Bible Commentaries

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

Numbers 32

Clinging to a Counterfeit Cross
Introduction

1  The Reubenites and Gadites sue for their inheritance on the east side of Jordan.
6  Moses reproves them.
16  They offer him conditions with which he is content.
33  Moses assigns them the land.
39  They conquer it.
Verse 1

Now the children of Reuben and the children of Gad had a very great multitude of cattle: and when they saw the land of Jazer, and the land of Gilead, that, behold, the place was a place for cattle;
the children
2:10-15, 26:5-7,15-18, Genesis 29:32, 30:10,11
Jazer
3,35, 21:32
Jaazer
Joshua 13:25, 2 Samuel 24:5, Isaiah 16:8,9
the place
26, Genesis 13:2,5,10,11, 47:4, Jeremiah 50:19, Micah 7:14, 1 John 2:16
Verse 3

Ataroth, and Dibon, and Jazer, and Nimrah, and Heshbon, and Elealeh, and Shebam, and Nebo, and Beon,
Ataroth
1,34-38, Joshua 13:17, Isaiah 15:2-4, Jeremiah 48:22,23
Nimrah
Isaiah 15:6
Nimrim
Heshbon.
21:25,26,28, Judges 11:26, Nehemiah 9:22, Isaiah 15:4, 16:8,9, Jeremiah 48:2,34,45
Shebam
Shibmah
Joshua 13:19, Isaiah 16:8, Jeremiah 48:32
Sibmah
Beon.
Baal-meon
Verse 4

Even the country which the LORD smote before the congregation of Israel, is a land for cattle, and thy servants have cattle:
21:24,34, Deuteronomy 2:24-35
Verse 5

Wherefore, said they, if we have found grace in thy sight, let this land be given unto thy servants for a possession, and bring us not over Jordan.
if we have
Genesis 19:19, Ruth 2:10, 1 Samuel 20:3, 2 Samuel 14:22, Esther 5:2, Jeremiah 31:2
bring us
Deuteronomy 1:37, 3:25,26, Joshua 7:7
Verse 6

And Moses said unto the children of Gad and to the children of Reuben, Shall your brethren go to war, and shall ye sit here?
shall ye sit here
2 Samuel 11:11, 1 Corinthians 13:5, Philippians 2:4
Verse 7

And wherefore discourage ye the heart of the children of Israel from going over into the land which the LORD hath given them?
wherefore
9, 21:4, Deuteronomy 1:28
discourage
Heb. break.
Acts 21:13
Verse 8

Thus did your fathers, when I sent them from Kadeshbarnea to see the land.
13:2-26, 14:2, Deuteronomy 1:22,23, Joshua 14:6,7
Verse 9

For when they went up unto the valley of Eshcol, and saw the land, they discouraged the heart of the children of Israel, that they should not go into the land which the LORD had given them.
13:23-33, 14:1-10, Deuteronomy 1:24-28
Verse 10

And the LORD'S anger was kindled the same time, and he sware, saying,
14:11,21,23,29, Deuteronomy 1:34-40, Psalms 95:11, Ezekiel 20:15, Hebrews 3:8-19
Verse 11

Surely none of the men that came up out of Egypt, from twenty years old and upward, shall see the land which I sware unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob; because they have not wholly followed me:
from twenty
14:28,29, 26:2,64,65, Deuteronomy 1:35, 2:14,15
because
14:24,30, Joshua 14:8,9
wholly followed me
Heb. fulfilled after me.
Verse 12

Save Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenezite, and Joshua the son of Nun: for they have wholly followed the LORD.
for
14:24,30, 26:65, Deuteronomy 1:36, Joshua 14:8,9
Verse 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 consumed.
wander
14:33-35, Deuteronomy 2:14, Psalms 78:33
until all
26:64, Deuteronomy 2:15, 1 Corinthians 10:5, Hebrews 3:16-19
Verse 14

