The Israelites settle in Transjordania
1 ① The tribes of Reuben and Gad owned great herds of fine cattle. Now they saw that the land of Jazer and Gilead was good for raising livestock. 2Because of this they went to Moses, Eleazar the priest, and the leaders of the community, and said to them, 3“The land around Ataroth, Dibon, Jazer, Nimrah, Heshbon, Elealeh, Sebam, Nebo and Beon, 4which Yahweh has conquered in the sight of the community of Israel, is good land for raising cattle, and we have livestock. 5If we have deserved your friendship, give us this land for our own; do not make us cross the Jordan River.”
6Moses replied, “Shall you stay here while your brothers are off to the war? 7Why do you discourage the people of Israel from entering the land that Yahweh has given them? 8This is what your fathers did when I sent them from Kadesh-barnea to inspect the land. 9They went up as far as the Valley of Eshcol and inspected the land; but they kept the people of Israel from entering the land Yahweh had given them. 10Because of this Yahweh was angry that day and swore this oath, 11‘These men of twenty years and over, who came out from Egypt, will never see the land that I promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. For they have not followed me faithfully, 12except Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite, and Joshua son of Nun: these indeed have followed Yahweh faithfully.’ 13The anger of Yahweh blazed out against Israel and he made them wander in the desert for forty years, until the generation that offended Yahweh had all disappeared. 14And now, will you do as your fathers did? You, new generation of sinful people, will you add still more to the burning anger of Yahweh against Israel! 15If you turn away from him, he will make your roaming in the desert still longer, and all this people will perish because of you.”
16But they explained their purpose to Moses, “We would like to build sheepfolds here for our flocks and towns for our young children. 17Then we ourselves will take up arms to lead the people of Israel until we have brought them to the place appointed for them: only our young children will stay in the fortified towns, safe from the inhabitants of the country. 18As for us we will not return to our homes until every one of the Israelites has taken possession of his inheritance. 19For we shall have no inheritance with them on the other bank of the Jordan River or beyond, since our inheritance has fallen to us here, east of the Jordan.”
20Moses said to them, “If you mean what you have said, if you are prepared to go to battle in the presence of Yahweh, 21and if all your fighting men cross the Jordan River under the command of Yahweh, until he has defeated all his enemies, 22then, once Yahweh has taken possession of the land, you may go back; you shall be free of your obligation toward Yahweh and Israel, and this country shall be your inheritance before Yahweh. 23But if you do not, you will sin against Yahweh, and you can be sure that your sin will follow you. 24Build towns, then, for your young children and fenced places for your sheep; but do what you have promised.”
25The sons of Gad and the sons of Reuben said to Moses, “Your servants will do as you order, sir. 26Our children, our wives, our sheep and all our livestock will stay in the towns of Gilead, 27but we, every man armed for war, will cross over the Jordan before Yahweh to fight as you have ordered.”
28 ② Then Moses gave instructions about them to Eleazar, the priest, to Joshua, son of Nun, and to the other leaders of Israel. 29Moses said to them, “If the sons of Gad and the sons of Reuben, all who are armed for battle, cross the Jordan before Yahweh to fight with you, then once you have conquered the land, you will give them the country of Gilead for their possession. 30But if they do not cross over and go into battle with you, then they must have their possessions among you in the land of Canaan.”
31The sons of Gad and the sons of Reuben replied, “What Yahweh has said to us, we will do. 32We will cross into the land of Canaan and go into battle under Yahweh’s command; but our inheritance shall be beyond the Jordan.” 33Moses gave to the tribes of Gad and Reuben and to half the tribe of Manasseh, the territory of Sihon, king of the Amorites, as well as that of Og, king of Bashan, and all the land and towns surrounding them.
34The sons of Gad built Dibon, Ataroth, Aroer, 35Atroth-shophan, Jazer, Jogbehah, 36Beth-nimrah, Beth-haran, fortified towns, and fenced places for the sheep.
37The sons of Reuben built Heshbon, Elealeh, Kiriathaim, 38Nebo, Baal-meon (their names were changed), and Sibmah. They gave names to the towns they had built.
39The sons of Machir son of Manasseh went to Gilead. They conquered it and drove out the Amorites who were there. 40Moses gave Gilead to Machir son of Manasseh, and he settled there. 41Jair son of Manasseh attacked and captured some villages and called them villages of Jair. 42Nobah attacked and captured Kenath with its outlying villages, and called it Nobah after himself.
- Num 32,1 Not all the Israelites left Kadesh, the oasis in the desert where they stayed forty years, as one people. The traditional image of the Israelites leaving as a united group to conquer the land of Canaan is more poetic than historical. These people were independent and each group wandered freely with their flocks except in the most difficult times when they gathered, as happened in the time of Moses. Some left Kadesh before or after Moses: the most important group was the one who went to Gilead, on the other side of the Jordan. There, they settled peacefully in the midst of other nations. 32:20-22 emphasizes solidarity among the Israelites. Num 32,28 Compare Numbers 16:28 with John 5:19 and 5:36
- Num 32,1 Not all the Israelites left Kadesh, the oasis in the desert where they stayed forty years, as one people. The traditional image of the Israelites leaving as a united group to conquer the land of Canaan is more poetic than historical. These people were independent and each group wandered freely with their flocks except in the most difficult times when they gathered, as happened in the time of Moses. Some left Kadesh before or after Moses: the most important group was the one who went to Gilead, on the other side of the Jordan. There, they settled peacefully in the midst of other nations. 32:20-22 emphasizes solidarity among the Israelites. Num 32,28 Compare Numbers 16:28 with John 5:19 and 5:36
