Deuteronomy 3:18
New International Version
I commanded you at that time: “The LORD your God has given you this land to take possession of it. But all your able-bodied men, armed for battle, must cross over ahead of the other Israelites.

New Living Translation
“At that time I gave this command to the tribes that would live east of the Jordan: ‘Although the LORD your God has given you this land as your property, all your fighting men must cross the Jordan ahead of your Israelite relatives, armed and ready to assist them.

English Standard Version
“And I commanded you at that time, saying, ‘The LORD your God has given you this land to possess. All your men of valor shall cross over armed before your brothers, the people of Israel.

Berean Standard Bible
At that time I commanded you: “The LORD your God has given you this land to possess. All your men of valor are to cross over, armed for battle, ahead of your brothers, the Israelites.

King James Bible
And I commanded you at that time, saying, The LORD your God hath given you this land to possess it: ye shall pass over armed before your brethren the children of Israel, all that are meet for the war.

New King James Version
“Then I commanded you at that time, saying: ‘The LORD your God has given you this land to possess. All you men of valor shall cross over armed before your brethren, the children of Israel.

New American Standard Bible
“Then I commanded you at that time, saying, ‘The LORD your God has given you this land to possess it; all you valiant men shall cross over armed ahead of your brothers, the sons of Israel.

NASB 1995
“Then I commanded you at that time, saying, ‘The LORD your God has given you this land to possess it; all you valiant men shall cross over armed before your brothers, the sons of Israel.

NASB 1977
“Then I commanded you at that time, saying, ‘The LORD your God has given you this land to possess it; all you valiant men shall cross over armed before your brothers, the sons of Israel.

Legacy Standard Bible
“Then I commanded you at that time, saying, ‘Yahweh your God has given you this land to possess it; all you men of valor shall cross over armed before your brothers, the sons of Israel.

Amplified Bible
“Then I commanded you [Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh] at that time, saying, ‘The LORD your God has given you this land to possess; all you who are brave men shall cross over [the Jordan] armed before your brothers, the sons of Israel.

Christian Standard Bible
“I commanded you at that time: The LORD your God has given you this land to possess. All your valiant men will cross over in battle formation ahead of your brothers the Israelites.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
I commanded you at that time: The LORD your God has given you this land to possess. All your fighting men will cross over in battle formation ahead of your brothers the Israelites.

American Standard Version
And I commanded you at that time, saying, Jehovah your God hath given you this land to possess it: ye shall pass over armed before your brethren the children of Israel, all the men of valor.

English Revised Version
And I commanded you at that time, saying, The LORD your God hath given you this land to possess it: ye shall pass over armed before your brethren the children of Israel, all the men of valour.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
I gave the tribes of Reuben and Gad and half of the tribe of Manasseh this command: "The LORD your God has given you this land so that you can take possession of it. All your soldiers must be ready for battle when they cross [the Jordan River] ahead of the other Israelites.

Good News Translation
"At the same time, I gave them the following instructions: 'The LORD our God has given you this land east of the Jordan to occupy. Now arm your fighting men and send them across the Jordan ahead of the other tribes of Israel, to help them occupy their land.

International Standard Version
"Then I commanded you at that time, 'The Lord your God gave you this land as a possession. Those equipped for battle—every man a warrior—will cross before your fellow Israelis.

Majority Standard Bible
At that time I commanded you: “The LORD your God has given you this land to possess. All your men of valor are to cross over, armed for battle, ahead of your brothers, the Israelites.

NET Bible
At that time I instructed you as follows: "The LORD your God has given you this land for your possession. You warriors are to cross over before your fellow Israelites equipped for battle.

New Heart English Bible
I commanded you at that time, saying, "The LORD your God has given you this land to possess it: you shall pass over armed before your brothers the children of Israel, all the men of valor.

Webster's Bible Translation
And I commanded you at that time, saying, The LORD your God hath given you this land to possess it; ye shall pass over armed before your brethren the children of Israel, all that are meet for the war.

World English Bible
I commanded you at that time, saying, “Yahweh your God has given you this land to possess it. All of you men of valor shall pass over armed before your brothers, the children of Israel.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
And at that time I command you, saying, Your God YHWH has given this land to you to possess it; you pass over armed before your brothers the sons of Israel, all the sons of might.

