Numbers 32 · Verse 16

Numbers 32:16

And they came near unto him, and said, We will build sheepfolds here for our cattle, and cities for our little ones:

Numbers 32:16, King James Version

Numbers 32:16 in other translations

BSB	Then the Gadites and Reubenites approached Moses and said, “We want to build sheepfolds here for our livestock and cities for our little ones.
WEB	They came near to him, and said, “We will build sheepfolds here for our livestock, and cities for our little ones;
ASV	And they came near unto him, and said, We will build sheepfolds here for our cattle, and cities for our little ones:
YLT	And they come nigh unto him, and say, ‘Folds for the flock we build for our cattle here, and cities for our infants;
DARBY	And they drew near to him, and said, We will build sheepfolds here for our cattle, and cities for our little ones;
BBE	Then they came to him, and said, We will make safe places for our cattle here, and towns for our little ones;
Webster	And they came near to him, and said, We will build sheep-folds here for our cattle, and cities for our little ones:

What does Numbers 32:16 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Numbers 32:6-19

6-19. Moses said unto the children of Gad and to the children of Reuben, Shall your brethren go to war, and shall ye sit here--Their language was ambiguous; and Moses, suspicious that this proposal was an act of unbelief, a scheme of self-policy and indolence to escape the perils of warfare and live in ease and safety, addressed to them a reproachful and passionate remonstrance. Whether they had really meditated…

Read the full comment on Numbers 32:6-19 →

Adam Clarke's Commentary

Verse 16 We will build - cities for our little ones - It was impossible for these, numerous as they might be, to build cities and fortify them for the defense of their families in their absence. Calmet supposes they meant no more than repairing the cities of the Amorites which they had lately taken; which work might have been very easily accomplished in the time which they spent on this side of Jordan, before they went over with their brethren, to put them in possession of the land.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Numbers 32:16-27

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.

Matthew Henry, 1706 · public domain

Numbers 32:16 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וַיִּגְּשׁ֤וּvai.yi.ge.Shuand they drew nearH5066

אֵלָיו֙'e.Lavto himH413

וַ֣יֹּאמְר֔וּvai.yo.me.Ruand they saidH559

גִּדְרֹ֥תgid.Rotfolds ofH1448

צֹ֛אןtzonsheepH6629

נִבְנֶ֥הniv.Nehwe will buildH1129

לְמִקְנֵ֖נוּle.mik.Ne.nufor livestock ourH4735

פֹּ֑הPohhereH6311

וְעָרִ֖יםve.'a.Rimand citiesH5892

לְטַפֵּֽנוּ\׃le.ta.Pe.nufor little one[s] ourH2945

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Numbers 32:16

Genesis 33:17
And Jacob journeyed to Succoth, and built him an house, and made booths for his cattle: therefore the name of the place is called Succoth.
Numbers 34:22
And the prince of the tribe of the children of Dan, Bukki the son of Jogli.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

This proposal was very equitable, and it was honestly made and faithfully executed; though it did not imply that all men capable of bearing arms should go, and so leave their families and possessions defenceless, but only a sufficient detachment of them. Among the inhabitants of the land were the Ammonites, Moabites, Idumeans, and the remains of the Midianites and Amorites; and as it was impossible for the women and children to keep the defenced cities, when placed in them, many of the men of war must of course stay behind. In the last census (ch. 26), the tribe of Reuben consisted of 43,730 men; the tribe of Gad 40,500; and the tribe of Manasseh 52,700; the half of which is 26,350; which together amount to 110,580. Now from Jos 4:13, we learn, that of these tribes only 40,000 armed men passed over Jordan to assist their brethren: consequently 70,580 men were left behind for the defence of the women, the children, and the flocks: which was amply sufficient for this purpose.
34:22; Ge 33:17

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

Numbers 32:15
For if ye turn away from after him, he will yet again leave them in the wilderness; and ye shall destroy all this people.
Numbers 32:16
And they came near unto him, and said, We will build sheepfolds here for our cattle, and cities for our little ones:
Numbers 32:17
But we ourselves will go ready armed before the children of Israel, until we have brought them unto their place: and our little ones shall dwell in the fenced cities because of the inhabitants of the land.

Read all of Numbers 32

Numbers 32:16 in other languages

Spanish Reina-Valera 1909	Entonces ellos se llegaron á él y dijeron: Edificaremos aquí majadas para nuestro ganado, y ciudades para nuestros niños;
French Bible J.N. Darby 1885	Et ils s’approchèrent de lui, et dirent: Nous bâtirons ici des enclos pour nos troupeaux, et des villes pour nos petits enfants;
German Elberfelder 1871	Und sie traten zu ihm und sprachen: Kleinviehhürden wollen wir hier bauen für unsere Herden, und Städte für unsere Kinder;
Latin Clementine Vulgate	At illi prope accedentes, dixerunt: Caulas ovium fabricabimus, et stabula jumentorum, parvulis quoque nostris urbes munitas: