Numbers — Chapter 32

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1Now the children of Reuben and the children of Gad had a very great multitude of cattle: and when they saw the land of Jazer, and the land of Gilead, that, behold, the place was a place for cattle;

2The children of Gad and the children of Reuben came and spake unto Moses, and to Eleazar the priest, and unto the princes of the congregation, saying,

3Ataroth, and Dibon, and Jazer, and Nimrah, and Heshbon, and Elealeh, and Shebam, and Nebo, and Beon,

4Even the country which the LORD smote before the congregation of Israel, is a land for cattle, and thy servants have cattle:

5Wherefore, said they, 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.

6And Moses said unto the children of Gad and to the children of Reuben, Shall your brethren go to war, and shall ye sit here?

7And wherefore discourage ye the heart of the children of Israel from going over into the land which the LORD hath given them?

8Thus did your fathers, when I sent them from Kadesh-barnea to see the land.

9For when they went up unto the valley of Eshcol, and saw the land, they discouraged the heart of the children of Israel, that they should not go into the land which the LORD had given them.

10And the LORD’S anger was kindled the same time, and he sware, saying,

11Surely none of the men that came up out of Egypt, from twenty years old and upward, shall see the land which I sware unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob; because they have not wholly followed me:

12Save Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenezite, and Joshua the son of Nun: for they have wholly followed the LORD.

13And the LORD’S anger was kindled against Israel, and he made them wander in the wilderness forty years, until all the generation, that had done evil in the sight of the LORD, was consumed.

14And, behold, ye are risen up in your fathers’ stead, an increase of sinful men, to augment yet the fierce anger of the LORD toward Israel.

15For if ye turn away from after him, he will yet again leave them in the wilderness; and ye shall destroy all this people.

16And they came near unto him, and said, We will build sheepfolds here for our cattle, and cities for our little ones:

17But we ourselves will go ready armed before the children of Israel, until we have brought them unto their place: and our little ones shall dwell in the fenced cities because of the inhabitants of the land.

18We will not return unto our houses, until the children of Israel have inherited every man his inheritance.

19For we will not inherit with them on yonder side Jordan, or forward; because our inheritance is fallen to us on this side Jordan eastward.

20And Moses said unto them, If ye will do this thing, if ye will go armed before the LORD to war,

21And will go all of you armed over Jordan before the LORD, until he hath driven out his enemies from before him,

22And 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.

23But if ye will not do so, behold, ye have sinned against the LORD: and be sure your sin will find you out.

24Build you cities for your little ones, and folds for your sheep; and do that which hath proceeded out of your mouth.

25And the children of Gad and the children of Reuben spake unto Moses, saying, Thy servants will do as my lord commandeth.

26Our little ones, our wives, our flocks, and all our cattle, shall be there in the cities of Gilead:

27But thy servants will pass over, every man armed for war, before the LORD to battle, as my lord saith.

28So concerning them Moses commanded Eleazar the priest, and Joshua the son of Nun, and the chief fathers of the tribes of the children of Israel:

29And Moses said unto them, If the children of Gad and the children of Reuben will pass with you over Jordan, every man armed to battle, before the LORD, and the land shall be subdued before you; then ye shall give them the land of Gilead for a possession:

30But if they will not pass over with you armed, they shall have possessions among you in the land of Canaan.

31And the children of Gad and the children of Reuben answered, saying, As the LORD hath said unto thy servants, so will we do.

32We will pass over armed before the LORD into the land of Canaan, that the possession of our inheritance on this side Jordan may be ours.

33And 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 thereof in the coasts, even the cities of the country round about.

34And the children of Gad built Dibon, and Ataroth, and Aroer,

35And Atroth, Shophan, and Jaazer, and Jogbehah,

36And Beth-nimrah, and Beth-haran, fenced cities: and folds for sheep.

37And the children of Reuben built Heshbon, and Elealeh, and Kirjathaim,

38And Nebo, and Baal-meon, (their names being changed,) and Shibmah: and gave other names unto the cities which they builded.

39And the children of Machir the son of Manasseh went to Gilead, and took it, and dispossessed the Amorite which was in it.

