Deuteronomy 3:16 kjv
And unto the Reubenites and unto the Gadites I gave from Gilead even unto the river Arnon half the valley, and the border even unto the river Jabbok, which is the border of the children of Ammon;
Deuteronomy 3:16 nkjv
And to the Reubenites and the Gadites I gave from Gilead as far as the River Arnon, the middle of the river as the border, as far as the River Jabbok, the border of the people of Ammon;
Deuteronomy 3:16 niv
But to the Reubenites and the Gadites I gave the territory extending from Gilead down to the Arnon Gorge (the middle of the gorge being the border) and out to the Jabbok River, which is the border of the Ammonites.
Deuteronomy 3:16 esv
and to the Reubenites and the Gadites I gave the territory from Gilead as far as the Valley of the Arnon, with the middle of the valley as a border, as far over as the river Jabbok, the border of the Ammonites;
Deuteronomy 3:16 nlt
But I also gave part of Gilead to the tribes of Reuben and Gad. The area I gave them extended from the middle of the Arnon Gorge in the south to the Jabbok River on the Ammonite frontier.
Deuteronomy 3 16 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Gen 12:7 | "To your offspring I will give this land." | Initial land promise to Abraham |
| Gen 32:22-32 | "And he took them and sent them across the stream, and everything else that he had. Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him..." | Jacob's encounter at the Jabbok River |
| Num 21:21-26 | "Israel sent messengers to Sihon king of the Amorites... So Israel struck him with the edge of the sword and took possession of his land..." | Conquest of Sihon, Amorite King, east of Jordan |
| Num 32:1-5 | "Now the people of Reuben and the people of Gad had a very great number of livestock... ‘Let this land be given to your servants for a possession; do not take us across the Jordan’" | Reuben and Gad request land east of Jordan |
| Num 32:28-32 | "Moses gave command concerning them... 'Then the possession of their inheritance shall be among you in the land of Gilead.'" | Moses grants the land conditionally to Reuben and Gad |
| Deut 2:19 | "But when you come near the territory of the people of Ammon, do not harass them or contend with them, for I will not give you any of the land of the people of Ammon as a possession..." | Divine command not to attack Ammonites, defining border |
| Deut 2:24 | "Arise, take your journey and cross the valley of the Arnon. Behold, I have given into your hand Sihon the Amorite, king of Heshbon, and his land. Begin to take possession, and contend..." | God's instruction to cross the Arnon and conquer Sihon |
| Deut 3:8-10 | "So we took the land at that time out of the hand of the two kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan... Og king of Bashan..." | Summary of conquering Sihon and Og, lands east of Jordan |
| Deut 3:12-15 | "And this land we took in possession at that time; from Aroer, which is by the valley of the Arnon, and the half of the hill country of Gilead with its cities, I gave to the Reubenites..." | Moses' general allocation of land east of Jordan |
| Deut 4:47-49 | "They took possession of his land and the land of Og king of Bashan... beyond the Jordan eastward..." | Recap of taking the Transjordanian lands |
| Josh 1:12-15 | "To the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh, Joshua said, 'Remember the word that Moses the servant of the Lord commanded you...' " | Joshua's command to the Transjordanian tribes to cross and fight |
| Josh 12:2-5 | "Sihon king of the Amorites... from Aroer, which is on the edge of the Valley of the Arnon, and from the middle of the valley..." | List of conquered kings and their territories, detailing Arnon |
| Josh 13:8-13 | "With the Reubenites and the Gadites Moses gave an inheritance, which he gave them beyond the Jordan eastward... from Aroer, which is on the edge of the Valley of the Arnon..." | Detailed list of the land given to Reuben and Gad by Moses |
| Josh 13:23 | "The border of the people of Reuben was the Jordan as a boundary. This was the inheritance of the people of Reuben..." | Reuben's tribal inheritance boundaries reaffirmed |
| Josh 13:24-28 | "This was the inheritance of the people of Gad... from Heshbon even to Ramath-mizpeh and Betonim, and from Mahanaim to the border of Debir;" | Gad's tribal inheritance boundaries reaffirmed |
| Josh 21:43-45 | "Thus the Lord gave to Israel all the land that he swore to give to their fathers. And they took possession of it, and they settled in it. Not one word of all the good promises..." | Fulfillment of God's land promises to Israel |
| Josh 22:9 | "So the people of Reuben and the people of Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh returned home... to the land of Gilead, which was their possession..." | Return of the Transjordanian tribes to their inherited land |
| Judges 11:22 | "And they took possession of all the territory of the Amorites, from the Arnon to the Jabbok, and from the desert to the Jordan." | Jephthah's affirmation of Israelite possession between Arnon and Jabbok |
| 2 Sam 11:1 | "In the spring of the year, at the time when kings go out to battle, David sent Joab... But David remained at Jerusalem. And Hadadezer sent all Syria with horses and chariots to their help..." | Highlight that the Transjordan was frequently contested territory |
| 1 Chr 5:11-17 | "The descendants of Gad lived over against them in the land of Bashan as far as Salecah... and all the pasturelands of Sharon..." | Further details on Gad's land and prosperity, though it implies expansion over time |
| Amos 1:13 | "Thus says the Lord: 'For three transgressions of the Ammonites, and for four, I will not revoke the punishment, because they ripped open pregnant women in Gilead...'" | Ammonite violence against Gilead, highlighting their proximity |
Deuteronomy 3 verses
Deuteronomy 3 16 Meaning
Deuteronomy 3:16 delineates the precise geographical boundaries of the land allotted to the tribes of Reuben and Gad on the east side of the Jordan River. This specific portion of territory, part of the kingdoms previously conquered from Sihon, king of the Amorites, and Og, king of Bashan, stretched from the Arnon River in the south up to the Jabbok River in the north, clearly marking their possession and noting the border alongside the Ammonites.
