THE CHILDREN OF REUBEN. For he was the son of the mistress.¹

footnotes: ¹ The son of Leah. Scripture mentions Reuben before Gad because he was the son of Leah whereas Gad was the son of Zilpah, who was a handmaiden. I.E. comments thus because the reverse is the case in verse 2.

WAS A PLACE FOR CATTLE. For there it was good pasture.

THE CHILDREN OF GAD…CAME. They thought of this first. Hence Scripture places them first.²

footnotes: ² Before the tribe of Reuben, even though the tribe of Reuben was descended from Leah and the tribe of Gad from Zilpah,

AND THEY SAID…LET THIS LAND BE GIVEN. Scripture repeats, and they said because they spoke at length.³). Our verse reads, va-yomeru (and they said). The latter is superfluous. Hence I.E.’s comment. Some say that the word et is the object of yuttan (be given).⁴ (let…[the] land be given). Now eretz is feminine. Thus our verse should read, tuttan et ha-aretz. Hence this opinion. I do not know why.⁵ Look, Scripture reads: netam eretz⁶ is masculine. We thus see that Scripture at times treats eretz as masculine. (the land is burnt up) (Is. 9:18); yechalek ha-aretz⁷ is masculine. (the land shall be divided) (Num. 26:55);⁸. I.E. omits the et in his quote. ve-lo nasa otom ha-aretz⁹ is masculine. (and the land was not able to bear them) (Gen. 13:6); and asher hu va shammah be-kirbo¹⁰ is masculine and refers to the land previously mentioned in the verse. See I.E. on Deut. 31:16. (whither they go to be among them) (Deut. 31:16).

footnotes: ³ Verse 2 tells us that the children of Gad and the children of Reuben spoke (va-yomeru ⁴ Our verse reads, yuttan et ha-aretz ⁵ These commentaries have to go to such extreme length. ⁶ Netem ⁷ Yechalek ⁸ The reading in Num. 26:55 is, yechalek et ha-aretz ⁹ Nasa ¹⁰ Be-kirbo

YE TURN AWAY. Teniyun (ye turn away) means you break.

FOR WHEN THEY WENT UP UNTO THE VALLEY OF ESHCOL. For those who went up¹¹. According to I.E. this implies going north. to the north, went to the south.¹² to the north, for I.E. occasionally uses the mem to mean to. Vat. Ebr. 38 reads: They went from the south to the north.

footnotes: ¹¹ Scripture reads, and they went up ¹² They went north from Kadesh-barnea, where they were camped, to the south of Israel. See I.E. on Num. 13:17. Note that we have rendered mi-tzafon

THEY HAVE NOT WHOLLY FOLLOWED ME. There is no dagesh in the lamed of mile’u (wholly followed). Mile’u is a pi’el.¹³ in it. Compare, malle (fill)¹⁴ is a pi’el and has a dagesh in it. See I.E.’s comments on verse 12. in fill thy horn with oil (I Sam. 16:1). They did not complete what they started.¹⁵ (because they have not wholly followed me).

footnotes: ¹³ And therefore should have a dagesh ¹⁴ Malle ¹⁵ The meaning of lo mile’u acharai

CALEB THE SON OF JEPHUNNEH. Caleb is mentioned first, as in the case of God’s oath.¹⁶ The word mile’u (wholly followed) is similar to the word bikshu (have sought) in have sought after my soul (Ps. 44:5) and shilchu (they have set) in They have set Thy sanctuary on fire (Ps. 74:7).¹⁷ and shilchu are pi’els but, contrary to the rule, do not have a dagesh in them.

footnotes: ¹⁶ God mentioned Caleb before Joshua. See Num. 14:30. and I.E.’s comments thereto. ¹⁷ Both bikshu

AND HE MADE THEM WANDER. Va-yeni’em (and he made them wander) is related to the word na (a fugitive) in a fugitive and a wanderer (Gen. 4:12). Scripture reads va-yeni’em because they did not rest.¹⁸

footnotes: ¹⁸ During their sojourn in the wilderness.

A BROOD. The word tarbut (a brood) is connected to the word ribbiti (brought up) in That I have dandled and brought up (Lam. 2:22). It is close in meaning to the word rav (officers) in all the officers (rav) of his house¹⁹ (Esther 1:8). The meaning of tarbut is, grown up in years.

footnotes: ¹⁹ I.E. renders this as, all those brought up in his house.

