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Numbers 32:17
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15 For if you aturn away from following Him, He will once again leave them in the wilderness, and you will destroy all these people.”  
16 Then they came near to him and said: “We will build sheepfolds here for our livestock, and cities for our little ones,
17 but awe ourselves will be armed, ready to go before the children of Israel until we have brought them to their place; and our little ones will dwell in the fortified cities because of the inhabitants of the land.  
18 aWe will not return to our homes until every one of the children of Israel has1 received his inheritance.  
19 For we will not inherit with them on the other side of the Jordan and beyond, abecause our inheritance has fallen to us on this eastern side of the Jordan.”  
20 Then aMoses said to them: “If you do this thing, if you arm yourselves before the Lord for the war,  
21 and all your armed men cross over the Jordan before the Lord until He has driven out His enemies from before Him,
22 and athe land is subdued before the Lord, then afterward byou may return and be blameless before the Lord and before Israel; and cthis land shall be your possession before the Lord.  
23 But if you do not do so, then take note, you have sinned against the Lord; and be sure ayour sin will find you out.  
24 aBuild cities for your little ones and folds for your sheep, and do1 what has proceeded out of your mouth.”  
Commentaries:
Adam Clarke
<< Numbers 32:16   Numbers 32:18 >>


Numbers 32:17

Because of the inhabitants of the land - These were the Ammonites, Moabites, Idumeans, and the remains of the Midianites and Amorites. But could the women and children even keep the defenced cities, when placed in them? This certainly cannot be supposed possible. Many of the men of war must of course stay behind. In the last census, Numbers 26, the tribe of Reuben consisted of 43,730 men; the tribe of Gad, 40,500; the tribe of Manasseh, 52,700; the half of which is 26,350. Add this to the sum of the other two tribes, and the amount is 110,580. Now from Joshua 4:13 we learn that of the tribes of Reuben and Gad, and the half of the tribe of Manasseh, only 40,000 armed men passed over Jordan to assist their brethren in the reduction of the land: consequently the number of 70,580 men were left behind for the defense of the women, the children, and the flocks. This was more than sufficient to defend them against a people already panic struck by their late discomfitures and reverses.




Other Adam Clarke entries containing Numbers 32:17:

Joshua 1:14
Joshua 4:12

 

<< Numbers 32:16   Numbers 32:18 >>

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