Numbers 32:2

Verse

So the Gadites and Reubenites came to Moses, Eleazar the priest, and the leaders of the congregation, and said,

American Standard Version (1901)

the children of Gad and the children of Reuben came and spake unto Moses, and to Eleazar the priest, and unto the princes of the congregation, saying,

Bible in Basic English

The children of Gad and the children of Reuben came and said to Moses and to Eleazar the priest and to the chiefs of the meeting,

Free Bible Version

So they came to Moses, Eleazar the priest, and the Israelite leaders and said,

King James (Authorized) Version

The children of Gad and the children of Reuben came and spake unto Moses, and to Eleazar the priest, and unto the princes of the congregation, saying,

One Unity Resource Bible

the children of Gad [Good fortune] and the children of Reuben [See, a son!] came and spoke to Moses [Drawn out], and to Eleazar [Help of God] the priest, and to the princes of the congregation, saying,

Translation for Translators

So their leaders came to Eleazar and the other leaders of the people and Moses/me. They said,

Unlocked Literal Bible

So the descendants of Gad and Reuben came and spoke to Moses, to Eleazar the priest, and to the leaders of the community. They said,

Noah Webster Bible

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,

World English Bible

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,

Young's Literal Translation

and the sons of Gad, and the sons of Reuben, come in and speak unto Moses, and unto Eleazar the priest, and unto the princes of the company, saying:

Context

The Tribes East of the Jordan

¹Now 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.²So the Gadites and Reubenites came to Moses, Eleazar the priest, and the leaders of the congregation, and said, ³“Ataroth, Dibon, Jazer, Nimrah, Heshbon, Elealeh, Sebam, Nebo, and Beon,

Summary

In Numbers 32:2, the Reubenites and Gadites approached Moses with a request to settle in the land of Gilead, east of the Jordan River, because they had large herds of livestock. This incident highlights the importance of seeking God's guidance and following His plans rather than prioritizing personal interests or material possessions. It serves as a reminder for believers to align their desires with God's will and to consider the impact of their decisions on the community of faith. Ultimately, this passage underscores the need for faithfulness and obedience to God's leading in all aspects of life.

Commentary

John Gill

John Gill Bible Commentary

Ataroth, Dibon, and Jazer,.... These were places which belonged to the Amorites, and were taken from Sihon, their king: of Ataroth we read nowhere else but in this chapter; of Dibon see Isa 15:2, Jazer was a city, from whence the land about it had its name; it is the same with Jaazer, Num 21:32 and stood about fifteen miles from Heshbon (k), the capital city of the kingdom of Sihon: and Nimrah, and Heshbon, and Elealeh, and Shebam, and Nebo, and Beon; these were all places in the same country; of Heshbon see Num 21:25, Nimrah is the same with Bethnimrah, Num 32:36 and sometimes called Nimrim, famous for its water, Isa 15:6. Jerom says (l) the name of it in his time was Benamerium, and lay to the north of Zoar; Elealeh, according to the same writer (m) was but a mile from Heshbon, of which see Isa 15:4. Shebam is the same with Shibmah, Num 32:36, and seems to be a place famous for vines, Isa 16:8; it is thought to be the same with the Seba of Ptolemy (n), and according to Jerom (o), there were scarce five hundred paces between this place and Heshbon; Nebo, the Targums of Onkelos and Jonathan call the grave of Moses, because on a mountain of this name Moses died, and where it is supposed he was buried; but it is certain he was buried not on a mountain, but in a valley, Deu 34:6, this perhaps had its name from the mountain near which it was, and of which see Isa 15:2. Beon is the same that is called Baalmeon, Num 32:38 and Bethbaalmeon, Jos 13:17, where was very probably a temple of Baal; it was about nine miles from Heshbon (p). (k) Jerom. de loc. Heb. fol. 92. G. (l) lbid. K. (m) Ibid. fol. 91. A. (n) Geograph. l. 5. c. 19. (o) Comment. in Esaiam, c. 16. 8. (p) Eusebius apud Reland: Palest. Illustr. par. 2. l. 3. p. 611.