Eternal and to Israel, and you may count this land as your own. 23 But if you fail to follow through, your sin against the Eternal will follow you. Wherever you go, it will go badly for you. 24 Then go ahead and build the enclosures you need for your flocks and the cities for your youngsters that you’ll leave behind. But don’t forget to live up to your promise.
Reubenites and Gadites: 25 We are your servants, our lord, and we’ll do as you tell us. 26 Here in Gilead, we’ll get our women and the little kids settled along with all of our animals. 27 Then you can count on us, armed and ready to battle for the Eternal. We will obey your orders and see to it that the other families successfully gain their own territory.
28 Moses gave instructions to Eleazar the priest, Joshua (Nun’s son), and the heads of the other extended families of the Israelite clans.
Moses: 29 If indeed the Gadites and Reubenites fight in front of the Eternal One and beside the rest of you to successfully dominate that land across the Jordan River, then you must honor their desire to return here to have this Gilead land for their own. 30 But if they don’t take up their weapons and go with you into battle, then their ownership of this territory is null and void, and they shall be assigned land in Canaan along with the rest of the Israelite tribes.
Reubenites and Gadites: 31 Exactly as we understand this to be the will of God, we will do it. 32 We’ll arm ourselves and fight with you under His direction in Canaan, but with the understanding that our home is right here, on this side of the Jordan River.
33 With this agreement established, Moses gave the Gadites and the Reubenites, along with Manasseh (half of the greater Joseph clan), King Sihon’s Amorite land and King Og’s Bashan land, including the cities and their neighboring towns inside those boundaries. 34 The Gadites immediately got to work rebuilding the cities of Dibon, Ataroth, Aroer, 35 Atroth-shophan, Jazer, Jogbehah, 36 Beth-nimrah, and Beth-haran with strong defenses and enclosures for their livestock. 37 As for the Reubenites, they rebuilt Heshbon, Elealeh, Kiriathaim, 38 Nebo, Baal-meon, and Sibmah. They gave names to each of the new cities and changed the names of those they rebuilt. 39 As far as the Manasseh family goes, Machir’s clan overran the Amorites in Gilead, 40 so Moses gave them that land to live in. 41 Jair’s Manassite clan also captured settlements for themselves and named them Havvoth-jair, 42 and Nobah took over the former Kenath with its surrounding villages and renamed it Nobah, after their own clan.
Numbers 32
New International Version
Numbers 32
New International Version
The Transjordan Tribes
32 The Reubenites and Gadites, who had very large herds and flocks,(A) saw that the lands of Jazer(B) and Gilead(C) were suitable for livestock.(D) 2 So they came to Moses and Eleazar the priest and to the leaders of the community,(E) and said, 3 “Ataroth,(F) Dibon,(G) Jazer,(H) Nimrah,(I) Heshbon,(J) Elealeh,(K) Sebam,(L) Nebo(M) and Beon(N)— 4 the land the Lord subdued(O) before the people of Israel—are suitable for livestock,(P) and your servants have livestock. 5 If we have found favor in your eyes,” they said, “let this land be given to your servants as our possession. Do not make us cross the Jordan.(Q)”
6 Moses said to the Gadites and Reubenites, “Should your fellow Israelites go to war while you sit here? 7 Why do you discourage the Israelites from crossing over into the land the Lord has given them?(R) 8 This is what your fathers did when I sent them from Kadesh Barnea to look over the land.(S) 9 After they went up to the Valley of Eshkol(T) and viewed the land, they discouraged the Israelites from entering the land the Lord had given them. 10 The Lord’s anger was aroused(U) that day and he swore this oath:(V) 11 ‘Because they have not followed me wholeheartedly, not one of those who were twenty years old or more(W) when they came up out of Egypt(X) will see the land I promised on oath(Y) to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob(Z)— 12 not one except Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite and Joshua son of Nun, for they followed the Lord wholeheartedly.’(AA) 13 The Lord’s anger burned against Israel(AB) and he made them wander in the wilderness forty years, until the whole generation of those who had done evil in his sight was gone.(AC)
14 “And here you are, a brood of sinners, standing in the place of your fathers and making the Lord even more angry with Israel.(AD) 15 If you turn away from following him, he will again leave all this people in the wilderness, and you will be the cause of their destruction.(AE)”
16 Then they came up to him and said, “We would like to build pens(AF) here for our livestock(AG) and cities for our women and children. 17 But we will arm ourselves for battle[a] and go ahead of the Israelites(AH) until we have brought them to their place.(AI) Meanwhile our women and children will live in fortified cities, for protection from the inhabitants of the land. 18 We will not return to our homes until each of the Israelites has received their inheritance.(AJ) 19 We will not receive any inheritance with them on the other side of the Jordan, because our inheritance(AK) has come to us on the east side of the Jordan.”(AL)
20 Then Moses said to them, “If you will do this—if you will arm yourselves before the Lord for battle(AM) 21 and if all of you who are armed cross over the Jordan before the Lord until he has driven his enemies out before him(AN)— 22 then when the land is subdued before the Lord, you may return(AO) and be free from your obligation to the Lord and to Israel. And this land will be your possession(AP) before the Lord.(AQ)
23 “But if you fail to do this, you will be sinning against the Lord; and you may be sure that your sin will find you out.(AR) 24 Build cities for your women and children, and pens for your flocks,(AS) but do what you have promised.(AT)”
25 The Gadites and Reubenites said to Moses, “We your servants will do as our lord commands.(AU) 26 Our children and wives, our flocks and herds will remain here in the cities of Gilead.(AV) 27 But your servants, every man who is armed for battle, will cross over to fight(AW) before the Lord, just as our lord says.”
