They were granted their inheritance first because they trusted and believed God would enable them to return west at any time to help their fellow Israelites.
“For the tribe of the sons of Reuben have received according to their fathers’ households, and the tribe of the sons of Gad according to their fathers’ households, also the half-tribe of Manasseh have received their possession;” (v.14). This verse describes the inheritance granted to three specific groups of Israelites: Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh. These tribes descended from important figures in the patriarchal era: Reuben was the first son of Jacob and Leah, Gad was a son of Jacob through Zilpah, and Manasseh was Joseph’s firstborn, making this “half-tribe” connected to one of Israel’s most influential leaders (Genesis 35:23, 35:26, 41:51). Historically, these tribes received this designation in the period after the Exodus (circa 1446 BC) and near the end of the wilderness wanderings (around 1406 BC) when Moses was preparing the people to occupy the Promised Land.
By the time we come to Numbers 34:14, the Lord had already allowed the Reubenites, the Gadites, and half of the tribe of Manasseh to settle east of the Jordan River. Their leaders requested this region because of its suitability for livestock and agricultural pursuits, and Moses granted them permission as long as they pledged to help the other tribes conquer the land across the Jordan (Numbers 32:1-25). The territory included areas that once belonged to King Sihon of Heshbon and King Og of Bashan, both of whom the Israelites had defeated through the Lord’s power. This land, referred to as the Transjordan region, stretched from the Arnon River in the south to Bashan in the north.
The verse emphasizes that each tribe’s inheritance was detailed “according to their fathers’ households,” signifying the importance of patrimony and covenantal continuity in Israelite society. In listing Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh, Scripture highlights that, although physically separate from the rest of Israel by the Jordan, they still possessed a full share within the covenant community. Their possession on the eastern side demonstrated God’s faithfulness to fulfill His promise to all of Jacob’s descendants.
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Numbers 34:14 meaning
“For the tribe of the sons of Reuben have received according to their fathers’ households, and the tribe of the sons of Gad according to their fathers’ households, also the half-tribe of Manasseh have received their possession;” (v.14). This verse describes the inheritance granted to three specific groups of Israelites: Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh. These tribes descended from important figures in the patriarchal era: Reuben was the first son of Jacob and Leah, Gad was a son of Jacob through Zilpah, and Manasseh was Joseph’s firstborn, making this “half-tribe” connected to one of Israel’s most influential leaders (Genesis 35:23, 35:26, 41:51). Historically, these tribes received this designation in the period after the Exodus (circa 1446 BC) and near the end of the wilderness wanderings (around 1406 BC) when Moses was preparing the people to occupy the Promised Land.
By the time we come to Numbers 34:14, the Lord had already allowed the Reubenites, the Gadites, and half of the tribe of Manasseh to settle east of the Jordan River. Their leaders requested this region because of its suitability for livestock and agricultural pursuits, and Moses granted them permission as long as they pledged to help the other tribes conquer the land across the Jordan (Numbers 32:1-25). The territory included areas that once belonged to King Sihon of Heshbon and King Og of Bashan, both of whom the Israelites had defeated through the Lord’s power. This land, referred to as the Transjordan region, stretched from the Arnon River in the south to Bashan in the north.
The verse emphasizes that each tribe’s inheritance was detailed “according to their fathers’ households,” signifying the importance of patrimony and covenantal continuity in Israelite society. In listing Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh, Scripture highlights that, although physically separate from the rest of Israel by the Jordan, they still possessed a full share within the covenant community. Their possession on the eastern side demonstrated God’s faithfulness to fulfill His promise to all of Jacob’s descendants.