Thematic Bible
Thematic Bible
Amorites » Allotted to reuben, gad, and manasseh
Moses gave to them, to the sons of Gad and of Reuben and to half the tribe of Manasseh son of Joseph, the kingdom of Sihon king of the Amorites and the kingdom of Og king of Bashan -- "the land with its cities and their territories, even the cities round about the country. And the sons of Gad built Dibon, Ataroth, Aroer, Atroth-shophan, Jazer, Jogbehah, read more.
Beth-nimrah, and Beth-haran, fortified cities, and folds for sheep. And the sons of Reuben built Heshbon, Elealeh, Kiriathaim, Nebo, and Baal-meon -- "their names were to be changed -- "and Shibmah; and they gave other names to the cities they built. And the sons of Machir son of Manasseh went to Gilead and took it and dispossessed the Amorites who were in it. And Moses gave Gilead to Machir son of Manasseh, and he settled in it. Jair son of Manasseh took their villages and called them Havvoth-jair. And Nobah took Kenath and its villages and called it Nobah after his own name.
Beth-nimrah, and Beth-haran, fortified cities, and folds for sheep. And the sons of Reuben built Heshbon, Elealeh, Kiriathaim, Nebo, and Baal-meon -- "their names were to be changed -- "and Shibmah; and they gave other names to the cities they built. And the sons of Machir son of Manasseh went to Gilead and took it and dispossessed the Amorites who were in it. And Moses gave Gilead to Machir son of Manasseh, and he settled in it. Jair son of Manasseh took their villages and called them Havvoth-jair. And Nobah took Kenath and its villages and called it Nobah after his own name.
And Moses gave an inheritance to the tribe of the Reubenites according to their families: Their territory was from Aroer on the edge of the Valley of the [river] Arnon, and the city in the midst of the valley, and all the tableland by Medeba; With Heshbon and all its cities which are on the plain; Dibon, Bamoth-baal, and Beth-baal-meon, read more.
Jahaz, Kedemoth, Mephaath, Kiriathaim, Sibmah, and Zereth-shahar on the hill of the valley, Beth-peor, Pisgah's slopes, and Beth-jeshimoth, All the cities of the plain and all the kingdom of Sihon king of the Amorites, who ruled in Heshbon, whom Moses defeated along with the leaders of Midian, Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur, and Reba, the princes of Sihon who lived in the land.
Jahaz, Kedemoth, Mephaath, Kiriathaim, Sibmah, and Zereth-shahar on the hill of the valley, Beth-peor, Pisgah's slopes, and Beth-jeshimoth, All the cities of the plain and all the kingdom of Sihon king of the Amorites, who ruled in Heshbon, whom Moses defeated along with the leaders of Midian, Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur, and Reba, the princes of Sihon who lived in the land.
the Amorites » Had many and strong cities
but we will be armed and ready to go to war before the [other tribes of the] Israelites, until we have brought them to their place, while our children live in the fortified cities because of the inhabitants of the land.
So Moses gave to them, to the sons of Gad and to the sons of Reuben and to the half-tribe of Manasseh the son of Joseph, the kingdom of Sihon, the king of the Amorites and the kingdom of Og, the king of Bashan, the land with its cities and territories, the cities of the surrounding land.
Bashan » Allotted to the two and one half tribes, which had their possession east of the jordan river
So Moses gave to them, to the sons of Gad and to the sons of Reuben and to the half-tribe of Manasseh the son of Joseph, the kingdom of Sihon, the king of the Amorites and the kingdom of Og, the king of Bashan, the land with its cities and territories, the cities of the surrounding land.
All the cities of the plain, and all Gilead, and all Bashan as far as Salecah and Edrei, cities of the kingdom of Og in Bashan. For only Og king of Bashan remained of the remnant of the [gigantic] Rephaim. Behold, his bedstead was of iron; is it not in Rabbah of the Ammonites? Nine cubits was its length and four cubits its breadth, using the cubit of a man [the forearm to the end of the middle finger]. When we took possession of this land, I gave to the Reubenites and the Gadites the territory from Aroer, which is on the edge of the Valley of the Arnon, and half the hill country of Gilead and its cities. read more.
The rest of Gilead and all of Bashan, the kingdom of Og, that is, all the region of Argob in Bashan, I gave to the half-tribe of Manasseh. It is called the land of Rephaim [of giant stature]. Jair son of Manasseh took all the region of Argob, that is, Bashan, as far as the border of the Geshurites and the Maacathites, and called it after his own name, Havvoth-jair, so called to this day.
The rest of Gilead and all of Bashan, the kingdom of Og, that is, all the region of Argob in Bashan, I gave to the half-tribe of Manasseh. It is called the land of Rephaim [of giant stature]. Jair son of Manasseh took all the region of Argob, that is, Bashan, as far as the border of the Geshurites and the Maacathites, and called it after his own name, Havvoth-jair, so called to this day.
And Og king of Bashan, one of the remnant of the Rephaim, who lived at Ashtaroth and at Edrei, And ruled over Mount Hermon and Salecah and all of Bashan to the boundary of the Geshurites and the Maacathites, and over half of Gilead to the boundary of Sihon king of Heshbon. These Moses the servant of the Lord and the Israelites defeated; and Moses the servant of the Lord gave their land for a possession to the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh.
And Moses gave an inheritance to the half-tribe of Manasseh; it was allotted to them according to their families. Their region extended from Mahanaim through all Bashan, the entire kingdom of Og king of Bashan, and all the towns of Jair, which are in Bashan, sixty cities, And half of Gilead, and Ashtaroth and Edrei, cities of the kingdom of Og in Bashan; these were allotted to the people of Machir son of Manasseh for half of the Machirites according to their families.
Now this was the lot (allotment) for the tribe of Manasseh, for he was the firstborn of Joseph. To Machir the firstborn of Manasseh, the father of Gilead, were allotted Gilead and Bashan, because he was a man of war.
The tribe of Gad » Sought and obtained its inheritance east of jordan
Now the sons of Reuben and of Gad had a very great multitude of cattle, and they saw the land of Jazer and the land of Gilead [on the east side of the Jordan], and behold, the place was suitable for cattle. So the sons of Gad and of Reuben came and said to Moses, Eleazar the priest, and the leaders of the congregation, [The country around] Ataroth, Dibon, Jazer, Nimrah, Heshbon, Elealeh, Sebam, Nebo, and Beon, read more.