TO AUGMENT. Li-sepot (to augment) means the same as le-hosif (to add). However, it comes from a different root.²⁰ comes from the root samekh, peh, heh. Hosif comes from the root yod, samekh, peh. The word sofu (add) in Add…unto your sacrifices (Jer. 7:21) is similar,²¹; i.e., it comes from the root samekh, peh, heh. for we do not find this root²². among the stems that begin with a yod and drop the yod in the kal.²³.

footnotes: ²⁰ Li-sepot ²¹ To li-sepot ²² The root yod, samekh, heh ²³ Hence its root must be samekh, peh, heh

AND CITIES. First²⁴ for our little ones.

footnotes: ²⁴ Before we build the sheepfolds. This interpretations is contra the rabbis, who believed that the sons of Reuben and Gad valued their sheep over their little ones. See Rashi.

READY. The word chushim (ready) is vocalized like the word mulim (circumcised) in were circumcised (Josh. 5:5). It means quickly. It is related to the word chushah (hasten) in Make speed, hasten, stay not (I Sam. 20:38).

AND FORWARD. The word ve-hale’ah (and forward) is used with regard to both place²⁵ (me-hale’ah) Migdal-eder. and time.²⁶ (ve-hale’ah). The meaning of ve-hale’ah is, and above.²⁷

footnotes: ²⁵ See Gen. 35:21: And Israel journeyed, and spread his tent beyond ²⁶ See Lev. 22:27. But from the eighth day and thenceforth ²⁷ That is, forward.

UNTIL HE HATH DRIVEN OUT. God.²⁸ (He hath driven out) refers to God.

footnotes: ²⁸ Horisho

BEFORE THE LORD. For the ark was there.²⁹ Before the Lord is to be taken as I have explained,³⁰ means before the divine glory which is upon the cherubim. for the phrase³¹. is always used in a positive sense.³² (before the Lord) literally means before the Lord’s face. This can be taken in a negative sense, that is, to anger God. See I.E. on the word li-fene in Gen. 11:28 (Vol. 1, p. 146).

footnotes: ²⁹ Among the people. ³⁰ See I.E. on Ex. 16:34 (Vol. 2, p. 332). Before the Lord ³¹ Li-fene Adonai ³² The word li-fene Adonai

FOR YOUR SHEEP. The alef in tzonakhem (your sheep) is superfluous.³³. It is like the alef in he’eznichu (become foul) in and the rivers shall become foul (Is. 19:6).³⁴.

footnotes: ³³ The usual form of the word is tzonkhem ³⁴ Which is superfluous. The usual form is hiznichu

EVERY MAN THAT IS ARMED FOR WAR. Kol chalutz tzava (every man that is armed for war) is similar to ha-aron ha-berit³⁵ has a heh, the definite article, prefixed to it. Such a word cannot be in the construct. Hence our phrase reads, the ark, the covenant. This should be read as if written, the ark, ark of the covenant. See I.E. on Gen. 2:9 (Vol. 1, p. 54, and the notes thereto). (the ark of the covenant) (Josh. 3:14). Its meaning is, every man armed, armed for war.³⁶ was apparently vocalized with a kamatz. This being the case, the verse read, armed, war. Hence I.E. suggests that our verse be read as if written, armed, armed for war (Motot). It should be noted that in our versions of Scripture the word chalutz is vocalized with a chataf pattach and is in the construct with tzava. It thus reads, armed for war.

footnotes: ³⁵ Ha-aron ³⁶ In I.E.’s edition of the Pentateuch the word chalutz

THEN YE SHALL GIVE THEM. The meaning of u-netattem la-hem is, you shall give them.³⁷ prefixed to netattem does not mean and. It is placed there for emphasis and is not to be translated. The vav is like the Arabic fa,³⁸ for such is the rule of the language.³⁹.

footnotes: ³⁷ In other words, the vav ³⁸ See I.E. On Gen. 1:2, (Vol. 1, p. 30). ³⁹ To employ a non-translatable yod

THEY SHALL HAVE POSSESSIONS AMONG YOU. He gave them respect,⁴⁰ for the meaning of our verse is, if they⁴¹ will not go armed before you, then you shall force them to go with you and they shall have possessions among you.⁴² Or, if they change their minds, then they shall have possessions among you. The word ve-nochazu (they shall have possessions) follows the rules of a root that has a yod as its first letter,⁴³ is vocalized as if it came from the root yod, chet zayin, when in reality its root is alef, chet, zayin. for the letters alef, heh, vav, and yod interchange.

footnotes: ⁴⁰ He spoke to them with respect. ⁴¹ The tribes of Reuben and Gad and the half tribe of Manasseh. ⁴² Our verse says this in a diplomatic way. ⁴³ Ve-nochazu

AND THE CHILDREN OF GAD…ANSWERED. A second time for emphasis.

