the earth (at large · definite article + noun, common feminine singular absolute
LORD
יְהוָה֙Yah.weh
H3068
Jehovah · proper noun, a title
smote
הִכָּ֤הhi.Kah
H5221
to strike (lightly or severely · verb, hiphil perfect, 3rd person masculine singular
before
לִפְנֵי֙lif.Nei
H6440
the face (as the part that turns) · preposition + noun, common masculine plural construct
congregation
עֲדַ֣ת'a.Dat
H5712
a stated assemblage (specifically · noun, common feminine singular construct
Israel
יִשְׂרָאֵ֔לYis.ra.'El
H3478
Jisrael · proper noun, a place name
land
אֶ֥רֶץ'E.retz
H776
the earth (at large · noun, common feminine singular construct
cattle
מִקְנֶ֖הmik.Neh
H4735
something bought · noun, common masculine singular absolute
servants
וְלַֽעֲבָדֶ֖יךָve.la.'a.va.Dei.kha
H5650
a servant · conjunction + preposition + noun, common masculine plural construct + pronominal suffix, 2nd person masculine singular
cattle
מִקְנֶֽהmik.Neh
H4735
something bought · noun, common masculine singular absolute
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (James Strong, 1890/1894), public domain; digitized by Open Scriptures (CC BY-SA). KJV word tagging: eBible.org (public domain). Original-language text, parsing and brief lexicon: STEPBible.org data from Tyndale House, Cambridge (CC BY 4.0).
Cross-references
Numbers 21:34 And the LORD said unto Moses, Fear him not: for I have delivered him into thy hand, and all his people, and his land; and thou shalt do to h…
Numbers 21:24 And Israel smote him with the edge of the sword, and possessed his land from Arnon unto Jabbok, even unto the children of Ammon: for the bor…
Deuteronomy 2:24-35 Rise ye up, take your journey, and pass over the river Arnon: behold, I have given into thine hand Sihon the Amorite, king of Heshbon, and h…
Cross-references from OpenBible.info (CC BY), in the lineage of the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (public domain).
Commentary
John Gill on Numbers 32:4
Even the county which the Lord smote before the congregation of Israel,.... In which the above cities were, and perhaps some others not named: this was now in the hands of the people of Israel, being subdued by them, the conquest of which is ascribed unto the Lord, for the victory was of him; it was he that smote their enemies; and delivered their country into their hands; and now Moses, Eleazar, and the princes of the congregation, being the representatives of the people, had a right to dispose of it, and, which these two tribes request might be given to them, because, say they:
it is a land for cattle, and thy servants have cattle; to stock it, with and great numbers of them; see
John Calvin on Numbers 32:2-5
The children of Gad and the children of Reuben came. Their request was apparently a reasonable one, that, since God had driven out the inhabitants of the land, and its fertility invited them to dwell there, the possession of these empty and deserted fields should not be denied them. Their modesty also was praiseworthy, in that they neither detach themselves from the people, nor seditiously and violently seize upon the places which were so suitable for them; but seek to obtain them by the permission of Moses and the elders, as if they submitted their cause to their decision. But as I have just said, their private interest had so laid hold of their minds, that the main point did not occur to t…
In Num 32:3 the country is more distinctly defined by the introduction of the names of a number of important towns, whilst the clause "the country which the Lord smote before the congregation of Israel," in which the defeat of Sihon is referred to, describes it as one that was without a ruler, and therefore could easily be taken possession of. For more minute remarks as to the towns themselves, see at Num 32:34. On the construction את יתּן, see at Gen 4:18. - The words, "let us not go over the Jordan," may be understood as expressing nothing more than the desire of the speakers not to receive their inheritance on the western side of the Jordan, without their having any intention of withdrawi…
There are some in the church who despise being little ones. Even where humility should prevail, they hardly cease being grand in their own eyes. You can see them being exalted with honors, enjoying pleasures, being entertained by the sheer number of things. Often they seek nothing except being in command of others. They enjoy being feared by many. They fail to live upright lives yet desire to be known as leading an upright life. They seek out flatterers; they swell up with admiration shown them. Since they are eager for things in the present life, they do not seek the joys to come. When complex business occupies them, it demonstrates that they are absent even from themselves. But if a temptation against faith arises—for in this area they are quite restrained—they defend the faith by words and labors. They defend the heavenly fatherland, but they do not love it. In the books of Moses, the sons of Reuben and Gad and the half tribe of Manasseh exemplify these men well. They possessed great flocks of sheep and herds of cattle. While they were beyond the Jordan, they wanted the pastureland that they saw. They did not wish to have their inheritance in the land of promise and said, "The land that the Lord struck in the sight of the sons of Israel is a rich region, good for pasturing animals; and we, your servants, have great herds. We ask you, if we find favor before you, to give us, your servants, this land as our possession, and do not make us cross the Jordan." They own many cattle and refuse to cross the Jordan. Those who have many entanglements in this world do not seek a dwelling in the heavenly fatherland. Those entanglements hold them by their appearance. Faith threatens them, lest they grow languid in their enjoyment of leisure. By their example, they keep others from putting up with work and from dedication to patience. Thus God says to them through Moses, "Will your brethren go to battle, and you will sit here? Why do you undermine the hearts of the children of Israel?" Since they blushed at not defending what they believed, they hasten to battle for the same faith that they professed and defend it, not for themselves but for their neighbor. So they say to Moses, "We will build folds for our sheep and stables for our cattle and fortified cities for our little ones; but we will go forth to battle armed and girded before the children of Israel." They go…
