Numeri 32:16

Clementine Latin Vulgate

At illi prope accedentes, dixerunt : Caulas ovium fabricabimus, et stabula jumentorum, parvulis quoque nostris urbes munitas :

Parallel Translations

Jerome's Latin Vulgate (405)
At illi prope accedentes, dixerunt: Caulas ovium fabricabimus, et stabula jumentorum, parvulis quoque nostris urbes munitas:

Nova Vulgata (1979)
At illi prope accedentes dixerunt: "Caulas ovium fabricabimus pro iumentis nostris, parvulis quoque nostris urbes;

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

This proposal was very equitable, and it was honestly made and faithfully executed; though it did not imply that all men capable of bearing arms should go, and so leave their families and possessions defenceless, but only a sufficient detachment of them. Among the inhabitants of the land were the Ammonites, Moabites, Idumeans, and the remains of the Midianites and Amorites; and as it was impossible for the women and children to keep the defenced cities, when placed in them, many of the men of war must of course stay behind. In the last census - Numbers 26:1, the tribe of Reuben consisted of 43,730 men; the tribe of Gad 40,500; and the tribe of Manasseh 52,700; the half of which is 26,350; which together amount to 110,580. Now from Joshua 4:13, we learn, that of these tribes only 40,000 armed men passed over Jordan to assist their brethren: consequently 70,580 men were left behind for the defence of the women, the children, and the flocks: which was amply sufficient for this purpose. Numbers 34:22, Genesis 33:17

Reciprocal: Numbers 32:24 - General Deuteronomy 33:21 - the first part

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And they came near unto him,.... The heads of the tribes of Gad and Reuben came a little nearer to Moses, having something more to say unto him, in order to explain their meaning, and in doing which they used some degree of freedom and boldness with him, see Genesis 44:18

and said, we will build sheepfolds here for our cattle, and cities for our little ones not build new ones, but repair the old ones; for there were cities enough in the country, as before named, and no doubt sheepfolds too, as the land was a place of cattle, but those were through the war broken down and demolished, and needed repairing; and this they proposed to do, and leave their children and their cattle to the care of their servants, under the protection of the divine Providence, and did not mean for the present to take up their abode here.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Numbers 32:16. We will build - cities for our little ones — It was impossible for these, numerous as they might be, to build cities and fortify them for the defence of their families in their absence. Calmet supposes they meant no more than repairing the cities of the Amorites which they had lately taken; which work might have been very easily accomplished in the time which they spent on this side of Jordan, before they went over with their brethren, to put them in possession of the land.