Numbers 32:16-19

The Offer of the Reubenites and Gadites

32:16 Then they came very close to him and said, “We will build sheep folds here for our flocks and cities for our families, ¹  32:17 but we will maintain ourselves in armed readiness ²  and go before the Israelites until whenever we have brought them to their place. Our descendants will be living in fortified towns as a protection against ³  the inhabitants of the land. 32:18 We will not return to our homes until every Israelite has his inheritance. 32:19 For we will not accept any inheritance on the other side of the Jordan River ⁴  and beyond, because our inheritance has come to us on this eastern side of the Jordan.”

[32:16]  ¹ tn Heb “our little ones.”

[32:17]  ² tn The MT has חֻשִׁים (khushim); the verbal root is חוּשׁ (khush, “to make haste” or “hurry”). But in light of the Greek and Latin Vulgate the Hebrew should probably be emended to חֲמֻשִׁים (hamushim), a qal passive participle meaning “in battle array.” See further BDB 301 s.v. I חוּשׁ, BDB 332 s.v. חֲמֻשִׁים; HALOT 300 s.v. I חושׁ, חישׁ; HALOT 331 s.v. I חמשׁ.

[32:17]  ³ tn Heb “from before.”

[32:19]  ³ tn The word “River” is not in the Hebrew text, but has been supplied in the translation for clarity.