28 Then Moses gave orders about them(AX) to Eleazar the priest and Joshua son of Nun(AY) and to the family heads of the Israelite tribes.(AZ) 29 He said to them, “If the Gadites and Reubenites, every man armed for battle, cross over the Jordan with you before the Lord, then when the land is subdued before you,(BA) you must give them the land of Gilead as their possession.(BB) 30 But if they do not cross over(BC) with you armed, they must accept their possession with you in Canaan.(BD)”
31 The Gadites and Reubenites answered, “Your servants will do what the Lord has said.(BE) 32 We will cross over before the Lord into Canaan armed,(BF) but the property we inherit will be on this side of the Jordan.(BG)”
33 Then Moses gave to the Gadites,(BH) the Reubenites and the half-tribe of Manasseh(BI) son of Joseph the kingdom of Sihon king of the Amorites(BJ) and the kingdom of Og king of Bashan(BK)—the whole land with its cities and the territory around them.(BL)
34 The Gadites built up Dibon, Ataroth, Aroer,(BM) 35 Atroth Shophan, Jazer,(BN) Jogbehah,(BO) 36 Beth Nimrah(BP) and Beth Haran as fortified cities, and built pens for their flocks.(BQ) 37 And the Reubenites rebuilt Heshbon,(BR) Elealeh(BS) and Kiriathaim,(BT) 38 as well as Nebo(BU) and Baal Meon (these names were changed) and Sibmah.(BV) They gave names to the cities they rebuilt.
39 The descendants of Makir(BW) son of Manasseh went to Gilead,(BX) captured it and drove out the Amorites(BY) who were there. 40 So Moses gave Gilead to the Makirites,(BZ) the descendants of Manasseh, and they settled there. 41 Jair,(CA) a descendant of Manasseh, captured their settlements and called them Havvoth Jair.[b](CB) 42 And Nobah captured Kenath(CC) and its surrounding settlements and called it Nobah(CD) after himself.(CE)
Footnotes
- Numbers 32:17 Septuagint; Hebrew will be quick to arm ourselves
- Numbers 32:41 Or them the settlements of Jair
Numbers 32
World English Bible
Numbers 32
World English Bible
32 Now the children of Reuben and the children of Gad had a very great multitude of livestock. They saw the land of Jazer, and the land of Gilead. Behold, the place was a place for livestock. 2 Then the children of Gad and the children of Reuben came and spoke to Moses, and to Eleazar the priest, and to the princes of the congregation, saying, 3 “Ataroth, Dibon, Jazer, Nimrah, Heshbon, Elealeh, Sebam, Nebo, and Beon, 4 the land which Yahweh struck before the congregation of Israel, is a land for livestock; and your servants have livestock.” 5 They said, “If we have found favor in your sight, let this land be given to your servants for a possession. Don’t bring us over the Jordan.”
6 Moses said to the children of Gad, and to the children of Reuben, “Shall your brothers go to war while you sit here? 7 Why do you discourage the heart of the children of Israel from going over into the land which Yahweh has given them? 8 Your fathers did so when I sent them from Kadesh Barnea to see the land. 9 For when they went up to 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 Yahweh had given them. 10 Yahweh’s anger burned in that day, and he swore, saying, 11 ‘Surely none of the men who came up out of Egypt, from twenty years old and upward, shall see the land which I swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob; because they have not wholly followed me, 12 except Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite, and Joshua the son of Nun, because they have followed Yahweh completely.’ 13 Yahweh’s anger burned against Israel, and he made them wander back and forth in the wilderness forty years, until all the generation who had done evil in Yahweh’s sight was consumed.
