_THE CHILDREN OF REUBEN AND GAD SUE FOR THEIR INHERITANCE IN GILEAD, ON THIS SIDE JORDAN; BUT, BEING REPROVED BY MOSES, PROMISE THAT THEY WILL PASS THE JORDAN, AND FIGHT WITH THEIR BRETHREN; UPON WHICH TERMS THEIR PETITION IS GRANTED, AND HALF THE TRIBE OF MANASSEH IS JOINED WITH THEM._ _Before Ch... [ Continue Reading ]
NOW THE CHILDREN OF REUBEN, &C.— These tribes, abounding in the largest stock of cattle, and desirous to be established, cast their eyes upon the country of Jazer and Gilead, lately taken from the two Amoritish princes, Sihon and Og, and by Divine appointment allowed to be inhabited by the Israelite... [ Continue Reading ]
ATAROTH, AND DIBON, AND JAZER, &C.— All these towns belonged to the territories of Sihon and Og, and lay on the east side of Jordan. There was another _Ataroth_ within the land of Canaan. Joshua 5:7. Nimrah, called _Bethnimra_ in the 36th verse, and Judges 13:27 signifies, according to Bochart, the... [ Continue Reading ]
AND MOSES SAID, &C.— Those two tribes had applied to Moses for a settlement in the country where they were, and desired that they might not be _brought over Jordan,_ Numbers 32:5. This justly irritated the spirit of Moses, who, with a proper indignation, said unto them, _shall your brethren go to wa... [ Continue Reading ]
CALEB, THE SON OF JEPHUNNEH THE KENEZITE— Commentators seem to have mistaken this matter, in supposing that _Caleb_ is called the _Kenezite:_ this title is given to Jephunneh both here and in Joshua 14:14.; and it is probable, that Kenaz was a common ancestor of the family, see Joshua 15:17. Judges... [ Continue Reading ]
WE—WILL GO READY ARMED BEFORE THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL— Having taken into consideration what Moses had said, the two tribes apply to him again, and offer, in a very reasonable manner, _to go ready armed before the children of Israel;_ as much as to say, "though we desired to settle here with our famil... [ Continue Reading ]
IF YE WILL GO ARMED BEFORE THE LORD— i.e. _Before the ark,_ which was the symbol of the Divine presence; for the three tribes of Reuben, Gad, and Simeon marched immediately before the sanctuary, ch. Numbers 2:10; Numbers 2:14 Numbers 10:18 so that Moses requires of them only to hold their usual plac... [ Continue Reading ]
YOUR SIN WILL FIND YOU OUT— The LXX render this, _and ye shall know your sin, when evils fall upon you;_ which is not the meaning of the Hebrew. The sense is, _the punishment of your sin will sooner or later overtake you;_ or, _ye shall not continue unpunished._ The heathens themselves had the same... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT IF THEY WILL NOT PASS, &C.— "Then thou shalt compel them to do so, and assign them, according to lot, their portion in the land of Canaan." The LXX has it, _then you shall drive before you their cattle, their wives and possessions, into the land of Canaan; and they shall have,_ &c.... [ Continue Reading ]
ON THIS SIDE JORDAN— They were now in the land of Gilead, so that the east side of Jordan was, in respect of them, _on this side_ Jordan; but when they were in Canaan it was on _that side Jordan._... [ Continue Reading ]
AND MOSES GAVE UNTO THEM, &C.— As the whole territory was more than sufficient for the children of Gad and Reuben, the half tribe of Manasseh is ordered to have a settlement along with them; and the reason why it was given to them was, because they had dispossessed the Amorite, and so had a fairer p... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE CHILDREN OF GAD BUILT DIBON, &C.— Though the original word signifies _to build,_ yet there are many examples in which it signifies to _rebuild;_ 1 Kings 12:25. Exodus 14:22 and in this sense it must be here understood, as well as in the 37th verse; for the towns spoken of were built before;... [ Continue Reading ]
_NUMBERS 32:38_. (_THEIR NAMES BEING CHANGED_)— The Israelites might judge it proper to change the names of these places, in order to abolish all the footsteps of idolatry in the country; though we find them still called by their ancient names, Joshua 13:17. Ezekiel 25:9 and Isaiah 15; Isaiah 16. Ho... [ Continue Reading ]
MOSES GAVE GILEAD UNTO MACHIR— i.e. to the _family_ or _posterity_ of Machir, as appears from the 1st verse; for Machir himself, being the son of Manasseh, must have been dead long ago. To this family _Moses gave Gilead, i.e._ half of mount Gilead; for the _other half_ was given to the sons of Reube... [ Continue Reading ]
JAIR THE SON OF MANASSEH— One of the posterity of Manasseh by the mother's side; for he was the grandson of Gilead, the son of Machir, by his daughter, 1 Chronicles 2:21 but his father was of the tribe of Judah. It seems that he had joined with the children of Machir in their expedition against Gile... [ Continue Reading ]