Numbers 32 · Verse 20

Numbers 32:20

And Moses said unto them, If ye will do this thing, if ye will go armed before the Lord to war,
Numbers 32:20, King James Version

Numbers 32:20 in other translations

BSBMoses replied, “If you will do this—if you will arm yourselves before the LORD for battle,
WEBMoses said to them: “If you will do this thing, if you will arm yourselves to go before the LORD to the war,
ASVAnd Moses said unto them, If ye will do this thing, if ye will arm yourselves to go before Jehovah to the war,
YLTAnd Moses saith unto them, ‘If ye do this thing: if ye are armed before Jehovah for battle,
DARBYAnd Moses said to them, If ye do this thing, if ye arm yourselves before Jehovah for war,
BBEThen Moses said to them, If you will do this, arming yourselves to go before the Lord to the war,
WebsterAnd Moses said to them, If ye will do this thing, if ye will go armed before the LORD to war,

What does Numbers 32:20 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Numbers 32:20-33
20-33. Moses said unto them, If ye will do this thing--with sincerity and zeal. go before the Lord to war--The phrase was used in allusion to the order of march in which the tribes of Reuben and Gad immediately preceded the ark (see on Nu 2:10-31), or to the passage over the Jordan, in which the ark stood in mid-channel, while all the tribes marched by in succession (Jos 3:4), of course including those of Reuben and Gad, so that, literally, they passed over before the Lord and before the rest of Israel (Jos 4:13). Perhaps, however, the phrase is used merely in a general sense to denote their marching on an expedition, the purpose of which was blessed with the presence, and destined to promote the glory, of God. The displeasure which Moses had felt on the first mention of their proposal had disappeared on the strength of their solemn assurances. But a lurking suspicion of their motives seems still to have been lingering in his mind--he continued to speak to them in an admonitory strain; and he concluded by warning them that in case of their failing to redeem their pledge, the judgments of an offended God would assuredly fall upon them. This emphatic caution against such an eventuality throws a strong doubt on the honesty of their first intentions; and yet, whether through the opposing attitude or the strong invectives of Moses they had been brought to a better state of mind, their final reply showed that now all was right.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · 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…

Read the full comment on Numbers 32:16-27 →

Numbers 32:20 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.

וַיֹּ֤אמֶרvai.Yo.merand he saidH559
אֲלֵיהֶם֙'a.lei.Hemto themH413
מֹשֶׁ֔הmo.ShehMosesH4872
אִֽם\־'im-ifH518
תַּעֲשׂ֖וּןta.'a.Sunyou will do !H6213
אֶת\־'et-<obj.>H853
הַדָּבָ֣רha.da.Varthe thingH1697
הַזֶּ֑הha.Zeh<the> thisH2088
אִם\־'im-ifH518
תֵּחָֽלְצ֛וּte.Chal.Tzuyou will equip yourselvesH2502
לִפְנֵ֥יlif.Nei<to> beforeH6440
יְהוָ֖הYah.wehYahwehH3068
לַמִּלְחָמָֽה\׃la.mil.cha.Mahfor <the> battleH4421

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

Cross references for Numbers 32:20

  • Joshua 4:12-13

    And the children of Reuben, and the children of Gad, and half the tribe of Manasseh, passed over armed before the children of Israel, as Moses spake unto them: About forty thousand prepared for war passed over before the Lord unto battle, to the plains of Jericho.

  • Deuteronomy 3:18-20

    And I commanded you at that time, saying, The Lord your God hath given you this land to possess it: ye shall pass over armed before your brethren the children of Israel, all that are meet for the war. But your wives, and your little ones, and your cattle, (for I know that ye have much cattle,) shall abide in your cities which I have given you; Until the Lord have given rest unto your brethren, as well as unto you, and until they also possess the land which the Lord your God hath given them beyond Jordan: and then shall ye return every man unto his possession, which I have given you.

  • Joshua 1:13-15

    Remember the word which Moses the servant of the Lord commanded you, saying, The Lord your God hath given you rest, and hath given you this land. Your wives, your little ones, and your cattle, shall remain in the land which Moses gave you on this side Jordan; but ye shall pass before your brethren armed, all the mighty men of valour, and help them; Until the Lord have given your brethren rest, as he hath given you, and they also have possessed the land which the Lord your God giveth them: then ye shall return unto the land of your possession, and enjoy it, which Moses the Lord’s servant gave you on this side Jordan toward the sunrising.

  • Joshua 22:2-4

    And said unto them, Ye have kept all that Moses the servant of the Lord commanded you, and have obeyed my voice in all that I commanded you: Ye have not left your brethren these many days unto this day, but have kept the charge of the commandment of the Lord your God. And now the Lord your God hath given rest unto your brethren, as he promised them: therefore now return ye, and get you unto your tents, and unto the land of your possession, which Moses the servant of the Lord gave you on the other side Jordan.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
De 3:18-20; Jos 1:13-15; 4:12,13; 22:2-4

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

Context

  • Numbers 32:19

    For we will not inherit with them on yonder side Jordan, or forward; because our inheritance is fallen to us on this side Jordan eastward.

  • Numbers 32:20

    And Moses said unto them, If ye will do this thing, if ye will go armed before the Lord to war,

  • Numbers 32:21

    And will go all of you armed over Jordan before the Lord, until he hath driven out his enemies from before him,

Read all of Numbers 32

Numbers 32:20 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Entonces les respondió Moisés: Si lo hiciereis así, si os apercibiereis para ir delante de Jehová á la guerra,
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Et Moïse leur dit: Si vous faites cela, si vous vous équipez devant l’ Éternel pour la guerre,
German
Elberfelder 1871		Da sprach Mose zu ihnen: Wenn ihr dieses tut, wenn ihr euch vor Jehova zum Streite rüstet,
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Quibus Moyses ait: Si facitis quod promittitis, expediti pergite coram Domino ad pugnam: