Annotations on the Pentateuch, Psalms, Song of Songs, Biblical commentary 4 · Chapter 32
CHAP. XXXII.
1 The Reubenites and Gadites sue for their inheritance on that side Iordan. 6 Moses reproveth them. 16 They offer him conditions to his content. 28 Moses commandeth Eleazar and Iosua to give them that inheritance when they had performed the conditions. 31 The Gadites and Reubenites promise againe to performe them. 33 Moses assigneth them the land. 34 They build fenced cities for their wives and children, and folds for their cattell. 39 The sons of Manasses conquer the Amorites in Gilead, and have it and the villages thereof given them by Moses for a possession.
NOw the sonnes of Reuben, and the sonnes of Gad, had a very great multitude of cattell: and they saw the land of Iazer, and the land of Gilead; and behold, the place was a place for cattell. And the sonnes of Gad, and the sonnes of Reuben came, and said unto Moses, and unto Eleazar the Priest, and unto the Princes of the Congregation, saying; Ataroth and Dibon, and Iazer, and Nimrah, and Heshbon, and Elealeh, and Shebam, and Nebo, and Beon; The land which Iehovah smote before the Congregation of Israel, is a land for cattell, and thy servants have cattell. And they said; If we have found grace in thine eyes, let this land be given unto thy servants for a possession, bring us not over Iordan.
And Moses said unto the sonnes of Gad, and to the sonnes of Reben; Shall your brethren goe to warre, and shall you sit here? And wherfore break ye the heart of the sons of Israel, from going over into the land wch Iehovah hath given them? Thus did your fathers, when I sent them from Kadesh-barnea to see the land. For they went up into the land of Eshcol and saw the land, and brake the heart of the sonnes of Israel, that they should not goe into the land which Iehouah had given them. And Iehovahs anger was kindled in that day, and he sware, saying; If the men that came up out of Egypt, from twenty yeares old and upward, shall see the land which I sware unto Abraham, unto Isaak, and unto Iakob, because they have not followed mee fully. Save Caleb the sonne of Iephunneh, the Kenizite, and Iosua the sonne of Nun, for because they have followed Iehovah fully. And Iehovahs anger was kindled against Israel; and hee made them wander in the wildernesse fortie yeares, untill all the generation was consumed that had done evill in the eyes of Iehovah. And behold, ye are risen up in your fathers sted, an increase of sinfull men, to augment yet the burning anger of Iehovah against Israel. For if yee turne away from after him, then will he yet againe leave them in the wildernesse, and yee shall destroy all this people.
And they came neere unto him, and said; We will build sheep-folds here, for our cattell, and cities for our little ones. But wee our selves will goe ready armed before the sonnes of Israel, untill that we have brought them unto their place; and our little ones shall dwell in the fenced cities, because of the Inhabitants of the land. Wee will not returne unto our houses, untill the sonnes of Israel have inherited, every man his inheritance. For we will not inherit with them on yonder side Iordan and forward, because our inheritance is come unto us on this side Iordan Eastward.
And Moses said unto them, If ye will doe this thing, if ye will goe armed before Iehovah to warre; And will goe all of you armed over Iordan before Iehovah, untill he have driven out his enemies from before him. When the land is subdued before Iehovah, then afterward yee shall returne, and ye shall be guiltlesse before Iehovah, and before Israel; and this land shall be yours for a possession before Iehovah. But if ye will not doe so; behold you have sinned against Iehovah: and know ye your sinne which will find you out. Build ye cities for your little ones, and folds for your sheepe, and doe that which hath proceeded out of your mouth. And the sonnes of Gad, and t…e sonnes of Reuben said unto Moses, saying; Thy servants will doe as my lord commandeth. Our little ones, our wives, our flocks and all our cattell shall bee there in the cities of Gilead. But thy servants will passe over every one armed for warre before Iehovah to battell, as my lord speaketh.
