Numbers 32:1-4

The Petition of the Reubenites and Gadites

32:1 ¹ Now the Reubenites and the Gadites possessed a very large number of cattle. When they saw that the lands of Jazer and Gilead were ideal for cattle, ²  32:2 the Gadites and the Reubenites came and addressed Moses, Eleazar the priest, and the leaders of the community. They said, 32:3 “Ataroth, Dibon, Jazer, Nimrah, Heshbon, Elealeh, Sebam, ³  Nebo, and Beon, ⁴  32:4 the land that the Lord subdued ⁵  before the community of Israel, is ideal for cattle, and your servants have cattle.”

Numbers 32:33-42

Land Assignment

32:33 So Moses gave to the Gadites, the Reubenites, and to half the tribe of Manasseh son of Joseph the realm of King Sihon of the Amorites, and the realm of King Og of Bashan, the entire land with its cities and the territory surrounding them. ⁶  32:34 The Gadites rebuilt Dibon, Ataroth, Aroer, 32:35 Atroth Shophan, Jazer, Jogbehah, 32:36 Beth Nimrah, and Beth Haran as fortified cities, and constructed pens for their flocks. 32:37 The Reubenites rebuilt Heshbon, Elealeh, Kiriathaim, 32:38 Nebo, Baal Meon (with a change of name), and Sibmah. They renamed ⁷  the cities they built.

32:39 The descendants of Machir son of Manasseh went to Gilead, took it, and dispossessed the Amorites who were in it. 32:40 So Moses gave Gilead to Machir, son of Manasseh, and he lived there. ⁸  32:41 Now Jair son of Manasseh went and captured their small towns and named them Havvoth Jair. 32:42 Then Nobah went and captured Kenath and its villages and called it Nobah after his own name.

Deuteronomy 2:31-37

2:31 The Lord said to me, “Look! I have already begun to give over Sihon and his land to you. Start right now to take his land as your possession.” 2:32 When Sihon and all his troops ⁹  emerged to encounter us in battle at Jahaz, ¹⁰  2:33 the Lord our God delivered him over to us and we struck him down, along with his sons ¹¹  and everyone else. ¹²  2:34 At that time we seized all his cities and put every one of them ¹³  under divine judgment, ¹⁴  including even the women and children; we left no survivors. 2:35 We kept only the livestock and plunder from the cities for ourselves. 2:36 From Aroer, ¹⁵  which is at the edge of Wadi Arnon (it is the city in the wadi), ¹⁶  all the way to Gilead there was not a town able to resist us – the Lord our God gave them all to us. 2:37 However, you did not approach the land of the Ammonites, the Wadi Jabbok, ¹⁷  the cities of the hill country, or any place else forbidden by the Lord our God.

Deuteronomy 29:7

29:7 When you came to this place King Sihon of Heshbon and King Og of Bashan came out to make war and we defeated them.

Joshua 9:10

9:10 and all he did to the two Amorite kings on the other side of the Jordan – King Sihon of Heshbon and King Og of Bashan in Ashtaroth.

Joshua 12:1-3

12:1 Now these are the kings of the land whom the Israelites defeated and drove from their land ¹⁸  on the east side of the Jordan, ¹⁹  from the Arnon Valley to Mount Hermon, including all the eastern Arabah:

12:2 King Sihon of the Amorites who lived ²⁰  in Heshbon and ruled from Aroer (on the edge of the Arnon Valley) – including the city in the middle of the valley ²¹  and half of Gilead – all the way to the Jabbok Valley bordering Ammonite territory. 12:3 His kingdom included ²²  the eastern Arabah from the Sea of Kinnereth ²³  to the Sea of the Arabah (the Salt Sea), ²⁴  including the route to Beth Jeshimoth and the area southward below the slopes of Pisgah.

Joshua 13:8-10

Tribal Lands East of the Jordan

13:8 The other half of Manasseh, ²⁵  Reuben, and Gad received their allotted tribal lands beyond the Jordan, ²⁶  just as Moses, the Lord’s servant, had assigned them. 13:9 Their territory started ²⁷  from Aroer (on the edge of the Arnon Valley), included the city in the middle of the valley, the whole plain of Medeba as far as Dibon, 13:10 and all the cities of King Sihon of the Amorites who ruled in Heshbon, and ended at the Ammonite border.

