1Y los hijos de Rubén y los hijos de Gad tenían mucho ganado: mucho en gran multitud: los cuales viendo la tierra de Jazer y de Gilad, he aquí el lugar, era lugar de ganado. 2Y vinieron los hijos de Gad y los hijos de Rubén, y hablaron a Moisés, y a ELazar el ministro, y a los príncipes de la congregación, al decir: 3Atarot, y Dibón, y Jazer, y Nimrá, y Hesbón, y ELale, y Sebam, y Nebo, y Beón, 4La tierra que Jehovah (el Eterno) hirió delante de la congregación de IsraeL, es tierra de ganado, y tus siervos tienen ganado. 5Y dijeron: Si hallamos gracia en tus ojos dése esta tierra a tus siervos en heredad, no nos hagas pasar el Yardén. 6Y respondió Moisés a los hijos de Gad, y a los hijos de Rubén: ¿Vendrán vuestros hermanos a la guerra, y vosotros os quedaréis aquí? 7Y ¿por qué impedís el ánimo de los hijos de IsraeL, para que no pasen a la tierra que les ha dado Jehovah (el Eterno)? 8Así hicieron vuestros padres cuando los envié desde Cades-Barnea para que viesen esta tierra: 9Que subieron hasta el arroyo de Escol, y vieron la tierra, e impidieron el ánimo de los hijos de IsraeL para no venir a la tierra, que Jehovah (el Eterno) les había dado. 10Y el furor de Jehovah (el Eterno) se encendió entonces, y juró, al decir: 11Que no verán los varones que subieron de Mizraim de veinte años y arriba, la tierra, por la cual juré a Abraham, Izhac, y Jacob, por cuanto no fueron perfectos en pos de mí; 12Excepto Caleb, hijo de Jefune Kenizita, y Jehosúa, hijo de Nun, que fueron perfectos en pos de Jehovah (el Eterno). 13Y el furor de Jehovah (el Eterno) se encendió en IsraeL, y cuarenta años los hizo andar errantes por el desierto, hasta que toda aquella generación fue acabada, que había hecho mal delante de Jehovah (el Eterno). 14Y he aquí vosotros habéis sucedido en lugar de vuestros padres, crianza de hombres pecadores, para añadir aun a la ira de Jehovah (el Eterno) contra IsraeL. 15Si os volviereis de en pos de él, él volverá otra vez a dejarlo en el desierto, y destruiréis a todo este pueblo. 16Entonces ellos se llegaron a él, y dijeron: Edificaremos aquí majadas para nuestro ganado, y ciudades para nuestros niños; 17Y nosotros nos armaremos, e iremos con diligencia delante de los hijos de IsraeL, hasta que los metamos en su lugar: y nuestros niños quedarán en ciudades fuertes a causa de los habitadores de la tierra. 18No volveremos a nuestras casas hasta que los hijos de IsraeL posean cada uno su heredad: 19Porque no tomaremos heredad con ellos tras el Yardén, ni lejos, por cuanto tendremos ya nuestra heredad de estotra parte del Yardén al oriente. 20Entonces Moisés les respondió: Si lo hiciereis así, si os armareis delante de Jehovah (el Eterno) para la guerra, 21Y pasareis todos vosotros armados el Yardén delante de Jehovah (el Eterno), hasta que haya echado sus enemigos de delante de sí, 22Y que la tierra sea sojuzgada delante de Jehovah (el Eterno), y después volváis, seréis absueltos de Jehovah (el Eterno) y de IsraeL, y esta tierra será vuestra en heredad delante de Jehovah (el Eterno). 23Mas si no lo hiciereis así, he aquí, habréis pecado a Jehovah (el Eterno), y sabed que vuestro pecado os alcanzará. 24Edificaos ciudades para vuestros niños, y majadas para vuestras ovejas, y haced lo que ha salido de vuestra boca. 25Y hablaron los hijos de Gad y los hijos de Rubén a Moisés, al decir: Tus siervos harán como mi señor ha mandado. 26Nuestros niños, nuestras mujeres, nuestros ganados, y todas nuestras bestias estarán allí en las ciudades de Gilad: 27Y tus siervos pasarán todos armados de guerra, delante de Jehovah (el Eterno) a la guerra de la manera que mi señor dice. 28Entonces Moisés los encomendó a ELazar el ministro, y a Jehosúa , hijo de Nun, y a los príncipes de los padres 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 Yardén, todos armados de guerra delante de Jehovah (el Eterno), y la tierra fuere sojuzgada delante de vosotros, les daréis la tierra de Gilad en posesión; 30Mas si no pasaren armados con vosotros: entonces tendrán posesión entre vosotros en la tierra de Kenaán. 31Y los hijos de Gad y los hijos de Rubén respondieron, al decir: Lo que Jehovah (el Eterno) ha dicho a tus siervos, haremos: 32Nosotros pasaremos armados delante de Jehovah (el Eterno) a la tierra de Kenaán, y la posesión de nuestra heredad será de esta parte del Yardén. 33Así Moisés les dio, a los hijos de Gad y a los hijos de Rubén, y a la media tribu de Manasés, hijo de Yosef, el reino de Sijón, rey Emorita, y el reino de Og, rey de Basán, la tierra con sus ciudades y términos, las ciudades de la tierra al derredor. 34Y los hijos de Gad edificaron a Dibón y a Atarot, y a Aroer, 35Y a Rot, y a Sofam, y a Jazer, y a Yagebohá, 36Y a Bet-Nimera, y a Bet-Haram, ciudades fuertes, y majadas de ovejas. 37Y los hijos de Rubén edificaron a Hesbón, y a ELale, y a Kiriataim, 38Y a Nebo, y a Baal-Meón, mudados los nombres, y a Sibma, y pusieron nombres a las ciudades que edificaron. 39Y los hijos de Maquir, hijo de Manasés, fueron a Gilad, y la tomaron, y echaron al Emorita que estaba en ella. 40Y Moisés dio a Gilad a Maquir hijo de Manasés, el cual habitó en ella. 41También Jair hijo de Manasés fue, y tomó sus aldeas, y les puso nombre Havot-Jair. 42Asimismo Nóbah fue, y tomó a Kenat y sus aldeas, y le puso nombre Nóbah, conforme a su 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.