1MAS los hijos de Rubén y los hijos de Gad tenían inmensa muchedumbre de ganado; y al mirar la tierra de Jazer y la tierra de Galaad, vieron que el lugar era lugar a propósito para ganado. 2Entonces vinieron los hijos de Gad y los hijos de Rubén, y hablaron con Moisés, y con el sacerdote Eleazar, y con los príncipes de la Congregación, diciendo: 3Atarot, y Dibón, y Jazer, y Nimra, y Hesbón, y Eleale, y Sebam, y Nebo, y Beón, 4la tierra que hirió Jehová delante de la Congregación de Israel, es tierra propia para ganado, y tus siervos tienen ganado. 5Dijeron pues: Si hemos hallado gracia en tus ojos, dése esta tierra a tus siervos por posesión suya, y no nos hagas pasar el Jordán. 6¶Entonces Moisés respondió a los hijos de Gad y a los hijos de Rubén: ¿Por ventura vuestros hermanos irán a la guerra, y vosotros os quedaréis aquí? 7¿Y por qué queréis desalentar el corazón de los hijos de Israel, para que no pasen adelante a la tierra que les ha dado Jehová? 8Así hicieron vuestros padres cuando los envié desde Cades-barnea para reconocer la tierra; 9pues subieron hasta el Valle de Escol y reconocieron la tierra; y luego hicieron desalentar el corazón de los hijos de Israel, para que no entrasen en la tierra que les había dado Jehová, 10y encendióse la ira de Jehová en aquel día, y juró diciendo: 11De seguro que aquellos hombres que subieron de Egipto, de edad de veinte años arriba, no verán la tierra que prometí con juramento a Abraham, a Isaac y a Jacob; porque no me han seguido cumplidamente; 12salvo Caleb, hijo de Jefone cenizeo, y Josué hijo de Nun; porque ellos han seguido cumplidamente a Jehová. 13Por tanto se encendió la ira de Jehová contra Israel, de modo que los hizo andar errantes por el desierto cuarenta años, hasta que fuese acabada aquella generación que había hecho este mal a los ojos de Jehová. 14Y ahora, he aquí que vosotros os habéis levantado en lugar de vuestros padres, una prole de hombres pecadores, para aumentar todavía más el ardor de la ira de Jehová contra Israel. 15Porque si os volviereis de en pos de él, él volverá a dejar otra vez a los hijos de Israel en el desierto; y así vosotros seréis la perdición de todo este pueblo. 16¶Entonces ellos se acercaron a él, y le dijeron: Edificaremos aquí rediles para nuestro ganado, y ciudades para nuestras familias; 17pero nosotros nos armaremos para marchar al frente de los hijos de Israel, hasta que los hayamos introducido en su lugar; en el entretanto habitarán nuestras familias en las ciudades fortificadas, a causa de los moradores del país. 18No nos volveremos a nuestras casas hasta que los demás hijos de Israel tengan en posesión cada uno su propia herencia. 19Porque nosotros no tendremos herencia con ellos de la otra parte del Jordán y más allá; pues que nos ha tocado ya nuestra herencia de ésta parte del Jordán, hacia donde nace el sol. 20¶Entonces les dijo Moisés: Si hiciereis esto, si os armareis para marchar delante de Jehová a la guerra, 21y todo hombre armado de vosotros pasare el Jordán delante de Jehová hasta que él haya desposeído a sus enemigos delante de sí, 22y la tierra esté sojuzgada delante de Jehová, entonces después de esto podréis volver, y seréis sin culpa para con Jehová y para con Israel; y será esta tierra posesión vuestra delante de Jehová. 23Mas si no lo hiciereis así, he aquí que habréis pecado contra Jehová; y tened por cierto que vuestro pecado os alcanzará. 24Edificaos pues ciudades para vuestras familias y rediles para vuestros rebaños; y haced lo que ha proferido vuestra boca. 25¶Y respondieron los hijos de Gad y los hijos de Rubén a Moisés, diciendo: Tus siervos harán del modo que mi señor nos manda. 26Nuestros niños, nuestras mujeres, nuestro ganado y todas nuestras bestias se quedarán ahí en las ciudades de Galaad; 27mas tus siervos, todos los hombres armados del ejército, pasarán delante de Jehová a la guerra, conforme a lo que dice mi señor. 28¶Moisés pues mandó acerca de ellos a Eleazar el sumo sacerdote, y a Josué hijo de Nun, y a las cabezas de las casas paternas de las tribus de los hijos de Israel; 29y les dijo Moisés: Si los hijos de Gad y los hijos de Rubén pasaren con vosotros el Jordán, todos los armados para la guerra, delante de Jehová, hasta que esté sojuzgada la tierra delante de vosotros, les daréis la tierra de Galaad por posesión suya. 30Mas si no pasaren armados con vosotros, habrán de tomar posesión en medio de vosotros en la tierra de Canaán 31A lo que respondieron los hijos de Gad y los hijos de Rubén, diciendo: Según lo que ha dicho Jehová respecto de tus siervos, asimismo haremos. 