Numbers 32, The Transjordan Tribes

(This DRAFT study has been done fairly quickly, without the further guide of commentaries. I hope to improve on it later.)

As the Israelites approach the land of Canaan, they move up the east side of the Jordan River, defeating the people of Moab and Midian. Some of the Israelite tribes want to settle on the eastern side.

Numbers 32:1-5, Can we settle here?

The Reubenites and Gadites, who had very large herds and flocks, saw that the lands of Jazer and Gilead were suitable for livestock. So they came to Moses and Eleazar the priest and to the leaders of the community, and said,"Ataroth, Dibon, Jazer, Nimrah, Heshbon, Elealeh, Sebam, Nebo and Beon-- the land the LORD subdued before the people of Israel--are suitable for livestock, and your servants have livestock. If we have found favor in your eyes," they said, "let this land be given to your servants as our possession. Do not make us cross the Jordan."

The descendants of Reuben and Gad, seeing good pastureland ask to stay on the east side of the Jordan and not crossover.

Numbers 32:6-15, Are we repeating history?

Moses said to the Gadites and Reubenites, 

"Shall your countrymen go to war while you sit here? Why do you discourage the Israelites from going over into the land the LORD has given them? This is what your fathers did when I sent them from Kadesh Barnea to look over the land. After they went up to the Valley of Eshcol and viewed the land, they discouraged the Israelites from entering the land the LORD had given them.

The LORD's anger was aroused that day and he swore this oath: `Because they have not followed me wholeheartedly, not one of the men twenty years old or more who came up out of Egypt will see the land I promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob-- not one except Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite and Joshua son of Nun, for they followed the LORD wholeheartedly.' The LORD's anger burned against Israel and he made them wander in the desert forty years, until the whole generation of those who had done evil in his sight was gone. "And here you are, a brood of sinners, standing in the place of your fathers and making the LORD even more angry with Israel. If you turn away from following him, he will again leave all this people in the desert, and you will be the cause of their destruction."

"What about the rest of us?" Moses asks. Forty years before, the people had failed to not enter Canaan. Is this the same thing? Are these tribes merely repeating that failure? Moses accuses the tribes of being "a brood of sinners."

Numbers 32:16-19, We pledge to help

Then they came up to him and said, "We would like to build pens here for our livestock and cities for our women and children. But we are ready to arm ourselves and go ahead of the Israelites until we have brought them to their place. Meanwhile our women and children will live in fortified cities, for protection from the inhabitants of the land. We will not return to our homes until every Israelite has received his inheritance. We will not receive any inheritance with them on the other side of the Jordan, because our inheritance has come to us on the east side of the Jordan."

The Reubenites and Gadites respond by pledging to join their countrymen and help conquer the land west of the Jordan. Prior to that, they will build homes for their women and children and pens for their livestock.

Numbers 32:20-27, Agreement

Then Moses said to them, "If you will do this--if you will arm yourselves before the LORD for battle, and if all of you will go armed over the Jordan before the LORD until he has driven his enemies out before him-- then when the land is subdued before the LORD, you may return and be free from your obligation to the LORD and to Israel. And this land will be your possession before the LORD.

"But if you fail to do this, you will be sinning against the LORD; and you may be sure that your sin will find you out. Build cities for your women and children, and pens for your flocks, but do what you have promised."
 

The Gadites and Reubenites said to Moses, "We your servants will do as our lord commands. Our children and wives, our flocks and herds will remain here in the cities of Gilead. But your servants, every man armed for battle, will cross over to fight before the LORD, just as our lord says."

Moses agrees to the tribes' suggestion. Those tribes may settle the eastern land (later called "Transjordan") as long as they help subdue the western lands. The Gadites and Reubenites respond that they are ready to join Moses and the rest in war.

Numbers 32:28-32, Eleazar and Joshua involved

Then Moses gave orders about them to Eleazar the priest and Joshua son of Nun and to the family heads of the Israelite tribes. He said to them, "If the Gadites and Reubenites, every man armed for battle, cross over the Jordan with you before the LORD, then when the land is subdued before you, give them the land of Gilead as their possession. But if they do not cross over with you armed, they must accept their possession with you in Canaan."

The Gadites and Reubenites answered, "Your servants will do what the LORD has said. We will cross over before the LORD into Canaan armed, but the property we inherit will be on this side of the Jordan." 

Eleazar and Joshua are involved in the agreement. Like most covenants, there is a stipulation of the agreement agreement followed by a penalty for failure.

Numbers 32:33-38

Then Moses gave to the Gadites, the Reubenites and 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 whole land with its cities and the territory around them.

The Gadites built up Dibon, Ataroth, Aroer, Atroth Shophan, Jazer, Jogbehah, Beth Nimrah and Beth Haran as fortified cities, and built pens for their flocks. And the Reubenites rebuilt Heshbon, Elealeh and Kiriathaim, as well as Nebo and Baal Meon (these names were changed) and Sibmah. They gave names to the cities they rebuilt.

We now learn that half of the tribe of Manasseh will also stay in the transjordan.

Numbers 32:39-42

The descendants of Makir son of Manasseh went to Gilead, captured it and drove out the Amorites who were there. So Moses gave Gilead to the Makirites, the descendants of Manasseh, and they settled there. Jair, a descendant of Manasseh, captured their settlements and called them Havvoth Jair. And Nobah captured Kenath and its surrounding settlements and called it Nobah after himself.

The Manasseh clan of Makir conquers a region in Gilead, east of the Jordan.

First published October 7, 2025; updated October 7, 2025