Numbers · Berean Standard Bible
Numbers 32 Berean Standard Bible
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
1 Now the Reubenites and Gadites, who had very large herds and flocks, surveyed the lands of Jazer and Gilead, and they saw that the region was suitable for livestock.
1 Now the children of Reuben and the children of Gad had a very great multitude of livestock. They saw the land of Jazer, and the land of Gilead. Behold, the place was a place for livestock.
2 So the Gadites and Reubenites came to Moses, Eleazar the priest, and the leaders of the congregation, and said,
2 Then the children of Gad and the children of Reuben came and spoke to Moses, and to Eleazar the priest, and to the princes of the congregation, saying,
3 “Ataroth, Dibon, Jazer, Nimrah, Heshbon, Elealeh, Sebam, Nebo, and Beon,
3 “Ataroth, Dibon, Jazer, Nimrah, Heshbon, Elealeh, Sebam, Nebo, and Beon,
4 which the LORD conquered before the congregation of Israel, are suitable for livestock—and your servants have livestock.”
4 the land which Yahweh struck before the congregation of Israel, is a land for livestock; and your servants have livestock.”
5 “If we have found favor in your sight,” they said, “let this land be given to your servants as a possession. Do not make us cross the Jordan.”
5 They said, “If we have found favor in your sight, let this land be given to your servants for a possession. Don’t bring us over the Jordan.”
6 But Moses asked the Gadites and Reubenites, “Shall your brothers go to war while you sit here?
6 Moses said to the children of Gad, and to the children of Reuben, “Shall your brothers go to war while you sit here?
7 Why are you discouraging the Israelites from crossing into the land that the LORD has given them?
7 Why do you discourage the heart of the children of Israel from going over into the land which Yahweh has given them?
8 This is what your fathers did when I sent them from Kadesh-barnea to inspect the land.
8 Your fathers did so when I sent them from Kadesh Barnea to see the land.
9 For when your fathers went up to the Valley of Eshcol and saw the land, they discouraged the Israelites from entering the land that the LORD had given them.
9 For when they went up to 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 Yahweh had given them.
10 So the anger of the LORD was kindled that day, and He swore an oath, saying,
10 Yahweh’s anger burned in that day, and he swore, saying,
11 ‘Because they did not follow Me wholeheartedly, not one of the men twenty years of age or older who came out of Egypt will see the land that I swore to give Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—
11 ‘Surely none of the men who came up out of Egypt, from twenty years old and upward, shall see the land which I swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob; because they have not wholly followed me,
12 not one except Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite and Joshua son of Nun—because they did follow the LORD wholeheartedly.’
12 except Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite, and Joshua the son of Nun, because they have followed Yahweh completely.’
13 The anger of the LORD burned against Israel, and He made them wander in the wilderness forty years, until the whole generation who had done evil in His sight was gone.
13 Yahweh’s anger burned against Israel, and he made them wander back and forth in the wilderness forty years, until all the generation who had done evil in Yahweh’s sight was consumed.
14 Now behold, you, a brood of sinners, have risen up in place of your fathers to further stoke the burning anger of the LORD against Israel.
14 “Behold, you have risen up in your fathers’ place, an increase of sinful men, to increase the fierce anger of Yahweh toward Israel.
15 For if you turn away from following Him, He will once again leave this people in the wilderness, and you will be the cause of their destruction.”
15 For if you turn away from after him, he will yet again leave them in the wilderness; and you will destroy all these people.”
16 Then the Gadites and Reubenites approached Moses and said, “We want to build sheepfolds here for our livestock and cities for our little ones.
16 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 arm ourselves and be ready to go ahead of the Israelites until we have brought them into their place. Meanwhile, our little ones will remain in the fortified cities for protection from the inhabitants of the land.
17 but we ourselves will be ready armed to go before the children of Israel, until we have brought them to their place. Our little ones shall dwell in the fortified cities because of the inhabitants of the land.
18 We will not return to our homes until every Israelite has taken possession of his inheritance.
18 We will not return to our houses until the children of Israel have all received their inheritance.
19 Yet we will not have an inheritance with them across the Jordan and beyond, because our inheritance has come to us on the east side of the Jordan.”
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 eastward.”
20 Moses replied, “If you will do this—if you will arm yourselves before the LORD for battle,
20 Moses said to them: “If you will do this thing, if you will arm yourselves to go before Yahweh to the war,
21 and if every one of your armed men crosses the Jordan before the LORD, until He has driven His enemies out before Him,
21 and every one of your armed men will pass over the Jordan before Yahweh until he has driven out his enemies from before him,
22 then when the land is subdued before the LORD, you may return and be free of obligation to the LORD and to Israel. And this land will belong to you as a possession before the LORD.
22 and the land is subdued before Yahweh; then afterward you shall return, and be clear of obligation to Yahweh and to Israel. Then this land shall be your possession before Yahweh.