Because then there are many in the Church, who scorn to be little ones, they cease not to be great in their own sight, even in the place of humility. You may frequently see them raised high in honours, enjoying pleasures, and spreading abroad with the multiplicity of their goods. These often specially desire nothing, except to rule over others, are pleased at being feared by many; neglect to live uprightly, and wish to have the credit of an upright life; court flattery, and are puffed up by applause. And since they are abundantly supplied with goods ready at hand, they do not seek for the joys which are to come. And, because manifold employments engage them, they prove them to be strangers even to themselves. And yet if any trial of their faith arise, because they are contained therein though but in appearance, they defend it by words, they defend it by their exertions, and claim their heavenly country, and yet love it not. And these do the sons of Reuben, and Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh, well represent in Moses; who possessing many flocks and herds, whilst they desire that plain country which they had seen beyond Jordan, refused to receive an inheritance in the land of promise, saying, The country which the Lord smote before the sight of the children of Israel, is of a region most fertile for the pasture of animals, and we thy servants have many beasts; and we pray thee, if we have found grace in thy sight, to give it unto us thy servants for a possession, and make us not to pass over Jordan. They therefore who possess very many beasts of burden, avoid passing over Jordan, because they, whom many worldly engagements occupy, do not seek for the abode of their heavenly country. But that faith, which they hold in appearance, urges them on; lest they should become inactive from the delight of ease, and should deter others, by their example, from the endurance of toil, and from studying to be patient. Whence it is said to them by Moses, Shall your brethren go to battle? and shall ye sit here? Why do ye subvert the minds of the children of Israel. But because they are ashamed not to defend that which they confess, they hasten to contend for that faith which they have professed; and secure it, not for themselves, but for their neighbours. Whence they say to Moses, We will build sheepfolds, and stalls for our beasts, and fortified cities for our little…
Dictionary and topics
Cattle — Abounded in the Holy Land. To the rearing and management of them the inhabitants chiefly devoted themselves (Deut. 8:13; 12:21; 1 Sam. 11:5; 12:3; Ps. 144:14; Jer. 3:24). They may be classified as,…
Gad — Fortune; luck. (1.) Jacob’s seventh son, by Zilpah, Leah’s handmaid, and the brother of Asher (Gen. 30:11-13; 46:16, 18). In the Authorized Version of 30:11 the words, “A troop cometh: and she…
Jabesh — Dry. (1.) For Jabesh-Gilead (1 Sam. 11:3, 9, 10). (2.) The father of Shallum (2 Kings 15:10, 13, 14), who usurped the throne of Israel on the death of Zachariah.
Beth-Baal-Meon · Subdued by the Israelites — Subdued by the Israelites
Cattle · Gilead adapted to the raising of — Gilead adapted to the raising of
Desert, Journey Of Israel Through The · Reubenites, &c obtained the land taken from the Amorites — Reubenites, &c obtained the land taken from the Amorites
Gad · .Petition for their portion of land east of the Jordan River — .Petition for their portion of land east of the Jordan River
Gad, The Tribe Of · Sought and obtained its inheritance east of Jordan — Sought and obtained its inheritance east of Jordan
Gilead · Reuben and Gad and the half tribe of Manasseh — Reuben and Gad and the half tribe of Manasseh
Haste · In — In
Misjudgment · .Of the Reubenites and Gadites — .Of the Reubenites and Gadites
Tyndale Open Study Notes on Numbers 32:3
Reuben, Gad, and half of Manasseh settled in the land that Israel had recently captured from Sihon the Amorite and Og of Bashan (cp. 21:21-35). • Ataroth, Dibon, Jazer, Nimrah, Heshbon, and Elealeh have been linked with archaeological sites. • The location of Sibmah is unknown. • Though the location of a town called Nebo is unknown, it was certainly near a mountain or ridge of that same name, which was located along the escarpment that rises above the northern end of the Dead Sea. • The site named Beon is almost certainly the place called “Baal-meon” in 32:38, which probably corresponds to the ruins at Ma’in.
Rashi on Numbers 32:3
עטרות ודיבון וגו׳ ATOROTH AND DIBON etc. — These belonged to the land of Sihon and Og.
The Church Fathers: public-domain translations (Ante-Nicene and Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers), verse-indexed by SermonIndex (CC BY 4.0).
Motive
· inheritance east of the Jordan River
— inheritance east of the Jordan River
Ox, The · Formed a part of the wealth of the Jews — Formed a part of the wealth of the Jews
Petition · Israel — Israel
Reuben, The Tribe Of · Obtained inheritance east of Jordan on condition of helping to conquer Canaan — Obtained inheritance east of Jordan on condition of helping to conquer Canaan
Uncharitableness · tribes — tribes
Dictionary: Easton's (1897) and Smith's (1863), public domain. Topics: Nave's Topical Bible (1896) and Torrey's Topical Textbook (1897), public domain. Both as parsed by NEUU (CC BY 4.0).
