Numbers 32:7 - The Tribes East of the Jordan

Audio Bible

Context

The Tribes East of the Jordan
…6But Moses asked the Gadites and Reubenites, “Shall your brothers go to war while you sit here? 7Why are you discouraging the Israelites from crossing into the land that the LORD has given them? 8This is what your fathers did when I sent them from Kadesh-barnea to inspect the land.…

Cross References

Deuteronomy 1:28
Where can we go? Our brothers have made our hearts melt, saying: ‘The people are larger and taller than we are; the cities are large, with walls up to the heavens. We even saw the descendants of the Anakim there.’”Joshua 14:8
Although my brothers who went with me made the hearts of the people melt with fear, I remained loyal to the LORD my God.Hebrews 3:12-19
See to it, brothers, that none of you has a wicked heart of unbelief that turns away from the living God. / But exhort one another daily, as long as it is called today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness. / We have come to share in Christ if we hold firmly to the end the assurance we had at first. ...Deuteronomy 1:21
See, the LORD your God has placed the land before you. Go up and take possession of it as the LORD, the God of your fathers, has told you. Do not be afraid or discouraged.”Joshua 22:16-18
“This is what the whole congregation of the LORD says: ‘What is this breach of faith you have committed today against the God of Israel by turning away from the LORD and building for yourselves an altar, that you might rebel against the LORD this day? / Was not the sin of Peor enough for us, from which we have not cleansed ourselves to this day? It even brought a plague upon the congregation of the LORD. / And now, would you turn away from the LORD? If you rebel today against the LORD, tomorrow He will be angry with the whole congregation of Israel.Psalm 106:24-25
They despised the pleasant land; they did not believe His promise. / They grumbled in their tents and did not listen to the voice of the LORD.Deuteronomy 9:23
And when the LORD sent you out from Kadesh-barnea, He said, “Go up and possess the land that I have given you.” But you rebelled against the command of the LORD your God. You neither believed Him nor obeyed Him.Hebrews 4:1-2
Therefore, while the promise of entering His rest still stands, let us be careful that none of you be deemed to have fallen short of it. / For we also received the good news just as they did; but the message they heard was of no value to them, since they did not share the faith of those who comprehended it.Deuteronomy 1:26
But you were unwilling to go up; you rebelled against the command of the LORD your God.Numbers 13:31-33
But the men who had gone up with him replied, “We cannot go up against the people, for they are stronger than we are!” / So they gave the Israelites a bad report about the land that they had spied out: “The land we explored devours its inhabitants, and all the people we saw there are great in stature. / We even saw the Nephilim there—the descendants of Anak that come from the Nephilim! We seemed like grasshoppers in our own sight, and we must have seemed the same to them!”Deuteronomy 1:32
But in spite of all this, you did not trust the LORD your God,Hebrews 3:8-11
do not harden your hearts, as you did in the rebellion, in the day of testing in the wilderness, / where your fathers tested and tried Me, and for forty years saw My works. / Therefore I was angry with that generation, and I said, ‘Their hearts are always going astray, and they have not known My ways.’ ...Numbers 14:1-4
Then the whole congregation lifted up their voices and cried out, and that night the people wept. / All the Israelites grumbled against Moses and Aaron, and the whole congregation said to them, “If only we had died in the land of Egypt, or if only we had died in this wilderness! / Why is the LORD bringing us into this land to fall by the sword? Our wives and children will become plunder. Would it not be better for us to go back to Egypt?” ...Deuteronomy 9:7
Remember this, and never forget how you provoked the LORD your God in the wilderness. From the day you left the land of Egypt until you reached this place, you have been rebelling against the LORD.1 Corinthians 10:10
And do not complain, as some of them did, and were killed by the destroying angel.

Numbers 32:9
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.

Numbers 21:4
And they journeyed from mount Hor by the way of the Red sea, to compass the land of Edom: and the soul of the people was much discouraged because of the way.

