Our little ones, our wives, our flocks, and all our cattle ,.... Their families, and their substance: shall be there in the cities of Gilead ; such as are before mentioned, Numbers 32:3 and which they proposed to repair and fortify, to preserve their families and possessions from the Amorites about them. read more
But thy servants will pass over ,.... The river Jordan, and go into the land of Canaan: every man armed for war ; Moses had required that all should go over, and they consent to it, and promise that everyone should, though this was not insisted on when they came to it, for only about 40,000 went over, Joshua 4:13 , whereas the two tribes of Gad and Reuben, and the half tribe of Manasseh, numbered more than 110,000; see Numbers 26:7 , before the Lord to battle, as my lord saith ;... read more
So concerning them Moses commanded ,.... That they should have a grant of the land they requested: this looks as if Moses determined the case himself, though perhaps it was by the vote, and with the consent of the whole court; only Moses strictly enjoined them to observe it, namely: Eleazar the priest, and Joshua the son of Nun, and the chief fathers of the tribes of the children of Israel ; and the rather he did this, because he knew that he should die, and not see either the thing... read more
And Moses said unto them ,.... To Eleazar, Joshua, and the princes of the congregation: if the children of Gad and the children of Reuben will pass with you over Jordan, every man armed to battle before the Lord ; as they have promised they will: and the land shall be subdued before you ; which must be done before their return: then ye shall give them the land of Gilead for a possession ; which, no doubt, included that of Jazer too, since Jaazer, which is the same, is after... read more
But if they will not pass over with you armed ,.... Shall change their minds, and break their promise, and refuse to go over the river Jordan with the other tribes, and armed ready to engage in battle with the enemy: they shall have possessions among you in the land of Canaan ; take their lot there, but have no inheritance or possessions on this side Jordan. read more
And the children of Gad and the children of Reuben answered ,...., The word is in the singular number, and shows their unanimity, that they agreed to what Moses said, and replied all of them as one man, as Jarchi expresses it; and it may be there was one that was the mouth of them all, and answered for them: saying, as the Lord hath said unto thy servants, so will we do ; here they make use of the word Jehovah, taking what Moses had said unto them as from the Lord, and therefore should... read more
We will pass over armed before the Lord into the land of Canaan ,.... This is repeated again and again, for the confirmation of it, assuring that it should be strictly performed according to the true intent of it: that the possession of our inheritance on this side Jordan may be ours ; that is, that the possession and inheritance they desired, and which had been granted them, on conditions to be performed by them, might be ratified and confirmed unto them on their fulfilment of them. read more
And Moses gave unto them ,.... By word of mouth, in the presence of the court, or rather by some instrument drawn up and signed by him and the sanhedrim, or witnessed by them: even to the children of Gad, and to the children of Reuben, and unto half the tribe of Manasseh the son of Joseph ; no mention is made of this half tribe joining with the other two tribes in the request to settle on this side Jordan, and therefore it is generally thought that they were encouraged, by the success... read more
And the children of Gad built ,.... Or rather repaired the walls and fortifications, and rebuilt houses which had been demolished in the wars with Sihon and Og; when the following places were taken by the Israelites: Dibon, and Ataroth, and Aroer ; the two first are mentioned in Numbers 32:3 . Aroer was a city situated on the river Arnon, and was after this in the hands of the Moabites: Jerom says F17 De loc. Heb. fol. 87. I. , it was showed in his day on the top of the mountain,... read more
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John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Numbers 32:25
And the children of Gad and the children of Reuben spake unto Moses, saying ,.... In answer to his speech: thy servants will do as my lord commandeth ; both with respect to their march before the Lord to battle, and with respect to their provision for their children and flocks. read more