40And Moses gave Gilead unto Machir the son of Manasseh; and he dwelt therein.

41And Jair the son of Manasseh went and took the small towns thereof, and called them Havoth-jair.

42And Nobah went and took Kenath, and the villages thereof, and called it Nobah, after his own name.

1Now the children of Reuben and the children of Gad had a very great multitude of cattle: and when they saw the land of Jazer, and the land of Gilead, that, behold, the place was a place for cattle;

2the children of Gad and the children of Reuben came and spake unto Moses, and to Eleazar the priest, and unto the princes of the congregation, saying,

3Ataroth, and Dibon, and Jazer, and Nimrah, and Heshbon, and Elealeh, and Sebam, and Nebo, and Beon,

4the land which Jehovah smote before the congregation of Israel, is a land for cattle; and thy servants have cattle.

5And they said, If we have found favor in thy sight, let this land be given unto thy servants for a possession; bring us not over the Jordan.

6And Moses said unto the children of Gad, and to the children of Reuben, Shall your brethren go to the war, and shall ye sit here?

7And wherefore discourage ye the heart of the children of Israel from going over into the land which Jehovah hath given them?

8Thus did your fathers, when I sent them from Kadesh-barnea to see the land.

9For when they went up unto the valley of Eshcol, and saw the land, they discouraged the heart of the children of Israel, that they should not go into the land which Jehovah had given them.

10And Jehovah`s anger was kindled in that day, and he sware, saying,

12save Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite, and Joshua the son of Nun; because they have wholly followed Jehovah.

13And Jehovah`s anger was kindled against Israel, and he made them wander to and fro in the wilderness forty years, until all the generation, that had done evil in the sight of Jehovah, was consumed.

14And, behold, ye are risen up in your fathers` stead, an increase of sinful men, to augment yet the fierce anger of Jehovah toward Israel.

15For if ye turn away from after him, he will yet again leave them in the wilderness; and ye will destroy all this people.

16And they came near unto him, and said, We will build sheepfolds here for our cattle, and cities for our little ones:

17but we ourselves will be ready armed to go before the children of Israel, until we have brought them unto their place: and our little ones shall dwell in the fortified cities because of the inhabitants of the land.

18We will not return unto our houses, until the children of Israel have inherited every man his inheritance.

19For we will not inherit with them on the other side of the Jordan, and forward; because our inheritance is fallen to us on this side of the Jordan eastward.

20And Moses said unto them, If ye will do this thing, if ye will arm yourselves to go before Jehovah to the war,

21and every armed man of you will pass over the Jordan before Jehovah, until he hath driven out his enemies from before him,

22and the land is subdued before Jehovah; then afterward ye shall return, and be guiltless towards Jehovah, and towards Israel; and this land shall be unto you for a possession before Jehovah.

23But if ye will not do so, behold, ye have sinned against Jehovah; and be sure your sin will find you out.

24Build you cities for your little ones, and folds for your sheep; and do that which hath proceeded out of your mouth.

25And the children of Gad and the children of Reuben spake unto Moses, saying, Thy servants will do as my lord commandeth.

26Our little ones, our wives, our flocks, and all our cattle, shall be there in the cities of Gilead;

27but thy servants will pass over, every man that is armed for war, before Jehovah to battle, as my lord saith.

28So Moses gave charge concerning them to Eleazar the priest, and to Joshua the son of Nun, and to the heads of the fathers` [houses] of the tribes of the children of Israel.

29And Moses said unto them, If the children of Gad and the children of Reuben will pass with you over the Jordan, every man that is armed to battle, before Jehovah, and the land shall be subdued before you; then ye shall give them the land of Gilead for a possession:

30but if they will not pass over with you armed, they shall have possessions among you in the land of Canaan.

31And the children of Gad and the children of Reuben answered, saying, As Jehovah hath said unto thy servants, so will we do.

32We will pass over armed before Jehovah into the land of Canaan, and the possession of our inheritance [shall remain] with us beyond the Jordan.

33And Moses gave unto them, even to the children of Gad, and to the children of Reuben, and unto the half-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, according to the cities thereof with [their] borders, even the cities of the land round about.