Joshua 24:8

24:8 Then I brought you to the land of the Amorites who lived east of the Jordan. They fought with you, but I handed them over to you; you conquered ²⁸  their land and I destroyed them from before you.

Jude 1:21-23

1:21 maintain ²⁹  yourselves in the love of God, while anticipating ³⁰  the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that brings eternal life. ³¹  1:22 And have mercy on those who waver; 1:23 save ³²  others by snatching them out of the fire; have mercy ³³  on others, coupled with a fear of God, ³⁴  hating even the clothes stained ³⁵  by the flesh. ³⁶ 

Jude 1:1-2

Salutation

1:1 From Jude, ³⁷  a slave ³⁸  of Jesus Christ and brother of James, ³⁹  to those who are called, wrapped in the love of ⁴⁰  God the Father and kept for ⁴¹  Jesus Christ. 1:2 May mercy, peace, and love be lavished on you! ⁴² 

Jude 1:8

1:8 Yet these men, ⁴³  as a result of their dreams, ⁴⁴  defile the flesh, reject authority, ⁴⁵  and insult ⁴⁶  the glorious ones. ⁴⁷ 

Nehemiah 9:22

9:22 “You gave them kingdoms and peoples, and you allocated them to every corner of the land. ⁴⁸  They inherited the land of King Sihon of Heshbon ⁴⁹  and the land of King Og of Bashan.

Psalms 135:10-12

135:10 He defeated many nations,

and killed mighty kings –

135:11 Sihon, king of the Amorites,

and Og, king of Bashan,

and all the kingdoms of Canaan.

135:12 He gave their land as an inheritance,

as an inheritance to Israel his people.

Psalms 136:19

136:19 Sihon, king of the Amorites,

for his loyal love endures,

Amos 2:9

2:9 For Israel’s sake I destroyed the Amorites. ⁵⁰ 

They were as tall as cedars ⁵¹ 

and as strong as oaks,

but I destroyed the fruit on their branches ⁵² 

and their roots in the ground. ⁵³ 

[32:1]  ¹ sn While the tribes are on the other side of Jordan, the matter of which tribes would settle there has to be discussed. This chapter begins the settlement of Israel into the tribal territories, something to be continued in Joshua. The chapter has the petitions (vv. 1-5), the response by Moses (vv. 6-15), the proposal (vv. 16-27), and the conclusion of the matter (vv. 28-42). For literature on this subject, both critical and conservative, see S. E. Loewenstein, “The Relation of the Settlement of Gad and Reuben in Numbers 32:1-38, Its Background and Its Composition,” Tarbiz 42 (1972): 12-26; J. Mauchline, “Gilead and Gilgal, Some Reflections on the Israelite Occupation of Palestine,” VT 6 (1956): 19-33; and A. Bergmann, “The Israelite Tribe of Half-Manasseh,” JPOS 16 (1936): 224-54.

[32:1]  ² tn Heb “the place was a place of/for cattle.”

[32:3]  ³ tc Smr and the LXX have Sibmah. Cf. v. 38.

[32:3]  ⁴ tn Cf. Baal-meon in v. 38.

[32:4]  ⁵ tn The verb is the Hiphil perfect of נָכָה (nakhah), a term that can mean “smite, strike, attack, destroy.”

[32:33]  ⁶ tn Heb “the land with its cities in the borders of the cities of the land all around.”

[32:38]  ⁷ tn Heb “called names.”

[32:40]  ⁸ tn Heb “in it.”

[2:32]  ⁹ tn Heb “people.”

[2:32]  ¹⁰ sn Jahaz. This is probably Khirbet el-Medeiyineh. See J. Dearman, “The Levitical Cities of Reuben and Moabite Toponymy,” BASOR 276 (1984): 55-57.

[2:33]  ¹¹ tc The translation follows the Qere or marginal reading; the Kethib (consonantal text) has the singular, “his son.”

[2:33]  ¹² tn Heb “all his people.”

[2:34]  ¹³ tn Heb “every city of men.” This apparently identifies the cities as inhabited.

