CONTEXT
PART
7A: Records & Laws (Continued)
Ch.32:
[Records] The Transjordan Tribes
•
two and a half tribes settle
land to the east
Ch.
33:
[Records]
Israel's
Journey: Egypt to Promised Land
•
record of their travels
Ch.
34:
[Records]
Boundaries
and Locations
•
boundaries of the land and
land to the east
Ch.
35:
[Law]
Towns
for the Levites & Cities of Refuge
•
distinguishing between murder
& manslaughter & provisions for refuge
Ch.
36
:
[Law]
More about Succession -
Zelophehad's Daughters
•
keeping land within the
tribes
|
FRAMEWORKS:
Numbers 32: The Transjordan Tribes
v.1-5
A Request made for the land east of Jordan
v.6-15
Moses strongly questions their request
v.16-19
They lay out their case
v.20-24
Moses gives conditional approval
v.25-27
They Agree
v.28-30
Moses conveys this to Eleazar
v.31-33
The ‘Deal' is Agreed
v.34-42
The Two and a half tribes establish the land to the east
v.1-5
A Request made for the land east of Jordan
v.1
The
Reubenites and Gadites , who had very large herds
and flocks, saw that the lands of Jazer and Gilead were suitable
for livestock.
v.2
So
they came to Moses and Eleazar the priest and to the leaders of
the community, and said,
v.3
“Ataroth,
Dibon, Jazer, Nimrah, Heshbon, Elealeh, Sebam, Nebo and Beon—
v.4
the
land the Lord subdued before the people of Israel—are suitable
for livestock, and your servants have livestock.
v.5
If
we have found favour in your eyes,” they said, “let this land
be given to your servants as our possession. Do not make us cross
the Jordan.”
[Notes:
Having arrived in the area of TransJordan, on the Plains
of Moab, two of the tribes look around and like what they see,
as suitable for livestock and ask Moses if they may settle it.]
v.6-15
Moses strongly questions their request
v.6
Moses
said to the Gadites and Reubenites, “Should your fellow Israelites
go to war while you sit here?
v.7
Why
do you discourage the Israelites from crossing over into the land
the Lord has given them?
v.8
This
is what your fathers did when I sent them from Kadesh Barnea to
look over the land.
v.9
After
they went up to the Valley of Eshkol and viewed the land, they
discouraged the Israelites from entering the land the Lord had
given them.
v.10
The
Lord's anger was aroused that day and he swore this oath:
v.11
‘Because
they have not followed me wholeheartedly, not one of those who
were twenty years old or more when they came up out of Egypt will
see the land I promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob—
v.12
not
one except Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite and Joshua son
of Nun, for they followed the Lord wholeheartedly.'
v.13
The
Lord 's anger burned against Israel and he made them wander in
the wilderness forty years, until the whole generation of those
who had done evil in his sight was gone.
v.14
“And
here you are, a brood of sinners, standing in the place of your
fathers and making the Lord even more angry with Israel.
v.15
If
you turn away from following him, he will again leave all this
people in the wilderness, and you will be the cause of their destruction.”
[Notes:
Moses instinctive reaction is to be displeased as he
feels this will discourage the other tribes, in the same way they
were forty years back when the spies returned. He is very put
out by this request.]
v.16-19
They lay out their case
v.16
Then
they came up to him and said, “We would like to build pens here
for our livestock and cities for our women and children.
v.17
But
we will arm ourselves for battle and go ahead of the Israelites
until we have brought them to their place. Meanwhile our women
and children will live in fortified cities, for protection from
the inhabitants of the land.
v.18
We
will not return to our homes until each of the Israelites has
received their inheritance.
v.19
We
will not receive any inheritance with them on the other side of
the Jordan, because our inheritance has come to us on the east
side of the Jordan.”
[Notes:
Oh no, they respond, we may set up here but that won't
stop us coming with the rest of you to take the Land.]
v.20-24
Moses gives conditional approval
v.20
Then
Moses said to them, “If you will do this—if you will arm yourselves
before the Lord for battle
v.21
and
if all of you who are armed cross over the Jordan before the Lord
until he has driven his enemies out before him—
v.22
then
when the land is subdued before the Lord, you may return and be
free from your obligation to the Lord and to Israel. And this
land will be your possession before the Lord.
v.23
“But
if you fail to do this, you will be sinning against the Lord ;
and you may be sure that your sin will find you out.
v.24
Build
cities for your women and children, and pens for your flocks,
but do what you have promised.”
[Notes:
Very well, IF you will do that then that is fine.]
v.25-27
They Agree
v.25
The
Gadites and Reubenites said to Moses, “We your servants will do
as our lord commands.
v.26
Our
children and wives, our flocks and herds will remain here in the
cities of Gilead.
v.27
But
your servants, every man who is armed for battle, will cross over
to fight before the Lord, just as our lord says.”
[Notes:
They agree wholeheartedly. They will cross over and
fight with the rest.]
v.28-30
Moses conveys this to Eleazar
v.28
Then
Moses gave orders about them to Eleazar the priest and Joshua
son of Nun and to the family heads of the Israelite tribes.
v.29
He
said to them, “If the Gadites and Reubenites, every man armed
for battle, cross over the Jordan with you before the Lord, then
when the land is subdued before you, you must give them the land
of Gilead as their possession.
v.30
But
if they do not cross over with you armed, they must accept their
possession with you in Canaan.”
[Notes:
Probably aware that he hasn't long to go, Moses conveys
this to the other leaders so that they know he has agreed to this.]
v.31-33
The ‘Deal' is Agreed
v.31
The
Gadites and Reubenites answered, “Your servants will do what the
Lord has said.
v.32
We
will cross over before the Lord into Canaan armed, but the property
we inherit will be on this side of the Jordan.”
v.33
Then
Moses gave to the Gadites, the Reubenites and the half-tribe
of Manasseh son of Joseph the kingdom of Sihon king
of the Amorites and the kingdom of Og king of Bashan—the whole
land with its cities and the territory around them.
[Notes:
The two tribes concur and reiterate their willingness
to go and fight and so they are given the land there. For a reason
not stated, the half tribe of Manasseh is also given a portion
there.]
v.34-42
The Two and a half tribes establish the land to the east
v.34
The
Gadites built up Dibon, Ataroth, Aroer,
v.35
Atroth
Shophan, Jazer, Jogbehah,
v.36
Beth
Nimrah and Beth Haran as fortified cities, and built pens for
their flocks.
v.37
And
the Reubenites rebuilt Heshbon, Elealeh and
Kiriathaim,
v.38
as
well as Nebo and Baal Meon (these names were changed) and Sibmah.
They gave names to the cities they rebuilt.
v.39
The
descendants of Makir son of Manasseh went to
Gilead, captured it and drove out the Amorites who were there.
v.40
So
Moses gave Gilead to the Makirites, the descendants of Manasseh,
and they settled there.
v.41
Jair,
a descendant of Manasseh, captured their settlements and called
them Havvoth Jair.
v.42
And
Nobah captured Kenath and its surrounding settlements and called
it Nobah after himself.
[Notes:
In the settlement, Reuben take the southern area, north
of Moab, Gad takes the land between the Sea of Galilee and the
Dead Sea north of them, and Manasseh takes land north of them
to the east of the Sea of Galilee.]