32Pasaremos armados delante de Jehová a la tierra de Canaán, y quedará para nosotros la posesión de nuestra herencia de este lado del Jordán. 33¶De manera que Moisés dió a los hijos de Gad, y a los hijos Rubén, y a la media tribu de Manasés, hijo de José, el reino de Sehón, rey amorreo, y el reino de Og, rey de Basán, la tierra conforme a las ciudades de ella dentro de sus términos, es decir, las ciudades del país todo en derredor. 34Entonces los hijos de Gad reedificaron a Dibón, y a Atarot, y a Aroer, 35y a Atarot-sofán, y a Jazer y Jogbeha, 36y a Bet-nimra y a Bet-harán, ciudades fortificadas; hicieron también rediles para los rebaños. 37Asimismo los hijos de Rubén reedificaron a Hesbón, y a Eleale, y a Kiryataim, 38y a Nebo, y a Baalmeón, (mudados los nombres), y a Sibma; y pusieron nuevos nombres a las ciudades que reedificaron. 39Fueron también los hijos de Maquir, hijo de Manasés, a la tierra de Galaad, y la tomaron, y desposeyeron a los Amorreos que habitaban en ella. 40Y Moisés dió la tierra de Galaad a Maquir, hijo de Manasés, el cual habitó en ella. 41Asimismo Jaír hijo de Manasés fué y tomó las villas de aquellas gentes, y las llamó Villas de Jaír. 42Noba también fué y tomó a Kenat con sus aldeas, y la llamó Noba, según su mismo nombre.
Jamieson Fausset Brown Bible Commentary 1 THE REUBENITES AND GADITES ASK FOR AN INHERITANCE. (Num. 32:1-42)
the land of Jazer, and the land of Gilead--A complete conquest had been made of the country east of the Jordan, comprising "the land of Jazer," which formed the southern district between the Arnon and Jabbok and "the land of Gilead," the middle region between the Jabbok and Jarmouk, or Hieromax, including Bashan, which lay on the north of that river. The whole of this region is now called the Belka. It has always been famous for its rich and extensive pastures, and it is still the favorite resort of the Bedouin shepherds, who frequently contend for securing to their immense flocks the benefit of its luxuriant vegetation. In the camp of ancient Israel, Reuben and Gad were pre-eminently pastoral; and as these two tribes, being placed under the same standard, had frequent opportunities of conversing and arranging about their common concerns, they united in preferring a request that the trans-jordanic region, so well suited to the habits of a pastoral people, might be assigned to them.
6 Moses said unto the children of Gad and to the children of Reuben, Shall your brethren go to war, and shall ye sit here--Their language was ambiguous; and Moses, suspicious that this proposal was an act of unbelief, a scheme of self-policy and indolence to escape the perils of warfare and live in ease and safety, addressed to them a reproachful and passionate remonstrance. Whether they had really meditated such a withdrawal from all share in the war of invasion, or the effect of their leader's expostulation was to drive them from their original purpose, they now, in answer to his impressive appeal, declared it to be their sincere intention to co-operate with their brethren; but, if so, they ought to have been more explicit at first.
16 they came near--The narrative gives a picturesque description of this scene. The suppliants had shrunk back, dreading from the undisguised emotions of their leader that their request would be refused. But, perceiving, from the tenor of his discourse, that his objection was grounded only on the supposition that they would not cross the Jordan to assist their brethren, they became emboldened to approach him with assurances of their goodwill.
We will build sheepfolds here for our cattle, and cities for our little ones--that is, rebuild, repair. It would have been impossible within two months to found new cities, or even to reconstruct those which had been razed to the ground. Those cities of the Amorites were not absolutely demolished, and they probably consisted only of mud-built, or dry-stone walls.