[2:34]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “under the ban” (נַחֲרֵם, nakharem). The verb employed is חָרַם (kharam, usually in the Hiphil) and the associated noun is חֵרֶם (kherem). See J. Naudé, NIDOTTE, 2:276-77, and, for a more thorough discussion, Susan Niditch, War in the Hebrew Bible, 28-77.

[2:36]  ¹⁵ sn Aroer. Now known as àAraáir on the northern edge of the Arnon river, Aroer marked the southern limit of Moab and, later, of the allotment of the tribe of Reuben (Josh 13:9, 16).

[2:36]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “the city in the wadi.” This enigmatic reference may refer to Ar or, more likely, to Aroer itself. Epexegetically the text might read, “From Aroer…, that is, the city in the wadi.” See D. L. Christensen, Deuteronomy 1–11 (WBC), 49.

[2:37]  ¹⁷ sn Wadi Jabbok. Now known as the Zerqa River, this is a major tributary of the Jordan that normally served as a boundary between Ammon and Gad (Deut 3:16).

[12:1]  ¹⁸ tn Heb “and took possession of their land.”

[12:1]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “beyond the Jordan, toward the rising of the sun.”

[12:2]  ²⁰ tn Or perhaps, “reigned.”

[12:2]  ²¹ tc The MT reads here, “and the middle of the valley,” but the reading “the city in the middle of valley” can be reconstructed on the basis of Josh 13:9, 16.

[12:3]  ²² tn The words “his kingdom included” are supplied in the translation for clarification.

[12:3]  ²³ sn The Sea of Kinnereth is another name for the Sea of Galilee. See the note on the word “Kinnereth” in 11:2.

[12:3]  ²⁴ sn The Salt Sea is another name for the Dead Sea.

[13:8]  ²⁵ tn The MT reads “with him,” which is problematic, since the reference would be to the other half of the tribe of Manasseh (not the half mentioned in v. 7).

[13:8]  ²⁶ tn Heb “received their inheritance, which Moses had assigned to them beyond the Jordan.”

[13:9]  ²⁷ tn The words “their territory started” are supplied in the translation for clarification.

[24:8]  ²⁸ tn Or “took possession of.”

[1:21]  ²⁹ tn Or “keep.”

[1:21]  ³⁰ tn Or “waiting for.”

[1:21]  ³¹ tn Grk “unto eternal life.”

[1:23]  ³² tn Grk “and save.”

[1:23]  ³³ tn Grk “and have mercy.”

[1:23]  ³⁴ tn Grk “with fear.” But as this contrasts with ἀφόβως (afobw") in v. 12 (without reverence), the posture of the false teachers, it most likely refers to reverence for God.

[1:23]  ³⁵ sn The imagery here suggests that the things close to the sinners are contaminated by them, presumably during the process of sinning.

[1:23]  ³⁶ tn Grk “hating even the tunic spotted by the flesh.” The “flesh” in this instance could refer to the body or to the sin nature. It makes little difference in one sense: Jude is thinking primarily of sexual sins, which are borne of the sin nature and manifest themselves in inappropriate deeds done with the body. At the same time, he is not saying that the body is intrinsically bad, a view held by the opponents of Christianity. Hence, it is best to see “flesh” as referring to the sin nature here and the language as metaphorical.

[1:1]  ³⁷ tn Grk “Judas,” traditionally “Jude” in English versions to distinguish him from the one who betrayed Jesus. The word “From” is not in the Greek text, but has been supplied to indicate the sender of the letter.

[1:1]  ³⁸ tn Though δοῦλος (doulos) is normally translated “servant,” the word does not bear the connotation of a free individual serving another. BDAG notes that “‘servant’ for ‘slave’ is largely confined to Biblical transl. and early American times…in normal usage at the present time the two words are carefully distinguished” (BDAG 260 s.v.). At the same time, perhaps “servant” is apt in that the δοῦλος of Jesus Christ took on that role voluntarily, unlike a slave. The most accurate translation is “bondservant” (sometimes found in the ASV for δοῦλος), in that it often indicates one who sells himself into slavery to another. But as this is archaic, few today understand its force.

