New Living Translation
Numbers 32:1
1The tribes of Reuben and Gad owned vast numbers of livestock. So when they saw that the lands of Jazer and Gilead were ideally suited for their flocks and herds,
Numbers 32:1 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)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;
- New International Version (NIV)The Reubenites and Gadites, who had very large herds and flocks, saw that the lands of Jazer and Gilead were suitable for livestock.
- English Standard Version (ESV)Now the people of Reuben and the people of Gad had a very great number of livestock. And they saw the land of Jazer and the land of Gilead, and behold, the place was a place for livestock.
- New King James Version (NKJV)Now the children of Reuben and the children of Gad had a very great multitude of livestock; and when they saw the land of Jazer and the land of Gilead, that indeed the region was a place for livestock,
Context of Numbers 32:1
The tribes of Reuben and Gad owned vast numbers of livestock. So when they saw that the lands of Jazer and Gilead were ideally suited for their flocks and herds, 2they came to Moses, Eleazar the priest, and the other leaders of the community. They said, 3“Notice the towns of Ataroth, Dibon, Jazer, Nimrah, Heshbon, Elealeh, Sibmah, Nebo, and Beon.
Read all of Numbers 32Numbers 32:1 word by word
וּמִקְנֶ֣ה׀ רַ֗ב הָיָ֞ה לִבְנֵ֧י רְאוּבֵ֛ן וְלִבְנֵי־גָ֖ד עָצ֣וּם מְאֹ֑ד וַיִּרְא֞וּ אֶת־אֶ֤רֶץ יַעְזֵר֙ וְאֶת־אֶ֣רֶץ גִּלְעָ֔ד וְהִנֵּ֥ה הַמָּק֖וֹם מְק֥וֹם מִקְנֶֽה׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Now the childrenבֵּןbên · son: descendant/peopleH1121
- of Reubenרְאוּבֵןre'ûbên · ReubenH7205
- of Gadגָּדgâd · GadH1410
- had a veryמְאֹדme'ôd · muchH3966
- greatעָצוּם‛âtsûm ‛âtsûm · mightyH6099
- multitudeרַבrab · manyH7227
- of cattleמִקְנֶהmiqneh · livestockH4735
- and when they sawרָאָהrâ'âh · to see: seeH7200
- the landאֶ֫רֶץ'erets · land: country/planetH776
- of Jazerיַעְזֵרya‛ăzêyr ya‛zêr · JazerH3270
- of Gileadגִּלְעָדgil‛âd · GileadH1568
- that, behold, the placeמָקוֹםmâqôm mâqôm meqômâh meqômâh · placeH4725
Cross-references for Numbers 32:1
- Numbers 2:10“The divisions of Reuben, Simeon, and Gad are to camp on the south side of the Tabernacle, beneath their family banners. These are the names of the tribes, their leaders, and the numbers of their registered troops: Reuben Elizur son of Shedeur 46,500
- Numbers 26:5These were the clans descended from the sons of Reuben, Jacob’s oldest son: The Hanochite clan, named after their ancestor Hanoch. The Palluite clan, named after their ancestor Pallu.
- Genesis 29:32So Leah became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She named him Reuben, for she said, “The Lord has noticed my misery, and now my husband will love me.”
- Genesis 30:10Soon Zilpah presented him with a son.
- Numbers 32:3“Notice the towns of Ataroth, Dibon, Jazer, Nimrah, Heshbon, Elealeh, Sibmah, Nebo, and Beon.
- Numbers 21:32After Moses sent men to explore the Jazer area, they captured all the towns in the region and drove out the Amorites who lived there.
- Joshua 13:25Their territory included Jazer, all the towns of Gilead, and half of the land of Ammon, as far as the town of Aroer just west of Rabbah.
- 2 Samuel 24:5First they crossed the Jordan and camped at Aroer, south of the town in the valley, in the direction of Gad. Then they went on to Jazer,
- Isaiah 16:8The farms of Heshbon are abandoned; the vineyards at Sibmah are deserted. The rulers of the nations have broken down Moab— that beautiful grapevine. Its tendrils spread north as far as the town of Jazer and trailed eastward into the wilderness. Its shoots reached so far west that they crossed over the Dead Sea.
- Numbers 32:26Our children, wives, flocks, and cattle will stay here in the towns of Gilead.
- Genesis 13:2(Abram was very rich in livestock, silver, and gold.)
- Genesis 47:4We have come to live here in Egypt for a while, for there is no pasture for our flocks in Canaan. The famine is very severe there. So please, we request permission to live in the region of Goshen.”
- Jeremiah 50:19And I will bring Israel home again to its own land, to feed in the fields of Carmel and Bashan, and to be satisfied once more in the hill country of Ephraim and Gilead.
- Micah 7:14O Lord, protect your people with your shepherd’s staff; lead your flock, your special possession. Though they live alone in a thicket on the heights of Mount Carmel, let them graze in the fertile pastures of Bashan and Gilead as they did long ago.
- 1 John 2:16For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world.
Commentaries on Numbers 32:1
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 1Jazer - Compare the marginal reference. This district, although included in the land of Gilead, seems to have had special attractions for the Israelite settlers. All travelers in Gilead, the modern Belka, bear witness to its richness as compared with the country to the west of the Jordan. Its general character is that of an upland pasture, undulating and thickly timbered. In the last respect its northern portions excel its southern; but for fertility of…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 1The tribes of Reuben and Gad request an inheritance on the east of Jordan. (1-5) Moses reproves the Reubenites and Gadites. (6-15) They explain their views, Moses consents. (16-27) They take possession of the land to the east of Jordan. (28-42) Verses 1-5 Here is a proposal made by the Reubenites and Gadites, that the land lately conquered might be allotted to them. Two things common in the world might lead these tribes to make this choice; the lust of…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1very large herds and flocks: The Israelites had flocks and herds when they left Egypt (see Exodus 12:38). They gained more animals as plunder in the war with Midian (see Numbers 31:32–33). They might have also gained it in their victories over Sihon and Og (see 21:21–35). Gilead can refer to either the entire northern region of the plateau east of the Jordan River (for example, 32:29). It can also refer only to the land between the Jabbok River and the…Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-421-5. the land of Jazer, and the land of Gilead--A complete conquest had been made of the country east of the Jordan, comprising "the land of Jazer," which formed the southern district between the Arnon and Jabbok and "the land of Gilead," the middle region between the Jabbok and Jarmouk, or Hieromax, including Bashan, which lay on the north of that river. The whole of this region is now called the Belka. It has always been famous for its rich and…Read the comment
Topics related to Numbers 32:1
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Numbers 32
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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