34And the children of Gad built Dibon, and Ataroth, and Aroer,

35and Atrothshophan, and Jazer, and Jogbehah,

36and Beth-nimrah, and Beth-haran: fortified cities, and folds for sheep.

37And the children of Reuben built Heshbon, and Elealeh, and Kiriathaim,

38and Nebo, and Baal-meon, (their names being changed,) and Sibmah: and they gave other names unto the cities which they builded.

39And the children of Machir the son of Manasseh went to Gilead, and took it, and dispossessed the Amorites that were therein.

40And Moses gave Gilead unto Machir the son of Manasseh; and he dwelt therein.

41And Jair the son of Manasseh went and took the towns thereof, and called them Havvoth-jair.

42And Nobah went and took Kenath, and the villages thereof, and called it Nobah, after his own name.

1Now the Reubenites and the Gadites possessed a very large number of cattle. When they saw that the lands of Jazer and Gilead were ideal for cattle,

2the Gadites and the Reubenites came and addressed Moses, Eleazar the priest, and the leaders of the community. They said,

3“Ataroth, Dibon, Jazer, Nimrah, Heshbon, Elealeh, Sebam, Nebo, and Beon,

4the land that the Lord subdued before the community of Israel, is ideal for cattle, and your servants have cattle.”

5So they said, “If we have found favor in your sight, let this land be given to your servants for our inheritance. Do not have us cross the Jordan River.”

6Moses said to the Gadites and the Reubenites, “Must your brothers go to war while you remain here?

7Why do you frustrate the intent of the Israelites to cross over into the land that the Lord has given them?

8Your fathers did the same thing when I sent them from Kadesh Barnea to see the land.

9When they went up to the Eshcol Valley and saw the land, they frustrated the intent of the Israelites so that they did not enter the land that the Lord had given them.

10So the anger of the Lord was kindled that day, and he swore,

11‘Because they have not followed me wholeheartedly, not one of the men twenty years old and upward who came from Egypt will see the land that I swore to give to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob,

12except Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite, and Joshua son of Nun, for they followed the Lord wholeheartedly.’

13So the Lord’s anger was kindled against the Israelites, and he made them wander in the wilderness for 40 years, until all that generation that had done wickedly before the Lord was finished.

14Now look, you are standing in your fathers’ place, a brood of sinners, to increase still further the fierce wrath of the Lord against the Israelites.

15For if you turn away from following him, he will once again abandon them in the wilderness, and you will be the reason for their destruction.”

16Then they came very close to him and said, “We will build sheep folds here for our flocks and cities for our families,

17but we will maintain ourselves in armed readiness and go before the Israelites until whenever we have brought them to their place. Our descendants will be living in fortified towns as a protection against the inhabitants of the land.

18We will not return to our homes until every Israelite has his inheritance.

19For we will not accept any inheritance on the other side of the Jordan River and beyond, because our inheritance has come to us on this eastern side of the Jordan.”

20Then Moses replied, “If you will do this thing, and if you will arm yourselves for battle before the Lord,

21and if all your armed men cross the Jordan before the Lord until he drives out his enemies from his presence

22and the land is subdued before the Lord, then afterward you may return and be free of your obligation to the Lord and to Israel. This land will then be your possession in the Lord’s sight.

23“But if you do not do this, then look, you will have sinned against the Lord. And know that your sin will find you out.

24So build cities for your descendants and pens for your sheep, but do what you have said you would do.”

25So the Gadites and the Reubenites replied to Moses, “Your servants will do as our lord commands.

26Our children, our wives, our flocks, and all our livestock will be there in the cities of Gilead,

27but your servants will cross over, every man armed for war, to do battle in the Lord’s presence, just as our lord says.”

28So Moses gave orders about them to Eleazar the priest, to Joshua son of Nun, and to the heads of the families of the Israelite tribes.

29Moses said to them: “If the Gadites and the Reubenites cross the Jordan with you, each one equipped for battle in the Lord’s presence, and you conquer the land, then you must allot them the territory of Gilead as their possession.

30But if they do not cross over with you armed, they must receive possessions among you in Canaan.”

31Then the Gadites and the Reubenites answered, “Your servants will do what the Lord has spoken.