Deuteronomy 3 16 Context
Deuteronomy 3:16 is situated within Moses' second discourse to the Israelites as they are camped on the plains of Moab, just before entering the promised land. Moses is recounting the history of their journey from the wilderness to that point, specifically highlighting God's faithfulness in enabling them to conquer the Transjordanian kings Sihon and Og (Deut 2:26-3:11). Following the account of these victories, Moses then details the division and allocation of this conquered territory among the Israelite tribes. Verses 12-15 provide a general overview of this distribution, giving Bashan and part of Gilead to the half-tribe of Manasseh, and the remaining southern portion of Gilead to Reuben and Gad. Verse 16 then provides a specific and meticulous description of the boundaries for the Reubenites and Gadites, ensuring clarity on their inheritance. This act reinforces the divine gift of the land and underscores the importance of well-defined tribal boundaries for social order and identity within the nascent nation.
Deuteronomy 3 16 Word analysis
- And to the Reubenites (וְלָרֻאוּבֵנִי, v'la-ru'uveni): "Reubenites" refers to the tribe of Reuben, the firstborn son of Jacob. Their request along with Gad to settle east of the Jordan (Num 32) reflects a pragmatic choice for their livestock but later presented challenges in national unity.
- and to the Gadites (וְלַגָּדִי, v'la-gadi): "Gadites" refers to the tribe of Gad. They, along with Reuben, received this land on condition of assisting their brethren in the conquest of Canaan proper, demonstrating collective responsibility.
- I gave (נָתַתִּי, natatti): Hebrew "natatti" (from נָתַן, natan), meaning "I gave," emphasizes Moses' authority in distributing the land, which itself was divinely sanctioned. This highlights the orderly and authorized nature of the land allocation.
- from Gilead (מִן הַגִּלְעָד, min ha-gil'ad): "Gilead" is a fertile, elevated region east of the Jordan, often mentioned as rich pastureland. While part of Gilead was given to Manasseh, this refers to the specific portion assigned to Reuben and Gad, marking the northern extent of their combined territory here.
- even to the Arnon River (וְעַד נַחַל אַרְנוֹן, v'ad naḥal arnon): The Arnon River (Naḥal Arnon) was a crucial natural boundary, forming the southern limit of the Amorite kingdom conquered from Sihon and serving as the border between Israel and Moab (Deut 2:24). This explicitly defines the southernmost extent of the allocation.
- the middle of the river: This phrase signifies complete possession extending to the deepest point or central flow, indicating full claim and sovereignty over the boundary, not just one bank.
- and the border (וּגְבוּל, u-g'vul): "Gvul" means "boundary" or "border." The term signifies a defined physical line marking the extent of territory.
- even to the Jabbok River (וְעַד נַחַל יַבֹּק, v'ad naḥal yabboq): The Jabbok River (Naḥal Yabboq) is another significant natural waterway, which empties into the Jordan. It served as a prominent boundary line within the Transjordan. This river is also famous as the location where Jacob wrestled with the angel (Gen 32).
- which is the border of the Ammonites (אֲשֶׁר גְּבוּל בְּנֵי עַמּוֹן, asher g'vul b'nei Ammon): This critical clause precisely defines the Jabbok's significance in this context. It makes it clear that the land allocation to Reuben and Gad stopped at the border of the Ammonites, whom Israel was commanded by God not to molest or conquer (Deut 2:19). This highlights a clear divine command to respect other nations' pre-ordained territories, serving as a polemic against indiscriminate conquest. It also demonstrates God's sovereign hand in establishing the bounds of all peoples.
Deuteronomy 3 16 Bonus section
The Transjordanian territories of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh often served as a strategic frontier but also experienced distinct socio-political challenges compared to the tribes west of the Jordan. Their physical separation across the river sometimes led to tensions regarding their participation in national affairs, as exemplified by the incident of the altar in Joshua 22, where misunderstanding almost led to conflict. Despite being the first tribes to receive their inheritance, they remained accountable to the broader covenant obligations and military solidarity. This careful delineation of boundaries in Deuteronomy 3:16 demonstrates the divine provision of specific inheritances for each tribe while also imposing limitations, reflecting God's order and justice concerning all nations' established territories. It underscores that while God's people received a promised land, their expansion was not without divine constraints or regard for existing, divinely permitted boundaries of other groups like the Ammonites.
Deuteronomy 3 16 Commentary
Deuteronomy 3:16 serves as a detailed geographical account, specifying the northern and southern limits of the inheritance of the Reubenites and Gadites east of the Jordan. It illustrates God's faithfulness in fulfilling His promise of land by establishing precise, tangible boundaries for His people. This meticulous detailing is not mere cartography; it undergirds Israel's claim to the land as a divinely granted possession. The inclusion of the "middle of the river" for the Arnon emphasizes complete, unequivocal ownership. Crucially, the verse explicitly notes the Jabbok River as the "border of the Ammonites," directly referencing God's earlier command (Deut 2:19) to not encroach upon their territory. This adherence to divine limitations demonstrates Israel's covenant obedience and the principle that God, as the sovereign ruler, not only grants land but also defines its extent and respects the boundaries He sets for other peoples. It signifies ordered inheritance rather than chaotic expansion.