Commentaries Dictionaries Concordances

Matthew Poole's Concise Commentary

Numbers 32:20

Before the Lord; either,

1. Sincerely and heartily, as in God's presence. Or rather,

2. Before the ark, which was the token of God's presence. He alludes either to the order of the tribes in their march, whereby Reuben and Gad marched next and immediately before the ark, as appears from Numbers 2:10,14,16,17; or to the manner of their passage over Jordan, wherein the ark went first into Jordan, and stood there whilst all the tribes marched over Jordan by and before it, Jos 3 Jos 5, and these amongst the rest, as is expressly noted in these very words, that they passed over before the Lord, Joshua 4:13.

Continues after advertising

See also Numbers 32:20 in other biblical comments:

  • Annotated Bible by A.C. Gaebelein

    8. THE TRIBES OF REUBEN, GAD, HALF-MANASSEH AND THEIR PORTION CHAPTER 32 _ 1. The petition of Reuben and Gad (Numbers 32:1)_ 2. The rebuke by Moses (Numbers 32:6) 3. Their answer (Numbers 32:16)

  • Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible

    A REQUEST BY REUBEN AND GAD FOR PERMISSION TO SETTLE ON THE E. OF JORDAN. The character of the high moorland S. of the Jabbok still bears out the description of it as suitable for pasturage (Numbers 3...

  • Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

    IF YE WILL GO ARMED BEFORE THE LORD— i.e. _Before the ark,_ which was the symbol of the Divine presence; for the three tribes of Reuben, Gad, and Simeon marched immediately before the sanctuary, ch. N...

  • College Press Bible Study Textbook Series

    H. LAND GIVEN TO GAD, REUBEN, AND ONE-HALF OF MANASSEH vv. 20-33 TEXT Numbers 32:20. And Moses said unto them, If ye will do this thing, if ye will go armed before the Lord to war, 21. And will go all...

  • Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

    _AND MOSES SAID UNTO THEM, IF YE WILL DO THIS THING, IF YE WILL GO ARMED BEFORE THE LORD TO WAR,_ If ye will do this thing - with sincerity and zeal. YE WILL GO ARMED - i:e., all of you in a collect...

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    ALLOTMENT OF TERRITORY TO THE TRIBES OF GAD AND REUBEN AND THE HALFTRIBE OF MANASSEH 1-5. The tribes of Reuben and Gad request that the land of Gilead lying on the E. side of the Jordan be assigned to...

  • EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries

    THE OLD TESTAMENT BOOK OF NUMBERS IN THE DESERT NUMBERS _MARION ADAMS_ CHAPTER 32 THE LAND EAST OF THE JORDAN RIVER – NUMBERS 32:1-42 V1 Reuben’s *tribe and Gad’s *tribe owned many cows

  • Ellicott's Commentary On The Whole Bible

    IF YE WILL GO ARMED BEFORE THE LORD... — The same verb and the same preposition are here used which are used in Numbers 32:17. It may be inferred from this expression that the army of the Israelites w...

  • ETCBC data on Hebrew bible

    וַ יֹּ֤אמֶר אֲלֵיהֶם֙ מֹשֶׁ֔ה אִֽם ־תַּעֲשׂ֖וּן...

  • Expositor's Bible Commentary (Nicoll)

    2. SETTLEMENT Numbers 32:1 The request of the men of Reuben and Gad that they should be allowed to settle on the eastern side of Jordan in the land of Jazer and the land of Gilead was at first refuse...

  • Frederick Brotherton Meyer's Commentary

    WARNING AGAINST FORSAKING THEIR BRETHREN Numbers 32:20 These two and a half tribes never entered the national life, as did those on the other side of Jordan. They were far from the center of religio...

  • G. Campbell Morgan's Exposition on the Whole Bible

    We have here the record of what without doubt was a wrong committed by two and a half tribes, of Moses' failure in judgment, and, consequently, of a grave mistake. Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of M...

  • Geneva Study Bible Commentary

    And Moses said unto them, If ye will do this thing, if ye will go (f) armed before the LORD to war, (f) Before the Ark of the Lord....

  • George Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary

    _Lord, or the ark, under the guidance and protection of God._...

  • Hawker's Poor man's commentary

    I include the whole of these verses in one view, because they include the terms of agreement between Moses and the Reubenites and Gadites. The representation, which is here given of them, serves to ra...

  • Introductory Lectures - Commentary by William Kelly

    The successes given to the children of Israel alarmed some of their neighbours, more particularly Moab; and this gives occasion for a striking episode in the history which brought to issue as solemn a...