32We will cross armed in the Lord’s presence into the land of Canaan, and then the possession of our inheritance that we inherit will be ours on this side of the Jordan River.”

33So Moses gave to the Gadites, the Reubenites, and to half the tribe of Manasseh son of Joseph the realm of King Sihon of the Amorites, and the realm of King Og of Bashan, the entire land with its cities and the territory surrounding them.

34The Gadites rebuilt Dibon, Ataroth, Aroer,

35Atroth Shophan, Jazer, Jogbehah,

36Beth Nimrah, and Beth Haran as fortified cities, and constructed pens for their flocks.

37The Reubenites rebuilt Heshbon, Elealeh, Kiriathaim,

38Nebo, Baal Meon (with a change of name), and Sibmah. They renamed the cities they built.

39The descendants of Machir son of Manasseh went to Gilead, took it, and dispossessed the Amorites who were in it.

40So Moses gave Gilead to Machir, son of Manasseh, and he lived there.

41Now Jair son of Manasseh went and captured their small towns and named them Havvoth Jair.

42Then Nobah went and captured Kenath and its villages and called it Nobah after his own name.

1Now the children of Reuben and the children of Gad had a very great multitude of livestock. When they saw the land of Jazer, and the land of Gilead, that behold, the place was a place for livestock;

2the children of Gad and the children of Reuben came and spoke to Moses, and to Eleazar the priest, and to the princes of the congregation, saying,

3“Ataroth, Dibon, Jazer, Nimrah, Heshbon, Elealeh, Sebam, Nebo, and Beon,

4the land which Yahweh struck before the congregation of Israel, is a land for livestock; and your servants have livestock.”

5They said, “If we have found favor in your sight, let this land be given to your servants for a possession. Don’t bring us over the Jordan.”

6Moses said to the children of Gad, and to the children of Reuben, “Shall your brothers go to the war, and shall you sit here?

7Why do you discourage the heart of the children of Israel from going over into the land which Yahweh has given them?

8Your fathers did so when I sent them from Kadesh Barnea to see the land.

9For when they went up to the valley of Eshcol, and saw the land, they discouraged the heart of the children of Israel, that they should not go into the land which Yahweh had given them.

10Yahweh’s anger burned in that day, and he swore, saying,

11‘Surely none of the men who came up out of Egypt, from twenty years old and upward, shall see the land which I swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob; because they have not wholly followed me,

12except Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite, and Joshua the son of Nun; because they have followed Yahweh completely.’

13Yahweh’s anger burned against Israel, and he made them wander back and forth in the wilderness forty years, until all the generation, who had done evil in Yahweh’s sight, was consumed.

14“Behold, you have risen up in your fathers’ place, an increase of sinful men, to increase the fierce anger of Yahweh toward Israel.

15For if you turn away from after him, he will yet again leave them in the wilderness; and you will destroy all these people.”

16They came near to him, and said, “We will build sheepfolds here for our livestock, and cities for our little ones;

17but we ourselves will be ready armed to go before the children of Israel, until we have brought them to their place. Our little ones shall dwell in the fortified cities because of the inhabitants of the land.

18We will not return to our houses, until the children of Israel have each inherited their inheritance.

19For we will not inherit with them on the other side of the Jordan, and forward; because our inheritance has come to us on this side of the Jordan eastward.”

20Moses said to them, “If you will do this thing, if you will arm yourselves to go before Yahweh to the war,

21and every armed man of you will pass over the Jordan before Yahweh, until he has driven out his enemies from before him,

22and the land is subdued before Yahweh; then afterward you shall return, and be guiltless towards Yahweh, and towards Israel; and this land shall be to you for a possession before Yahweh.

23“But if you will not do so, behold, you have sinned against Yahweh; and be sure your sin will find you out.

24Build cities for your little ones, and folds for your sheep; and do that which has proceeded out of your mouth.”

25The children of Gad and the children of Reuben spoke to Moses, saying, “Your servants will do as my lord commands.

26Our little ones, our wives, our flocks, and all our livestock, shall be there in the cities of Gilead;

27but your servants will pass over, every man who is armed for war, before Yahweh to battle, as my lord says.”

