Your wives, your little ones, and your cattle shall abide in the land that Moses gave you on this side of the Jordan, but ye, all the valiant men, shall go over in array before your brethren and help them,
Joshua now turns from the whole nation to three tribes with a different history. Reuben, Gad and half of Manasseh had already settled east of the Jordan, and their families and herds would stay there. The verse holds two things together — a home already secured, and a war not yet fought for anyone else.
Joshua does not invent new terms for these tribes. He points them back to an arrangement already made and already binding.
Joshua appealed to divine authority in Joshua 1:12-15: "Remember the word which Moses the servant of the Lord commanded you." If Joshua acts by divine authority, there can be no conflict with what Moses has appointed. God is not divided against Himself. The word given by Moses is binding. The Reubenites, Gadites and half the tribe of Manasseh submitted to that same divine authority.
Translations differ here. Some read "beyond the Jordan," others "on this side of the Jordan." Which side did Joshua mean?
Both readings are possible. The Hebrew word can rightly be translated "on this side," or "on that side." By itself it does not settle anything about the location, east or west, of Jordan. In Joshua 1:14-15 the word describes the east side of Jordan, where Joshua stood when he spoke to the children of Reuben, of Gad, and of the half tribe of Manasseh. In chapter 5:1 it describes the west side of the river.
Joshua chooses his words with care. It is the land Moses gave them, not the land the Lord gave them.
When Joshua encouraged Israel to go and take the land which the Lord gave them (Joshua 1), he has a different word for these wrongdoers. He speaks of their land as the land Moses gave them. And these cross the Jordan — that is, their warriors, since their wives and children remain behind — to keep their promise to Moses. The nine and a half tribes go to the war on the ground of God's promise to Israel. God's promise on the one hand, man's promise on the other. What a difference!
The word translated "armed" does not picture a rushing crowd. It means men drawn up in order.
The same word, chamushim, is translated "armed" when it describes how the Israelites crossed the Jordan. They had plenty of time to arrange themselves in proper order (Joshua 1:14; Joshua 4:12)… From this we gather that the Israelites did not travel in disorder. The heads of each tribe would have control over it, and could arrange its march.
Having a possession already did not buy them out of the fighting.
They had made their choice and had found rest east of the Jordan. But they were not to be excused from the coming war. They are commanded to help their brothers by crossing the Jordan with them. Then, once their brothers had found rest, they were to return to their own rest. They could not escape the conflict, though they had no reward in the land itself.
Another writer states the principle in one line:
Those who seek their rest without the conflict in the heavenly places must go to the war just the same.
The men crossed over; their wives, little ones and livestock stayed behind. That detail shows where their home truly was.
All through their wars in Canaan, these forty thousand were fighting for others, not for themselves. It is a most solemn thing when Christians in spiritual warfare are, in effect, only support troops… "Your wives, your little ones, and your livestock," on the east of the river, were the true witnesses of where the forty thousand actually lived. Sooner or later these warriors would return home, and not one of them was a soldier across the Jordan for life.
Commentators differ on how harshly to judge these tribes. One writer sees Moses guarding against a future split:
Moses guards, as far as possible, against any future split between the tribes. He also guards against these tribes failing to grasp the reality that their inheritance is one with the rest of Israel. So he demands that they bear their full share of the warfare, and enjoy their eastward possessions only after the rest of Israel is settled in the land.
Another writer turns it into a lesson for us:
This was to be an effective testimony to the unity of Israel. We too should have such concern for the blessing of all the children of God.
- Remember — Joshua gives no new order. He recalls the word Moses gave, and that word still carries God's authority.
- Ranked — "armed" means drawn up in order, not a disorderly crowd. God's people move under leadership.
- Cross — a home east of Jordan excused nobody. Those who seek rest without the conflict must still go to war.
- Help — they fought for other tribes' inheritance, not their own; their families and livestock stayed behind in the east.
- Return — only when their brothers had rest could they go back. The terms kept Israel one, and kept every tribe concerned for the blessing of all.
until Jehovah give your brethren rest as to you, and they also take possession of the land which Jehovah your God giveth them; then shall ye return into the land of your possession and possess it, which Moses the servant of Jehovah gave you on this side of the Jordan toward the sun-rising.
Joshua speaks here to Reuben, Gad and half of Manasseh, the tribes already settled east of the Jordan. Their homes will wait for them, but only until their brothers enjoy the same rest they have.
The verse puts their land beyond the Jordan toward the sunrise, yet Joshua stood on that same east bank as he spoke. One Hebrew word lies behind the phrase, and it can point either way.
Either rendering is acceptable, because the Hebrew word can be translated "on this side" or "on that side." By itself it settles nothing about the place, east or west of the Jordan. For proof I would point to the book of Joshua. Joshua 1:14-15 uses the word of the east side of the Jordan, where Joshua stood when he spoke to the children of Reuben, of Gad, and of the half tribe of Manasseh. Chapter 5:1 uses it of the west side of the river.
Settling short of Canaan bought them ease at home, but it did not buy them out of the war.
They had made their choice and had found rest on this side of the Jordan. But that did not excuse them from the coming war. They must help their brothers by crossing the Jordan with them. Then, after their brothers had found rest, they were to return to their rest. They could not escape the conflict, though they had no reward in the land itself.
The word "until" fixes the date of their return. Their own comfort does not decide it; the rest of the whole nation does.
These warriors were not to return to their possessions east of the Jordan until all Israel rested in peace in the land (v. 15). This was to be an effective testimony to the unity of Israel. We too should have such concern for the blessing of all the children of God.
Joshua describes their inheritance with care: it is what Moses gave them. One writer sets that beside what Joshua says to the other tribes.
When Joshua encouraged Israel to go and take the land which the Lord gave them (Joshua 1), he has a different word for these offenders. He speaks of their land as the land Moses gave them. And these go through the Jordan to keep their promise to Moses. Only their warriors go, for their wives and children stay behind. The nine and a half go to the war on the ground of God's promise to Israel. God's promise on the one hand, man's promise on the other. What a difference!
Their home lay behind them in Gilead, east of the river. So every battle they fought was for someone else, and it had an end date.
Gilead was their home, and a Christian is in his life what he is at home. All through their wars in Canaan, these forty thousand were fighting for others, not for themselves. It is a very serious thing when Christians in spiritual warfare are only support troops. Genuine Christian soldiers are very rare. They are soldiers for life… Their wives, their little ones and their livestock, on the east of the river, were the true witnesses of where the forty thousand really lived. Sooner or later these warriors would return home. Not one of them was a soldier across the Jordan for his lifetime.
Joshua promises them a real return. One writer traces what became of the land they returned to.
However, the tribes promised to go forward with the others until they had taken the land. So he grants what they ask and settles them there, along with the half tribe of Manasseh. Even so, the history in the holy book shows us that these tribes were the first to suffer, and the first to fall into the hands of the Gentiles. Happy are those who wait for the blessings of God until they have crossed the Jordan, and who meanwhile take patience as their portion instead of the blessings on this side. Such things are the gifts of God's providence, yet they are less secure.
- Choice. These tribes had already picked their ground east of the river. Joshua uses a different phrase for it: the land Moses gave them, not the land God promised.
- Obligation. The choice did not release them from the war. They had to fight in Canaan without gaining anything in Canaan.
- Measure. Their "until" was their brothers' rest. No man went home until all Israel rested in peace — a public witness to the unity of the people.
- Return. With home behind them, they fought as helpers, not as soldiers for life. The wives, children and livestock left behind showed where they really lived.
- Risk. Their land was a real gift, but the less secure one. These tribes were the first to fall to their enemies.