So concerning them, Moses commanded Eleazar the Priest, and Iosua the sonne of Nun; and the heads of the fathers of the tribes of the sonnes of Israel. And Moses said unto them; If the sonnes of Gad, and the sonnes of Reuben, will passe with you over Iordan, every man armed to battell before Iehovah; and the land shall be subdued before you: then yee shall give unto them the land of Gilead for a possession. But if they will not passe over with you armed, then they shall have possessions among you in the land of Canaan.
And the sonnes of Gad, and the sonnes of Reuben, answered, saying; As Iehovah hath spoken unto thy servants, so will I doe. We will passe over armed before Iehovah into the land of Canaan; and the possession of our inheritance on this side Iordan, shall bee ours. And Moses gave unto them, unto the sonnes of Gad, and unto the sonnes of Reuben, and unto halfe the tribe of Manasses the sonne of Ioseph, the kingdome of Sihon king of the Amotites, and the kingdome of Og king of Bashan, the land with the cities thereof in the coasts, the cities of the land round about.
And the sonnes of Gad built Dibon, and Ataroth, and Aroer. And Atroth, Shophan, and Iazer, and Iogbehah. And Beth-Nimrah, and Beth-Haran, fenced cities, and folds for sheepe. And the sonnes of Reuben built Heshbon, and Elealeh, and Kirjathaim. And Nebo, and Baal-Meon, (the names being changed) and Sibmah: and they called by names, the names of the cities which they builded. And the sonnes of Machir, the sonne of Manasses, went to Gilead and tooke it, and dispossessed the Amorite wch was in it. And Moses gave Gilead unto Machir the sonne of Manasses, and he dwelt therein. And Iair the sonne of Manasses, went and tooke the villages, and called them the villages of Iair. And Nobah went and tooke Kenath, and the daughters thereof, and hee called it Nobah, after his owne name.
Annotations.
REuben] he was Israels first-borne of his wife Leah, Gen. 29. 32. and Gad was the first sonne of Zilpah Leahs handmaid, Gen. 30. 10. 11. To these are added some of the sonnes of Manasses, (vers. 39. &c.) who was the sonne of Ioseph, the eldest sonne of Israel by his wife Rachel, Gen. 30. 22. 24. Iazer] a citie taken a while before from the Amorites, Num. 21. 32. Gilead] in Greeke, Galaad, a mountaine also of the Amorites which had many cities; halfe that mount was given to the sonnes of God, the other halfe to the sonne of Manasses, vers. 40. Deut. 3. 12, 13. Ios. 13. 24. 25. 31. a place for cattell] that is, meet to seed and nourish cattell. Therefore God promising to feed his people Israel, signifieth the goodnesse of their pasture by the similitude of Bashan and Gilead, Mic. 7. 14. Ier. 50. 19.
Vers. 2. sonnes of Gad] they are named before the sonnes of Reuben, both here and in vers. 6. 25. 29. 32. 33. so it seemeth they were first in this counsell and foremost in the suit.
Vers. 3. Ataroth, and Dibon, &c.] These were places in the countrey of Sihon and Og on the outside of Iordan: there was also an Ataroth within the land of Canaan, whereof see Ios. 16. 2. 5 7. Of Dibon, see Num. 28. 30. Ios. 13. 9. 17. Nimrah] called also Beth-Nimrah, in vers. 36. and Nimrim, Esay 15. 6. in Greeke Namra. This place was given to the sonnes of God, Ios. 13. 27. Heshbon] the citie of King Sihon, Num. 21. 26. given to the Reubenites, Ios. 13. 15. 17. Sheham] or Sebam, called also Sibmah, in vers. 38. and Ios. 13. 19. in Greeke S…bama: it was a place of vines, Esay 16. 8, 9. Ier. 48. 32. Beon] called in vers. 38. Baal-meon; and in Ier. 48. 23. Beth…, and in Ios. 13. 17. Beth-Baalmeon. The Greeke here corrupteth it Bailian.
Vers 4. Iehovah smote] that is, smote or killed the inhabitants thereof, delivering them before his people, so that they smote them, Deut. 2. 33. but the victorie is ascribed unto the Lord. for cattell] in Greeke, that nourisheth cattell: see vers. 1.