  • John Calvin's Bible Commentary

    20._And Moses said unto them. _Moses might seem to err on the side of excessive good-nature, in that he extends the boundaries prescribed by God, in complying with their wish. For, since their inherit...

  • John Darby's Synopsis

    THE FOLLOWING COMMENTARY COVERS CHAPTER S 32 AND 33. There is another thing connected with this: if we have occasioned wars out of Canaan, it is also through the indispensable wars of the people of Go...

  • John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

    AND MOSES SAID UNTO THEM,.... Being better disposed towards them, and more satisfied with the reasonableness of their request, it being explained unto him: IF YE WILL DO THIS THING; which they had pr...

  • Joseph Benson’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    _Before the Lord_ Before the ark, which was the token of God's presence. He alludes either to the order of the tribes in their march, whereby Reuben and Gad marched immediately before the ark, or to t...

  • KJV Original Language Details

    1 The Reubenites and Gadites sue for their inheritance on that side Iorden. 6 Moses reproueth them. 16 They offer him conditions to his content. 33 Moses assigneth them the land. 39 They conquere...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    THE PETITION GRANTED WITH THE PROPOSED CONDITION...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

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

  • Leslie M. Grant's Commentary on the Bible

    A PROPOSAL OF COMPROMISE (vs.1-15) The children of Israel being now east of the Jordan River, the land there appealed to the tribes of Reuben and Gad particularly because they had great possessions o...

  • Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible

    16-27 Here is the good effect of plain dealing. Moses, by showing their sin, and the danger of it, brought them to their duty, without murmuring or disputing. All men ought to consider the interests...

  • Notes on the Pentateuch by Charles Henry Mackintosh

    The fact recorded in this chapter has given rise to considerable discussion. Various have been the opinions advanced in reference to the conduct of the two tribes and a half. Were they right or were t...

  • Patchworkid's Personal Study Bible Notes

    Numbers 32:20 Moses H4872 said H559 (H8799) do H6213 (H8799) thing H1697 arm H2502 (H8735) before...

  • Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible

    THEIR GOING FORWARD IS CONFIRMED AND AGREED (NUMBERS 32:20). Numbers 32:20 ‘And Moses said to them, “If you will do this thing, if you will arm yourselves to go before Yahweh to the war, and every a...

  • Summarized Bible Commentary

    CONTENTS: The choice of the world-borderers. CHARACTERS: God, Moses, Caleb, Joshua. CONCLUSION: Would we choose our portion aright we must look above the things which are seen otherwise we will be g...

  • Sutcliffe's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    Numbers 32:12. _Save Caleb the Kenezite._ Kenaz was probably Caleb's grandfather. This solves all the difficulty in this passage. Raguel is called the father of Moses' wife, and he was evidently her g...

  • The Biblical Illustrator

    _We will build sheepfolds here for our cattle, and cities for our little ones._ But we ourselves will go ready armed. THE AMENDED PROPOSAL OF THE REUBENITES AND GADITES I. The amended proposal made...

  • The ESV Global Study Bible's Study Notes

    NUMBERS—NOTE ON NUMBERS 32:1__ The conquest of the kings of Transjordan, Sihon and Og, was described in ch. Numbers 21:1. The high hills (2,500 feet [762 m]) of Transjordan were good for raising ca

  • The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary

    CRITICAL AND EXPLANATORY NOTES In this chapter we have the account of the allotment of the territory conquered by Israel on the east of the Jordan to the tribes of Reuben and Gad, and the half tribe...

  • The Pulpit Commentaries

    EXPOSITION THE TWO AND A HALF TRIBES BEYOND JORDAN (Numbers 32:1). NUMBERS 32:1 THE CHILDREN OF REUBEN AND THE CHILDREN OF GAD. Reuben and

  • Through The Bible C2000 Serie by Chuck Smith

    Now as we get into chapter thirty-two, we find that Reuben, that is the tribe of Reuben, and Gad, and half of the tribe of Manasseh came to Moses and they said, "Hey, we are quite content to stay in t...

  • Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

    Deuteronomy 3:18; Joshua 1:13; Joshua 22:2; Joshua 4:12; Joshua 4:13

  • Wesley's Explanatory Notes

    Before the Lord — Before the ark, which was the token of God's presence. He alludes either to the order of the tribes in their march, whereby Reuben and Gad marched immediately before the ark, or to t...

Continues after advertising