321 Now the sons of Reuben and the sons of Gad had an exceedingly large number of livestock . So when they saw the land of Jazer and the land of Gilead , that it was indeed a place suitable for livestock , 2 the sons of Gad and the sons of Reuben came and spoke to Moses and to Eleazar the priest and to the leaders of the congregation , saying , 3 " Ataroth , Dibon , Jazer , Nimrah , Heshbon , Elealeh , Sebam , Nebo and Beon , 4 the land which the Lord conquered before the congregation of Israel , is a land for livestock , and your servants have livestock ." 5 They said , "If we have found favor in your sight , let this land be given to your servants as a possession ; do not take us across the Jordan ." 6 But Moses said to the sons of Gad and to the sons of Reuben , "Shall your brothers go to war while you yourselves sit here ? 7 " Now why are you discouraging e the sons of Israel from crossing over into the land which the Lord has given them? 8 "This is what your fathers did 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 e the sons of Israel so that they did not go into the land which the Lord had given them. 10 "So the Lord'S anger burned in that day , and He swore , saying , 11 ' None of the men who came up from Egypt , from twenty years old and upward , shall see the land which I swore to Abraham , to Isaac and to Jacob ; for they did not follow Me fully , 12 except Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite and Joshua the son of Nun , for they have followed the Lord fully .' 13 " So the Lord'S anger burned against Israel , and He made them wander in the wilderness forty years , until the entire generation of those who had done evil in the sight of the Lord was destroyed . 14 "Now behold , you have risen up in your fathers' place , a brood of sinful men , to add still more to the burning anger of the Lord against Israel . 15 "For if you turn away from following Him, He will once e more e abandon them in the wilderness , and you will destroy all these people ."
16 Then they came near to him and said , "We will build here sheepfolds e for our livestock and cities for our little ones ; 17 but we ourselves will be armed ready to go before the sons of Israel , until e e we have brought them to their place , while our little ones live in the fortified cities because e of the inhabitants of the land . 18 " We will not return to our homes until every one of the sons of Israel has possessed his inheritance . 19 "For we will not have an inheritance with them on the other side of the Jordan and beyond , because our inheritance has fallen to us on this side of the Jordan toward the east ." 20 So Moses said to them, "If you will do this , if you will arm yourselves before the Lord for the war , 21 and all of you armed men cross over the Jordan before the Lord until He has driven His enemies out from before Him, 22 and the land is subdued before the Lord , then afterward you shall return and be free of obligation toward the Lord and toward Israel , and this land shall be yours for a possession before the Lord . 23 "But if you will not do so , behold , you have sinned against the Lord , and be sure your sin will find you out.
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Numbers 32:1-23
Commentary on Numbers 32:1-5
(Read Numbers 32:1-5)
Here is a proposal made by the Reubenites and Gadites, that the land lately conquered might be allotted to them. Two things common in the world might lead these tribes to make this choice; the lust of the eye, and the pride of life. There was much amiss in the principle they went upon; they consulted their own private convenience more than the public good. Thus to the present time, many seek their own things more than the things of Jesus Christ; and are led by worldly interests and advantages to take up short of the heavenly Canaan.
Commentary on Numbers 32:6-15
(Read Numbers 32:6-15)
The proposal showed disregard to the land of Canaan, distrust of the Lord's promise, and unwillingness to encounter the difficulties and dangers of conquering and driving out the inhabitants of that land. Moses is wroth with them. It will becomes any of God's Israel to sit down unconcerned about the difficult and perilous concerns of their brethren, whether public or personal. He reminds them of the fatal consequences of the unbelief and faint-heartedness of their fathers, when they were, as themselves, just ready to enter Canaan. If men considered as they ought what would be the end of sin, they would be afraid of the beginning of it.
Commentary on Numbers 32:16-27
(Read Numbers 32:16-27)
Here is the good effect of plain dealing. Moses, by showing their sin, and the danger of it, brought them to their duty, without murmuring or disputing. All men ought to consider the interests of others as well as their own; the law of love requires us to labour, venture, or suffer for each other as there may be occasion. They propose that their men of war should go ready armed before the children of Israel into the land of Canaan, and that they should not return till the conquest of Canaan was ended. Moses grants their request, but he warns them of the danger of breaking their word. If you fail, you sin against the Lord, and not against your brethren only; God will certainly reckon with you for it. Be sure your sin will find you out. Sin will surely find out the sinner sooner or later. It concerns us now to find our sins out, that we may repent of them, and forsake them, lest they find us out to our ruin.