Numbers 32:5
New International Version
If we have found favor in your eyes,” they said, “let this land be given to your servants as our possession. Do not make us cross the Jordan.”

New Living Translation
If we have found favor with you, please let us have this land as our property instead of giving us land across the Jordan River.”

English Standard Version
And they said, “If we have found favor in your sight, let this land be given to your servants for a possession. Do not take us across the Jordan.”

Berean Standard Bible
“If we have found favor in your sight,” they said, “let this land be given to your servants as a possession. Do not make us cross the Jordan.”

King James Bible
Wherefore, said they, if we have found grace in thy sight, let this land be given unto thy servants for a possession, and bring us not over Jordan.

New King James Version
Therefore they said, “If we have found favor in your sight, let this land be given to your servants as a possession. Do not take us over the Jordan.”

New American Standard Bible
And they said, “If we have found favor in your sight, let this land be given to your servants as our property; do not take us across the Jordan.”

NASB 1995
They said, “If we have found favor in your sight, let this land be given to your servants as a possession; do not take us across the Jordan.”

NASB 1977
And they said, “If we have found favor in your sight, let this land be given to your servants as a possession; do not take us across the Jordan.”

Legacy Standard Bible
And they said, “If we have found favor in your sight, let this land be given to your servants as a possession; do not take us across the Jordan.”

Amplified Bible
They said, “If we have found favor in your sight, let this land be given to your servants as a possession. Do not take us across the Jordan [River].”

Christian Standard Bible
They said, “If we have found favor with you, let this land be given to your servants as a possession. Don’t make us cross the Jordan.”

Holman Christian Standard Bible
They said, “If we have found favor in your sight, let this land be given to your servants as a possession. Don’t make us cross the Jordan.”

American Standard Version
And they said, If we have found favor in thy sight, let this land be given unto thy servants for a possession; bring us not over the Jordan.

Contemporary English Version
would you let us stay here east of the Jordan River and have this land as our own?"

English Revised Version
And they said, If we have found grace in thy sight, let this land be given unto thy servants for a possession; bring us not over Jordan.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Please give us this land as our property. Don't make us cross the Jordan River."

Good News Translation
Please give us this land as our property, and do not make us cross the Jordan River and settle there."

International Standard Version
If we've found favor in your sight, let this land be given to your servants as our possession instead of us crossing the Jordan River."

Majority Standard Bible
?If we have found favor in your sight,? they said, ?let this land be given to your servants as a possession. Do not make us cross the Jordan.?

NET Bible
So they said, "If we have found favor in your sight, let this land be given to your servants for our inheritance. Do not have us cross the Jordan River."

New Heart English Bible
They said, "If we have found favor in your sight, let this land be given to your servants for a possession; do not bring us over the Jordan."

Webster's Bible Translation
Wherefore, said they, if we have found grace in thy sight, let this land be given to thy servants for a possession, and bring us not over Jordan.

World English Bible
They said, “If we have found favor in your sight, let this land be given to your servants for a possession. Don’t bring us over the Jordan.”
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
And they say, “If we have found grace in your eyes, let this land be given to your servants for a possession; cause us not to pass over the Jordan.”

Young's Literal Translation
And they say, 'If we have found grace in thine eyes, let this land be given to thy servants for a possession; cause us not to pass over the Jordan.'

Smith's Literal Translation
And they will say, If we found grace in thine eyes, will this land be given to thy servants for a possession; ye will not cause us to pass over Jordan.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And we pray thee, if we have found favour in thy sight, that thou give it to us thy servants in possession, and make us not pass over the Jordan.

Catholic Public Domain Version
And so we beseech you, if we have found favor before you, that you give it to us, your subjects, as a possession, and that you not cause us cross the Jordan.”

New American Bible
They continued, “If we find favor with you, let this land be given to your servants as their possession. Do not make us cross the Jordan.”

New Revised Standard Version
They continued, “If we have found favor in your sight, let this land be given to your servants for a possession; do not make us cross the Jordan.”
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
Wherefore, they said, if we have found mercy in your sight, let this land be given to your servants for a possession, and bring us not across the Jordan.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And they said, “If we find favor before you, let this land be given to your Servants as an inheritance, and do not bring us over the Jordan.”
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
And they said: 'If we have found favour in thy sight, let this land be given unto thy servants for a possession; bring us not over the Jordan.'

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And they said, If we have found grace in thy sight, let this land be given to thy servants for a possession, and do not cause us to pass over Jordan.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Tribes East of the Jordan
4which the LORD conquered before the congregation of Israel, are suitable for livestock—and your servants have livestock.” 5“If we have found favor in your sight,” they said, “let this land be given to your servants as a possession. Do not make us cross the Jordan.” 6But Moses asked the Gadites and Reubenites, “Shall your brothers go to war while you sit here?…

Cross References
Joshua 22:9-10
So the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh left the Israelites at Shiloh in the land of Canaan to return to their own land of Gilead, which they had acquired according to the command of the LORD through Moses. / And when they came to Geliloth near the Jordan in the land of Canaan, the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh built an imposing altar there by the Jordan.

Deuteronomy 3:12-17
So at that time we took possession of this land. To the Reubenites and Gadites I gave the land beyond Aroer along the Arnon Valley, and half the hill country of Gilead, along with its cities. / To the half-tribe of Manasseh I gave the rest of Gilead and all of Bashan, the kingdom of Og. (The entire region of Argob, the whole territory of Bashan, used to be called the land of the Rephaim.) / Jair, a descendant of Manasseh, took the whole region of Argob as far as the border of the Geshurites and Maacathites. He renamed Bashan after himself, Havvoth-jair, by which it is called to this day. ...

Joshua 13:8-13
The other half of Manasseh, along with the Reubenites and Gadites, had received the inheritance Moses had given them beyond the Jordan to the east, just as Moses the servant of the LORD had assigned to them: / The area from Aroer on the rim of the Arnon Valley, along with the city in the middle of the valley, the whole plateau of Medeba as far as Dibon, / and all the cities of Sihon king of the Amorites who reigned in Heshbon, as far as the border of the Ammonites; ...

Deuteronomy 3:18-20
At that time I commanded you: “The LORD your God has given you this land to possess. All your men of valor are to cross over, armed for battle, ahead of your brothers, the Israelites. / But your wives, your children, and your livestock—I know that you have much livestock—may remain in the cities I have given you, / until the LORD gives rest to your brothers as He has to you, and they too have taken possession of the land that the LORD your God is giving them across the Jordan. Then each of you may return to the possession I have given you.”

Joshua 1:12-15
But to the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh, Joshua said, / “Remember what Moses the servant of the LORD commanded you when he said, ‘The LORD your God will give you rest, and He will give you this land.’ / Your wives, your young children, and your livestock may remain in the land that Moses gave you on this side of the Jordan. But all your mighty men of valor must be armed for battle to cross over ahead of your brothers and help them, ...

Joshua 22:1-6
Then Joshua summoned the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh / and told them, “You have done all that Moses the servant of the LORD commanded you, and you have obeyed my voice in all that I commanded you. / All this time you have not deserted your brothers, up to this very day, but have kept the charge given you by the LORD your God. ...

1 Chronicles 5:23-26
Now the people of the half-tribe of Manasseh were numerous. They settled in the land from Bashan to Baal-hermon (that is, Senir, also known as Mount Hermon). / These were the heads of their families: Epher, Ishi, Eliel, Azriel, Jeremiah, Hodaviah, and Jahdiel. They were mighty men of valor, famous men, and heads of their families. / But they were unfaithful to the God of their fathers, and they prostituted themselves with the gods of the peoples of the land, whom God had destroyed before them. ...

Deuteronomy 29:7-8
When you reached this place, Sihon king of Heshbon and Og king of Bashan came out against us in battle, but we defeated them. / We took their land and gave it as an inheritance to the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh.

1 Kings 22:3
who said to his servants, “Do you not know that Ramoth-gilead is ours, but we have failed to take it from the hand of the king of Aram?”

