Thematic Bible: Reubenites


Thematic Bible



And when they came unto the coasts of Jordan that lie in the land of Canaan: there the children of Ruben, the children of Gad and the half tribe of Manasseh, built an altar fast by Jordan, and that a great altar to see to.

And the children of Reuben and the children of Gad called the altar Ed, because it is a witness between us, that the LORD is God.


The sons of Reuben of Gad and of half the tribe of Manasseh, even of fighting men able to bear shield and sword, and shoot with bow, and taught to make war, were four and forty thousand seven hundred and three score that went out to battle. And they fought with the Hagrities and with Jetur, Naphish and Nodab. And they were helped against them, and the Hagrites were delivered into their hands with all that were with the Hagrites. For they cried to God in their battle, and he heard them, because they trusted to him. read more.
And they took of their cattle fifty thousand camels, and two hundred and fifty thousand sheep, and two thousand asses, and of the people a hundred thousand: for there fell many dead because the war was of God. And they dwelt there in their steads until the time that they were carried away.

And eastward he inhabited until the wilderness, even upon the river Euphrates, for their cattle was much in the land of Gilead. And in the days of Saul they warred with the Hagrites which were overthrown by their hands. And they dwelt in their tents throughout all the east land of Gilead.


And have not rather done it for fear of this: lest in time to come your children should say unto ours, 'What have ye to do with the LORD God of Israel?' Saying, 'That the LORD hath made Jordan a border between us and you, ye children of Ruben and of Gad: ye have no part therefore in the LORD.' And so shall your children make our children cease from fearing the LORD. And therefore we said, 'Let us cause an altar to be made, not for burnt offerings, nor sacrifices, read more.
but it shall be a witness between us and you and our generations after us, that we should serve the LORD, with our offerings, sacrifices and peace offerings: and that your children should not say to ours in time to come: ye have no part in the LORD.' And we thought if they should so say to us, or to our generations in time to come, that we would say again, 'Behold the fashion of the altar which our fathers made, neither for burnt offerings nor sacrifices, but that it should be a witness between us and you.' God forbid that we should rebel against the LORD and that we should turn this day from after him, and build an altar for burnt offerings nor sacrifices, save the altar of the LORD our God that is before his tabernacle."


and said unto them, "Ye have kept all that Moses the servant of the LORD commanded you, and have obeyed my voice in all that I commanded you: ye have not left your brethren of a long season unto this day but have kept the commandment of the LORD your God.


And Korah, the son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi; and Dathan and Abiram, the son of Eliab; and On the son of Peleth, the sons of Reuben,


and the fields and Jordan with the coast, from Chinnereth even unto the sea in the field which is the salt sea under the springs of Pisgah eastward.

and all the fields on the other side Jordan eastward: even unto the sea in the field under the springs of Pisgah.

And in the plain unto the sea of Chinnereth eastward, and unto the sea in the plain called the salt sea eastward, the way to Bethjeshimoth and by south under the springs of Pisgah.


The Levites have no part among you, for the priestship of the LORD is their inheritance. And Gad, Reuben, and half the tribe of Manasseh have received their inheritance beyond Jordan Eastward, which Moses the servant of the LORD gave them."

Then we turned and went up the way to Bashan. And Og the king of Bashan came out against us: both he and all his people to battle at Edrei. And the LORD said unto me, "Fear him not, for I have delivered him and all his people and his land into thy hand and thou shalt deal with him as thou dealtest with Sihon king of the Amorites which dwelt at Heshbon.' And so the LORD our God delivered into our hands, Og also the king of Bashan and all his folk. And we smote him until nought was left him. read more.
And we took all his cities the same season, for there was not a city which we took not from them; even three score cities, all the region of Argob, the kingdom of Og in Bashan. All these cities were made strong with high walls, gates and bars; beside un-walled towns, a great many. And we utterly destroyed them, as we played with Sihon king of Heshbon: bringing to nought all the cities with men, women and children. But all the cattle and the spoil of the cities, we caught for ourselves. And thus we took, the same season, the land out of the hand of two kings of the Amorites on the other side Jordan, from the river of Arnon unto mount Hermon - which Hermon the Sidonians call Sirion, but the Amorites call it Senir - all the cities in the plain and all Gilead and all Bashan unto Salecah and Edrei, cities of the kingdom of Og in Bashan. For only Og king of Bashan remained of the remnant of the Giants: behold, his iron bed is yet at Rabbah, among the children of Ammon: nine cubits long and four cubits broad, of the cubits of a man. And when we had conquered this land the same time, I gave from Aroer, which is upon the river of Arnon, and half mount Gilead and the cities thereof unto the Reubenites, and Gadites. And the rest of Gilead and all Bashan the kingdom of Og, I gave unto the half tribe of Manasseh: all the region of Argob with all Bashan was called the land of Giants. Jair the son of Manasseh took all the region of Argob unto the coasts of Geshuri and Maachathi, and called the towns of Bashan after his own name: the towns of Jair unto this day. And I gave half Gilead unto Machir. And unto Reuben and Gad, I gave from Gilead unto the river of Arnon and half the valley and the coast, even unto the river Jabbok which is the border of the children of Ammon, and the fields and Jordan with the coast, from Chinnereth even unto the sea in the field which is the salt sea under the springs of Pisgah eastward. And I commanded you the same time, ye Reuben and Gad, saying, 'The LORD your God hath given you this land to enjoy it: see that ye go harnessed before your brethren the children of Israel, all that are men of war among you. Your wives only, your children and your cattle - for I know that ye have much cattle - shall abide in your cities which I have given you, until the LORD have given rest unto your brethren as well as unto you, and until they also have conquered the land which the LORD your God hath given them beyond Jordan: and then return again every man unto his possession which I have given you.'