WE WILL PASS. The form nachnu (we) is the original form of the word. The alef in anachnu (we)⁴⁴ is added. The half tribe of Manasseh is not mentioned until now because it was but half a tribe.

footnotes: ⁴⁴ The more usual employed term for we.

AND NEBO. It is likely that the reference is to Mount Nebo, where, as I shall explain,⁴⁵ Moses was buried.

footnotes: ⁴⁵ See I.E. on Deut. 34:6.

THEIR NAMES BEING CHANGED. These cities had their names changed.⁴⁶ (their names being changed) is not the name of a city. The same applies to Sibmah.⁴⁷

footnotes: ⁴⁶ In other words, musabbot shem ⁴⁷ Its name was also changed.

AND DISPOSSESSED. Some say that Machir was alive.⁴⁸ (and [he] dispossessed) applies. These commentaries interpret thus because verse 40 states, And Moses gave Gilead unto Machir. The latter is taken literally. However, I believe that and dispossessed⁴⁹ refers to the warrior that was in the family.⁵⁰

footnotes: ⁴⁸ That Machir the son of Manasseh was still alive, and that it is he to whom va-yoresh ⁴⁹ Literally, and he dispossessed. ⁵⁰ One of Machir’s descendants was a great warrior. He dispossessed the Amorites.

[UNTO MACHIR THE SON OF MANASSEH.] The meaning of unto Machir the son of Manasseh is, unto the sons of Machir the son of Manasseh.⁵¹ Compare, And Judah said unto Simeon his brother (Jud. 1:3).⁵²

footnotes: ⁵¹ For Machir the son of Manasseh was no longer alive. ⁵² The meaning of which is, and the descendants of Judah said to the descendants of Simeon his brother, for the tribal patriarchs Reuben and Judah were no longer alive.

AND JAIR THE SON OF MANASSEH. Jair was from the family of Judah.⁵³ This is explicitly stated.⁵⁴ For Hezron⁵⁵ took the daughter of Machir the son of Manasseh, and she bore him Segub. Segub begot Jair,⁵⁶ who had cities among the cities of Gilead.⁵⁷. Jair is called after his mother’s family. There were also kohanim who were called after the name of the children of Barzillai the Gileadite.⁵⁸. The latter is clearly stated in Scripture.⁵⁹ This is no reason to ask: How did Jair⁶⁰ inherit among another tribe,⁶¹ for it was the land of Canaan that was divided,⁶² not the land of the Amorites that was on the eastern side of the Jordan,⁶³ for⁶⁴ there were Amorites in the land of Canaan⁶⁵ and they were the mightiest of the seven nations.

footnotes: ⁵³ From the tribe of Judah. This raises the question: Why does Scripture identify him as a son of Manasseh? ⁵⁴ In Scripture. ⁵⁵ The son of Judah. ⁵⁶ See I Chron. 2:1-22. ⁵⁷ Ibid ⁵⁸ The children of Barzillai were not kohanim ⁵⁹ See Ezra 2:61. ⁶⁰ Who was from the tribe of Judah. ⁶¹ Manasseh. Each tribe was allocated a portion by lot. Only members of the tribe received a portion in the land belonging to the tribe. The question thus arises, by what right did Jair receive a part of the land within the area allocated to Manasseh. ⁶² By lot. ⁶³ The land on the eastern bank of the Jordan was not allocated by lot to the tribe of Manasseh. Hence it was possible for Jair to obtain a part of the eastern bank of the Jordan by conquest. ⁶⁴ What follows is merely noted for informational purposes. It does no affect the interpretation. ⁶⁵ As there were in Transjordan.

THE VILLAGES THEREOF. Chavvotehem (villages thereof) is to be interpreted in context.⁶⁶ It means walled cities.

footnotes: ⁶⁶ The word is not found elsewhere in Scripture.