Ezekiel 47:13-21
This is what the Lord GOD says: “These are the boundaries by which you are to divide the land as an inheritance among the twelve tribes of Israel; Joseph shall receive two portions. / You are to divide it equally among them. Because I swore with an uplifted hand to give it to your forefathers, this land will fall to you as an inheritance. / This shall be the boundary of the land: On the north side it will extend from the Great Sea by way of Hethlon through Lebo-hamath to Zedad, ...

Matthew 19:29
And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or fields for the sake of My name will receive a hundredfold and will inherit eternal life.

Luke 18:29-30
“Truly I tell you,” Jesus replied, “no one who has left home or wife or brothers or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God / will fail to receive many times more in this age—and in the age to come, eternal life.”

Hebrews 11:9-10
By faith he dwelt in the promised land as a stranger in a foreign country. He lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. / For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God.

Hebrews 11:13-16
All these people died in faith, without having received the things they were promised. However, they saw them and welcomed them from afar. And they acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. / Now those who say such things show that they are seeking a country of their own. / If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. ...

Philippians 3:20
But our citizenship is in heaven, and we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ,


Treasury of Scripture

Why, said they, if we have found grace in your sight, let this land be given to your servants for a possession, and bring us not over Jordan.

if we have

Genesis 19:19
Behold now, thy servant hath found grace in thy sight, and thou hast magnified thy mercy, which thou hast shewed unto me in saving my life; and I cannot escape to the mountain, lest some evil take me, and I die:

Ruth 2:10
Then she fell on her face, and bowed herself to the ground, and said unto him, Why have I found grace in thine eyes, that thou shouldest take knowledge of me, seeing I am a stranger?

1 Samuel 20:3
And David sware moreover, and said, Thy father certainly knoweth that I have found grace in thine eyes; and he saith, Let not Jonathan know this, lest he be grieved: but truly as the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, there is but a step between me and death.

bring us

Deuteronomy 1:37
Also the LORD was angry with me for your sakes, saying, Thou also shalt not go in thither.

Deuteronomy 3:25,26
I pray thee, let me go over, and see the good land that is beyond Jordan, that goodly mountain, and Lebanon…

Joshua 7:7
And Joshua said, Alas, O Lord GOD, wherefore hast thou at all brought this people over Jordan, to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us? would to God we had been content, and dwelt on the other side Jordan!

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Numbers 32
1. The Reubenites and Gadites ask for inheritance on the east side of Jordan
6. Moses reproves them
16. They offer him conditions with which he is content
33. Moses assigns them the land
39. They conquer it.














If we have found favor in your sight
This phrase reflects a common biblical expression of humility and supplication. The Hebrew word for "favor" is "ḥēn," which denotes grace or kindness. In the ancient Near Eastern context, finding favor in someone's sight often implied a request for benevolence or approval from a superior. The tribes of Reuben and Gad approach Moses with a respectful acknowledgment of his leadership and authority, seeking his goodwill before making their request. This reflects a broader biblical theme of seeking God's favor through obedience and humility.

they said
The phrase "they said" indicates a collective voice, representing the tribes of Reuben and Gad. In the Hebrew text, the verb "said" is "wayyō'mərū," which is in the imperfect tense, suggesting an ongoing dialogue or negotiation. This highlights the communal nature of decision-making in ancient Israel, where tribal leaders often spoke on behalf of their people. It underscores the importance of unity and collective responsibility within the community of God's people.

let this land be given to your servants as a possession
The request for the land to be given "as a possession" uses the Hebrew word "’aḥuzzah," meaning a permanent inheritance or property. This term is significant in the biblical narrative, as it ties into the covenantal promise of land given to Abraham and his descendants. The tribes of Reuben and Gad see the land east of the Jordan as suitable for their needs, particularly for their livestock, and thus seek to establish their inheritance there. This request also reflects the broader theme of God's provision and the fulfillment of His promises to His people.

