Thematic Bible: Reuben, gad and half manasseh


Thematic Bible



Then I gave them the following instructions: 'Jehovah our God gave you the land east of the Jordan to occupy. Now arm your fighting men and send them across the Jordan ahead of the other tribes of Israel, to help them occupy their land. Your wives, children, and livestock, for you have a lot of livestock, will remain behind in the towns I assigned to you. Help the other Israelites until they occupy the land Jehovah is giving them west of the Jordan and until Jehovah lets them live there in peace, just as he has done here for you. After that, you may return to the land I assigned to you.'

Moses asked the tribes of Gad and Reuben: Are you going to stay here while the rest of the Israelites go to war? That might discourage them from entering the land Jehovah has given them. That is what your ancestors did when I sent them from Kadesh Barnea to look at the land. read more.
They went as far as the Eshcol Valley. They saw the land. But then they discouraged the rest of the Israelites from entering the land Jehovah had given them. That day Jehovah became angry and swore this oath: None of the people twenty years old or older, who came from Egypt, will see the land I promised Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob with an oath. This is because they did not wholeheartedly follow me. Only Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite and Joshua son of Nun will get to see the land. This is because they wholeheartedly followed Jehovah. Jehovah's anger blazed against the Israelites. Therefore he made them wander in the desert for forty years until the whole generation of those who had done evil in Jehovah's presence was gone. You are just like your parents! You are a bunch of sinners trying to make Jehovah angry at Israel again. If you turn away from him he will abandon all these people in the desert. You would be responsible for their destruction. The tribes of Gad and Reuben came to Moses and said: Allow us to build stone fences for our livestock and cities for our families here. Then we will be ready to march in battle formation ahead of the other Israelites until we have brought them to their land. Meanwhile our families will live in walled cities. They will be safe from the other people who live here. We will not return to our homes until every Israelite has received his own land. We will not take possession of any land on the other side of the Jordan River, to the west and beyond. We already have our land here, east of the Jordan. Moses answered: If you really mean what you say, then here in the presence of Jehovah get ready to go into battle. All your fighting men are to cross the Jordan and under Jehovah's command they are to attack our enemies until Jehovah defeats them and takes possession of the land. You may return after that, because you will have fulfilled your obligation to Jehovah and to the other Israelites. Then Jehovah will acknowledge that this land east of the Jordan is yours. If you do not keep your promise, I warn you that you will be sinning against Jehovah. Do not doubt this, you will be punished for your sin. So build your towns and the enclosures for your sheep, but do what you have promised! The men from Reuben and Gad answered Moses: Sir, we will do just what you have said. Our wives, children, sheep and cattle will stay here in the towns in Gilead. However those of us prepared for battle will cross the Jordan and fight for Jehovah. Moses said to Eleazar, Joshua, and the family leaders: Make sure the tribes of Gad and Reuben prepare for battle and cross the Jordan River with you. If they do, then after the land is in your control, give them the region of Gilead as their tribal land. But if they break their promise, they will receive land on the other side of the Jordan, like the rest of the tribes. The tribes of Gad and Reuben replied: We are your servants and will do whatever Jehovah has commanded. We will enter Canaan as armed troops in Jehovah's presence. The land we will take possession of is here, east of the Jordan.


We took possession of this land. I gave the tribes of Reuben and Gad the land north of Aroer near the Arnon Valley and half of the mountain region of Gilead with its cities. I assigned the rest of Gilead and also all of Bashan, where Og had ruled, that is, the entire Argob region to half the tribe of Manasseh. Bashan was known as the land of the Rephaim. Jair, from the tribe of Manasseh, took the entire region of Argob, that is, Bashan, as far as the border of Geshur and Maacah. He named the villages after himself, and they are still known as the villages of Jair. read more.
I assigned Gilead to the clan of Machir of the tribe of Manasseh. I assigned the territory from Gilead to the Arnon River to the tribes of Reuben and Gad. The middle of the river was their southern boundary, and their northern boundary was the Jabbok River, part of which formed the Ammonite border. On the west their territory extended to the Jordan River, from Lake Galilee in the north down to the Dead Sea in the south and to the foot of (Mount) Pisgah on the east.

The border of the children of Reuben was Jordan and its border. This was the inheritance of the children of Reuben after their families, the cities and the villages there. Moses gave inheritance to the tribe of Gad according to their families. Their coast was Jazer, and all the cities of Gilead, and half the land of the children of Ammon, to Aroer that is near Rabbah; read more.
From Heshbon to Ramath-mizpeh, and Betonim; and from Mahanaim unto the border of Debir; In the valley, Beth-aram, and Beth-nimrah, and Succoth, and Zaphon, the rest of the kingdom of Sihon king of Heshbon, Jordan and his border, to the edge of the sea of Chinnereth on the other side Jordan eastward. This is the inheritance of the children of Gad after their families, the cities, and their villages. Moses gave inheritance to the half tribe of Manasseh. This was the possession of the half tribe of the children of Manasseh by families. Their coast was from Mahanaim, all Bashan, all the kingdom of Og king of Bashan, and all the towns of Jair, which are in Bashan, sixty cities: Half Gilead, and Ashtaroth, and Edrei, cities of the kingdom of Og in Bashan, were pertaining unto the children of Machir the son of Manasseh, even to the one half of the children of Machir by their families. These are the countries that Moses distributed for inheritance in the plains of Moab, on the other side Jordan, by Jericho, eastward.