28So Moses commanded concerning them to Eleazar the priest, and to Joshua the son of Nun, and to the heads of the fathers’ households of the tribes of the children of Israel.

29Moses said to them, “If the children of Gad and the children of Reuben will pass with you over the Jordan, every man who is armed to battle, before Yahweh, and the land is subdued before you, then you shall give them the land of Gilead for a possession;

30but if they will not pass over with you armed, they shall have possessions among you in the land of Canaan.”

31The children of Gad and the children of Reuben answered, saying, “As Yahweh has said to your servants, so will we do.

32We will pass over armed before Yahweh into the land of Canaan, and the possession of our inheritance shall remain with us beyond the Jordan.”

33Moses gave to them, even to the children of Gad, and to the children of Reuben, and to the half-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, according to its cities and borders, even the cities of the surrounding land.

34The children of Gad built Dibon, Ataroth, Aroer,

35Atrothshophan, Jazer, Jogbehah,

36Beth Nimrah, and Beth Haran: fortified cities, and folds for sheep.

37The children of Reuben built Heshbon, Elealeh, Kiriathaim,

38Nebo, and Baal Meon, (their names being changed), and Sibmah. They gave other names to the cities which they built.

39The children of Machir the son of Manasseh went to Gilead, took it, and dispossessed the Amorites who were therein.

40Moses gave Gilead to Machir the son of Manasseh; and he lived therein.

41Jair the son of Manasseh went and took its villages, and called them Havvoth Jair.

42Nobah went and took Kenath, and its villages, and called it Nobah, after his own name.

Summary

Authorship & Background

Map & Geography

Commentary

Videos

Reflection

Summary

Reuben, Gad, and half of Manasseh request land east of the Jordan; Moses grants it on the condition they fight alongside their brothers.

Authorship & Background

Author: Moses. Numbers is the fourth book of the Pentateuch, written during the wilderness period (approximately 1445-1405 BC). Hebrew title: "Bemidbar" — "In the wilderness." The book records Israel's 38 years of wilderness wandering between Sinai and the Promised Land — a journey that should have taken 11 days (Deuteronomy 1:2) but took 40 years due to unbelief.

Historical Context: Chapter 32 records the controversial request of the tribes of Reuben and Gad (later joined by half of Manasseh) to settle east of the Jordan River — in the conquered territories of Sihon and Og — rather than crossing into Canaan proper. Their reason: they have vast herds of livestock, and the Transjordan land is ideal for grazing. Moses' immediate reaction is fierce: "Shall your brothers go to the war while you sit here?" (v.6). He draws a direct parallel to the ten spies at Kadesh-barnea (vv.8-13) — their fathers' refusal to enter the land brought 40 years of wandering. Will this new generation repeat the sin? The tribes propose a compromise: they will leave their families and flocks in fortified Transjordan cities but will cross the Jordan armed and fight alongside their brothers until all the land is conquered. Only then will they return east. Moses accepts this condition with a solemn warning: "If you will not do so, behold, you have sinned against the LORD: and be sure your sin will find you out" (v.23). The chapter raises enduring questions about settling for "good enough" versus pressing into God's full promise, and about the tension between personal preference and corporate responsibility.

The Request (vv.1-5): Reuben and Gad see the conquered Transjordan land (Jazer, Gilead) — rich pastureland perfect for their enormous herds. They ask Moses: "Let this land be given to your servants for a possession. Do not take us across the Jordan" (v.5). The request is pragmatic — the land suits their economic needs. But it prioritizes personal convenience over corporate calling.

Moses' Rebuke (vv.6-15): Moses erupts with a history lesson. He draws the parallel to Kadesh-barnea: "Your fathers did this" (v.8). The ten spies "discouraged the heart of the people" (v.9), provoking God's anger and 40 years of wandering (vv.10-13). Moses calls them "a brood of sinful men" (ESV) / "an increase of sinful men" (KJV) — v.14. His fear: if they refuse to cross, the rest of Israel will be discouraged, God's anger will be kindled again, and the nation will be destroyed (v.15). The issue is not the land itself but the effect on the community.

