Two of the tribes of Israel, Gad and Reuben, with half the tribe of Manasseh, had received their inheritance before crossing the Jordan. To a pastoral people, the wide upland plains and rich forests of Gilead and Bashan, offering extensive grazing land for their flocks and herds, had attractions which were not to be found in Canaan itself, and the two and a half tribes, desiring to settle here, had pledged themselves to furnish their proportion of armed men to accompany their brethren across the Jordan and to share their battles till they also should enter upon their inheritance. The obligation had been faithfully discharged. When the 518 ten tribes entered Canaan forty thousand of "the children of Reuben, and the children of Gad, and half the tribe of Manasseh . . . prepared for war passed over before the Lord unto battle, to the plains of Jericho." Joshua 4:12, 13. For years they had fought bravely by the side of their brethren. Now the time had come for them to get unto the land of their possession. As they had united with their brethren in the conflicts, so they had shared the spoils; and they returned "with much riches . . . and with very much cattle, with silver, and with gold, and with brass, and with iron, and with very much raiment," all of which they were to share with those who had remained with the families and flocks.


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Kana'ans deling

Gads og Rubens stamme og Manasses halve stamme havde fået deres arvelod inden overgangen over Jordan. De store, højtliggende sletter og frodige skove i Gilead og Basan rummede udstrakte græsgange til hjordene og øvede stor tiltrækning på et hyrdefolk. Der fandtes ikke engang sådanne områder i selve Kanaan, og rubenitterne, gaditterne og Manasses halve stamme ville gerne bosætte sig her. De havde lovet at sende et passende antal våbenføre mænd med deres brødre over Jordan for at kæmpe sammen med dem, indtil også de havde fået deres arvelod. Dette løfte havde de trofast opfyldt. Da de ti stammer gik ind i Kanaan, drog 40.000 af "rubenitterne, gaditterne og Manasses halve stamme" "rustede til strid" foran Herren over til Jerikos sletter til kamp". Jos. 4, 12-13. I flere år havde de kæmpet tappert side om side med deres brødre. Nu var tiden kommet, da de skulle tilbage til deres eget land. Deres våbenfæller delte byttet med dem, og de vendte "tilbage til deres telte med store rigdomme, med kvæg i mængde, med sølv og guld, kobber og jern og klæder i stor mængde". Alt dette skulle de dele med dem, der var blevet hjemme hos deres familier og hjorde.

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