Vers. 5. bring us not over] or, lead us not, cause …e not to passe over Iordan, to wit, for to have possession there. This their request (whereat Moses was offended) might seeme at this first propounding of it, very evill. For, it might argue in them a covetous minde, for their owne benefit, which also might turne to the injurie of their other brethren. They prevented the time before all the land was conquered. They seemed to contrary the word of God, who commanded the land to be divided by l…, Num. 26. 55. which they now would prevent. It might imply a distiust in them, of subduing and inheriting the land of Canaan. It might be a discouragement of their brethren. It argued want of love, or a neglect of dutie in assistance. It might be an evill president to others, who when some part of the land should be conquered, might likewise crave the same for their inheritance; and so great trouble and confusion might ensue.
Vers. 6. Shall your brethren] the other tribes. In this reproofe, Moses teacheth brotherly dutie, to love their neighbors as themselves; not to looke every man on his owne things, but every man also o… the things of others, Phil. 2. 4. and that they ought to lay downe their lives for the brethren, 2 Ioh. 3. 16.
Vers. 7. breake ye the heart] that is, discourage ye, or make ye it to turne; as the Greeke translateth, pervert ye the mindes. A like phrase is of melting the heart, for discouraging, in Deut. 1. 28.
Vers. 8. Thus did your fathers] the Greeke expresseth this by a question, Did not your fathers thus? So where the Prophet saith, All these my hand hath made, Esay 66. 1. the holy Ghost turneth it in Greeke, Hath not my hand made all these? Act. 7. 49.
Vers. 9. valley] or bourne of Eshcol, that is, as the Greeke translateth it, valley of the cluster of grapes: see Num. 13. 23, 24.
Vers. 11. If the men] that is, Surely the men, &c. shall not see: this is an oa…h: see the notes on Num. 14. 23. twentie yeares old] Hebr. sonne of twentie yeares. followed me fully] Hebr. fulfilled after me, wch the Chaldee expoundeth, fulfilled after my feare; the Greeke, followed after me: see Num. 14. 24. A like phrase is in 1 Sam. 13. 7. where the people trembled after Saul, that is, followed him trembling.
Vers. 12. the Kenizite] of the posteritie of Kenaz, of the tribe of Iudah, 1 Chron. 4. 13. 15.
Vers. 13. wander] this is an explanation of that phrase, shall feed in the wildernesse; wherof see Num. 14. 33. the generation] that is, the men of the generation, as, this generation, Mat. 12. 42. is expounded the men of this generation, Luke 11. 31. And the consuming of the Israelites in the wildernesse, is before observed in Num. 26. 64, 65.
Vers. 14. an increase of sinfull men] or, a crew (a multitude) of men sinners: that is, bred and brought up of men most sinfull, which the Chaldee expoundeth, disciples of sinfull of men. By sinners, is meant men given unto sinne: see the notes on Gen. 13. 13. & Num. 16. 38. the burning anger] Hebr. the burning of the …anger (or of the nostrill) of Iehovah toward (or against) Israel. In this sharpe rebuke, Moses upbraideth them with their fathers sinne also, as he doth likewise in Deut. 1. 26, 27. &c. and 9. 7.—24. and signifieth that the renewing of their sins, augmenteth wrath upon the children, (as Christ also teacheth in Matth. 23. 31, 32,—36.) and upon the whole congregation, as after in vers. 15. and Ios. 22. 17, 18.
Vers. 15. from after him] that is, from following, from obeying him; which the Chaldee expoundeth from after his feare. So Christ calling Iames and Iohn, they went after him, Mark. 1. 20, that is, they followed him, Mat. 4. 22. then he will yet again leave them] Heb. & he will adde again, to leave him; that is, God will againe leave Israel, who are spoken of as one man; therefore the Chaldee expoundeth it, hee will yet againe detaine them, or make them to tarry. But the Greeke seemeth to understand it of their leaving of God, saying, For yee will turne away from him, to adde againe to leave him in the wildernesse. destroy all this people] or corrupt them, that is, occasion them to sinne and so to be destroyed: for, corrupting is used both for sinning, and for destroying because of sinne, as is noted on Gen. 6. 13. The Greeke translateth, Ye shall doe wickedly against this whole Congregation.
Vers. 17. will go ready armed] Heb. will be armed, making haste, before the sonnes of Israel: which the Greeke explaineth, it being armed will goe in the fore-ward, before the sonnes of Israel. Signifying both their ready minde to jeopard their lives in the battell; and that by leaving their wives, children, and cattell behind them, they should be freed from that cumbrance which others had.
Vers. 18. we will not returne] Here they promise a continuance with their brethren in all their wars and troubles unto the end: which also they performed, as Iosua said unto them, Yee have not left your brethren these many dayes, unto this day, &c. And now the LORD your God hath given rest unto your brethren, &c. Ios. 22. 3, 4.
Vers. 19. we will not inherit with them] By taking upon them these conditions, they free themselves of those evils wth might justly seem at first to be impured unto them. For they shewed both faith in God, & love to their brethren, so to goe in the forefront of the battell, with their lives in their hands against so many and mightie enemies, leaving their weake families behind them, unto the Lords protection. And that they would thus doe freely, without any further benefit to themselves, resting contented with their portion now allotted them. Wherefore Moses changing his minde yeelded to their request, upon the performance of these conditions, vers. 20. &c.
Vers. 20. this thing] Hebr. this word: in Greeke, according to this word. before Iehovah] the Chaldee explaineth it here and in ver. 21. and in Ios. 4. 13. before the people of the LORD. So, the helpe of the LORD, in Iudg. 5. 23. is in Chaldee, the helpe of the people of the LORD. See the notes on Num. 31. 3.
Vers. 21. all of you armed] or, every armed man of you: Thus things are carried betweene Moses and them, as if the land should be conquered by force of armes: but it was lest they should tempt God, by neglect of the meanes; and that under this war-fare the good fight of faith might be fought of Israel. For though they were all bound by their promise to aid their brethren, yet Iosua tooke not all, but a competent number of them, namely, about fortie thousand, Ios. 4. 12, 13. which were much fewer than all the men of war in the two tribes of Reuben and Gad, and the halfe tribe of Manasses, as appeareth by the last muster in Num. 26. 2. 7. 18. 34. It seemeth the residue were left behind, to keepe their countrey and families: or, God would not have all to goe to warre, that the victory might appeare to be his, as the Church after acknowledgeth to his praise, in Psal. 44. 2, 3, 4. &c. and lest Israel should vaunt themselves against him, saying, Mine owne hand hath saved mee: as in Iudg. 7. 2.
Vers. 22. before Iehovah] in Chaldee, before the people of the LORD, as in vers. 20. So againe in vers. 27. and 29. and 32. guiltlesse before Iehovah] or, from Iehovah, and from Israel, that is, innocent and free from being punished by the Lord and his people. So in 2 Sam. 3. 28. a possession before Iehovah] Hereby is signified the Lords approbation, and so their just possession of the countrey, as being given them not by Moses only, (as in vers. 33.) but by the Lord, as he after saith, Iehovah your God hath given you this land to possesse it, Deut, 3. 18.
Vers. 23. sinned against Iehovah] or, unto Iehovah; which the Greek and Chaldee translate, before the Lord. your sinne] hereby may be meant both the guiltinesse, and the punishment: see the notes on Levit. 22. 9. which will find you] or, that it will find you out, that is, will come upon you; being referred to punishment: see Gen. 44. 34. The Greeke translateth, and yee shall know your sin, when evills shall overtake (or come upon) you. So the people acknowledge in their afflictions, Our sinnes testifie against us; for our transgressions are with us, and our iniquities we know them, Esay 59. 12.
Vers. 25. said] Hebr. he said, signifying their joint consent to speake as one man in this repetition of their promise.
Vers. 29. then ye shall give] Moses giveth them not the inheritance, but upon condition, if they with their brethren should subdue the land: which was not done under his ministery, but under Eleazar and Iosua, the types of Christ. A figure that the Law should make nothing perfect, but the bringing in of a better hope, Heb. 7. 19.