Young's Literal Translation
'And I command you, at that time, saying, Jehovah your God hath given to you this land to possess it; armed ye pass over before your brethren the sons of Israel, all the sons of might.

Smith's Literal Translation
And I shall command you in that time, saying, Jehovah your God gave to you this land to possess it; ye shall pass over armed before your brethren, the sons of Israel, all sons of strength.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And I commanded you at that time, saying: The Lord your God giveth you this land for an inheritance, go ye well appointed before your brethren the children of Israel, all the strong men of you,

Catholic Public Domain Version
And I instructed you at that time, saying: ‘The Lord your God gives to you this land as an inheritance. Having armed yourselves, go before your brothers, the sons of Israel, all you strong men.

New American Bible
At that time I charged you: The LORD, your God, has given you this land as your possession. But all your troops equipped for battle must cross over in the vanguard of your fellow Israelites.

New Revised Standard Version
At that time, I charged you as follows: “Although the LORD your God has given you this land to occupy, all your troops shall cross over armed as the vanguard of your Israelite kin.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And I commanded you at that time, saying, The LORD your God has given you this land to possess it; you shall pass over armed before your brethren the children of Israel, all of you who are valiant men of war.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And I commanded you at that time and I said to you: 'LORD JEHOVAH your God gave to you this land to possess it when you pass over armed before your brethren, the children of Israel, all of you mighty men of power;
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
And I commanded you at that time, saying: 'The LORD your God hath given you this land to possess it; ye shall pass over armed before your brethren the children of Israel, all the men of valour.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And I charged you at that time, saying, The Lord your God has given you this land by lot; arm yourselves, every one that is powerful, and go before your brethren the children of Israel.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Land Division East of the Jordan
17The Jordan River in the Arabah bordered it from Chinnereth to the Sea of the Arabah (the Salt Sea) with the slopes of Pisgah to the east. 18At that time I commanded you: “The LORD your God has given you this land to possess. All your men of valor are to cross over, armed for battle, ahead of your brothers, the Israelites. 19But your wives, your children, and your livestock—I know that you have much livestock—may remain in the cities I have given you,…

Cross References
Joshua 1:12-15
But to the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh, Joshua said, / “Remember what Moses the servant of the LORD commanded you when he said, ‘The LORD your God will give you rest, and He will give you this land.’ / Your wives, your young children, and your livestock may remain in the land that Moses gave you on this side of the Jordan. But all your mighty men of valor must be armed for battle to cross over ahead of your brothers and help them, ...

Numbers 32:20-22
Moses replied, “If you will do this—if you will arm yourselves before the LORD for battle, / and if every one of your armed men crosses the Jordan before the LORD, until He has driven His enemies out before Him, / then when the land is subdued before the LORD, you may return and be free of obligation to the LORD and to Israel. And this land will belong to you as a possession before the LORD.

Joshua 22:1-4
Then Joshua summoned the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh / and told them, “You have done all that Moses the servant of the LORD commanded you, and you have obeyed my voice in all that I commanded you. / All this time you have not deserted your brothers, up to this very day, but have kept the charge given you by the LORD your God. ...

Numbers 32:28-30
So Moses gave orders about them to Eleazar the priest, to Joshua son of Nun, and to the family leaders of the tribes of Israel. / And Moses said to them, “If the Gadites and Reubenites cross the Jordan with you, with every man armed for battle before the LORD, and the land is subdued before you, then you are to give them the land of Gilead as a possession. / But if they do not arm themselves and go across with you, then they must accept their possession among you in the land of Canaan.”

Joshua 4:12-13
The Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh crossed over before the Israelites, armed for battle as Moses had instructed them. / About 40,000 troops armed for battle crossed over before the LORD into the plains of Jericho.

Numbers 32:6-7
But Moses asked the Gadites and Reubenites, “Shall your brothers go to war while you sit here? / Why are you discouraging the Israelites from crossing into the land that the LORD has given them?

Joshua 21:43-45
Thus the LORD gave Israel all the land He had sworn to give their fathers, and they took possession of it and settled in it. / And the LORD gave them rest on every side, just as He had sworn to their fathers. None of their enemies could stand against them, for the LORD delivered all their enemies into their hand. / Not one of all the LORD’s good promises to the house of Israel had failed; everything was fulfilled.

