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Números 32

ARC · Chapter 32/36

1E os filhos de Ruben e os filhos de Gad tinham muito gado em grande multidão; e viram a terra de Jaezer, e a terra de Gilead, e eis que o logar era logar de gado.

2Vieram pois os filhos de Gad e os filhos de Ruben, e fallaram a Moysés e a Eleazar, o sacerdote, e aos maioraes da congregação, dizendo:

3Ataroth, e Dibon, e Jaezer, e Nimra, e Hesbon, e Eleal, e Schebam, e Nebo, e Behon;

4A terra que o Senhor feriu diante da congregação de Israel, é terra de gado: e os teus servos teem gado.

5Disseram mais: Se achámos graça aos teus olhos, dê-se esta terra aos teus servos em possessão; e não nos faças passar o Jordão.

6Porém Moysés disse aos filhos de Gad e aos filhos de Ruben: Irão vossos irmãos á peleja, e ficareis vós aqui?

7Porque pois descorajaes o coração dos filhos d'Israel, para que não passem á terra que o Senhor lhes tem dado?

8Assim fizeram vossos paes, quando os mandei de Cades-barnea, a ver esta terra.

9Chegando elles até ao valle d'Escol, e vendo esta terra, descorajaram o coração dos filhos de Israel, para que não viessem á terra que o Senhor lhes tinha dado

10Então a ira do Senhor se accendeu n'aquelle mesmo dia, e jurou, dizendo:

11Que os varões, que subiram do Egypto, de vinte annos e para cima não verão a terra que jurei a Abrahão, a Isaac, e a Jacob porquanto não perseveraram em seguir-me;

12Excepto Caleb, filho de Jefoné o kenezeo, e Josué filho de Nun, porquanto perseveraram em seguir ao Senhor.

13Assim se accendeu a ira do Senhor contra Israel, e fêl-os andar errantes até que se consumiu toda aquella geração, que fizera mal aos olhos do Senhor.

14E eis-que vós, uma multidão de homens peccadores, vos levantastes em logar de vossos paes, para ainda mais accrescentar o furor da ira do Senhor contra Israel.

15Se vós vos virardes de seguil-o, tambem elle os deixará de novo no deserto, e destruireis a todo este povo.

16Então chegaram-se a elle, e disseram: Edificaremos curraes aqui para o nosso gado, e cidades para as nossas crianças;

17Porém nós nos armaremos, apressando-nos diante dos d'Israel, até que os levemos ao seu logar: e ficarão as nossas crianças nas cidades fortes por causa dos moradores da terra.

18Não voltaremos para nossas casas, até que os filhos d'Israel estejam de posse cada um da sua herança.

19Porque não herdaremos com elles d'além do Jordão, nem mais adiante; porquanto nós já teremos a nossa herança d'áquem do Jordão ao oriente

20Então Moysés lhes disse: Se isto fizerdes assim, se vos armardes á guerra perante o Senhor;

21E cada um de vós, armado, passar o Jordão perante o Senhor, até que haja lançado fóra os seus inimigos de diante d'elle;

22E a terra esteja subjugada perante o Senhor; então voltareis depois, e ficareis desculpados perante o Senhor e perante Israel: e esta terra vos será por possessão perante o Senhor:

23E se não fizerdes assim, eisque peccastes contra o Senhor: porém sentireis o vosso peccado, quando vos achar.

24Edificae vós cidades para as vossas crianças, e curraes para as vossas ovelhas; e fazei o que saiu da vossa bocca.

25Então fallaram os filhos de Gad, e os filhos de Ruben a Moysés, dizendo: Como ordena meu senhor, assim farão teus servos.

26As nossas crianças, as nossas mulheres, a nossa fazenda, e todos os nossos animaes estarão ahi nas cidades de Gilead.

27Mas os teus servos passarão, cada um armado para pelejar para a guerra, perante o Senhor, como tem dito meu senhor.

28Então Moysés deu ordem ácêrca d'elles a Eleazar, o sacerdote, e a Josué filho de Nun, e aos Cabeças das casas dos paes das tribus dos filhos d'Israel;

29E disse-lhes Moysés: Se os filhos de Gad, e os filhos de Ruben passarem comvosco o Jordão, armado cada um para a guerra perante o Senhor; e a terra estiver subjugada diante de vós, em possessão lhes dareis a terra de Gilead;

30Porém se não passarem, armados, comvosco, então se porão por possuidores no meio de vós na terra de Canaan.