The land the Lord smote before the congregation of Israel, is a land for cattle, and your servants have cattle. And they said, If we have found favor in your sight, let this land be given to your servants for a possession. Do not take us over the Jordan. And Moses said to the sons of Gad and of Reuben, Shall your brethren go to war while you sit here? Why do you discourage the hearts of the Israelites from going over into the land which the Lord has given them? Thus your fathers did when I sent them from Kadesh-barnea to see the land! For when they went up to the Valley of Eshcol and saw the land, they discouraged the hearts of the Israelites from going into the land the Lord had given them. And the Lord's anger was kindled on that day and He swore, saying, Surely none of the men who came up out of Egypt, from twenty years old and upward, shall see the land which I swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, because they have not wholly followed Me -- " Except Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite and Joshua son of Nun, for they have wholly followed the Lord. And the Lord's anger was kindled against Israel and He made them wander in the wilderness for forty years, until all the generation that had done evil in the sight of the Lord was consumed. And behold, you are risen up in your fathers' stead, a brood of sinful men, to increase still more the fierce anger of the Lord against Israel. For if you turn from following Him, He will again abandon them in the wilderness, and you will destroy all this people. But they came near to him and said, We will build sheepfolds here for our flocks and walled settlements for our little ones. But we will be armed and ready to go before the Israelites until we have brought them to their place. Our little ones shall dwell in the fortified settlements because of the people of the land. We will not return to our homes until the Israelites have inherited every man his inheritance. For we will not inherit with them on the [west] side of the Jordan and beyond, because our inheritance is fallen to us on this side of the Jordan eastward. Moses replied, If you will do as you say, going armed before the Lord to war, And every armed man of you will pass over the Jordan before the Lord until He has driven out His enemies before Him And the land is subdued before the Lord, then afterward you shall return and be guiltless [in this matter] before the Lord and before Israel, and this land shall be your possession before the Lord. But if you will not do so, behold, you have sinned against the Lord; and be sure your sin will find you out. Build settlements for your little ones, and folds for your sheep, and do that of which you have spoken. And the sons of Gad and of Reuben said to Moses, Your servants will do as my lord commands. Our little ones, our wives, our flocks, and all our cattle shall be there in the cities of Gilead. But your servants will pass over, every man armed for war, before the Lord to battle, as my lord says. So Moses gave command concerning them to Eleazar the priest and Joshua son of Nun and the heads of the fathers' houses of the tribes of Israel. And Moses said to them, If the sons of Gad and Reuben will pass with you over the Jordan, every man armed to battle before the Lord, and the land shall be subdued before you, then you shall give them the land of Gilead for a possession. But if they will not pass over with you armed, they shall have possessions among you in the land of Canaan. The sons of Gad and Reuben answered, As the Lord has said to your servants, so will we do. We will pass over armed before the Lord into the land of Canaan, that the possession of our inheritance on this side of the Jordan may be ours. Moses gave to them, to the sons of Gad and of Reuben and to half the tribe of Manasseh son of Joseph, the kingdom of Sihon king of the Amorites and the kingdom of Og king of Bashan -- "the land with its cities and their territories, even the cities round about the country.
The land the Lord smote before the congregation of Israel, is a land for cattle, and your servants have cattle. And they said, If we have found favor in your sight, let this land be given to your servants for a possession. Do not take us over the Jordan. And Moses said to the sons of Gad and of Reuben, Shall your brethren go to war while you sit here? Why do you discourage the hearts of the Israelites from going over into the land which the Lord has given them? Thus your fathers did when I sent them from Kadesh-barnea to see the land! For when they went up to the Valley of Eshcol and saw the land, they discouraged the hearts of the Israelites from going into the land the Lord had given them. And the Lord's anger was kindled on that day and He swore, saying, Surely none of the men who came up out of Egypt, from twenty years old and upward, shall see the land which I swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, because they have not wholly followed Me -- " Except Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite and Joshua son of Nun, for they have wholly followed the Lord. And the Lord's anger was kindled against Israel and He made them wander in the wilderness for forty years, until all the generation that had done evil in the sight of the Lord was consumed. And behold, you are risen up in your fathers' stead, a brood of sinful men, to increase still more the fierce anger of the Lord against Israel. For if you turn from following Him, He will again abandon them in the wilderness, and you will destroy all this people. But they came near to him and said, We will build sheepfolds here for our flocks and walled settlements for our little ones. But we will be armed and ready to go before the Israelites until we have brought them to their place. Our little ones shall dwell in the fortified settlements because of the people of the land. We will not return to our homes until the Israelites have inherited every man his inheritance. For we will not inherit with them on the [west] side of the Jordan and beyond, because our inheritance is fallen to us on this side of the Jordan eastward. Moses replied, If you will do as you say, going armed before the Lord to war, And every armed man of you will pass over the Jordan before the Lord until He has driven out His enemies before Him And the land is subdued before the Lord, then afterward you shall return and be guiltless [in this matter] before the Lord and before Israel, and this land shall be your possession before the Lord. But if you will not do so, behold, you have sinned against the Lord; and be sure your sin will find you out. Build settlements for your little ones, and folds for your sheep, and do that of which you have spoken. And the sons of Gad and of Reuben said to Moses, Your servants will do as my lord commands. Our little ones, our wives, our flocks, and all our cattle shall be there in the cities of Gilead. But your servants will pass over, every man armed for war, before the Lord to battle, as my lord says. So Moses gave command concerning them to Eleazar the priest and Joshua son of Nun and the heads of the fathers' houses of the tribes of Israel. And Moses said to them, If the sons of Gad and Reuben will pass with you over the Jordan, every man armed to battle before the Lord, and the land shall be subdued before you, then you shall give them the land of Gilead for a possession. But if they will not pass over with you armed, they shall have possessions among you in the land of Canaan. The sons of Gad and Reuben answered, As the Lord has said to your servants, so will we do. We will pass over armed before the Lord into the land of Canaan, that the possession of our inheritance on this side of the Jordan may be ours. Moses gave to them, to the sons of Gad and of Reuben and to half the tribe of Manasseh son of Joseph, the kingdom of Sihon king of the Amorites and the kingdom of Og king of Bashan -- "the land with its cities and their territories, even the cities round about the country.
Manasseh » Tribe of » Inheritance of » One-half of tribe east of the jordan river
So Moses gave to them, to the sons of Gad and to the sons of Reuben and to the half-tribe of Manasseh the son of Joseph, the kingdom of Sihon, the king of the Amorites and the kingdom of Og, the king of Bashan, the land with its cities and territories, the cities of the surrounding land.
And the sons of Machir son of Manasseh went to Gilead and took it and dispossessed the Amorites who were in it. And Moses gave Gilead to Machir son of Manasseh, and he settled in it. Jair son of Manasseh took their villages and called them Havvoth-jair. read more.
And Nobah took Kenath and its villages and called it Nobah after his own name.
And Nobah took Kenath and its villages and called it Nobah after his own name.
The tribe of Manasseh » Half of, obtained inheritance east of jordan
So Moses gave to them, to the sons of Gad and to the sons of Reuben and to the half-tribe of Manasseh the son of Joseph, the kingdom of Sihon, the king of the Amorites and the kingdom of Og, the king of Bashan, the land with its cities and territories, the cities of the surrounding land.
And Moses gave an inheritance to the half-tribe of Manasseh; it was allotted to them according to their families. Their region extended from Mahanaim through all Bashan, the entire kingdom of Og king of Bashan, and all the towns of Jair, which are in Bashan, sixty cities, And half of Gilead, and Ashtaroth and Edrei, cities of the kingdom of Og in Bashan; these were allotted to the people of Machir son of Manasseh for half of the Machirites according to their families.
And the sons of Machir son of Manasseh went to Gilead and took it and dispossessed the Amorites who were in it. And Moses gave Gilead to Machir son of Manasseh, and he settled in it. Jair son of Manasseh took their villages and called them Havvoth-jair. read more.
And Nobah took Kenath and its villages and called it Nobah after his own name.
And Nobah took Kenath and its villages and called it Nobah after his own name.
Misjudgment » Instances of » Of the reubenites and gadites
Now the sons of Reuben and of Gad had a very great multitude of cattle, and they saw the land of Jazer and the land of Gilead [on the east side of the Jordan], and behold, the place was suitable for cattle. So the sons of Gad and of Reuben came and said to Moses, Eleazar the priest, and the leaders of the congregation, [The country around] Ataroth, Dibon, Jazer, Nimrah, Heshbon, Elealeh, Sebam, Nebo, and Beon, read more.
The land the Lord smote before the congregation of Israel, is a land for cattle, and your servants have cattle. And they said, If we have found favor in your sight, let this land be given to your servants for a possession. Do not take us over the Jordan. And Moses said to the sons of Gad and of Reuben, Shall your brethren go to war while you sit here? Why do you discourage the hearts of the Israelites from going over into the land which the Lord has given them? Thus your fathers did when I sent them from Kadesh-barnea to see the land! For when they went up to the Valley of Eshcol and saw the land, they discouraged the hearts of the Israelites from going into the land the Lord had given them. And the Lord's anger was kindled on that day and He swore, saying, Surely none of the men who came up out of Egypt, from twenty years old and upward, shall see the land which I swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, because they have not wholly followed Me -- " Except Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite and Joshua son of Nun, for they have wholly followed the Lord. And the Lord's anger was kindled against Israel and He made them wander in the wilderness for forty years, until all the generation that had done evil in the sight of the Lord was consumed. And behold, you are risen up in your fathers' stead, a brood of sinful men, to increase still more the fierce anger of the Lord against Israel. For if you turn from following Him, He will again abandon them in the wilderness, and you will destroy all this people. But they came near to him and said, We will build sheepfolds here for our flocks and walled settlements for our little ones. But we will be armed and ready to go before the Israelites until we have brought them to their place. Our little ones shall dwell in the fortified settlements because of the people of the land. We will not return to our homes until the Israelites have inherited every man his inheritance. For we will not inherit with them on the [west] side of the Jordan and beyond, because our inheritance is fallen to us on this side of the Jordan eastward. Moses replied, If you will do as you say, going armed before the Lord to war, And every armed man of you will pass over the Jordan before the Lord until He has driven out His enemies before Him And the land is subdued before the Lord, then afterward you shall return and be guiltless [in this matter] before the Lord and before Israel, and this land shall be your possession before the Lord. But if you will not do so, behold, you have sinned against the Lord; and be sure your sin will find you out. Build settlements for your little ones, and folds for your sheep, and do that of which you have spoken. And the sons of Gad and of Reuben said to Moses, Your servants will do as my lord commands. Our little ones, our wives, our flocks, and all our cattle shall be there in the cities of Gilead. But your servants will pass over, every man armed for war, before the Lord to battle, as my lord says. So Moses gave command concerning them to Eleazar the priest and Joshua son of Nun and the heads of the fathers' houses of the tribes of Israel. And Moses said to them, If the sons of Gad and Reuben will pass with you over the Jordan, every man armed to battle before the Lord, and the land shall be subdued before you, then you shall give them the land of Gilead for a possession. But if they will not pass over with you armed, they shall have possessions among you in the land of Canaan. The sons of Gad and Reuben answered, As the Lord has said to your servants, so will we do. We will pass over armed before the Lord into the land of Canaan, that the possession of our inheritance on this side of the Jordan may be ours. Moses gave to them, to the sons of Gad and of Reuben and to half the tribe of Manasseh son of Joseph, the kingdom of Sihon king of the Amorites and the kingdom of Og king of Bashan -- "the land with its cities and their territories, even the cities round about the country.
The land the Lord smote before the congregation of Israel, is a land for cattle, and your servants have cattle. And they said, If we have found favor in your sight, let this land be given to your servants for a possession. Do not take us over the Jordan. And Moses said to the sons of Gad and of Reuben, Shall your brethren go to war while you sit here? Why do you discourage the hearts of the Israelites from going over into the land which the Lord has given them? Thus your fathers did when I sent them from Kadesh-barnea to see the land! For when they went up to the Valley of Eshcol and saw the land, they discouraged the hearts of the Israelites from going into the land the Lord had given them. And the Lord's anger was kindled on that day and He swore, saying, Surely none of the men who came up out of Egypt, from twenty years old and upward, shall see the land which I swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, because they have not wholly followed Me -- " Except Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite and Joshua son of Nun, for they have wholly followed the Lord. And the Lord's anger was kindled against Israel and He made them wander in the wilderness for forty years, until all the generation that had done evil in the sight of the Lord was consumed. And behold, you are risen up in your fathers' stead, a brood of sinful men, to increase still more the fierce anger of the Lord against Israel. For if you turn from following Him, He will again abandon them in the wilderness, and you will destroy all this people. But they came near to him and said, We will build sheepfolds here for our flocks and walled settlements for our little ones. But we will be armed and ready to go before the Israelites until we have brought them to their place. Our little ones shall dwell in the fortified settlements because of the people of the land. We will not return to our homes until the Israelites have inherited every man his inheritance. For we will not inherit with them on the [west] side of the Jordan and beyond, because our inheritance is fallen to us on this side of the Jordan eastward. Moses replied, If you will do as you say, going armed before the Lord to war, And every armed man of you will pass over the Jordan before the Lord until He has driven out His enemies before Him And the land is subdued before the Lord, then afterward you shall return and be guiltless [in this matter] before the Lord and before Israel, and this land shall be your possession before the Lord. But if you will not do so, behold, you have sinned against the Lord; and be sure your sin will find you out. Build settlements for your little ones, and folds for your sheep, and do that of which you have spoken. And the sons of Gad and of Reuben said to Moses, Your servants will do as my lord commands. Our little ones, our wives, our flocks, and all our cattle shall be there in the cities of Gilead. But your servants will pass over, every man armed for war, before the Lord to battle, as my lord says. So Moses gave command concerning them to Eleazar the priest and Joshua son of Nun and the heads of the fathers' houses of the tribes of Israel. And Moses said to them, If the sons of Gad and Reuben will pass with you over the Jordan, every man armed to battle before the Lord, and the land shall be subdued before you, then you shall give them the land of Gilead for a possession. But if they will not pass over with you armed, they shall have possessions among you in the land of Canaan. The sons of Gad and Reuben answered, As the Lord has said to your servants, so will we do. We will pass over armed before the Lord into the land of Canaan, that the possession of our inheritance on this side of the Jordan may be ours. Moses gave to them, to the sons of Gad and of Reuben and to half the tribe of Manasseh son of Joseph, the kingdom of Sihon king of the Amorites and the kingdom of Og king of Bashan -- "the land with its cities and their territories, even the cities round about the country.
And the [other] Israelites heard it said, Behold, the Reubenites, Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh have built an altar at the edge of the land of Canaan in the region [west] of the Jordan in the passage [belonging to us], the Israelites. When the Israelites heard of it, the whole congregation of the sons of Israel gathered at Shiloh to make war on them. And the [other] Israelites sent to the Reubenites, Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh, in the land of Gilead, Phinehas son of Eleazar, the priest, read more.
And with him ten chiefs, one from each of the tribal families of Israel; and each one was a head of a father's house among the clans of Israel. And they came to the Reubenites, Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh, in the land of Gilead, and they said to them, The whole congregation of the Lord says, What trespass is this that you have committed against the God of Israel, to turn away this day from following the Lord, in that you have built yourselves an altar to rebel this day against the Lord? Is the iniquity of Peor too little for us, from which we are not cleansed even now, although there came a plague [in which 24,000 died] in the congregation of the Lord, That you must turn away this day from following the Lord? The result will be, since you rebel today against the Lord, that tomorrow He will be angry with the whole congregation of Israel. But now, if your land is unclean, pass over into the Lord's land, where the Lord's tabernacle resides, and take for yourselves a possession among us. But do not rebel against the Lord or rebel against us by building for yourselves an altar other than the altar of the Lord our God. Did not Achan son of Zerah commit a trespass in the matter of taking accursed things [devoted to destruction] and wrath fall on all the congregation of Israel? And he did not perish alone in his perversity and iniquity. Then the Reubenites, Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh said to the heads of the clans of Israel, The Mighty One, God, the Lord! The Mighty One, God, the Lord! He knows, and let Israel itself know! If it was in rebellion or in transgression against the Lord, spare us not today. If we have built us an altar to turn away from following the Lord, or if we did so to offer on it burnt offerings or cereal offerings or peace offerings, may the Lord Himself take vengeance. No! But we did it for fear that in time to come your children might say to our children, What have you to do with the Lord, the God of Israel? For the Lord has made the Jordan a boundary between us and you, you Reubenites and Gadites; you have no part in the Lord. So your children might make our children cease from fearing the Lord. So we said, Let us now prepare to build us an altar, not for burnt offering nor for sacrifice, But to be a witness between us and you and between the generations after us, that we will perform the service of the Lord before Him with our burnt offerings and sacrifices and peace offerings; lest your children say to our children in time to come, You have no portion in the Lord. So we thought, if that should be said to us or to our descendants in time to come, we can reply, Behold the copy of the altar of the Lord, which our fathers made, not for burnt offerings nor for sacrifices, but to be a witness between us and you. Far be it from us that we should rebel against the Lord and turn away this day from following the Lord to build an altar for burnt offerings, for cereal offerings, or for sacrifices, besides the altar of the Lord our God that is before His tabernacle. And when Phinehas the priest and the chiefs of the congregation and heads of the clans of Israel who were with him heard the words that the Reubenites, Gadites, and Manassites spoke, it pleased them. Phinehas son of Eleazar, the priest, said to the Reubenites, Gadites, and Manassites, Today we know the Lord is among us, because you have not committed this trespass and treachery against the Lord; now you have saved the Israelites from the Lord's hand.
And with him ten chiefs, one from each of the tribal families of Israel; and each one was a head of a father's house among the clans of Israel. And they came to the Reubenites, Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh, in the land of Gilead, and they said to them, The whole congregation of the Lord says, What trespass is this that you have committed against the God of Israel, to turn away this day from following the Lord, in that you have built yourselves an altar to rebel this day against the Lord? Is the iniquity of Peor too little for us, from which we are not cleansed even now, although there came a plague [in which 24,000 died] in the congregation of the Lord, That you must turn away this day from following the Lord? The result will be, since you rebel today against the Lord, that tomorrow He will be angry with the whole congregation of Israel. But now, if your land is unclean, pass over into the Lord's land, where the Lord's tabernacle resides, and take for yourselves a possession among us. But do not rebel against the Lord or rebel against us by building for yourselves an altar other than the altar of the Lord our God. Did not Achan son of Zerah commit a trespass in the matter of taking accursed things [devoted to destruction] and wrath fall on all the congregation of Israel? And he did not perish alone in his perversity and iniquity. Then the Reubenites, Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh said to the heads of the clans of Israel, The Mighty One, God, the Lord! The Mighty One, God, the Lord! He knows, and let Israel itself know! If it was in rebellion or in transgression against the Lord, spare us not today. If we have built us an altar to turn away from following the Lord, or if we did so to offer on it burnt offerings or cereal offerings or peace offerings, may the Lord Himself take vengeance. No! But we did it for fear that in time to come your children might say to our children, What have you to do with the Lord, the God of Israel? For the Lord has made the Jordan a boundary between us and you, you Reubenites and Gadites; you have no part in the Lord. So your children might make our children cease from fearing the Lord. So we said, Let us now prepare to build us an altar, not for burnt offering nor for sacrifice, But to be a witness between us and you and between the generations after us, that we will perform the service of the Lord before Him with our burnt offerings and sacrifices and peace offerings; lest your children say to our children in time to come, You have no portion in the Lord. So we thought, if that should be said to us or to our descendants in time to come, we can reply, Behold the copy of the altar of the Lord, which our fathers made, not for burnt offerings nor for sacrifices, but to be a witness between us and you. Far be it from us that we should rebel against the Lord and turn away this day from following the Lord to build an altar for burnt offerings, for cereal offerings, or for sacrifices, besides the altar of the Lord our God that is before His tabernacle. And when Phinehas the priest and the chiefs of the congregation and heads of the clans of Israel who were with him heard the words that the Reubenites, Gadites, and Manassites spoke, it pleased them. Phinehas son of Eleazar, the priest, said to the Reubenites, Gadites, and Manassites, Today we know the Lord is among us, because you have not committed this trespass and treachery against the Lord; now you have saved the Israelites from the Lord's hand.
Motive » Misunderstood » The tribes of reuben and gad, in asking for their inheritance east of the jordan river
Now the sons of Reuben and of Gad had a very great multitude of cattle, and they saw the land of Jazer and the land of Gilead [on the east side of the Jordan], and behold, the place was suitable for cattle. So the sons of Gad and of Reuben came and said to Moses, Eleazar the priest, and the leaders of the congregation, [The country around] Ataroth, Dibon, Jazer, Nimrah, Heshbon, Elealeh, Sebam, Nebo, and Beon, read more.
The land the Lord smote before the congregation of Israel, is a land for cattle, and your servants have cattle. And they said, If we have found favor in your sight, let this land be given to your servants for a possession. Do not take us over the Jordan. And Moses said to the sons of Gad and of Reuben, Shall your brethren go to war while you sit here? Why do you discourage the hearts of the Israelites from going over into the land which the Lord has given them? Thus your fathers did when I sent them from Kadesh-barnea to see the land! For when they went up to the Valley of Eshcol and saw the land, they discouraged the hearts of the Israelites from going into the land the Lord had given them. And the Lord's anger was kindled on that day and He swore, saying, Surely none of the men who came up out of Egypt, from twenty years old and upward, shall see the land which I swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, because they have not wholly followed Me -- " Except Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite and Joshua son of Nun, for they have wholly followed the Lord. And the Lord's anger was kindled against Israel and He made them wander in the wilderness for forty years, until all the generation that had done evil in the sight of the Lord was consumed. And behold, you are risen up in your fathers' stead, a brood of sinful men, to increase still more the fierce anger of the Lord against Israel. For if you turn from following Him, He will again abandon them in the wilderness, and you will destroy all this people. But they came near to him and said, We will build sheepfolds here for our flocks and walled settlements for our little ones. But we will be armed and ready to go before the Israelites until we have brought them to their place. Our little ones shall dwell in the fortified settlements because of the people of the land. We will not return to our homes until the Israelites have inherited every man his inheritance. For we will not inherit with them on the [west] side of the Jordan and beyond, because our inheritance is fallen to us on this side of the Jordan eastward. Moses replied, If you will do as you say, going armed before the Lord to war, And every armed man of you will pass over the Jordan before the Lord until He has driven out His enemies before Him And the land is subdued before the Lord, then afterward you shall return and be guiltless [in this matter] before the Lord and before Israel, and this land shall be your possession before the Lord. But if you will not do so, behold, you have sinned against the Lord; and be sure your sin will find you out. Build settlements for your little ones, and folds for your sheep, and do that of which you have spoken. And the sons of Gad and of Reuben said to Moses, Your servants will do as my lord commands. Our little ones, our wives, our flocks, and all our cattle shall be there in the cities of Gilead. But your servants will pass over, every man armed for war, before the Lord to battle, as my lord says. So Moses gave command concerning them to Eleazar the priest and Joshua son of Nun and the heads of the fathers' houses of the tribes of Israel. And Moses said to them, If the sons of Gad and Reuben will pass with you over the Jordan, every man armed to battle before the Lord, and the land shall be subdued before you, then you shall give them the land of Gilead for a possession. But if they will not pass over with you armed, they shall have possessions among you in the land of Canaan. The sons of Gad and Reuben answered, As the Lord has said to your servants, so will we do. We will pass over armed before the Lord into the land of Canaan, that the possession of our inheritance on this side of the Jordan may be ours. Moses gave to them, to the sons of Gad and of Reuben and to half the tribe of Manasseh son of Joseph, the kingdom of Sihon king of the Amorites and the kingdom of Og king of Bashan -- "the land with its cities and their territories, even the cities round about the country.