Numbers 32:16-19
Then the Gadites and Reubenites approached Moses and said, “We want to build sheepfolds here for our livestock and cities for our little ones. / But we will arm ourselves and be ready to go ahead of the Israelites until we have brought them into their place. Meanwhile, our little ones will remain in the fortified cities for protection from the inhabitants of the land. / We will not return to our homes until every Israelite has taken possession of his inheritance. ...

Joshua 13:8-12
The other half of Manasseh, along with the Reubenites and Gadites, had received the inheritance Moses had given them beyond the Jordan to the east, just as Moses the servant of the LORD had assigned to them: / The area from Aroer on the rim of the Arnon Valley, along with the city in the middle of the valley, the whole plateau of Medeba as far as Dibon, / and all the cities of Sihon king of the Amorites who reigned in Heshbon, as far as the border of the Ammonites; ...

Numbers 32:1-5
Now the Reubenites and Gadites, who had very large herds and flocks, surveyed the lands of Jazer and Gilead, and they saw that the region was suitable for livestock. / So the Gadites and Reubenites came to Moses, Eleazar the priest, and the leaders of the congregation, and said, / “Ataroth, Dibon, Jazer, Nimrah, Heshbon, Elealeh, Sebam, Nebo, and Beon, ...

Hebrews 4:8-10
For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken later about another day. / There remains, then, a Sabbath rest for the people of God. / For whoever enters God’s rest also rests from his own work, just as God did from His.

Joshua 14:1-5
Now these are the portions that the Israelites inherited in the land of Canaan, as distributed by Eleazar the priest, Joshua son of Nun, and the heads of the families of the tribes of Israel. / Their inheritance was assigned by lot for the nine and a half tribes, as the LORD had commanded through Moses. / For Moses had given the inheritance east of the Jordan to the other two and a half tribes. But he granted no inheritance among them to the Levites. ...

Numbers 27:12-14
Then the LORD said to Moses, “Go up this mountain of the Abarim range and see the land that I have given the Israelites. / After you have seen it, you too will be gathered to your people, as your brother Aaron was; / for when the congregation contended in the Wilderness of Zin, both of you rebelled against My command to show My holiness in their sight regarding the waters.” Those were the waters of Meribah in Kadesh, in the Wilderness of Zin.

Joshua 18:1-3
Then the whole congregation of Israel assembled at Shiloh and set up the Tent of Meeting there. And though the land was subdued before them, / there were still seven tribes of Israel who had not yet received their inheritance. / So Joshua said to the Israelites, “How long will you put off entering and possessing the land that the LORD, the God of your fathers, has given you?

Numbers 34:13-15
So Moses commanded the Israelites, “Apportion this land by lot as an inheritance. The LORD has commanded that it be given to the nine and a half tribes. / For the tribes of the Reubenites and Gadites, along with the half-tribe of Manasseh, have already received their inheritance. / These two and a half tribes have received their inheritance across the Jordan from Jericho, toward the sunrise.”


Treasury of Scripture

And I commanded you at that time, saying, The LORD your God has given you this land to possess it: you shall pass over armed before your brothers the children of Israel, all that are meet for the war.

I commanded

Numbers 32:20-24
And Moses said unto them, If ye will do this thing, if ye will go armed before the LORD to war, …

Joshua 1:12-15
And to the Reubenites, and to the Gadites, and to half the tribe of Manasseh, spake Joshua, saying, …

Joshua 4:12,13
And the children of Reuben, and the children of Gad, and half the tribe of Manasseh, passed over armed before the children of Israel, as Moses spake unto them: …

meet for the was [heb] sons of power

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Armed Children Cross Israel Meet Possess Time Valiant Valor Valour War
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Armed Children Cross Israel Meet Possess Time Valiant Valor Valour War
Deuteronomy 3
1. The conquest of Og, king of Bashan
11. This size of his bed
12. The distribution of his lands to the two tribes and half
23. Moses prays to enter into the land
26. He is permitted to see it














At that time I commanded you, saying
This phrase sets the historical context of the passage. The speaker is Moses, who is recounting the instructions given to the Israelites. The Hebrew root for "commanded" is צָוָה (tsavah), which implies a directive with authority. This reflects the divine authority Moses held as God's chosen leader. Historically, this moment is part of Moses' final speeches to the Israelites before they enter the Promised Land, emphasizing the importance of obedience to God's commands.