Deuteronomy 1:28
Whither shall we go up? our brethren have discouraged our heart, saying, The people is greater and taller than we; the cities are great and walled up to heaven; and moreover we have seen the sons of the Anakims there.

discourage.

Acts 21:13
Then Paul answered, What mean ye to weep and to break mine heart? for I am ready not to be bound only, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.

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Numbers 32

Why are you discouraging the Israelites
This phrase addresses the actions of the tribes of Reuben and Gad, who requested to settle on the east side of the Jordan River rather than crossing into the Promised Land. Their request could potentially demoralize the other tribes, echoing the earlier discouragement caused by the negative report of the ten spies in Numbers 13-14. This highlights the importance of unity and collective faith in God's promises.

from crossing into the land
The "land" refers to Canaan, the Promised Land, which God had pledged to Abraham and his descendants (Genesis 12:7). Crossing the Jordan River symbolized entering into the fulfillment of God's covenant. The act of crossing was not just a physical journey but a spiritual one, representing trust in God's provision and promises.

that the LORD has given them?
This emphasizes the divine origin of the promise. The land was a gift from God, underscoring His sovereignty and faithfulness. The use of "has given" indicates the certainty of God's promise, even before its physical possession. This reflects the biblical theme of God's faithfulness and the assurance of His promises, as seen in Hebrews 11:1, where faith is described as confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.

Persons / Places / Events

1. Moses
The leader of the Israelites, who is addressing the tribes of Reuben and Gad in this passage.

2. Reuben and Gad
Two tribes of Israel who requested to settle on the east side of the Jordan River instead of crossing into the Promised Land.

3. The Israelites
The collective people of Israel, whom God has promised to lead into the Promised Land.

4. The Promised Land
The land of Canaan, which God promised to Abraham and his descendants.

5. The Jordan River
The geographical boundary that the Israelites must cross to enter the Promised Land.

Teaching Points

The Danger of Discouragement
Discouragement can spread quickly and prevent God's people from fulfilling His promises. We must be vigilant in encouraging one another in faith.

The Importance of Obedience
Obedience to God's commands is crucial. The tribes of Reuben and Gad needed to align their desires with God's plan for all of Israel.

Faith Over Fear
Trusting in God's promises requires faith over fear. The Israelites were called to trust God despite the challenges ahead.

Community Responsibility
Each member of the community has a responsibility to support and uplift others. The actions of a few can impact the whole community.

God's Faithfulness
God is faithful to His promises. The Israelites' journey to the Promised Land is a testament to God's unwavering commitment to His word.

(7) And wherefore discourage ye the heart . . . --The verb which is rendered discourage, and which occurs again in Numbers 32:9, means rather to "alienate," or "avert." The cognate noun occurs in Num. adv. 34, in the same connection in which it is used in Numbers 32:9. (See Note in loc.)

Verse 7. - Discourage. The verb נוא, translated "discourage" here and in verse 9, is of somewhat doubtful meaning. The Septuagint renders it by διαστρέφω, and perhaps the sense is, "Why do ye draw away the heart?" i.e., render it averse from going over. Parallel Commentaries ...

Hebrew

Why
וְלָ֣מָּה (wə·lām·māh)
Conjunctive waw | Interrogative
Strong's 4100: What?, what!, indefinitely what

are you discouraging
תְנִיא֔וּן (ṯə·nî·’ūn)
Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - second person masculine plural | Paragogic nun
Strong's 5106: To refuse, forbid, dissuade, neutralize

the Israelites
בְּנֵ֣י (bə·nê)
Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 1121: A son

from crossing
מֵֽעֲבֹר֙ (mê·‘ă·ḇōr)
Preposition-m | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct
Strong's 5674: To pass over, through, or by, pass on

into
אֶל־ (’el-)
Preposition
Strong's 413: Near, with, among, to

the land
הָאָ֔רֶץ (hā·’ā·reṣ)
Article | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 776: Earth, land

the LORD
יְהוָֽה׃ (Yah·weh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel

has given them?
נָתַ֥ן (nā·ṯan)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 5414: To give, put, set

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