Numbers 32:1-42

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 and sheep. They saw that the regions called Jazer and Gilead were suitable for these animals. v2 So they went to Moses, Eleazar the priest and the other leaders of *Israel.

They said, v3-4 ‘The *LORD has helped us to *capture some land that is suitable for cows and sheep. And we have many cows and sheep. This land is near the towns called Ataroth, Dibon, Jazer, Nimrah, Heshbon, Elealeh, Sebam, Nebo and Beon. v5 Please give this land to us as our property. Do not make us live in the country across the Jordan river.’

v6 Moses said to Reuben’s *tribe and Gad’s *tribe, ‘The rest of the *Israelites are going to war! But you say that you want to stay here. v7 If you stay here, the other *Israelites will not want to cross the river. Then they will not enter the country that the *LORD has promised to give to them. v8 The same thing happened when I sent your *ancestors from Kadesh-Barnea to look at the country. v9 They went to Eshcol valley and they saw the country. Then they returned. They told the people that they should not enter the country. This was the country that the *LORD had given to them.

v10 The *LORD became very angry on that day. He made a serious promise. v11 He said, “No adult *Israelite will enter the *Promised Land. No person who left the country called Egypt as an adult will enter it. (Adult here means over 20 years old.) They will not enter the country that I promised to give to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. This is because none of these adults was loyal to me, v12 except Caleb and Joshua. (Caleb is the son of Jephunneh, from the family of Kenaz. Joshua is the son of Nun.) Caleb and Joshua remained completely loyal to me.”

v13 The *LORD was very angry with all the other *Israelites. So he made them wander in the *desert for 40 years. After 40 years, everyone from that *generation had died who had *sinned against God.

v14 But now you (people from Reuben’s *tribe and Gad’s *tribe) are doing the same thing! You are wicked men, like your *ancestors. You are making the *LORD even more angry with *Israel. v15 If you refuse to follow the *LORD, he will leave his people in the *desert again. It will be your fault!’

v16 The men from Reuben’s *tribe and Gad’s *tribe answered, ‘Let us build pens for our animals here. Also, let us build towns for our wives and children. v17 They can stay in the towns. There, they will be safe against attack. But we will get ready to fight and to lead the other *tribes into battle. We will continue to fight until they have received their land. v18 We will not return to our homes until every *Israelite has received his own property. v19 We will not take any land on the other side of the Jordan river. Our land is here, on the east side of the river.’

v20 Moses said, ‘You have promised to get ready to fight for the *LORD. v21-22 Also, you have agreed to cross the Jordan river. And you have agreed to stay with the other *tribes, until the *LORD defeats our enemies. You have agreed to fight until the *LORD has made our enemies leave the land. If you do all this, then afterwards you can return to your own land. You do not have to stay with the other *Israelites. You will then be free from your duties to the *LORD and to the other *Israelites. And the *LORD will give you this land (on the east of the river) as your property. v23 But if you do not do this, you will be *sinning against the *LORD. And you will definitely receive a punishment because of your *sin.

v24 So go and build towns for your wives and children. Build pens for your animals. But do what you have promised!’

v25 The men from Reuben’s *tribe and Gad’s *tribe said, ‘Sir, we are your servants. We will do what you have ordered. v26 Our wives, children and animals will stay here, in the towns in Gilead. v27 But every man among us will prepare for battle. We will cross the Jordan river. We will fight for the *LORD. We will do what you have said.’

v28 Then Moses gave some instructions to Eleazar the priest, Joshua (Nun’s son) and the other leaders of *Israel. He said, v29 ‘Every man from Reuben’s *tribe and Gad’s *tribe must get ready for battle. They must cross the Jordan river with you. If they do this, give the region called Gilead to them as their property. You can do this when, with their help, you have *captured the country.

v30 But if they do not cross the Jordan river with you, do not allow them to have that region. If they do not fight with you, their only right will be to receive property with the other *tribes. They will have to live in the country called Canaan (on the west side of the Jordan river).’

v31 The men from Gad’s *tribe and Reuben’s *tribe answered, ‘Sir, we are your servants. We will obey the *LORD’s commands. v32 We will cross the Jordan river. We will be ready to fight for the *LORD in the country called Canaan. But we will keep the land that is our property here, east of the Jordan river.’

v33 So Moses gave land to Gad’s *tribe, Reuben’s *tribe and half of Manasseh’s *tribe. He gave them the country that King Sihon had ruled. Also, he gave to them the country that King Og had ruled. This included all the towns with the land round them. (Sihon was the king of the *Amorites. Og was the king of the country called Bashan.)

