Commentary for Numbers 32:16

נבנה למקננו פה WE WILL BUILD [SHEEP FOLDS] FOR OUR CATTLE HERE — They paid more regard to their property than to their sons and daughters, because they mentioned their cattle before their children. Moses said to them, “Not so! Make the chief thing the chief thing and what is subordinate subordinate. First build cities for your little ones and afterwards enclosures for your flocks” (cf. v. 24) (Midrash Tanchuma, Matot 7).

ויגשו אליו, They approached him, etc. The reason the Torah writes "they approached," seeing they were already standing before Moses, Eleazar and the princes may be to show that in view of Moses' reaction that they were no better than the generation of the spies they had felt rebuffed. The Torah therefore had to describe them as "approaching" when they continued their palaver.

They were more concerned over their property. Rashi is answering the question: Why did Moshe change [what they said] and say, “Build for yourselves cities for your children and enclosures for your sheep” (v. 24)? He answers that it was because “they were more concerned…”