But if they do not arm themselves and go across with you, then they must accept their possession among you in the land of Canaan.”
Parallel translations
- WEB but if they will not pass over with you armed, they shall have possessions among you in the land of Canaan.”
- KJV But if they will not pass over with you armed, they shall have possessions among you in the land of Canaan.
- NKJV But if they do not cross over armed with you, they shall have possessions among you in the land of Canaan.”
- NASB but if they do not cross over with you armed, they shall instead be settled among you in the land of Canaan.”
- NLT But if they refuse to arm themselves and cross over with you, then they must accept land with the rest of you in the land of Canaan.”
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
But if they fail to cross over armed, they must take their inheritance among the others in Canaan. Breaking the pledge would forfeit the eastern land.
Overview
Moses spells out the consequence of default: the tribes would lose their claim to Gilead and be settled within Canaan instead. The clause guards the agreement and keeps the eastern tribes accountable. It reinforces that God's people cannot enjoy the benefits of the covenant while shirking its responsibilities, a sobering truth that runs throughout Scripture.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 1
- Josh 22:19If indeed the land of your inheritance is unclean, then cross over to the land of the LORD’s possession, where the LORD’s tabernacle stands, and take possession of it among us. But do not rebel against the LORD or against us by building for yourselves an altar other than the altar of the LORD our God.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
In the wilderness Christ is the water from the rock, the bronze serpent lifted up that the dying might look and live (John 3:14), and the star and scepter that Balaam saw rising out of Jacob.
How Numbers 32:30 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.