Chapter Thirty-Two
Reuben and Gad Settle on the East Side of the Jordan River
There is an ongoing debate regarding the boundaries of the Promised Land due to the description of the boundaries being somewhat vague and referenced locations being unknown, which began with the promise, “When they came to the land of Canaan, Abram passed through the land to the place at Shechem, to the oak of Moreh. At that time the Canaanites were in the land. Then the LORD appeared to Abram and said, “To your offspring I will give this land.” So he built there an altar to the LORD, who had appeared to him.” (Genesis 12:5-7) The initial identification of the land was that it was currently being occupied by the Canaanites, which was later shown to Abram when God told him to, “Lift up your eyes and look from the place where you are, northward and southward and eastward and westward, or all the land that you see I will give to you and to your offspring forever.” (Genesis 13:14-15) Shortly afterwards, when God changed Abram’s name to Abraham, He provided more detail regarding that promise, “To your offspring I give this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the river Euphrates, the land of the Kenites, the Kenizzites, the Kadmonites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Rephaim, the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Girgashites and the Jebusites.” (Genesis 15:18-21) Since there is also some discussion regarding the location of the Canaanite cities of Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, Zeboiim, and Lasha,[1] some believe that the Canaanite territory may have extended east of the Jordan River. However, it is clear in Scripture that God considered the Jordan River as the primary eastern border of the Promised Land (one salient point to consider is that Moses was not allowed to enter the land, so being on the east side, where he was at this time, should not be considered a part of the Promised Land).
32:1 Now the people of Reuben and the people of Gad had a very great number of livestock. And they saw the land of Jazer and the land of Gilead, and behold, the place was a place for livestock. 2 So the people of Gad and the people of Reuben came and said to Moses and to Eleazar the priest and to the chiefs of the congregation, 3 “Ataroth, Dibon, Jazer, Nimrah, Heshbon, Elealeh, Sebam, Nebo, and Beon, 4 the land that the LORD struck down before the congregation of Israel, is a land for livestock, and your servants have livestock.” 5 And they said, “If we have found favor in your sight, let this land be given to your servants for a possession. Do not take us across the Jordan.”
To set the stage for most of the remaining chapters in the book of Numbers, we are told that the people from the tribes of Reuben and Gad had a large number of livestock. It may be impossible for a modern person to imagine what it would have been like to travel with millions of people, let alone try to move along with thousands, if not more, cattle, goats, and sheep! The people from these tribes apparently looked around the local area where they were camped and felt the area would be a good area to settle instead of the Promised Land. So they approach Moses, Eleazar, and the various chiefs of the people of Israel to ask for permission.
The request begins with a reasonable statement, “the land that YHWH struck down,” essentially sets up the next inquiry, the land was conquered, why not use it? They politely ask, “if we have found favor in your sight, let this land be given to your servants for a possession. Do not take us across the Jordan.” At first glance this request sounds like an innocent inquiry, however, it is contrary to God’s instructions.
The east side of the Jordan River is often referred to as the Transjordan region. The word is derived from the Latin word ‘trans’, meaning ‘across’ or ‘beyond’, in this case, the Jordan River. Even though the term is essentially the same as “beyond the Jordan”,[2] it has carried several applications in history, including issues regarding the “East Bank,” a British-controlled territory and as a reference to a kingdom.
32:6 But Moses said to the people of Gad and to the people of Reuben, “Shall your brothers go to the war while you sit here? 7 Why will you discourage the heart of the people of Israel from going over into the land that the LORD has given them? 8 Your fathers did this, when I sent them from Kadesh-barnea to see the land. 9 For when they went up to the Valley of Eshcol and saw the land, they discouraged the heart of the people of Israel from going into the land that the LORD had given them. 10 And the LORD’s anger was kindled on that day, and he swore, saying, 11 ‘Surely none of the men who came up out of Egypt, from twenty years old and upward, shall see the land that I swore to give to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, because they have not wholly followed me, 12 none except Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite and Joshua the son of Nun, for they have wholly followed the LORD.’ 13 And the LORD’s anger was kindled against Israel, and he made them wander in the wilderness forty years, until all the generation that had done evil in the sight of the LORD was gone. 14 And behold, you have risen in your fathers’ place, a brood of sinful men, to increase still more the fierce anger of the LORD against Israel! 15 For if you turn away from following him, he will again abandon them in the wilderness, and you will destroy all this people.”