31E responderam os filhos de Gad e os filhos de Ruben, dizendo: O que o Senhor fallou a teus servos, isso faremos.

32Nós passaremos, armados, perante o Senhor á terra de Canaan, e teremos a possessão de nossa herança d'áquem do Jordão.

33Assim deu-lhes Moysés, aos filhos de Gad, e aos filhos de Ruben, e á meia tribu de Manasseh, filho de José, o reino de Sehon, rei dos amorrheos, e o reino d'Og, rei de Basan: a terra com as suas cidades nos seus termos, as cidades do seu contorno.

34E os filhos de Gad edificaram a Dibon, e Ataroth, e Aroer;

35E Atroth-sophan, e Jaezer, e Jogbeha;

36E Beth-nimra, e Bethharan, cidades fortes; e curraes d'ovelhas.

37E os filhos de Ruben edificaram a Hesbon, e Eleal, as e Quiriathaim;

38E Nebo, e Baal-meon, mudando-*lhes o nome, e Sibma: e os nomes das cidades que edificaram chamaram por outros nomes.

39E os filhos de Machir, filho de Manasseh, foram-se para Gilead, e a tomaram: e d'aquella possessão lançaram os amorrheos, que estavam n'ella.

40Assim Moysés deu Gilead a Machir, filho de Manasseh, o qual habitou n'ella.

41E foi-se Jair, filho de Manasseh, e tomou as suas aldeias; e chamou-as Havot-jair.

42E foi-se Nobah, e tomou a Quenath com as suas aldeias; e chamou-a Nobah, segundo o seu nome.

📖 Chapter study

Summary

The tribes of Reuben and Gad, with large herds, ask to settle in the land already conquered east of the Jordan, instead of crossing into Canaan. Moses initially rebukes them harshly, but agrees when they promise to fight alongside their brothers until the promised land is completely conquered.

Explanation

Moses's strong reaction ('Why do you discourage the hearts of the children of Israel?') shows his immediate fear that this request would repeat the same cowardice of the spies decades earlier, which resulted in 40 years of discipline — he was determined not to let history repeat itself. The negotiated solution — Reuben and Gad receive the land they wanted, but with the formal commitment to fight alongside the other tribes until all were settled — shows a healthy balance between meeting legitimate needs (pastureland for the cattle) without compromising the community's collective responsibility. This agreement would later become a source of tension (Joshua 22), but at this moment it represents a mature resolution of a conflict of interests within God's people.

Fun facts

  • The half-tribe of Manasseh also joins Reuben and Gad in this territorial agreement, though it is only explicitly mentioned near the end of the chapter (v. 33) — showing that the biblical text sometimes introduces additional details progressively as the narrative unfolds.
  • Life east of the Jordan, geographically separated by the river from the other ten tribes, would be a permanent source of identity tension for these tribes throughout Israel's history, even contributing to conflicts recorded later in Joshua 22.