The land the Lord smote before the congregation of Israel, is a land for cattle, and your servants have cattle. And they said, If we have found favor in your sight, let this land be given to your servants for a possession. Do not take us over the Jordan. And Moses said to the sons of Gad and of Reuben, Shall your brethren go to war while you sit here? Why do you discourage the hearts of the Israelites from going over into the land which the Lord has given them? Thus your fathers did when I sent them from Kadesh-barnea to see the land! For when they went up to the Valley of Eshcol and saw the land, they discouraged the hearts of the Israelites from going into the land the Lord had given them. And the Lord's anger was kindled on that day and He swore, saying, Surely none of the men who came up out of Egypt, from twenty years old and upward, shall see the land which I swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, because they have not wholly followed Me -- " Except Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite and Joshua son of Nun, for they have wholly followed the Lord. And the Lord's anger was kindled against Israel and He made them wander in the wilderness for forty years, until all the generation that had done evil in the sight of the Lord was consumed. And behold, you are risen up in your fathers' stead, a brood of sinful men, to increase still more the fierce anger of the Lord against Israel. For if you turn from following Him, He will again abandon them in the wilderness, and you will destroy all this people. But they came near to him and said, We will build sheepfolds here for our flocks and walled settlements for our little ones. But we will be armed and ready to go before the Israelites until we have brought them to their place. Our little ones shall dwell in the fortified settlements because of the people of the land. We will not return to our homes until the Israelites have inherited every man his inheritance. For we will not inherit with them on the [west] side of the Jordan and beyond, because our inheritance is fallen to us on this side of the Jordan eastward. Moses replied, If you will do as you say, going armed before the Lord to war, And every armed man of you will pass over the Jordan before the Lord until He has driven out His enemies before Him And the land is subdued before the Lord, then afterward you shall return and be guiltless [in this matter] before the Lord and before Israel, and this land shall be your possession before the Lord. But if you will not do so, behold, you have sinned against the Lord; and be sure your sin will find you out. Build settlements for your little ones, and folds for your sheep, and do that of which you have spoken. And the sons of Gad and of Reuben said to Moses, Your servants will do as my lord commands. Our little ones, our wives, our flocks, and all our cattle shall be there in the cities of Gilead. But your servants will pass over, every man armed for war, before the Lord to battle, as my lord says. So Moses gave command concerning them to Eleazar the priest and Joshua son of Nun and the heads of the fathers' houses of the tribes of Israel. And Moses said to them, If the sons of Gad and Reuben will pass with you over the Jordan, every man armed to battle before the Lord, and the land shall be subdued before you, then you shall give them the land of Gilead for a possession. But if they will not pass over with you armed, they shall have possessions among you in the land of Canaan. The sons of Gad and Reuben answered, As the Lord has said to your servants, so will we do. We will pass over armed before the Lord into the land of Canaan, that the possession of our inheritance on this side of the Jordan may be ours. Moses gave to them, to the sons of Gad and of Reuben and to half the tribe of Manasseh son of Joseph, the kingdom of Sihon king of the Amorites and the kingdom of Og king of Bashan -- "the land with its cities and their territories, even the cities round about the country.
Og » Land of, given to the tribes of gad, reuben, and manasseh
So Moses gave to them, to the sons of Gad and to the sons of Reuben and to the half-tribe of Manasseh the son of Joseph, the kingdom of Sihon, the king of the Amorites and the kingdom of Og, the king of Bashan, the land with its cities and territories, the cities of the surrounding land.
And Og king of Bashan, one of the remnant of the Rephaim, who lived at Ashtaroth and at Edrei, And ruled over Mount Hermon and Salecah and all of Bashan to the boundary of the Geshurites and the Maacathites, and over half of Gilead to the boundary of Sihon king of Heshbon. These Moses the servant of the Lord and the Israelites defeated; and Moses the servant of the Lord gave their land for a possession to the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh.
the entire kingdom of Og in Bashan, who reigned in Ashtaroth and Edrei—he alone was left of the remnant of the Rephaim [giants]—for Moses had struck them and dispossessed them.
And when you came to this place, Sihon king of Heshbon and Og king of Bashan came out against us to battle, but we defeated them. We took their land and gave it as an inheritance to the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of the Manassites.
Geber the son of Uri, in the land of Gilead, the country of Sihon king of the Amorites and of Og king of Bashan; and he was the only officer who was in the land.
So we took the land at that time out of the hand of the two kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan, from the Valley of the Arnon to Mount Hermon (The Sidonians call Hermon, Sirion, and the Amorites call it Senir), All the cities of the plain, and all Gilead, and all Bashan as far as Salecah and Edrei, cities of the kingdom of Og in Bashan. read more.
For only Og king of Bashan remained of the remnant of the [gigantic] Rephaim. Behold, his bedstead was of iron; is it not in Rabbah of the Ammonites? Nine cubits was its length and four cubits its breadth, using the cubit of a man [the forearm to the end of the middle finger]. When we took possession of this land, I gave to the Reubenites and the Gadites the territory from Aroer, which is on the edge of the Valley of the Arnon, and half the hill country of Gilead and its cities. The rest of Gilead and all of Bashan, the kingdom of Og, that is, all the region of Argob in Bashan, I gave to the half-tribe of Manasseh. It is called the land of Rephaim [of giant stature]. Jair son of Manasseh took all the region of Argob, that is, Bashan, as far as the border of the Geshurites and the Maacathites, and called it after his own name, Havvoth-jair, so called to this day. And I gave Gilead to Machir [son of Manasseh]. And to the Reubenites and Gadites I gave from Gilead even to the Valley of the Arnon, with the middle of the valley as the boundary of it, as far over as the river Jabbok, the boundary of the Ammonites, The Arabah also, with the Jordan as its boundary, from Chinnereth as far as the Sea of the Arabah, the Salt [Dead] Sea, under the cliffs [of the headlands] of Pisgah on the east.
For only Og king of Bashan remained of the remnant of the [gigantic] Rephaim. Behold, his bedstead was of iron; is it not in Rabbah of the Ammonites? Nine cubits was its length and four cubits its breadth, using the cubit of a man [the forearm to the end of the middle finger]. When we took possession of this land, I gave to the Reubenites and the Gadites the territory from Aroer, which is on the edge of the Valley of the Arnon, and half the hill country of Gilead and its cities. The rest of Gilead and all of Bashan, the kingdom of Og, that is, all the region of Argob in Bashan, I gave to the half-tribe of Manasseh. It is called the land of Rephaim [of giant stature]. Jair son of Manasseh took all the region of Argob, that is, Bashan, as far as the border of the Geshurites and the Maacathites, and called it after his own name, Havvoth-jair, so called to this day. And I gave Gilead to Machir [son of Manasseh]. And to the Reubenites and Gadites I gave from Gilead even to the Valley of the Arnon, with the middle of the valley as the boundary of it, as far over as the river Jabbok, the boundary of the Ammonites, The Arabah also, with the Jordan as its boundary, from Chinnereth as far as the Sea of the Arabah, the Salt [Dead] Sea, under the cliffs [of the headlands] of Pisgah on the east.
And they took possession of his land and the land of Og king of Bashan, the two kings of the Amorites, who lived beyond the Jordan to the east, From Aroer, which is on the edge of the Valley of the Arnon, as far as Mount Sirion (that is, Hermon), And all the Arabah (lowlands) beyond the Jordan eastward, as far as the Sea of the Arabah [the Dead Sea], under the slopes and springs of Pisgah.
Their region extended from Mahanaim through all Bashan, the entire kingdom of Og king of Bashan, and all the towns of Jair, which are in Bashan, sixty cities, And half of Gilead, and Ashtaroth and Edrei, cities of the kingdom of Og in Bashan; these were allotted to the people of Machir son of Manasseh for half of the Machirites according to their families.
“You also gave them kingdoms and peoples,
And You allotted the kingdoms to them as a boundary.
So they took possession of the land of Sihon king of Heshbon
And the land of Og king of Bashan.
And Og king of Bashan, for His mercy and loving-kindness endure forever; And gave their land as a heritage, for His mercy and loving-kindness endure forever;
The tribe of Reuben » Obtained inheritance east of jordan on condition of helping to conquer canaan
Now the sons of Reuben and of Gad had a very great multitude of cattle, and they saw the land of Jazer and the land of Gilead [on the east side of the Jordan], and behold, the place was suitable for cattle. So the sons of Gad and of Reuben came and said to Moses, Eleazar the priest, and the leaders of the congregation, [The country around] Ataroth, Dibon, Jazer, Nimrah, Heshbon, Elealeh, Sebam, Nebo, and Beon, read more.
The land the Lord smote before the congregation of Israel, is a land for cattle, and your servants have cattle. And they said, If we have found favor in your sight, let this land be given to your servants for a possession. Do not take us over the Jordan. And Moses said to the sons of Gad and of Reuben, Shall your brethren go to war while you sit here? Why do you discourage the hearts of the Israelites from going over into the land which the Lord has given them? Thus your fathers did when I sent them from Kadesh-barnea to see the land! For when they went up to the Valley of Eshcol and saw the land, they discouraged the hearts of the Israelites from going into the land the Lord had given them. And the Lord's anger was kindled on that day and He swore, saying, Surely none of the men who came up out of Egypt, from twenty years old and upward, shall see the land which I swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, because they have not wholly followed Me -- " Except Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite and Joshua son of Nun, for they have wholly followed the Lord. And the Lord's anger was kindled against Israel and He made them wander in the wilderness for forty years, until all the generation that had done evil in the sight of the Lord was consumed. And behold, you are risen up in your fathers' stead, a brood of sinful men, to increase still more the fierce anger of the Lord against Israel. For if you turn from following Him, He will again abandon them in the wilderness, and you will destroy all this people. But they came near to him and said, We will build sheepfolds here for our flocks and walled settlements for our little ones. But we will be armed and ready to go before the Israelites until we have brought them to their place. Our little ones shall dwell in the fortified settlements because of the people of the land. We will not return to our homes until the Israelites have inherited every man his inheritance. For we will not inherit with them on the [west] side of the Jordan and beyond, because our inheritance is fallen to us on this side of the Jordan eastward. Moses replied, If you will do as you say, going armed before the Lord to war, And every armed man of you will pass over the Jordan before the Lord until He has driven out His enemies before Him And the land is subdued before the Lord, then afterward you shall return and be guiltless [in this matter] before the Lord and before Israel, and this land shall be your possession before the Lord. But if you will not do so, behold, you have sinned against the Lord; and be sure your sin will find you out. Build settlements for your little ones, and folds for your sheep, and do that of which you have spoken. And the sons of Gad and of Reuben said to Moses, Your servants will do as my lord commands. Our little ones, our wives, our flocks, and all our cattle shall be there in the cities of Gilead. But your servants will pass over, every man armed for war, before the Lord to battle, as my lord says. So Moses gave command concerning them to Eleazar the priest and Joshua son of Nun and the heads of the fathers' houses of the tribes of Israel. And Moses said to them, If the sons of Gad and Reuben will pass with you over the Jordan, every man armed to battle before the Lord, and the land shall be subdued before you, then you shall give them the land of Gilead for a possession. But if they will not pass over with you armed, they shall have possessions among you in the land of Canaan. The sons of Gad and Reuben answered, As the Lord has said to your servants, so will we do. We will pass over armed before the Lord into the land of Canaan, that the possession of our inheritance on this side of the Jordan may be ours. Moses gave to them, to the sons of Gad and of Reuben and to half the tribe of Manasseh son of Joseph, the kingdom of Sihon king of the Amorites and the kingdom of Og king of Bashan -- "the land with its cities and their territories, even the cities round about the country.