Moses, knowing firsthand how God responds to disobedience, was rightfully angry upon hearing their request. The first point that he brings up is the issue of perception. If they are not willing to enter the Promised Land to do battle, the other tribes may not want to enter, an attitude that took the last forty years to change. Moses offers them a quick history lesson beginning when he sent out the spies from Kadesh-barnea into the Promised Land. He reminded them about God’s anger to their response and how their parents were banned from entering the land. Moses was concerned that would happen again if they disobeyed God and in turn discourage the other tribes from entering the Promised Land.
32:16 Then they came near to him and said, “We will build sheepfolds here for our livestock, and cities for our little ones, 17 but we will take up arms, ready to go before the people of Israel, until we have brought them to their place. And our little ones shall live in the fortified cities because of the inhabitants of the land. 18 We will not return to our homes until each of the people of Israel has gained his inheritance. 19 For we will not inherit with them on the other side of the Jordan and beyond, because our inheritance has come to us on this side of the Jordan to the east.”
They failed to mention earlier that they had no intention of shirking their responsibilities in fighting the people who currently occupied the Promised Land. They were asking to begin settling, building houses and fortified cities for their children, to protect them while they were fighting in the Promised Land. They promised to not return until each of the other tribes had obtained their own land inheritance.
32:20 So Moses said to them, “If you will do this, if you will take up arms to go before the LORD for the war, 21 and every armed man of you will pass over the Jordan before the LORD, until he has driven out his enemies from before him 22 and the land is subdued before the LORD; then after that you shall return and be free of obligation to the LORD and to Israel, and this land shall be your possession before the LORD.
It is interesting to note that there is no record of Moses inquiring from God whether He would allow the two tribes to settle outside the Promised Land. However, Moses had undoubtedly asked as he now responds, using similar language to their reply in verses 16-19, with the addition of four “before YHWH” statements. They are to take up arms; pass over the Jordan; drive out all of God’s enemies subduing the land; and then return free of any further obligation to God and He will give them the land they desire.
32:23 But if you will not do so, behold, you have sinned against the LORD, and be sure your sin will find you out. 24 Build cities for your little ones and folds for your sheep, and do what you have promised.”
Moses then warned them that if they did not do as they said they were going to do; it would be a sin against YHWH. He then personifies sin by saying, “your sin will find you out.” This is not a statement regarding the eventual or inevitable punishment for their sin, it refers to their disobedient nature. They are requesting something that was contrary to God’s will, however, He allows it, but only if they do as He instructs them to do. They were to build the cities and do as they had promised.
32:25 And the people of Gad and the people of Reuben said to Moses, “Your servants will do as my lord commands. 26 Our little ones, our wives, our livestock, and all our cattle shall remain there in the cities of Gilead, 27 but your servants will pass over, every man who is armed for war, before the LORD to battle, as my lord orders.”
The people of the tribes of Gad and Reuben agree to do as God commanded. Their children, wives, livestock, and all their other animals (Hebrew ‘behěmt’,[3] translated here as cattle, can be any land animal, used here to likely refer to working animals)[4] will be left behind occupying the cities in the land of Gilead. While their men will be armed for war and pass over the Jordan River before YHWH to do battle with the other tribes.