The Compromise (vv.16-19): The tribes propose: we will build sheepfolds and fortified cities for our families here, but "we ourselves will go ready armed before the children of Israel" (v.17) until every tribe has its inheritance. They will not return home until the conquest is complete (v.18). They explicitly renounce any claim to land west of the Jordan (v.19).

Moses' Conditional Acceptance (vv.20-24): Moses accepts — with conditions: (1) they must go armed "before the LORD" (v.20); (2) every armed man must cross the Jordan (v.21); (3) they must fight until the land is subdued (v.22); (4) only then may they return, "guiltless before the LORD and before Israel" (v.22). The warning: "If you will not do so... be sure your sin will find you out" (v.23). Sin is not hidden — it will be exposed.

The Agreement Formalized (vv.25-32): Gad and Reuben agree: "Your servants will do as my lord commands" (v.25). Moses charges Eleazar, Joshua, and the tribal heads to enforce the agreement (v.28). If they fail to cross armed, they forfeit Transjordan and receive land in Canaan instead (v.30).

The Settlement (vv.33-42): Moses grants the territory: the kingdoms of Sihon (Amorite) and Og (Bashan) to Gad, Reuben, and the half-tribe of Manasseh (v.33 — Manasseh appears here for the first time in this narrative). Gad builds cities in the south (Dibon, Ataroth, Aroer, etc.). Reuben builds in the central area (Heshbon, Elealeh, Nebo, etc.). Machir (Manasseh) conquers Gilead in the north (vv.39-42).

Map & Geography

The land of Jazer and Gilead (v.1): Lush grazing land east of the Jordan, conquered from Sihon and Og. Reuben and Gad request this territory.
Transjordan settlements: Dibon, Ataroth, Aroer, Atroth-shophan, Jazer, Jogbehah, Beth-nimrah, Beth-haran (Gad); Heshbon, Elealeh, Kiriathaim, Nebo, Baal-meon, Sibmah (Reuben); Gilead/Bashan (half-Manasseh).

Commentary

Enduring Word (David Guzik): enduringword.com Guzik notes that the eastern tribes' request was not inherently sinful — the land was legitimately conquered and suitable for their needs. The problem was the potential effect on the community: discouragement. He highlights that the compromise worked in the short term (they did fight) but the eastern tribes were the first to fall to foreign invasion and the first to adopt pagan worship (1 Chronicles 5:25-26).
Charles Spurgeon: "Be sure your sin will find you out. Not 'may' — 'will.' Sin is a bloodhound that never loses the scent. You may bury it deep, cover it with years of respectability, hide it behind religious activity — but it will find you. It found David after a year of silence. It found Achan under the floor of his tent. It found Ananias and Sapphira in the first church. There is no statute of limitations with God. The only escape is not concealment but confession: 'If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us.'"

Videos

The Bible Project — Numbers Overview

Reflection

1. "Do not take us across the Jordan" (v.5). Are you settling for "good enough" when God has "best" waiting across your Jordan? The Transjordan was adequate — but it was not the Promised Land. What comfort or convenience is keeping you from God's full purpose?
2. "Shall your brothers go to war while you sit here?" (v.6). Personal blessing carries corporate responsibility. You cannot enjoy God's provision while your brothers struggle and call yourself faithful. Where is God calling you to fight for others, not just yourself?
3. "Your fathers did this" (v.8). Moses sees the pattern repeating. Generational sins recur unless consciously broken. What patterns from your family history are you in danger of repeating?
4. "Be sure your sin will find you out" (v.23). This is not a threat but a fact of the moral universe. Hidden sin does not stay hidden. The question is not IF but WHEN. Is there unconfessed sin you are hoping will simply disappear? It won't.
5. The compromise worked — partially (vv.16-19). The eastern tribes did fight (Joshua 4:12-13; 22:1-6). But historically, they were the first tribes to fall to paganism and exile (1 Chronicles 5:25-26). Settling short of God's best has long-term consequences even when short-term obedience is maintained.
6. Moses reorders their priorities (v.24). They said "sheepfolds... and cities for our little ones" (v.16). Moses corrects: "cities for your little ones, and folds for your sheep" (v.24). Children before cattle. People before possessions. What are your true priorities — and does your life reflect them?