23 But if you do not do this, you will certainly sin against the LORD—and be assured that your sin will find you out.
23 “But if you will not do so, behold, you have sinned against Yahweh; and be sure your sin will find you out.
24 Build cities for your little ones and folds for your flocks, but do what you have promised.”
24 Build cities for your little ones, and folds for your sheep; and do that which has proceeded out of your mouth.”
25 The Gadites and Reubenites said to Moses, “Your servants will do just as our lord commands.
25 The children of Gad and the children of Reuben spoke to Moses, saying, “Your servants will do as my lord commands.
26 Our children, our wives, our livestock, and all our animals will remain here in the cities of Gilead.
26 Our little ones, our wives, our flocks, and all our livestock shall be there in the cities of Gilead;
27 But your servants are equipped for war, and every man will cross over to the battle before the LORD, just as our lord says.”
27 but your servants will pass over, every man who is armed for war, before Yahweh to battle, as my lord says.”
28 So Moses gave orders about them to Eleazar the priest, to Joshua son of Nun, and to the family leaders of the tribes of Israel.
28 So Moses commanded concerning them to Eleazar the priest, and to Joshua the son of Nun, and to the heads of the fathers’ households of the tribes of the children of Israel.
29 And Moses said to them, “If the Gadites and Reubenites cross the Jordan with you, with every man armed for battle before the LORD, and the land is subdued before you, then you are to give them the land of Gilead as a possession.
29 Moses said to them, “If the children of Gad and the children of Reuben will pass with you over the Jordan, every man who is armed to battle before Yahweh, and the land is subdued before you, then you shall give them the land of Gilead for a possession;
30 But if they do not arm themselves and go across with you, then they must accept their possession among you in the land of Canaan.”
30 but if they will not pass over with you armed, they shall have possessions among you in the land of Canaan.”
31 The Gadites and Reubenites replied, “As the LORD has spoken to your servants, so we will do.
31 The children of Gad and the children of Reuben answered, saying, “As Yahweh has said to your servants, so will we do.
32 We will cross over into the land of Canaan armed before the LORD, that we may have our inheritance on this side of the Jordan.”
32 We will pass over armed before Yahweh into the land of Canaan, and the possession of our inheritance shall remain with us beyond the Jordan.”
33 So Moses gave to the Gadites, to the Reubenites, and to 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 land including its cities and the territory surrounding them.
33 Moses gave to them, even to the children of Gad, and to the children 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, according to its cities and borders, even the cities of the surrounding land.
34 And the Gadites built up Dibon, Ataroth, Aroer,
34 The children of Gad built Dibon, Ataroth, Aroer,
35 Atroth-shophan, Jazer, Jogbehah,
35 Atroth-shophan, Jazer, Jogbehah,
36 Beth-nimrah, and Beth-haran as fortified cities, and they built folds for their flocks.
36 Beth Nimrah, and Beth Haran: fortified cities and folds for sheep.
37 The Reubenites built up Heshbon, Elealeh, Kiriathaim,
37 The children of Reuben built Heshbon, Elealeh, Kiriathaim,
38 as well as Nebo and Baal-meon (whose names were changed), and Sibmah. And they renamed the cities they rebuilt.
38 Nebo, and Baal Meon, (their names being changed), and Sibmah. They gave other names to the cities which they built.
39 The descendants of Machir son of Manasseh went to Gilead, captured it, and drove out the Amorites who were there.
39 The children of Machir the son of Manasseh went to Gilead, took it, and dispossessed the Amorites who were therein.
40 So Moses gave Gilead to the clan of Machir son of Manasseh, and they settled there.
40 Moses gave Gilead to Machir the son of Manasseh; and he lived therein.
41 Jair, a descendant of Manasseh, went and captured their villages and called them Havvoth-jair.
41 Jair the son of Manasseh went and took its villages, and called them Havvoth Jair.
42 And Nobah went and captured Kenath and its villages and called it Nobah, after his own name.
42 Nobah went and took Kenath and its villages, and called it Nobah, after his own name.
People & places in this chapter
From this site's family tree and Bible maps, only where those guides cite this chapter.
People
Jair
Son of Segub and grandson of Hezron by Machir's daughter, counted among Manasseh's descendants; he captured the villages of Gilead that were called Havvoth-jair after him.
Cited in the guide: Numbers 32:41; Deuteronomy 3:14; Joshua 13:30
Jephunneh
The father of Caleb, the faithful spy of the tribe of Judah, called a Kenizzite in Numbers 32:12.
Cited in the guide: Numbers 13:6; Numbers 14:6; Numbers 32:12
Machir
Manasseh's son, whose own sons were brought up on Joseph's knees, called the father of Gilead; his descendants captured Gilead and Moses gave it to his clan.
Cited in the guide: Genesis 50:23; Numbers 26:29; Numbers 32:39–40
Moses
Drawn from the Nile, he led Israel out of Egypt and received God's Law.