14 “Behold, you have risen up in your fathers’ place, an increase of sinful men, to increase the fierce anger of Yahweh toward Israel. 15 For if you turn away from after him, he will yet again leave them in the wilderness; and you will destroy all these people.”
16 They came near to him, and said, “We will build sheepfolds here for our livestock, and cities for our little ones; 17 but we ourselves will be ready armed to go before the children of Israel, until we have brought them to their place. Our little ones shall dwell in the fortified cities because of the inhabitants of the land. 18 We will not return to our houses until the children of Israel have all received their inheritance. 19 For we will not inherit with them on the other side of the Jordan and beyond, because our inheritance has come to us on this side of the Jordan eastward.”
20 Moses said to them: “If you will do this thing, if you will arm yourselves to go before Yahweh to the war, 21 and every one of your armed men will pass over the Jordan before Yahweh until he has driven out his enemies from before him, 22 and the land is subdued before Yahweh; then afterward you shall return, and be clear of obligation to Yahweh and to Israel. Then this land shall be your possession before Yahweh.
23 “But if you will not do so, behold, you have sinned against Yahweh; and be sure your sin will find you out. 24 Build cities for your little ones, and folds for your sheep; and do that which has proceeded out of your mouth.”
25 The children of Gad and the children of Reuben spoke to Moses, saying, “Your servants will do as my lord commands. 26 Our little ones, our wives, our flocks, and all our livestock shall be there in the cities of Gilead; 27 but your servants will pass over, every man who is armed for war, before Yahweh to battle, as my lord says.”
28 So Moses commanded concerning them to Eleazar the priest, and to Joshua the son of Nun, and to the heads of the fathers’ households of the tribes of the children of Israel. 29 Moses said to them, “If the children of Gad and the children of Reuben will pass with you over the Jordan, every man who is armed to battle before Yahweh, and the land is subdued before you, then you shall give them the land of Gilead for a possession; 30 but if they will not pass over with you armed, they shall have possessions among you in the land of Canaan.”
31 The children of Gad and the children of Reuben answered, saying, “As Yahweh has said to your servants, so will we do. 32 We will pass over armed before Yahweh into the land of Canaan, and the possession of our inheritance shall remain with us beyond the Jordan.”
33 Moses gave to them, even to the children of Gad, and to the children of Reuben, and to the half-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, according to its cities and borders, even the cities of the surrounding land. 34 The children of Gad built Dibon, Ataroth, Aroer, 35 Atroth-shophan, Jazer, Jogbehah, 36 Beth Nimrah, and Beth Haran: fortified cities and folds for sheep. 37 The children of Reuben built Heshbon, Elealeh, Kiriathaim, 38 Nebo, and Baal Meon, (their names being changed), and Sibmah. They gave other names to the cities which they built. 39 The children of Machir the son of Manasseh went to Gilead, took it, and dispossessed the Amorites who were therein. 40 Moses gave Gilead to Machir the son of Manasseh; and he lived therein. 41 Jair the son of Manasseh went and took its villages, and called them Havvoth Jair. 42 Nobah went and took Kenath and its villages, and called it Nobah, after his own name.
Numbers 32
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
Numbers 32
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
Chapter 32
Request of Gad and Reuben. 1 Now the Reubenites and Gadites had a very large number of livestock. Noticing that the land of Jazer and of Gilead[a] was a place suited to livestock, 2 the Gadites and Reubenites came to Moses and Eleazar the priest and to the leaders of the community and said, 3 [b]“The region of Ataroth, Dibon, Jazer, Nimrah, Heshbon, Elealeh, Sebam, Nebo and Baal-meon— 4 the land which the Lord has laid low before the community of Israel, is a land for livestock, and your servants have livestock.” 5 They continued, “If we find favor with you, let this land be given to your servants as their possession. Do not make us cross the Jordan.”
Moses’ Rebuke. 6 But Moses answered the Gadites and Reubenites: “Are your kindred, then, to go to 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 ancestors did when I sent them from Kadesh-barnea to reconnoiter the land.(A) 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 (B)At that time the anger of the Lord flared up, and he swore: 11 None of the men twenty years old or more who have come up from Egypt will see the land I promised under oath to Abraham and Isaac and Jacob, because they have not followed me unreservedly— 12 (C)except the Kenizzite[c] Caleb, son of Jephunneh, the Kenizzite, and Joshua, son of Nun, since they have followed the Lord unreservedly. 13 So the anger of the Lord flared up against the Israelites and he made them wander in the wilderness forty years, until the whole generation that had done evil in the sight of the Lord had disappeared. 14 And now here you are, offspring of sinful stock, rising up in your ancestors’ place to add still more to the Lord’s blazing anger against the Israelites. 15 If you turn away from following him, he will again abandon them in the wilderness, and you will bring about the ruin of this entire people.”
