John Gill's Bible Commentary Ver. 2. The children of Gad and the children of Reuben came and spake unto Moses , etc.] The children of Gad are mentioned first, though Reuben was the firstborn, and had a standard under which Gad pitched: it may be, as Aben Ezra thinks, the Gadites were the first authors of this counsel, the contrivers of this scheme; who first moved it to the Reubenites, which they had an opportunity of doing, lying encamped by them; or however, they might be the most busy and active in this affair, or the best spokesmen; for it could be only some, in the name of the whole, that addressed Moses on this account, and spoke to him about it: and to Eleazar the priest, and unto the princes of the congregation ; who perhaps were the seventy elders, and with Moses the chief ruler, and Eleazar the high priest, made up the grand sanhedrim, or great council of the nation, and were undoubtedly the most proper persons to apply unto: saying : as follows.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 1-5 - Here is a proposal made by the Reubenites and Gadites, that the lan lately conquered might be allotted to them. Two things common in the world might lead these tribes to make this choice; the lust of the eye and the pride of life. There was much amiss in the principle they wen upon; they consulted their own private convenience more than the publi good. Thus to the present time, many seek their own things more tha the things of Jesus Christ; and are led by worldly interests an advantages to take up short of the heavenly Canaan.
Original Hebrew ויבאו935 בני1121 גד1410 ובני1121 ראובן7205 ויאמרו559 אל413 משׁה4872 ואל413 אלעזר499 הכהן3548 ואל413 נשׂיאי5387 העדה5712 לאמר׃559
