“Now the children of Reuben and the children of Gad had a very great multitude of cattle: and when they saw the land of Jazer, and the land of Gilead, that, behold, the place was a place for cattle;”
Reuben came of Leah, and Gad of Zilpah her handmaid. Which mountain was so named of the heap of stones that Jacob made as a sign of the covenant between him and Laban, Gen. 31:47 .
“For when they went up unto the valley of Eshcol, and saw the land, they discouraged the heart of the children of Israel, that they should not go into the land which the LORD had given them.”
Cross references: : Num. 13:24 Or, valley.
“Surely none of the men that came up out of Egypt, from twenty years old and upward, shall see the land which I sware unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob; because they have not wholly followed me: wholly: Heb. fulfilled after me”
Or, persevered and continued. Num. 14:28 , 29 Hebrew, if any of the men .
“And the LORD'S anger was kindled against Israel, and he made them wander in the wilderness forty years, until all the generation, that had done evil in the sight of the LORD, was consumed.”
Because they murmured, neither would believe their report, which told the truth as concerning the land.
“And Moses said unto them, If ye will do this thing, if ye will go armed before the LORD to war,”
Josh. 1:13 Before the Ark of the Lord.
“And will go all of you armed over Jordan before the LORD, until he hath driven out his enemies from before him,”
That is, the inhabitants of the land.
“And the land be subdued before the LORD: then afterward ye shall return, and be guiltless before the LORD, and before Israel; and this land shall be your possession before the LORD.”
The Lord will grant you this land which ye require, Josh. 1:15 .
“But if ye will not do so, behold, ye have sinned against the LORD: and be sure your sin will find you out.”
Ye shall assuredly be punished for your sin.
“So concerning them Moses commanded Eleazar the priest, and Joshua the son of Nun, and the chief fathers of the tribes of the children of Israel:”
Moses gave charge that his promise made to the Reubenites, and others, should be performed after his death, so that they brake not theirs.
“And the children of Gad and the children of Reuben answered, saying, As the LORD hath said unto thy servants, so will we do.”
This is attributed to the Lord, which his messenger speaketh.
“And Moses gave unto them, even to the children of Gad, and to the children of Reuben, and unto half the tribe of Manasseh the son of Joseph, the kingdom of Sihon king of the Amorites, and the kingdom of Og king of Bashan, the land, with the cities thereof in the coasts, even the cities of the country round about.”
Deut. 3:12 ; Josh. 13:8 ; Josh. 22:4 The Amorites dwelled on both sides of Jordan: but here he maketh mention of them that dwelt on this side: and Josh. 10:12 , he speaketh of them that inhabited beyond Jordan.
“And Jair the son of Manasseh went and took the small towns thereof, and called them Havothjair.”
That is, the villages of Jair. Deut. 3:14