And, behold, ye are risen up in your fathers' stead, an increase of sinful men, to augment yet the fierce anger of the LORD toward Israel.
an increase
Genesis 5:3, 8:21, Nehemiah 9:24-26, Job 14:4, Psalms 78:57, Isaiah 1:4, 57:4, Ezekiel 20:21, Matthew 23:31-33, Luke 11:48, Acts 7:51,52
to augment
Deuteronomy 1:34,35, Ezra 9:13,14, 10:10, Nehemiah 13:18, Isaiah 65:6,7
Verse 15

For if ye turn away from after him, he will yet again leave them in the wilderness; and ye shall destroy all this people.
if ye turn
Leviticus 26:14-18, Deuteronomy 28:15-68, 30:17-19, Joshua 22:16-18, 2 Chronicles 7:19-22, 2 Chronicles 15:2
he will yet
14:30-35
ye shall
Jeremiah 38:23, Matthew 18:7, Romans 14:15,20,21, 1 Corinthians 8:11,12
Verse 16

And they came near unto him, and said, We will build sheepfolds here for our cattle, and cities for our little ones:
34:22, Genesis 33:17
Verse 17

But we ourselves will go ready armed before the children of Israel, until we have brought them unto their place: and our little ones shall dwell in the fenced cities because of the inhabitants of the land.
29-32, Deuteronomy 3:18-20, Joshua 4:12,13
Verse 18

We will not return unto our houses, until the children of Israel have inherited every man his inheritance.
Joshua 22:4,5
Verse 19

For we will not inherit with them on yonder side Jordan, or forward; because our inheritance is fallen to us on this side Jordan eastward.
we will
Genesis 13:10-12, 14:12, 2 Kings 10:32,33, 15:29, 1 Chronicles 5:25,26, Proverbs 20:21
because
33, Joshua 12:1-6, 13:8
on this side
32, 34:15, Joshua 1:14,15
Verse 20

And Moses said unto them, If ye will do this thing, if ye will go armed before the LORD to war,
Deuteronomy 3:18-20, Joshua 1:13-15, 4:12,13, 22:2-4
Verse 22

And the land be subdued before the LORD: then afterward ye shall return, and be guiltless before the LORD, and before Israel; and this land shall be your possession before the LORD.
land
Deuteronomy 3:20, Joshua 10:30,42, 11:23, 18:1, Psalms 44:1-4, 78:55
ye shall
Joshua 22:4,9
be guiltless
Joshua 2:19, 2 Samuel 3:28
this land
Deuteronomy 3:12-18, Joshua 1:15, 13:8,29-32, 22:9
Verse 23

But if ye will not do so, behold, ye have sinned against the LORD: and be sure your sin will find you out.
if ye will
Leviticus 26:14-46, Deuteronomy 28:15-68
be sure your sin
If the persons concerned prevaricated, and so imposed on men, or if they afterwards refused to fulfil their engagement, God would most certainly detect and expose their wickedness, and inflict condign punishment upon them. Of all the ways, says Dr. South, to be taken for the prevention of that great plague of mankind, Sin, there is none so rational and efficacious as to confute and baffle those motives by which men are induced to embrace it; and among all such motives, the heart of man seems to be chiefly overpowered and prevailed upon by two, viz. secrecy in committing sin, and impunity with respect to its consequences. Accordingly, Moses, in this chapter, having to deal with a company of men suspected of a base and fraudulent design, though couched under a very fair pretence, as most such designs are, endeavours to quash it in its very conception, by secretly applying himself to encounter those secret motives and arguments, which he knew were the most likely to encourage them in it. And this he does very briefly, but effectually, by assuring them, that how covertly and artificially soever they might carry on their dark project, yet their sin would infallibly find them out. Though the subject and occasion of these words are indeed particular, yet the design of them is manifestly of an universal import, as reaching the case of all transgressors, in their first entrance on any sinful act or course.
Genesis 4:7, 44:16, Psalms 90:8, 139:11, 140:11, Proverbs 13:21, Isaiah 3:11, Isaiah 59:1,2,12, Romans 2:9, 1 Corinthians 4:5
Verse 24

Build you cities for your little ones, and folds for your sheep; and do that which hath proceeded out of your mouth.
16,34-42
Verse 25

And the children of Gad and the children of Reuben spake unto Moses, saying, Thy servants will do as my lord commandeth.
Joshua 1:13,14
Verse 27

But thy servants will pass over, every man armed for war, before the LORD to battle, as my lord saith.
thy servants
Joshua 4:12
armed
17, 2 Corinthians 10:4,5, Ephesians 6:10-18, 2 Timothy 4:7,8
as my lord
11:28, 12:11, 36:2
Verse 28

So concerning them Moses commanded Eleazar the priest, and Joshua the son of Nun, and the chief fathers of the tribes of the children of Israel:
Joshua 1:13
Verse 29

Numbers 32:20-23

Verse 30

But if they will not pass over with you armed, they shall have possessions among you in the land of Canaan.
Joshua 22:19
Verse 33

And Moses gave unto them, even to the children of Gad, and to the children of Reuben, and unto half the 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, with the cities thereof in the coasts, even the cities of the country round about.
Moses
1, Deuteronomy 3:12-17, 29:8, Joshua 12:6, 13:8-14, 22:4
half the
34:14, 1 Chronicles 5:18, 12:31, 26:32
the kingdom
21:23-35, Deuteronomy 2:30-33, 3:1-8, Psalms 135:10,11, 136:18-21
Verse 34

And the children of Gad built Dibon, and Ataroth, and Aroer,
Dibon
Eusebius says that Dibon was a large town, near the river Arnon. Burckhardt says, that when he was about an hour's distance north of the Modjeb or Arnon, he was shown to the N. E. the ruins of Diban, the ancient Dibon, situated in the low ground of the Koura, or plains of Moab.
3, 21:20, 33:45,46
Aroer
Aroer was situated, according to Eusebius, on a mountain on the north bank of the river Arnon. This is confirmed by Burckhardt, who says it is called Araayr, and is seated on the edge of the precipice, at the foot of which the river flows.
Deuteronomy 2:36, Isaiah 17:2
Verse 35

And Atroth, Shophan, and Jaazer, and Jogbehah,
Jaazer
1,3
Verse 36

And Bethnimrah, and Bethharan, fenced cities: and folds for sheep.
Beth-nimrah
Probably the same as Nimrim in Jer 48:34, and the Bethnabris mentioned by Eusebius, five miles north from Livias. Burckhardt says, that "in the valley of the Jordan, south of Abou Obeida, are the ruins of Nemrim, probably the Beth-nimrah of the Scriptures."
Nimrah
fenced cities.
Verse 37

And the children of Reuben built Heshbon, and Elealeh, and Kirjathaim,
Heshbon
3, 21:27, Isaiah 15:4
Eleahleh
Elealeh is placed, by Eusebius, a mile from Heshbon. It is now called El Aal, "the high," and is situated on a hill.
Verse 38

And Nebo, and Baalmeon, (their names being changed,) and Shibmah: and gave other names unto the cities which they builded.
Nebo
Isaiah 46:1
Baal-meon
This town is placed, by Eusebius and Jerome, nine miles from Heshbon, at the foot of mount Abarim.
22:41
gave other names unto the cities
Heb. they called by names the names of the cities.
3, Genesis 26:18, Exodus 23:13, Joshua 23:7, Psalms 16:4, Isaiah 46:1
Verse 39

And the children of Machir the son of Manasseh went to Gilead, and took it, and dispossessed the Amorite which was in it.
26:29, Genesis 50:23, Joshua 17:1
Verse 40

And Moses gave Gilead unto Machir the son of Manasseh; and he dwelt therein.
Deuteronomy 3:13-15, Joshua 13:29-31, 17:1
Verse 41

And Jair the son of Manasseh went and took the small towns thereof, and called them Havothjair.
Jair
Deuteronomy 3:14, Joshua 13:30, 1 Chronicles 2:21-23
Havoth-jair
Judges 10:4, 1 Kings 4:13
Verse 42

And Nobah went and took Kenath, and the villages thereof, and called it Nobah, after his own name.

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