Do not make us cross the Jordan
The Jordan River serves as a significant geographical and symbolic boundary in the biblical narrative. To "cross the Jordan" often symbolizes entering into a new phase of God's promise, particularly the conquest and settlement of Canaan. The tribes' request not to cross the Jordan indicates a desire to settle in the land already conquered, which they perceive as beneficial for their immediate needs. This request, however, raises questions about unity and commitment to the collective mission of Israel, as the Promised Land lies beyond the Jordan. It challenges the community to balance individual desires with collective responsibilities and divine directives.

(5) Bring us not over Jordan.--These words may be understood either simply as a request that the inheritance of the speakers might be assigned to them on the eastern side of the Jordan, or, as they appear to have been understood by Moses, and as they were in all probability designed to be understood, as a request that the conquest of the western side of the Jordan might be left to the other tribes, and that the Reubenites and Gadites might be permitted at once to establish themselves in the land which had been already subjugated. It is possible that the speakers, judging from the ease and rapidity with which the eastern side of the Jordan had been conquered, might have thought that their brethren were well able to subdue the western side without their aid. Be this as it may, their language indicated a selfish consideration of their own interests, and it was calculated to discourage and dishearten their brethren, and consequently it was strongly reproved by Moses. It is deserving of notice that the tribes of Reuben and Gad and the half tribe of Manasseh were amongst the first who were taken into captivity by the King of Assyria (1Chronicles 5:26).

Verse 5. - Bring us not over Jordan. The two tribes have been charged on the strength of these words with "shameless selfishness," but there is nothing to justify such an accusation. If they thought at all of the effect of their request upon their brethren, it is quite likely that they intended to do them a kindness by leaving them more room on the other side Jordan; and indeed Canaan proper was all too strait for such a population. Whether they were wise in wishing to stay in the wider and more attractive lands which they had seen is another matter. They knew that the God of Israel had designed to plant his people between Jordan and the sea, and they certainly risked a partial severance from his promises and his protection by remaining where they did. The subsequent history of the trans-Jordanic tribes is a melancholy commentary on the real unwisdom of their choice. Yet it would have been difficult for them to know that they were wrong, except by an instinct of faith which no Israelites perhaps at that time possessed.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
“If
אִם־ (’im-)
Conjunction
Strong's 518: Lo!, whether?, if, although, Oh that!, when, not

we have found
מָצָ֤אנוּ (mā·ṣā·nū)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common plural
Strong's 4672: To come forth to, appear, exist, to attain, find, acquire, to occur, meet, be present

favor
חֵן֙ (ḥên)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 2580: Graciousness, subjective, objective

in your sight,”
בְּעֵינֶ֔יךָ (bə·‘ê·ne·ḵā)
Preposition-b | Noun - cdc | second person masculine singular
Strong's 5869: An eye, a fountain

they said,
וַיֹּאמְר֗וּ (way·yō·mə·rū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 559: To utter, say

“let this
הַזֹּ֛את (haz·zōṯ)
Article | Pronoun - feminine singular
Strong's 2063: Hereby in it, likewise, the one other, same, she, so much, such deed, that,

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

be given
יֻתַּ֞ן (yut·tan)
Verb - QalPass - Imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 5414: To give, put, set

to your servants
לַעֲבָדֶ֖יךָ (la·‘ă·ḇā·ḏe·ḵā)
Preposition-l | Noun - masculine plural construct | second person masculine singular
Strong's 5650: Slave, servant

as a possession.
לַאֲחֻזָּ֑ה (la·’ă·ḥuz·zāh)
Preposition-l | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 272: Something seized, a possession

Do not
אַל־ (’al-)
Adverb
Strong's 408: Not

make us cross
תַּעֲבִרֵ֖נוּ (ta·‘ă·ḇi·rê·nū)
Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - second person masculine singular | first person common plural
Strong's 5674: To pass over, through, or by, pass on

the Jordan.”
הַיַּרְדֵּֽן׃ (hay·yar·dên)
Article | Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 3383: Jordan -- the principal river of Palestine


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OT Law: Numbers 32:5 They said If we have found favor (Nu Num.)
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