32:28 So Moses gave command concerning them to Eleazar the priest and to Joshua the son of Nun and to the heads of the fathers’ houses of the tribes of the people of Israel. 29 And Moses said to them, “If the people of Gad and the people of Reuben, every man who is armed to battle before the LORD, will pass with you over the Jordan and the land shall be subdued before you, then you shall give them the land of Gilead for a possession. 30 However, if they will not pass over with you armed, they shall have possessions among you in the land of Canaan.” 31 And the people of Gad and the people of Reuben answered, “What the LORD has said to your servants, we will do. 32 We will pass over armed before the LORD into the land of Canaan, and the possession of our inheritance shall remain with us beyond the Jordan.”
Knowing that he will not take the lead going into the Promised Land, Moses informs Eleazar, Joshua, and the leaders of the tribes about allowing the tribes of Reuben and Gad to possess the land of Gilead if they participate by sending their men across the Jordan armed for battle with all the other tribes. Moses introduces a stipulation, perhaps as an added incentive, that if they do not participate as promised, they are to be compelled to take possession of territory in the land of Canaan instead of Gilead. The people of Gad and Reuben agree to pass over the Jordan before YHWH into the land of Canaan to do battle, allowing them to maintain possession of the land on the east side.
32:33 And Moses gave to them, to the people of Gad and to the people of Reuben and to the half-tribe of Manasseh the son of Joseph, the kingdom of Sihon king of the Amorites and the kingdom of Og king of Bashan, the land and its cities with their territories, the cities of the land throughout the country. 34 And the people of Gad built Dibon, Ataroth, Aroer, 35 Atroth-shophan, Jazer, Jogbehah, 36 Beth-nimrah and Beth-haran, fortified cities, and folds for sheep. 37 And the people of Reuben built Heshbon, Elealeh, Kiriathaim, 38 Nebo, and Baal-meon (their names were changed), and Sibmah. And they gave other names to the cities that they built. 39 And the sons of Machir the son of Manasseh went to Gilead and captured it, and dispossessed the Amorites who were in it. 40 And Moses gave Gilead to Machir the son of Manasseh, and he settled in it. 41 And Jair the son of Manasseh went and captured their villages, and called them Havvoth-jair. 42 And Nobah went and captured Kenath and its villages, and called it Nobah, after his own name.
This is the first mention regarding half of the tribe of Manasseh desiring to settle on the east side of the Jordan River. Some believe that the reference was added later, however, it may have been simply that a portion of the people from the tribe of Manasseh heard about Gad and Reuben (perhaps with the same predicament as them but didn’t want to say anything, especially since it was against God’s will), and wanted to settle there too. The text does not state how or why they were added to the list of east side dwellers but from this reference on, the “half-tribe of Manasseh,” is included. Moses gives them the land that was previously the kingdom of Sihon (king the Amorites) and the kingdom of Og (the king of Bashan), including all their cities and territories.
The tribes of Gad and Reuben built several fortified cities, some are believed to have been built on top of previous cities. Many have been identified by archaeology with some being still occupied. Verse 38 contains references to Nebo (very close to the name of Nabu, a Babylonian god) and to Baal (the Canaanite god)[5] with the parenthetical statement “their names were changed,” possibly to note that those cities were now dedicated to YHWH and not a pagan god.
Three clans of Manasseh are listed, Machir’s clan claimed the city of Gilead and removed all the remaining Amorites. Moses gave Gilead to Machir, perhaps it was at this time they desired to settle on the east side. Jair’s clan captured several villages and called them Havvoth-jair (“villages of Jair”). The clan of Nobah captured Kenath (no previous reference) and its villages, who also named them after themselves. The clan’s name Nobah appears only here in Scripture (lineage is unknown), the city name does appear later in Judges 8:11.
It is interesting to note that the details given in these verses vary somewhat from the final account of land allocation listed in Joshua 13:15-33. In that account Reuben settled essentially in the area east of the Dead Sea; Gad east of the Jordan River between the Sea of Chinnereth (later called the Sea of Galilee) and the Dead Sea; and the half-tribe of Manasseh in the northern region of Gilead. It has been suggested that this chapter’s account was the initial allocation that was later revised in the book of Joshua.