v34 Gad’s *tribe built again the towns called Dibon, Ataroth, Aroer, v35 Atroth-Shophan, Jazer, Jogbehah, v36 Beth-Nimrah and Beth-Haran. They built walls that surrounded these towns. Also, they built pens for their sheep and goats.

v37 Reuben’s *tribe built again Heshbon, Elealeh, Kiriathaim, and v38 Sibmah. Also, they built again the towns that used to be called Nebo and Baal-Meon. They gave new names to these towns.

v39 Machir’s *clan, from Manasseh’s *tribe, went to the region called Gilead. They *captured its towns and they forced the *Amorites to leave. v40 So Moses gave Gilead to Machir’s *clan. They *settled there.

v41 A man called Jair, from Manasseh’s *tribe, attacked and *captured some villages. He renamed them ‘Jair’s villages’. v42 A man called Nobah *captured the town called Kenath and its villages. He renamed it ‘Nobah’.

Verses 1-5 The *Israelites were approaching the country called Canaan from the south east. Already, they controlled much of the land east of the Jordan river. They were preparing to cross the Jordan river to enter the *Promised Land.

However, Reuben’s *tribe and Gad’s *tribe wanted to *settle on the east side of the river. The *Israelites had *captured this land from King Og and King Sihon (Numbers 21:21-35). It had much grass, so it was good for cows and sheep.

So Reuben’s *tribe and Gad’s *tribe came to Moses and the other leaders with this request.

Verses 6-15 But Moses was angry because these two *tribes did not want to cross the river. He did not want to grant their request. If he granted it, the other *tribes might not want to enter the *Promised Land. He wanted all the *tribes to be united and to enter the *Promised Land together. Also, he thought that Reuben’s *tribe and Gad’s *tribe were afraid to enter the *Promised Land. He reminded them that the *Israelites’ *ancestors had been afraid to enter the *Promised Land. God had given this land to them. So it was a serious *sin to refuse to enter it. And God had punished the *Israelites (Numbers chapter 14). Moses did not want this to happen again. So he refused the request of Reuben’s *tribe and Gad’s *tribe.

Verses 16-19 But Reuben’s *tribe and Gad’s *tribe emphasised that their men would enter the *Promised Land with the other *tribes. They were not afraid of the people who lived there. They promised to fight with the other *tribes to defeat those people. But first, they wanted to build towns on the east side of the river. Then, after they had fought, the two *tribes wanted to return to their own land outside the country called Canaan.

Verses 20-27 So Moses agreed to grant their request. He reminded the two *tribes about what they had promised to do. If they did not fight with the other *tribes, they would receive a punishment for their *sin. Also, they would have to live in the country called Canaan, like the other *tribes.

Verses 28-32 Moses would die before the *Israelites entered the *Promised Land. He knew this (Numbers 27:12-14). So he gave instructions about this agreement to Eleazar, Joshua and the other leaders.

Verses 33-41 So each *tribe built again towns in their land, which was east of the Jordan river. Half of Manasseh’s *tribe had land there also. Reuben’s *tribe *settled in the south part. Gad’s *tribe had land in the north. Manasseh’s *tribe had land even further north (Joshua 13:15-33).

These *tribes did what they promised to do. They helped the other *tribes to fight for the land in Canaan. They continued to fight until those battles were over. Then they returned to their homes on the east side of the Jordan river. See Joshua chapter 22 for the rest of this story.

Israel ~ the Israelites and their nation.
LORD ~ a special name for God that his people use. In Hebrew, it is Yahweh. This name means something like ‘I am’ or ‘always alive’.

Lord ~ one who rules. God is the Lord who rules everyone.

Hebrew ~ the language of the *Jews.
capture ~ 1. to catch a person and to make that person your prisoner. 2. To take something from an enemy and to possess it.
ancestor ~ a previous member of a family, especially someone who was important during a past century.'Promised Land ~ the country that God promised to give to Abraham and his *descendants.
desert ~ a dry region, or a region where there is just a little water. A few wild plants are able to grow in some deserts. So people who are travelling can live in these deserts in their tents. And they can lead animals through the desert. The Israelites lived in a desert for nearly 40 years.

Israel ~ the Israelites and their nation.
sin ~ the nature of all people since Adam chose not to obey God. People’s lives are not acceptable to God because of sin. ‘Sins’ are states, attitudes and acts that are not acceptable to God. A person sins whenever that person is guilty of a sin.
settle ~ to decide to stay in a place and to make a home there.