The LORD your God has given you this land to possess
Here, "The LORD your God" is a reminder of the covenant relationship between God and Israel. The Hebrew name for God used here is יְהוָה (YHWH), the personal name of God, signifying His eternal presence and faithfulness. "Given" indicates a gift, underscoring the grace of God in providing the land. "To possess" comes from the Hebrew root יָרַשׁ (yarash), meaning to inherit or take possession, highlighting the fulfillment of God's promise to Abraham.

All your men of valor shall cross over, armed, before your brothers, the Israelites
"Men of valor" refers to the warriors, emphasizing the need for courage and strength. The Hebrew word חַיִל (chayil) denotes not just physical strength but also moral courage. "Shall cross over" indicates movement and transition, both physically into the land and spiritually into a new phase of God's plan. "Armed" suggests preparation and readiness for battle, a reminder of the spiritual battles believers face. "Before your brothers" emphasizes unity and support within the community of Israel, a principle of mutual aid and responsibility.

The Israelites
This term identifies the descendants of Jacob, also known as Israel. It signifies the chosen people of God, bound by the covenant and recipients of His promises. The historical context here is crucial, as the Israelites are on the brink of entering the Promised Land, a pivotal moment in their history. This phrase serves as a reminder of their identity and mission as God's people.

(18, 19) This is a summary of the agreement made and described in Numbers 32:20---32. (See also Note on Joshua 1:12.)

Verses 18-20. - Moses reminds the two and a half tribes of the conditions on which they had received the possessions they had desired beyond Jordan (see Numbers 32:20-32). All that are meet for the war; literally, all the sons of might (בְּנֵי חַיִל), i.e. not all who were men of war or of age to go to war, but men specially powerful and fitted for warlike enterprise. Until the Lord hath given rest auto your brethren (corer. Exodus 33:14).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
At that
הַהִ֖וא (ha·hi·w)
Article | Pronoun - third person feminine singular
Strong's 1931: He, self, the same, this, that, as, are

time
בָּעֵ֥ת (bā·‘êṯ)
Preposition-b, Article | Noun - common singular
Strong's 6256: Time, now, when

I commanded
וָאֲצַ֣ו (wā·’ă·ṣaw)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Consecutive imperfect - first person common singular
Strong's 6680: To lay charge (upon), give charge (to), command, order

you:
אֶתְכֶ֔ם (’eṯ·ḵem)
Direct object marker | second person masculine plural
Strong's 853: Untranslatable mark of the accusative case

“The LORD
יְהוָ֣ה (Yah·weh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel

your God
אֱלֹהֵיכֶ֗ם (’ĕ·lō·hê·ḵem)
Noun - masculine plural construct | second person masculine plural
Strong's 430: gods -- the supreme God, magistrates, a superlative

has given
נָתַ֨ן (nā·ṯan)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 5414: To give, put, set

you this
הַזֹּאת֙ (haz·zōṯ)
Article | Pronoun - feminine singular
Strong's 2063: Hereby in it, likewise, the one other, same, she, so much, such deed, that,

land
הָאָ֤רֶץ (hā·’ā·reṣ)
Article | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 776: Earth, land

to possess.
לְרִשְׁתָּ֔הּ (lə·riš·tāh)
Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct | third person feminine singular
Strong's 3423: To occupy, to seize, to rob, to inherit, to expel, to impoverish, to ruin

All
כָּל־ (kāl-)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3605: The whole, all, any, every

your warriors
בְּנֵֽי־ (bə·nê-)
Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 1121: A son

are to cross over,
תַּֽעַבְר֗וּ (ta·‘aḇ·rū)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine plural
Strong's 5674: To pass over, through, or by, pass on

armed for battle,
חֲלוּצִ֣ים (ḥă·lū·ṣîm)
Verb - Qal - QalPassParticiple - masculine plural
Strong's 2502: To pull off, to strip, to depart, to deliver, equip, present, strengthen

ahead of
לִפְנֵ֛י (lip̄·nê)
Preposition-l | Noun - common plural construct
Strong's 6440: The face

your brothers,
אֲחֵיכֶ֥ם (’ă·ḥê·ḵem)
Noun - masculine plural construct | second person masculine plural
Strong's 251: A brother, )

the Israelites.
בְּנֵי־ (bə·nê-)
Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 1121: A son


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OT Law: Deuteronomy 3:18 I commanded you at that time saying (Deut. De Du)
Deuteronomy 3:17
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