Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on the Whole Bible
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Numbers
Book: Numbers
Chapter: 32
Overview:
The tribes of
Reuben and
Gad request an inheritance
On the
East of
Jordan.
(1-5) Moses reproves the Reubenites and Gadites.
(6-15) They explain their views,
Moses consents.
(16-27) They
take possession of the land to the
East of
Jordan.
(28-42)
1-5 Here is a proposal made
By the Reubenites and Gadites, that
the land lately conquered might be allotted to them. Two things
common in the world might lead these tribes to make this choice;
the
Lust of the
Eye, and the pride of
Life. There was much amiss
in the principle they went upon; they consulted their own
private convenience more than the public good. Thus to the
present time, many seek their own things more than the things of
Jesus Christ; and are led
By worldly interests and advantages to
take up short of the heavenly
Canaan.
6-15 The proposal showed disregard to the land of
Canaan,
distrust of the
Lord's promise, and unwillingness to encounter
the difficulties and dangers of conquering and driving out the
inhabitants of that land.
Moses is wroth with them. It ill
becomes any of
God's
Israel to sit down unconcerned about the
difficult and perilous concerns of their brethren, whether
public or personal. He reminds them of the fatal consequences of
the unbelief and faint-heartedness of their fathers, when they
were, as themselves, just ready to enter
Canaan. If men
considered as they ought what would be the
End of
Sin, they
would be afraid of the beginning of it.
16-27 Here is the good effect of
Plain dealing.
Moses,
By
showing their
Sin, and the danger of it, brought them to their
duty, without
Murmuring or disputing. All men ought to consider
the interests of others as
Well as their own; the
Law of
Love
requires us to labour, venture, or suffer for each other as
there may be occasion. They propose that their men of
War should
go ready armed before the children of
Israel into the land of
Canaan, and that they should not return till the conquest of
Canaan was ended.
Moses grants their request, but he warns them
of the danger of breaking their
Word. If you fail, you
Sin
against the
Lord, and not against your brethren only;
God will
certainly reckon with you for it. Be sure your
Sin will find you
out.
Sin will surely find out the sinner sooner or later. It
concerns us now to find our sins out, that we may repent of
them, and forsake them, lest they find us out to our ruin.
28-42 Concerning the settlement of these tribes, observe, that
they built the cities, that is, repaired them. They changed the
names of them; probably they were idolatrous, therefore they
should be forgotten. A
Spirit of selfishness, of seeking our
own, not the things of
Christ, when each one ought to assist
others, is as dangerous as it is common. It is impossible to be
sincere in the
Faith, sensible of the
Goodness of God,
constrained
By the
Love of
Christ, sanctified
By the power of
the
Holy Ghost, and yet be indifferent to the progress of
religion, and the spiritual success of others, through
Love of
ease, or fear of conflict. Let then your
Light So shine before
men, that they may see your good
Works, and
Glorify your
Father
which is in
Heaven.