Cited in the guide: Exodus 2–Deuteronomy 34
Nobah
A man who captured Kenath and its villages during the conquest of Gilead and called it Nobah after his own name.
Cited in the guide: Numbers 32:42
Cross references (37)
Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.
- 1 Numbers 21:32; Genesis 13:2; Genesis 13:10–11; Numbers 32:3; Numbers 32:35
- 3 Isaiah 16:8–9; Numbers 32:34–38; Joshua 13:17; Jeremiah 48:34; Jeremiah 48:22–23
- 4 Numbers 21:34; Numbers 21:24; Deuteronomy 2:24–35
- 5 Joshua 7:7; 1 Samuel 20:3; Deuteronomy 1:37; Deuteronomy 3:25–26; Jeremiah 31:2
- 6 1 Corinthians 13:5; Philippians 2:4; 2 Samuel 11:11
- 7 Numbers 13:27–14:4; Deuteronomy 1:28; Numbers 32:9; Numbers 21:4; Acts 21:13
- 8 Numbers 13:2–26; Numbers 14:2; Joshua 14:6–7; Deuteronomy 1:19–25
- 9 Deuteronomy 1:24–28; Numbers 13:23–14:10
- 10 Numbers 14:11; Numbers 14:23; Numbers 14:29; Ezekiel 20:15; Psalm 95:11
- 11 Numbers 14:28–30; Numbers 14:24; Numbers 26:2; Joshua 14:8–9; Deuteronomy 1:35
- 12 Deuteronomy 1:36; Numbers 14:30; Numbers 14:24; Joshua 14:8–9; Numbers 26:65
- 13 1 Corinthians 10:5; Hebrews 3:16–19; Numbers 14:33–35; Deuteronomy 2:14–15; Numbers 26:64–65
- 14 Matthew 23:31–33; Luke 11:48; Acts 7:51–52; Ezra 10:10; Deuteronomy 1:34–35
- 15 2 Chronicles 15:2; 1 Corinthians 8:11–12; Romans 14:15; Deuteronomy 28:15–68; Romans 14:20–21
- 16 Genesis 33:17; Numbers 34:22
- 17 Joshua 4:12–13; Deuteronomy 3:18–20; Numbers 32:29–32
- 18 Joshua 22:1–5
- 19 Joshua 13:8; 1 Chronicles 5:25–26; Genesis 13:10–12; Proverbs 20:21; Numbers 32:32–33
- 20 Joshua 4:12–13; Deuteronomy 3:18–20; Joshua 1:13–15; Joshua 22:2–4
- 22 Joshua 22:4; Joshua 22:9; Deuteronomy 3:20; Joshua 1:15; Joshua 13:8
- 23 Isaiah 59:12; Proverbs 13:21; Genesis 44:16; Psalm 90:8; Genesis 4:7
- 24 Numbers 32:16; Numbers 30:2; Numbers 32:34–42
- 25 Joshua 1:13–14
- 26 Joshua 1:14
- 27 Joshua 4:12; Numbers 36:2; 2 Timothy 4:7–8; Numbers 11:28; Ephesians 6:10–18
- 28 Joshua 1:13
- 30 Joshua 22:19
- 33 Joshua 12:6; Deuteronomy 29:8; Deuteronomy 3:12–17; Joshua 22:4; Psalm 135:10–11
- 34 Deuteronomy 2:36; Numbers 32:3; Isaiah 17:2; Numbers 33:45–46; Numbers 21:20
- 35 Numbers 32:3; Numbers 32:1
- 36 Numbers 32:3
- 37 Numbers 21:27; Numbers 32:3; Isaiah 15:4
- 38 Isaiah 46:1; Numbers 32:3; Joshua 23:7; Exodus 23:13; Numbers 22:41
- 39 Genesis 50:23; Numbers 26:29; Joshua 17:1
- 40 Joshua 17:1; Deuteronomy 3:13–15; Joshua 13:29–31
- 41 Deuteronomy 3:14; Judges 10:4; Joshua 13:30; 1 Kings 4:13; 1 Chronicles 2:21–23
- 42 Psalm 49:11; 2 Samuel 18:18
Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences
What the Fathers said
Passages from the Church Fathers that expound or quote this chapter, verbatim from the public-domain Schaff edition (19th-century English translations).
How these were chosen
“Commentary” is the opening of a homily or exposition on this chapter (John Chrysostom’s homilies, Augustine’s tractates, sermons and expositions of the Psalms). “Quotes” are sentences where the edition’s own footnotes identify a quotation of a verse here, kept only when the wording matches the verse. Only works whose authorship is not in doubt are used. Psalms follow the Hebrew/English numbering (Augustine numbers them as the Septuagint does: his Psalm 50 is Psalm 51 here).
Forty years also did the people wander in the wilderness. Forty days the waters of the flood lasted.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 6 (1888)