Vers. 32. shall be ours] or, that it may be ours: Heb. with us, that is, remaine with us as our owne. So in Plsal. 12. 5. our lips are with us, that is, are ours.
Vers. 33. halfe the tribe of Manasses] There is no mention of these before among them that sued for in heritance: but because the sonnes of Manasses shewed their faith and valour in conquering Gilead, vers. 39. therefore the Lord by Moses giveth them a possession there. And of Machir the sonne of Manasses it is said, Because he was a man of warre, therefore he had Gilead and Bashan, Ios. 17. 1. This halfe tribe had also their inheritance given them upon like condition as the former two tribes, Ios. 4. 12. with the cities thereof in the coasts] or, as the Greeke translateth, and the cities with the coasts thereof. The Hebrew preposition Lamed is often in Greeke translated and, with good sense, as in Gen. 1. 6. and 2. 3. Exod. 17. 10. Levit. 8. 12. and 16. 21. Num. 9. 15. and 33. 2.
Vers. 34. built Dibon] that is, repaired and fortified these cities which had beene partly ruined before in the conquest, or fallen into decay. So in ver. 37.
Vers. 38. the names being changed] or, being turned in name: which seemeth to be in respect of the former idolatry whereto by name they were dedicate: for Nebo and Baal were the names of false gods, Esay. 46. 1. Iudg. 6. 31. which the Lord would not have to be mentioned, Exod. 23. 13. And thus the Hebrewes (as Sol. Iarchi here) explaine it, saying, They were idolatrous names, and the Amorites had called their cities by the names of their idols; but the sonnes of Reuben turned their name to other names. they called by names] that is, by other names for the cause fore-mentioned: the Greeke translateth, they named by their names: so it accordeth with vers. 42. where Nobah having taken Kenath, called it Nobah by his owne name.
Vers. 40. gave Gilead] to wit, halfe of mount Gilead, for the other halfe was given to the sonnes of Reuben and Gad, Deut. 3. 12, 13. unto Ma…] Seeing Machir was the first-borne of Manasses, Ios. 17. 1. and Machirs sonnes were borne upon Iosephs knees, Gen. 50. 23. it is not likely that Machir himselfe was now alive, but that his posteritie are called here by their fathers name; and this is usuall thorowout the Scriptures, to give the fathers name unto the children.
Vers. 41. Iair the sonne of Manasses] Iair was the sonne of Hezron the sonne of Iudah by the fathers side, and the sonne of Machir the sonne of Manasses by his mother, 1 Chron. 2. 21, 22. and taking these villages with the other Manassites, he is here reckoned of that tribe. So elsewhere some of the Priests are called the sonnes of Barzillai, which tooke a wife of the daughters of Barzillai the Gileadite, and was called after their name, Ezr. 2. 61. the villages of Iair] in Hebrew, Havoth Iair. There was also one Iair sonne of Segub, who had three and twenty cities in the land of Gilead, 1 Chro. 2. 22. and another Iair of the tribe of Manasses, who was Iudge of Israel twentie yeares: he had thirty sonnes, and they had thirtie cities in the land of Gilead, which were also called Havoth Iair, Iudg. 10. 3, 4.
Vers. 42. the daughters] that is, the townes or villages, as is noted on Num. 21. 25. So againe in 1 Chron. 2. 23. These two tribes and an halfe, as they were the first of all Israel that had their inheritance assigned them, so were they of the first that for their sinnes were carried captives out of their land, 2 Kings 15. 29. For they transgressed against the God of their fathers, and went a whoring after the gods of the people of the land, whom God destroyed before them. And the God of Israel stirred up the spirit of Pul King of Assyria, and the spirit of T…gath-pilneser King of Assyria: and hee carried them away, even the Reubenites, and the Gadites, and the halfe tribe of Manasses, and brought them unto H…, and Habor, and Hara, and to the river Go…, unto this day, 1 Chron. 5. 25, 26.