Verse-by-verse explanation

  1. Números 32:1The tribes of Reuben and Gad had large herds, and when they saw the region of Jazer and Gilead, they realized it was ideal land for raising livestock.
  2. Números 32:2The leaders of these two tribes come before Moses, Eleazar, and the rest of the leaders of the congregation to make a specific request.
  3. Números 32:3They list a number of cities in the region, already conquered from the Amorites, including Ataroth, Dibon, Jazer, and Heshbon, among others.
  4. Números 32:4Their argument is practical: that land, already taken by the LORD, was ideal for livestock, and they happened to have a great deal of livestock.
  5. Números 32:5The tribes of Reuben and Gad, who had large herds, see that the already conquered land east of the Jordan was good for grazing and ask to settle there instead of crossing the river into the promised land on the other side. Moses reacts badly at first, thinking they want to abandon the rest of the people before the final conquest.
  6. Números 32:6Moses reacts with suspicion, asking whether they intended to stay there while the rest of the people went to fight for the land on the other side of the Jordan.
  7. Números 32:7He fears that this request would discourage the rest of the people from crossing over and conquering the land God had promised.
  8. Números 32:8Moses compares the situation to what their fathers did decades earlier, at Kadesh-barnea, when they went to spy out the land.
  9. Números 32:9He recalls that, at the time, the fearful report brought back from the Valley of Eshcol discouraged the whole people from entering the promised land.
  10. Números 32:10Because of this, the LORD’s anger was kindled that very day, leading to a solemn oath against that generation.
  11. Números 32:11God swore that no man of that generation, twenty years old and up, would see the land promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, because they had not followed Him fully.
  12. Números 32:12The only exceptions were Caleb and Joshua, precisely because they had remained faithful to the LORD when the other spies hesitated.
  13. Números 32:13It was that same anger that made the people wander forty years in the wilderness, until that whole rebellious generation was gone.
  14. Números 32:14Moses accuses Reuben and Gad of repeating their fathers’ same mistake, further increasing the LORD’s anger against Israel.
  15. Números 32:15He warns that if they turn away from following God now, the whole people could end up abandoned in the wilderness once again because of it.
  16. Números 32:16The two tribes respond with a concrete proposal: they would build folds for their livestock and cities to protect their families right there.
  17. Números 32:17They commit to sending their armed men ahead of the rest of the people until the conquest is finished, leaving their families protected in fortified cities in the meantime.
  18. Números 32:18They guarantee they would not return to their homes before each of the other tribes had received its own inheritance of land.
  19. Números 32:19They make clear they did not intend to inherit land on the other side of the Jordan, since their portion would lie right here, on the east side.
  20. Números 32:20Moses accepts the proposal, but with one clear condition: they would truly have to arm themselves for war before the LORD.
  21. Números 32:21Every armed man of these tribes was to cross the Jordan and fight until the enemies were driven out before the LORD.
  22. Números 32:22Only after the land was completely conquered could they return free of any guilt, and the land on this side would officially become their possession.
  23. Números 32:23Moses accepts the request of the tribes of Reuben and Gad, but with one clear condition: their men must cross the Jordan and fight alongside the other tribes before returning to their own land. This line is the warning that, if they failed to keep their word, it would have real consequences — it is not a general statement, but one tied directly to this specific agreement.
  24. Números 32:24Moses authorizes them to go ahead and build the cities for their families and the folds for their flocks, as long as they later kept what they had promised.
  25. Números 32:25Gad and Reuben answer, confirming the commitment: they will do exactly as Moses commands.
  26. Números 32:26Their families, flocks, and all their possessions would stay in the cities of Gilead while the men fought on the other side.
  27. Números 32:27The armed men would cross the Jordan to fight alongside the other tribes, exactly as Moses had determined.
  28. Números 32:28Moses formalizes this agreement, passing the specific instructions on to Eleazar, Joshua, and the leaders of the rest of the tribes.
  29. Números 32:29The condition is officially recorded: if Gad and Reuben truly crossed over armed and helped conquer the land, they would receive Gilead as their inheritance.
  30. Números 32:30Otherwise, if they failed to do their part, they would have to settle like the rest of the people, within the land of Canaan itself.
  31. Números 32:31Gad and Reuben reaffirm the commitment: they would do exactly what the LORD had determined through Moses.
  32. Números 32:32They confirm they would cross over armed into Canaan, while keeping their inheritance already secured on this side of the Jordan.
  33. Números 32:33Moses then hands over to Gad, Reuben, and the half-tribe of Manasseh the already conquered territories of Sihon and Og, with all their cities.
  34. Números 32:34The children of Gad rebuild and fortify cities such as Dibon, Ataroth, and Aroer.
  35. Números 32:35These cities lie in Gilead, east of the Jordan, rebuilt by the tribe of Gad after the conquest — territory the Gadites chose because it had good pastures for their livestock.
  36. Números 32:36They also complete Beth-nimrah and Beth-haran, fortified cities, along with folds for their flocks.
  37. Números 32:37The children of Reuben, for their part, rebuild Heshbon, Elealeh, and Kirjathaim.
  38. Números 32:38They also rebuild Nebo and Baal-meon, changing the names of these cities, along with Shibmah — a way of erasing associations with the old local gods.
  39. Números 32:39The descendants of Machir, of the tribe of Manasseh, go to Gilead, conquer the region, and drive out the Amorites still living there.
  40. Números 32:40Moses officially hands Gilead over to Machir, who then settles in that land.
  41. Números 32:41Jair, another descendant of Manasseh, conquers villages in the region and names them after himself, Havoth-jair.
  42. Números 32:42Finally, Nobah conquers the city of Kenath and its villages, and also gives it his own name, calling it Nobah.

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