Counter Proposal. 16 But they approached him and said: “We will only build sheepfolds here for our flocks and towns for our families; 17 but we ourselves will march as troops in the vanguard before the Israelites,(D) until we have led them to their destination. Meanwhile our families will remain in the fortified towns because of the land’s inhabitants. 18 We will not return to our homes until all the Israelites have taken possession of their heritage. 19 (E)But we will not claim any heritage with them across the Jordan and beyond, because we have received a heritage for ourselves on the eastern side of the Jordan.”
Agreement Reached. 20 [d]Moses said to them in reply: “If you do this—if you march as troops before the Lord into battle 21 and 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 the Lord, then you may return here, free from every obligation to the Lord and to Israel, and this land will be your possession before the Lord.(F) 23 But if you do not do this, you will have sinned against the Lord, and you can be sure that the consequences of your sin will overtake you. 24 Build the towns, then, for your families, and the folds for your flocks, but fulfill what you have promised.”
25 The Gadites and Reubenites answered Moses, “Your servants will do as my lord commands. 26 (G)While our wives and children, our livestock and other animals remain there in the towns of Gilead, 27 all your servants will go across as armed troops before the Lord to battle, just as my lord says.”
28 So Moses gave this command in their regard to Eleazar the priest, to Joshua, son of Nun, and to the heads of the ancestral houses of the Israelite tribes: 29 He said to them, “If all the Gadites and Reubenites cross the Jordan with you in full force before the Lord into battle, the land will be subdued before you, and you will give them Gilead as a possession. 30 But if they will not go across in force with you before the Lord, you will bring their wives and children and livestock across before you into Canaan, and they will possess a holding among you in the land of Canaan.”
31 To this the Gadites and Reubenites replied, “We will do what the Lord has ordered your servants. 32 We ourselves will go across in force before the Lord into the land of Canaan, but we will retain our hereditary property on this side of the Jordan.”[e] 33 So Moses gave them—[f]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 of the surrounding towns.(H)
34 The Gadites rebuilt the cities of Dibon, Ataroth, Aroer, 35 Atroth-shophan, Jazer, Jogbehah, 36 Beth-nimrah and Beth-haran—fortified cities—and sheepfolds. 37 The Reubenites rebuilt Heshbon, Elealeh, Kiriathaim, 38 Nebo, Baal-meon (names to be changed!),[g] and Sibmah. These towns, which they rebuilt, they called by their old names.
Other Conquests. 39 The descendants of Machir, son of Manasseh, went to Gilead and captured it, dispossessing the Amorites who were there. 40 (Moses gave Gilead to Machir,(I) son of Manasseh, and he settled there.) 41 Jair,(J) a descendant of Manasseh, went and captured their tent villages, and called them Havvoth-jair.[h] 42 Nobah went and captured Kenath with its dependencies and called it Nobah after his own name.
Footnotes
- 32:1 Gilead: the name of the western part of the plateau east of the Jordan, sometimes signifying the whole region from the Yarmuk to the Jordan, sometimes only the northern part of this region, and sometimes, as here, only its southern part. Jazer lay to the east of southern Gilead.
- 32:3 The places named in this verse, as well as the additional ones given in vv. 34–38, were all in the former kingdom of Sihon, that is, in the region between the Jabbok and the Arnon. Cf. 21:23–24; Jos 13:19–21, 24–27.
- 32:12 Kenizzite: a member of the clan of Kenaz, which, according to Gn 36:11, 15, 42, was Edomite; but, according to Nm 13:6; 34:19, Caleb belonged to the tribe of Judah; cf. also Jos 14:6, 14.
- 32:20–22 Since the ark of the Lord was carried into battle with the Israelite army, the vanguard was said to march before the Lord (see Jos 6:6–9).
- 32:32 This side of the Jordan: lit., “beyond the Jordan”; the perspective in Hebrew is from the west bank looking toward the east bank where the Reubenites and Gadites finally settled.
- 32:33 The preceding is concerned solely with the two tribes of Gad and Reuben and with the land of the former kingdom of Sihon; it seems probable that the sudden reference here to the half-tribe of Manasseh and to their territory in Bashan, the former kingdom of Og, is a later addition to the text.
- 32:38 The phrase in parentheses is probably a gloss, warning the reader perhaps to substitute some other word for Nebo and Baal, the names of foreign deities mentioned in the last two city names. They called by their old names: lit., “they called by their names”; however, some understand the current Hebrew text to mean, “they called by new names,” or “their own names.”
- 32:41 Havvoth-jair: that is, “villages of Jair.”
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