17 and our little ones shall dwell in the fenced cities because of the inhabitants of the land--There was good policy in leaving a sufficient force to protect the conquered region lest the enemy should attempt reprisals; and as only forty thousand of the Reubenites and the Gadites, and a half of Manasseh, passed over the Jordan (
Josh 4:13), there were left for the security of the new possessions 70,580 men, besides women and children under twenty years (compare
Num 26:7,
Num 26:18,
Num 26:34).
We ourselves will go ready armed--that is, all of us in a collective body, or as many as may be deemed necessary, while the rest of our number shall remain at home to provide for the sustenance and secure the protection of our families and flocks. (See on
Josh 4:12).
20 Moses said unto them, If ye will do this thing--with sincerity and zeal.
go before the Lord to war--The phrase was used in allusion to the order of march in which the tribes of Reuben and Gad immediately preceded the ark (see on Num. 2:10-31), or to the passage over the Jordan, in which the ark stood in mid-channel, while all the tribes marched by in succession (
Josh 3:4), of course including those of Reuben and Gad, so that, literally, they passed over before the Lord and before the rest of Israel (
Josh 4:13). Perhaps, however, the phrase is used merely in a general sense to denote their marching on an expedition, the purpose of which was blessed with the presence, and destined to promote the glory, of God. The displeasure which Moses had felt on the first mention of their proposal had disappeared on the strength of their solemn assurances. But a lurking suspicion of their motives seems still to have been lingering in his mind--he continued to speak to them in an admonitory strain; and he concluded by warning them that in case of their failing to redeem their pledge, the judgments of an offended God would assuredly fall upon them. This emphatic caution against such an eventuality throws a strong doubt on the honesty of their first intentions; and yet, whether through the opposing attitude or the strong invectives of Moses they had been brought to a better state of mind, their final reply showed that now all was right.
28 concerning them Moses commanded--The arrangement itself, as well as the express terms on which he assented to it, was announced by the leader to the public authorities. The pastoral country the two tribes had desired was to be granted them on condition that they would lend their aid to their brethren in the approaching invasion of Canaan. If they refused or failed to perform their promise, those possessions should be forfeited, and they themselves compelled to go across the Jordan and fight for a settlement like the rest of their brethren.
33 half the tribe of Manasseh--It is nowhere explained in the record how they were incorporated with the two tribes, or what broke this great tribe into two parts, of which one was left to follow the fortunes of its brethren in the settled life of the western hills, while the other was allowed to wander as a nomadic tribe over the pasture lands of Gilead and Bashan. They are not mentioned as accompanying Reuben and Gad in their application to Moses [
Num 32:1]; neither were they included in his first directions (
Num 32:25); but as they also were a people addicted to pastoral pursuits and possessed as immense flocks as the other two, Moses invited the half of them to remain, in consequence, probably, of finding that this region was more than sufficient for the pastoral wants of the others, and he may have given them the preference, as some have conjectured, for their valorous conduct in the contests with the Amorites (compare
Num 32:39, with
Josh 17:1).
34 And the children of Gad built--(See on
Num 32:16).
Dibon--identified with Dheban, now in ruins, an hour's distance from the Arnon (Mojeb).
Ataroth (Hebrew, "crowns")--There are several towns so called in Scripture, but this one in the tribe of Gad has not been identified.
Aroer--now Arair, standing on a precipice on the north bank of the Arnon.
35 Atroth, Shophan, and Jaazer, &c.--Jaazer, near a famed fountain, Ain Hazier, the waters of which flow into Wady Schaib, about fifteen miles from Hesbon. Beth-nimrah, now Nimrin; Heshbon, now Hesban; Elealeh (Hebrew, "the high"), now Elaal; Kirjathaim (Hebrew, "the double city"); Nebo, now Neba, near the mountain of that name; Baal-meon, now Myoun, in ruins, where was a temple of Baal (
Josh 13:17;
Jer 48:23); Shibmah, or Shebam (
Num 32:3), near Heshbon, famous for vines (
Isa 16:9-
Isa 16:10;
Jer 48:32).
38 (their names being changed)--either because it was the general custom of conquerors to do so; or, rather, because from the prohibition to mention the names of other gods (
Exod 23:13), as Nebo and Baal were, it was expedient on the first settlement of the Israelites to obliterate all remembrance of those idols. (See
Josh 13:17-
Josh 13:20).
39 Gilead--now Jelud.
41 Havoth-jair--that is, "tent-villages." Jair, who captured them, was a descendant of Manasseh on his mother's side (
1Chr 1:21-22).
42 Nobah--also a distinguished person connected with the eastern branch of the tribe of Manasseh.