[1:1]  ³⁹ sn Although Jude was half-brother of Jesus, he humbly associates himself with James, his full brother. By first calling himself a slave of Jesus Christ, it is evident that he wants no one to place stock in his physical connections. At the same time, he must identify himself further: Since Jude was a common name in the 1st century (two of Jesus’ disciples were so named, including his betrayer), more information was needed, that is to say, brother of James.

[1:1]  ⁴⁰ tn Grk “loved in.” The perfect passive participle suggests that the audience’s relationship to God is not recent; the preposition ἐν (en) before πατρί (patri) could be taken as sphere or instrument (agency is unlikely, however). Another possible translation would be “dear to God.”

[1:1]  ⁴¹ tn Or “by.” Datives of agency are quite rare in the NT (and other ancient Greek), almost always found with a perfect verb. Although this text qualifies, in light of the well-worn idiom of τηρέω (threw) in eschatological contexts, in which God or Christ keeps the believer safe until the parousia (cf. 1 Thess 5:23; 1 Pet 1:4; Rev 3:10; other terms meaning “to guard,” “to keep” are also found in similar eschatological contexts [cf. 2 Thess 3:3; 2 Tim 1:12; 1 Pet 1:5; Jude 24]), it is probably better to understand this verse as having such an eschatological tinge. It is at the same time possible that Jude’s language was intentionally ambiguous, implying both ideas (“kept by Jesus Christ [so that they might be] kept for Jesus Christ”). Elsewhere he displays a certain fondness for wordplays; this may be a hint of things to come.

[1:2]  ⁴² tn Grk “may mercy and peace and love be multiplied to you.”

[1:8]  ⁴³ tn The reference is now to the false teachers.

[1:8]  ⁴⁴ tn Grk “dreaming.” The participle ἐνυπνιαζόμενοι (enupniazomenoi, “dreaming”) is adverbial to the pronoun οὗτοι (|outoi, “these”), though the particular relationship is not clear. It could mean, “while dreaming,” “by dreaming,” or “because of dreaming.” This translation has adopted the last option as Jude’s meaning, partially for syntactical reasons (the causal participle usually precedes the main verb) and partially for contextual reasons (these false teachers must derive their authority from some source, and the dreams provide the most obvious base). The participle ἐνυπνιαζόμενοι was sometimes used of apocalyptic visions, both of true and false prophets. This seems to be the meaning here.

[1:8]  ⁴⁵ tn Most likely, the authority of the Lord is in view. This verse, then, echoes the indictment of v. 4: “they deny our Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.”

[1:8]  ⁴⁶ tn The construction with the three verbs (“defile, “reject,” and “insult”) involves the particles μέν, δέ, δέ (men, de, de). A more literal (and pedantic) translation would be: “on the one hand, they defile the flesh, on the other hand, they reject authority, and on another hand, they insult the glorious ones.”

[1:8]  ⁴⁷ sn The glorious ones refers to angelic beings rather than mere human beings, just as in 2 Pet 2:10 (on which this passage apparently depends). Whether the angelic beings are good or evil, however, is difficult to tell (hence, the translation is left ambiguous). However, both in 2 Pet 2:11 and here, in Jude 9, the wicked angels seem to be in view (for not even Michael insults them).

[9:22]  ⁴⁸ tn The words “of the land” are not in the Hebrew text, but are supplied in the translation for clarity.

[9:22]  ⁴⁹ tc Most Hebrew MSS read “the land of Sihon and the land of the king of Heshbon.” The present translation (along with NAB, NASB, NIV, NCV, NRSV, CEV, NLT) follows the reading of one Hebrew MS, the LXX, and the Vulgate.

[2:9]  ⁵⁰ tn Heb “I destroyed the Amorites from before them.” The translation takes מִפְּנֵי (mippÿney) in the sense of “for the sake of.” See BDB 818 s.v. פָּנֻה II.6.a and H. W. Wolff, Joel and Amos (Hermeneia), 134. Another option is to take the phrase in a spatial sense, “I destroyed the Amorites, [clearing them out] from before them [i.e., Israel]” (cf. NIV, NRSV).

[2:9]  ⁵¹ tn Heb “whose height was like the height of cedars.”

[2:9]  ⁵² tn Heb “his fruit from above.”

[2:9]  ⁵³ tn Heb “and his roots from below.”