And Moses gave unto the tribe of the children of Reuben by their kindreds. And their coasts were from Aroer that lieth on the bank of the river Arnon, and the city that lieth in the river, and all the plain about Medeba, Heshbon, and all her towns that lie in the plain: Dibon Bamothbaal and Bethbaalmeon; read more.
Jahaz, Kedemoth and Mephaath; Kiriathaim, Sibmah and Zerethshahar in mount Emak; and Bethpeor and the springs of Pisgah, and Bethjeshimoth; and all the cities in the plain. And all the kingdom of Sihon king of the Amorites which reigned in Heshbon, whom Moses smote with the lords of Midian, Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur and Reba, the lords of Sihon, and the inhabiters of the country. And Balaam, also, the son of Beor, the soothsayer, the children of Israel slew with the sword, among other that were slain. And the borders of the children of Reuben was Jordan, with the country that lieth thereon. This is the inheritance of the children of Reuben in their kindreds, with the cities and villages pertaining thereto.


And unto the Reubenites, Gadites, and half the tribe of Manasseh spake Joshua, saying, "Remember that which Moses the servant of the LORD commanded you, saying, 'The LORD your God hath given you rest, and hath given you this land. Let your wives, your children and your cattle remain in the land which Moses gave you on this side Jordan: But go ye before your brethren armed, all that be men of war, and help them read more.
until the LORD hath given your brethren rest, as he hath you, and until they also have obtained the land which the LORD your God giveth them. And then return unto the land of your possession and enjoy it, which land Moses the LORD's servant gave you on this side Jordan toward the sun rising." And they answered Joshua, saying, "All that thou biddest us, we will do, and whithersoever thou sendest us, we will go. According as we obeyed Moses in all things, so we will obey thee; only the LORD thy God be with thee as he was with Moses. And whosoever disobey thy mouth, and will not hearken unto thy words in all that thou commandest him, let him die: Only be strong and of good courage."

Then Joshua called unto the Reubenites, the Gadites and to the half tribe of Manasseh, and said unto them, "Ye have kept all that Moses the servant of the LORD commanded you, and have obeyed my voice in all that I commanded you: ye have not left your brethren of a long season unto this day but have kept the commandment of the LORD your God. read more.
And now the LORD hath given rest unto your brethren as he promised them. Wherefore, return and go unto your tents and unto the land of your possession, which Moses the servant of the LORD gave you on the other side Jordan. But in any wise take exceeding good heed that ye do the commandment and law which Moses the servant of the LORD charged you: which is, that ye love the LORD your God, and walk in his ways and keep his commandments, and cleave unto him, and serve him with all your hearts and all your souls." And so Joshua blessed them and sent them away. And they went unto their tents.


In the days of Pekah king of Israel, came Tiglathpileser, king of Assyria, and took Ijon, Abelbethmaacah, Janoah, Kadesh, Hazor, Gilead, Galilee, and all the land of Naphtali, and carried them away to Assyria.

God stirred up the spirit of Pul, king of Assyria, and the spirit of Tilgathpilneser, king of Assyria, and carried away the Reubenites, the Gadites and the half tribe of Manasseh, and brought them unto Halah, Habor, Hara and to the River Gozan, where they remain unto this day.