The land the Lord smote before the congregation of Israel, is a land for cattle, and your servants have cattle. And they said, If we have found favor in your sight, let this land be given to your servants for a possession. Do not take us over the Jordan. And Moses said to the sons of Gad and of Reuben, Shall your brethren go to war while you sit here? Why do you discourage the hearts of the Israelites from going over into the land which the Lord has given them? Thus your fathers did when I sent them from Kadesh-barnea to see the land! For when they went up to the Valley of Eshcol and saw the land, they discouraged the hearts of the Israelites from going into the land the Lord had given them. And the Lord's anger was kindled on that day and He swore, saying, Surely none of the men who came up out of Egypt, from twenty years old and upward, shall see the land which I swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, because they have not wholly followed Me -- " Except Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite and Joshua son of Nun, for they have wholly followed the Lord. And the Lord's anger was kindled against Israel and He made them wander in the wilderness for forty years, until all the generation that had done evil in the sight of the Lord was consumed. And behold, you are risen up in your fathers' stead, a brood of sinful men, to increase still more the fierce anger of the Lord against Israel. For if you turn from following Him, He will again abandon them in the wilderness, and you will destroy all this people. But they came near to him and said, We will build sheepfolds here for our flocks and walled settlements for our little ones. But we will be armed and ready to go before the Israelites until we have brought them to their place. Our little ones shall dwell in the fortified settlements because of the people of the land. We will not return to our homes until the Israelites have inherited every man his inheritance. For we will not inherit with them on the [west] side of the Jordan and beyond, because our inheritance is fallen to us on this side of the Jordan eastward. Moses replied, If you will do as you say, going armed before the Lord to war, And every armed man of you will pass over the Jordan before the Lord until He has driven out His enemies before Him And the land is subdued before the Lord, then afterward you shall return and be guiltless [in this matter] before the Lord and before Israel, and this land shall be your possession before the Lord. But if you will not do so, behold, you have sinned against the Lord; and be sure your sin will find you out. Build settlements for your little ones, and folds for your sheep, and do that of which you have spoken. And the sons of Gad and of Reuben said to Moses, Your servants will do as my lord commands. Our little ones, our wives, our flocks, and all our cattle shall be there in the cities of Gilead. But your servants will pass over, every man armed for war, before the Lord to battle, as my lord says. So Moses gave command concerning them to Eleazar the priest and Joshua son of Nun and the heads of the fathers' houses of the tribes of Israel. And Moses said to them, If the sons of Gad and Reuben will pass with you over the Jordan, every man armed to battle before the Lord, and the land shall be subdued before you, then you shall give them the land of Gilead for a possession. But if they will not pass over with you armed, they shall have possessions among you in the land of Canaan. The sons of Gad and Reuben answered, As the Lord has said to your servants, so will we do. We will pass over armed before the Lord into the land of Canaan, that the possession of our inheritance on this side of the Jordan may be ours. Moses gave to them, to the sons of Gad and of Reuben and to half the tribe of Manasseh son of Joseph, the kingdom of Sihon king of the Amorites and the kingdom of Og king of Bashan -- "the land with its cities and their territories, even the cities round about the country.
And I commanded you at that time, saying, The Lord your God has given you this land to possess it; you [Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh] shall go over [the Jordan] armed before your brethren the other Israelites, all that are able for war. But your wives and your little ones and your cattle -- "I know that you have many cattle -- "shall remain in your cities which I have given you, Until the Lord has given rest to your brethren as to you, and until they also possess the land which the Lord your God has given them beyond the Jordan. Then shall you return every man to the possession which I have given you.
Uncharitableness » Instances of » The tribes west of the jordan river toward the two and a half tribes
Now the sons of Reuben and of Gad had a very great multitude of cattle, and they saw the land of Jazer and the land of Gilead [on the east side of the Jordan], and behold, the place was suitable for cattle. So the sons of Gad and of Reuben came and said to Moses, Eleazar the priest, and the leaders of the congregation, [The country around] Ataroth, Dibon, Jazer, Nimrah, Heshbon, Elealeh, Sebam, Nebo, and Beon, read more.
The land the Lord smote before the congregation of Israel, is a land for cattle, and your servants have cattle. And they said, If we have found favor in your sight, let this land be given to your servants for a possession. Do not take us over the Jordan. And Moses said to the sons of Gad and of Reuben, Shall your brethren go to war while you sit here? Why do you discourage the hearts of the Israelites from going over into the land which the Lord has given them? Thus your fathers did when I sent them from Kadesh-barnea to see the land! For when they went up to the Valley of Eshcol and saw the land, they discouraged the hearts of the Israelites from going into the land the Lord had given them. And the Lord's anger was kindled on that day and He swore, saying, Surely none of the men who came up out of Egypt, from twenty years old and upward, shall see the land which I swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, because they have not wholly followed Me -- " Except Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite and Joshua son of Nun, for they have wholly followed the Lord. And the Lord's anger was kindled against Israel and He made them wander in the wilderness for forty years, until all the generation that had done evil in the sight of the Lord was consumed. And behold, you are risen up in your fathers' stead, a brood of sinful men, to increase still more the fierce anger of the Lord against Israel. For if you turn from following Him, He will again abandon them in the wilderness, and you will destroy all this people. But they came near to him and said, We will build sheepfolds here for our flocks and walled settlements for our little ones. But we will be armed and ready to go before the Israelites until we have brought them to their place. Our little ones shall dwell in the fortified settlements because of the people of the land. We will not return to our homes until the Israelites have inherited every man his inheritance. For we will not inherit with them on the [west] side of the Jordan and beyond, because our inheritance is fallen to us on this side of the Jordan eastward. Moses replied, If you will do as you say, going armed before the Lord to war, And every armed man of you will pass over the Jordan before the Lord until He has driven out His enemies before Him And the land is subdued before the Lord, then afterward you shall return and be guiltless [in this matter] before the Lord and before Israel, and this land shall be your possession before the Lord. But if you will not do so, behold, you have sinned against the Lord; and be sure your sin will find you out. Build settlements for your little ones, and folds for your sheep, and do that of which you have spoken. And the sons of Gad and of Reuben said to Moses, Your servants will do as my lord commands. Our little ones, our wives, our flocks, and all our cattle shall be there in the cities of Gilead. But your servants will pass over, every man armed for war, before the Lord to battle, as my lord says. So Moses gave command concerning them to Eleazar the priest and Joshua son of Nun and the heads of the fathers' houses of the tribes of Israel. And Moses said to them, If the sons of Gad and Reuben will pass with you over the Jordan, every man armed to battle before the Lord, and the land shall be subdued before you, then you shall give them the land of Gilead for a possession. But if they will not pass over with you armed, they shall have possessions among you in the land of Canaan. The sons of Gad and Reuben answered, As the Lord has said to your servants, so will we do. We will pass over armed before the Lord into the land of Canaan, that the possession of our inheritance on this side of the Jordan may be ours. Moses gave to them, to the sons of Gad and of Reuben and to half the tribe of Manasseh son of Joseph, the kingdom of Sihon king of the Amorites and the kingdom of Og king of Bashan -- "the land with its cities and their territories, even the cities round about the country.
The land the Lord smote before the congregation of Israel, is a land for cattle, and your servants have cattle. And they said, If we have found favor in your sight, let this land be given to your servants for a possession. Do not take us over the Jordan. And Moses said to the sons of Gad and of Reuben, Shall your brethren go to war while you sit here? Why do you discourage the hearts of the Israelites from going over into the land which the Lord has given them? Thus your fathers did when I sent them from Kadesh-barnea to see the land! For when they went up to the Valley of Eshcol and saw the land, they discouraged the hearts of the Israelites from going into the land the Lord had given them. And the Lord's anger was kindled on that day and He swore, saying, Surely none of the men who came up out of Egypt, from twenty years old and upward, shall see the land which I swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, because they have not wholly followed Me -- " Except Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite and Joshua son of Nun, for they have wholly followed the Lord. And the Lord's anger was kindled against Israel and He made them wander in the wilderness for forty years, until all the generation that had done evil in the sight of the Lord was consumed. And behold, you are risen up in your fathers' stead, a brood of sinful men, to increase still more the fierce anger of the Lord against Israel. For if you turn from following Him, He will again abandon them in the wilderness, and you will destroy all this people. But they came near to him and said, We will build sheepfolds here for our flocks and walled settlements for our little ones. But we will be armed and ready to go before the Israelites until we have brought them to their place. Our little ones shall dwell in the fortified settlements because of the people of the land. We will not return to our homes until the Israelites have inherited every man his inheritance. For we will not inherit with them on the [west] side of the Jordan and beyond, because our inheritance is fallen to us on this side of the Jordan eastward. Moses replied, If you will do as you say, going armed before the Lord to war, And every armed man of you will pass over the Jordan before the Lord until He has driven out His enemies before Him And the land is subdued before the Lord, then afterward you shall return and be guiltless [in this matter] before the Lord and before Israel, and this land shall be your possession before the Lord. But if you will not do so, behold, you have sinned against the Lord; and be sure your sin will find you out. Build settlements for your little ones, and folds for your sheep, and do that of which you have spoken. And the sons of Gad and of Reuben said to Moses, Your servants will do as my lord commands. Our little ones, our wives, our flocks, and all our cattle shall be there in the cities of Gilead. But your servants will pass over, every man armed for war, before the Lord to battle, as my lord says. So Moses gave command concerning them to Eleazar the priest and Joshua son of Nun and the heads of the fathers' houses of the tribes of Israel. And Moses said to them, If the sons of Gad and Reuben will pass with you over the Jordan, every man armed to battle before the Lord, and the land shall be subdued before you, then you shall give them the land of Gilead for a possession. But if they will not pass over with you armed, they shall have possessions among you in the land of Canaan. The sons of Gad and Reuben answered, As the Lord has said to your servants, so will we do. We will pass over armed before the Lord into the land of Canaan, that the possession of our inheritance on this side of the Jordan may be ours. Moses gave to them, to the sons of Gad and of Reuben and to half the tribe of Manasseh son of Joseph, the kingdom of Sihon king of the Amorites and the kingdom of Og king of Bashan -- "the land with its cities and their territories, even the cities round about the country.
And the [other] Israelites heard it said, Behold, the Reubenites, Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh have built an altar at the edge of the land of Canaan in the region [west] of the Jordan in the passage [belonging to us], the Israelites. When the Israelites heard of it, the whole congregation of the sons of Israel gathered at Shiloh to make war on them. And the [other] Israelites sent to the Reubenites, Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh, in the land of Gilead, Phinehas son of Eleazar, the priest, read more.
And with him ten chiefs, one from each of the tribal families of Israel; and each one was a head of a father's house among the clans of Israel. And they came to the Reubenites, Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh, in the land of Gilead, and they said to them, The whole congregation of the Lord says, What trespass is this that you have committed against the God of Israel, to turn away this day from following the Lord, in that you have built yourselves an altar to rebel this day against the Lord? Is the iniquity of Peor too little for us, from which we are not cleansed even now, although there came a plague [in which 24,000 died] in the congregation of the Lord, That you must turn away this day from following the Lord? The result will be, since you rebel today against the Lord, that tomorrow He will be angry with the whole congregation of Israel. But now, if your land is unclean, pass over into the Lord's land, where the Lord's tabernacle resides, and take for yourselves a possession among us. But do not rebel against the Lord or rebel against us by building for yourselves an altar other than the altar of the Lord our God. Did not Achan son of Zerah commit a trespass in the matter of taking accursed things [devoted to destruction] and wrath fall on all the congregation of Israel? And he did not perish alone in his perversity and iniquity. Then the Reubenites, Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh said to the heads of the clans of Israel, The Mighty One, God, the Lord! The Mighty One, God, the Lord! He knows, and let Israel itself know! If it was in rebellion or in transgression against the Lord, spare us not today. If we have built us an altar to turn away from following the Lord, or if we did so to offer on it burnt offerings or cereal offerings or peace offerings, may the Lord Himself take vengeance. No! But we did it for fear that in time to come your children might say to our children, What have you to do with the Lord, the God of Israel? For the Lord has made the Jordan a boundary between us and you, you Reubenites and Gadites; you have no part in the Lord. So your children might make our children cease from fearing the Lord. So we said, Let us now prepare to build us an altar, not for burnt offering nor for sacrifice, But to be a witness between us and you and between the generations after us, that we will perform the service of the Lord before Him with our burnt offerings and sacrifices and peace offerings; lest your children say to our children in time to come, You have no portion in the Lord. So we thought, if that should be said to us or to our descendants in time to come, we can reply, Behold the copy of the altar of the Lord, which our fathers made, not for burnt offerings nor for sacrifices, but to be a witness between us and you. Far be it from us that we should rebel against the Lord and turn away this day from following the Lord to build an altar for burnt offerings, for cereal offerings, or for sacrifices, besides the altar of the Lord our God that is before His tabernacle. And when Phinehas the priest and the chiefs of the congregation and heads of the clans of Israel who were with him heard the words that the Reubenites, Gadites, and Manassites spoke, it pleased them. Phinehas son of Eleazar, the priest, said to the Reubenites, Gadites, and Manassites, Today we know the Lord is among us, because you have not committed this trespass and treachery against the Lord; now you have saved the Israelites from the Lord's hand.
And with him ten chiefs, one from each of the tribal families of Israel; and each one was a head of a father's house among the clans of Israel. And they came to the Reubenites, Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh, in the land of Gilead, and they said to them, The whole congregation of the Lord says, What trespass is this that you have committed against the God of Israel, to turn away this day from following the Lord, in that you have built yourselves an altar to rebel this day against the Lord? Is the iniquity of Peor too little for us, from which we are not cleansed even now, although there came a plague [in which 24,000 died] in the congregation of the Lord, That you must turn away this day from following the Lord? The result will be, since you rebel today against the Lord, that tomorrow He will be angry with the whole congregation of Israel. But now, if your land is unclean, pass over into the Lord's land, where the Lord's tabernacle resides, and take for yourselves a possession among us. But do not rebel against the Lord or rebel against us by building for yourselves an altar other than the altar of the Lord our God. Did not Achan son of Zerah commit a trespass in the matter of taking accursed things [devoted to destruction] and wrath fall on all the congregation of Israel? And he did not perish alone in his perversity and iniquity. Then the Reubenites, Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh said to the heads of the clans of Israel, The Mighty One, God, the Lord! The Mighty One, God, the Lord! He knows, and let Israel itself know! If it was in rebellion or in transgression against the Lord, spare us not today. If we have built us an altar to turn away from following the Lord, or if we did so to offer on it burnt offerings or cereal offerings or peace offerings, may the Lord Himself take vengeance. No! But we did it for fear that in time to come your children might say to our children, What have you to do with the Lord, the God of Israel? For the Lord has made the Jordan a boundary between us and you, you Reubenites and Gadites; you have no part in the Lord. So your children might make our children cease from fearing the Lord. So we said, Let us now prepare to build us an altar, not for burnt offering nor for sacrifice, But to be a witness between us and you and between the generations after us, that we will perform the service of the Lord before Him with our burnt offerings and sacrifices and peace offerings; lest your children say to our children in time to come, You have no portion in the Lord. So we thought, if that should be said to us or to our descendants in time to come, we can reply, Behold the copy of the altar of the Lord, which our fathers made, not for burnt offerings nor for sacrifices, but to be a witness between us and you. Far be it from us that we should rebel against the Lord and turn away this day from following the Lord to build an altar for burnt offerings, for cereal offerings, or for sacrifices, besides the altar of the Lord our God that is before His tabernacle. And when Phinehas the priest and the chiefs of the congregation and heads of the clans of Israel who were with him heard the words that the Reubenites, Gadites, and Manassites spoke, it pleased them. Phinehas son of Eleazar, the priest, said to the Reubenites, Gadites, and Manassites, Today we know the Lord is among us, because you have not committed this trespass and treachery against the Lord; now you have saved the Israelites from the Lord's hand.