There is no time frame mentioned for the construction of these cities, nor the time required to capture the remaining people and settle in the towns for the half-tribe of Manasseh.
Considerations
Is Being on the East Side Out of the Will of God?
The question that often rises after reading this chapter is, did the leadership of these tribes make a mistake in choosing to settle on the east side of the Jordan River? Yes. The text says they saw, and they wanted what they saw (verses 1-4), even though the text does later state a different reason, that of being for their family’s benefit, it was first identified as something they desired. One could say they may have even lusted after (some suggest they were just lazy). They knew that settling beyond the Jordan was outside the will of God, but they asked anyway. If it was a potential pitfall or problem, why did God allow them to occupy the land? These people were known to be stubborn, even God called them “stiff necked” (see Exodus 32:9), as they often did what they wanted to do, here they were allowed by God to settle, but that doesn’t mean that was the best choice.
It is as if God was saying to them once again, “Very well, if you are set on this, after all I have brought you through, I will accept the situation as you have delineated it. Gilead shall be yours—to your cost!” In the words of Psalm 106:15, “He gave them their request, but sent leanness into their soul.” How often have these words applied to Israel’s behavior (cf. Judg. 5:15–17 for a significant comment and illustration of Reuben’s attitude here).
There is something inexpressibly sad about the picture given in this chapter of a company of God’s people lacking in real enthusiasm for the goal to which they have been called, and opting for something less than God willed for them…
Perhaps the most frightening thing of all, however, is that such an attitude, described so trenchantly by the apostle James in his epistle (1:8) in the words, “He is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways” (could he have been thinking of Jacob’s description of Reuben?) leads to a double life in which we deceive ourselves and begin to live a lie. Reuben said one thing, but he meant another. His concern for his little ones, however genuine in itself it may have been, was only an excuse to hide his carnal desire for the plains of Gilead. This is what happens in a Christian context. We tell ourselves and others one thing, but the real reasons for not going over to Jordan are different. The tragedy is that the real reasons become hidden for us, because they are too uncomfortable to face, and no longer remain conscious in our mind.
This is how the unhappy, unsatisfactory, and spiritually barren state of compromise comes to pass, in which it is quite possible to pay lip service to the call of God, yet live at odds with it; to be under arms, it may be, and fighting the battles of the Lord, as Reuben was intending to do, but not with a full, unreserved commitment, and on a different footing from the real warriors of God. Such people seldom suspect that others may see how it is with them, or that such a compromising position, however subtly disguised, is impossible of concealment. They do not realize that there is something in the very nature of the warfare itself that serves to expose anything less than full and wholehearted surrender. We should not forget Moses’ words in verse 23: “Be sure your sin will find you out”—not, be it noted “your sin will be found out,” but something more serious—it will find you out, search you out, hunt you out, and be your destroyer. The plains of Gilead cost Reuben dearly in the end. Compromise always costs![6]
Being on the east side of the Jordan also meant that they would often be the first tribes attacked by their enemies and would not have the protection of the river (see Judges 10:8, 17-18; 1 Kings 22:3; 2 Kings 10:32-33; 15:29; 1 Chronicles 5:26). We are reminded of Israel’s blessing and prophecy regarding these tribes, Reuben who will be, “Turbulent as water, you will not excel” (Genesis 49:4a, CSB); “Gad will be attacked by raiders” (Genesis 49:19a. CSB) and Manasseh, “He too will become a tribe, and he too will be great; nevertheless, his younger brother will be greater than he.” (Genesis 48:19b, CSB)
⇐Previous Chapter (Introduction/Index) Next Chapter⇒
[1] See commentary under Genesis 10:19-20.
[2] See commentary under Genesis 50:11-12 and Numbers 22:1-6.
[3] Strong’s Hebrew 929.
[4] See commentary under Exodus 9:8-9.
[5] See commentary under Exodus 34:13.
[6] Philip, J., & Ogilvie, L. J. (1987). Numbers (Vol. 4, pp. 303-304). Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.