And when they came unto the coasts of Jordan that lie in the land of Canaan: there the children of Ruben, the children of Gad and the half tribe of Manasseh, built an altar fast by Jordan, and that a great altar to see to. And when the children of Israel heard say, "Behold the children of Reuben, the children of Gad and the half tribe of Manasseh have built an altar in the forefront of the land of Canaan in the borders of Jordan on the side of the children of Israel": the whole congregation of the children of Israel gathered them together to Shiloh, to go upon them with battle. read more.
And the children of Israel sent unto the children of Ruben, to the children of Gad and unto the half tribe of Manasseh into the land of Gilead, Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest, and with him ten lords of every chief house a lord throughout all the tribes of Israel, which heads of their fathers' households were over the thousands of Israel. And they went unto the children of Reuben, of Gad and to the half tribe of Manasseh, unto the land of Gilead and spake with them, saying, "Thus say the whole congregation of the LORD: 'What transgression is this that ye have transgressed against the God of Israel, to turn away this day from after the LORD and to build you an altar for to rebel this day against the LORD? Is the wicked deed of Peor too little for us, whereof we are not cleansed unto this day, and there was a plague in the congregation of the LORD? But that ye also should turn away this day from following the LORD: ye shall rebel today against the LORD, and tomorrow he shall be wroth with all the congregation. Notwithstanding, if the land of your possession be unclean, then come over unto the land of the possession of the LORD, where the LORD's tabernacle dwelleth, and be possessed among us. But rebel not against the LORD nor against us, to build you any other altar save the altar of the LORD our God. Did not Achan the son of Zerah trespass in the excommunicate things, and wrath fell on all the congregation of Israel, so that he alone perished not for his wickedness?'" Then the children of Reuben and of Gad, and half the tribe of Manasseh answered, and said unto the heads over the thousands of Israel, "The mighty God Jehovah, he knoweth, and Israel shall know if; it be to rebel or transgress against the LORD, then the LORD save us not this day. Or else if we have built us an altar to turn from following the LORD, or to offer thereon burnt offering or meat offerings, or to offer peace offerings thereon: let the LORD require it. And have not rather done it for fear of this: lest in time to come your children should say unto ours, 'What have ye to do with the LORD God of Israel?' Saying, 'That the LORD hath made Jordan a border between us and you, ye children of Ruben and of Gad: ye have no part therefore in the LORD.' And so shall your children make our children cease from fearing the LORD. And therefore we said, 'Let us cause an altar to be made, not for burnt offerings, nor sacrifices, but it shall be a witness between us and you and our generations after us, that we should serve the LORD, with our offerings, sacrifices and peace offerings: and that your children should not say to ours in time to come: ye have no part in the LORD.' And we thought if they should so say to us, or to our generations in time to come, that we would say again, 'Behold the fashion of the altar which our fathers made, neither for burnt offerings nor sacrifices, but that it should be a witness between us and you.' God forbid that we should rebel against the LORD and that we should turn this day from after him, and build an altar for burnt offerings nor sacrifices, save the altar of the LORD our God that is before his tabernacle." And when Phinehas the priest and the lords of the congregation and heads over the thousands of Israel, which were with him, heard the words that the children of Reuben, the children of Gad and the children of Manasseh spake, they were well content. And Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest said unto the children of Ruben, of Gad and of Manasseh, "This day we perceive that the LORD is among us, because ye have not done this trespass against the LORD. Now have ye delivered the children of Israel out of the hand of the LORD." And Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest and the lords returned from the children of Reuben and of Gad out of the land of Gilead unto the land of Canaan, to the children of Israel, and brought them word again. And the answer pleased the children of Israel well, and they praised God, and did not intend to go against them in battle, to destroy the land which the children of Ruben and Gad dwelt in. And the children of Reuben and the children of Gad called the altar Ed, because it is a witness between us, that the LORD is God.


And the children of Reuben, Israel's eldest son, in their generations, kindreds and houses of their fathers - when they were numbered every man by name, all that were males from twenty years and above, as many as were able to go forth in war - were numbered in the tribe of Reuben, forty six thousand and five hundred.


The lords of Issachar were with Deborah. And as Barak, even so was Issachar sent into the valley afoot. But in the divisions of Reuben, were great imaginations of heart. Wherefore abodest thou among the sheepfolds, to hear the bleatings of the flocks? In the divisions of Reuben, great were the imaginations of heart.


Then the standard of the host of Reuben went forth with their armies, whose captain was Elizur the son of Shedeur.


These are the kindreds of the Reubenites, which were in number forty three thousand seven hundred and thirty.


"And on the south side, the standard of the host of Reuben shall lie with their companies; and the captain over the sons of Reuben, Elizur the son of Shedeur: