Reuben and Gad Prefer Land Before Canaan

A search of Numbers 32 (KJV):

The children of Reuben and the children of Gad preferred to have their inheritance of land given on the side of the Jordan before crossing into the Promised Land. They found that land to be a place for their cattle, so they approached Moses and Eleazar, the priest, about their wishes. The servants said to Moses and Eleazar, "if we have found grace in thy sight, let this land be given unto thy servants for a possession, and bring us not over Jordan" (32:5).

Moses felt that the children of Israel might be discouraged if the children of Reuben and the children of Gad did not go to war into the Promised Land (32:6,7). God would, therefore, become angry and keep Israel wandering in the wilderness with all of them doomed because of the children of Reuben and the children of Gad (32:15).

Instead of promoting discouragement, the children of Reuben and the children of Gad agreed to go armed before Israel into Canaan and would only return to their claim of inheritance after Israel was given theirs (32:17,18). "And Moses said unto them, If ye will do this thing, if ye will go armed before the Lord to war, and will go all of you armed over Jordan before the Lord, until he hath driven out his enemies from before him, And the land be subdued before the Lord: then afterward ye shall return, and be guiltless before the Lord, and before Israel; and this land shall be your possession before the Lord. But if ye will not do so, behold, ye have sinned against the Lord: and be sure your sin will find you out" (32:20-23).

"And the children of Gad and the children of Reuben answered, saying, As the Lord hath said unto thy servants, so will we do. We will pass over armed before the Lord into the land of Canaan, that the possession of our inheritance on this side of Jordan may be ours" (32:31,32).

"And Moses gave unto them, even to the children of Gad, and to the children of Reuben, and unto half the tribe of Manasseh the son of Joseph, the kingdom of Sihon king of the Amorites, and the kingdom of Og king of Bashan, the land, with the cities of the country round about. And the children of Gad built Dibon, and Ataroth, and Aroer, And Atroth, Shophan, and Jaazer, and Jogbehah, And Bethnimrah, and Bethharan, fenced cities: and folds for sheep" (32:33-36).

"And the children of Reuben built Heshbon, and Elealeh, and Kirjathaim, And Nebo, and Baalmeon, (their names being changed,) and Shibmah: and gave other names unto the cities which they builded" (32:37,38).

"And the children of Machir the son of Manasseh went to Gilead, and took it, and dispossessed the Amorite which was in it. And Moses gave Gilead unto Machir the son of Manasseh; and he dwelt therein. And Jair the son of Manasseh went and took the small towns thereof, and called them Havothjair. And Nobah went and took Kenath, and the villages thereof, and called it Nobah, after his own name" (32:39-42).