Discovery BoxNumbers 32:2-14 
Context32:2 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, 1 Nebo, and Beon, 2 32:4 the land that the Lord subdued 3 before the community of Israel, is ideal for cattle, and your servants have cattle.” 32:5 So they said, “If we have found favor in your sight, 4 let this land be given to your servants for our inheritance. Do not have us cross 5 the Jordan River.” 6
32:6 Moses said to the Gadites and the Reubenites, “Must your brothers go to war while you 7 remain here? 32:7 Why do you frustrate the intent 8 of the Israelites to cross over into the land which the Lord has given them? 32:8 Your fathers did the same thing when I sent them from Kadesh Barnea to see the land. 32:9 When 9 they went up to the Eshcol Valley and saw the land, they frustrated the intent of the Israelites so that they did not enter 10 the land that the Lord had given 11 them. 32:10 So the anger of the Lord was kindled that day, and he swore, 32:11 ‘Because they have not followed me wholeheartedly, 12 not 13 one of the men twenty years old and upward 14 who came from Egypt will see the land that I swore to give 15 to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, 32:12 except Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite, and Joshua son of Nun, for they followed the Lord wholeheartedly.’ 32:13 So the Lord’s anger was kindled against the Israelites, and he made them wander in the wilderness for forty years, until all that generation that had done wickedly before 16 the Lord was finished. 17 32:14 Now look, you are standing in your fathers’ place, a brood of sinners, to increase still further the fierce wrath of the Lord against the Israelites.
1 tc Smr and the LXX have Sibmah. Cf. v. 38.
3 tn The verb is the Hiphil perfect of נָכָה (nakhah), a term that can mean “smite, strike, attack, destroy.”
4 tn Heb “eyes.”
5 tn The verb is the Hiphil jussive from עָבַר (’avar, “to cross over”). The idea of “cause to cross” or “make us cross” might be too harsh, but “take across” with the rest of the nation is what they are trying to avoid.
6 tn The word “River” is not in the Hebrew text, but has been supplied in the translation for clarity.
7 tn The vav (ו) is a vav disjunctive prefixed to the pronoun; it fits best here as a circumstantial clause, “while you stay here.”
8 tn Heb “heart.” So also in v. 9.
9 tn The preterite with vav (ו) consecutive is here subordinated to the parallel yet chronologically later verb in the next clause.
10 tn The infinitive construct here with lamed (ל) is functioning as a result clause.
11 tn The
12 tn The clause is difficult; it means essentially that “they have not made full [their coming] after” the
13 tn The sentence begins with “if they see….” This is the normal way for Hebrew to express a negative oath – “they will by no means see….” The sentence is elliptical; it is saying something like “[May God do so to me] if they see,” meaning they won’t see. Of course here God is taking the oath, which is an anthropomorphic act. He does not need to take an oath, and certainly could not swear by anyone greater, but it communicates to people his resolve.
14 tc The LXX adds “those knowing bad and good.”
15 tn The words “to give” are not in the Hebrew text but have been supplied in the translation for clarity.
16 tn Heb “in the eyes of.”
17 tn The verb is difficult to translate, since it has the idea of “complete, finish” (תָּמָם, tamam). It could be translated “consumed” in this passage (so KJV, ASV); NASB “was destroyed.”
