Commentaire sur Les Nombres 32:31

AND THE CHILDREN OF GAD AND THE CHILDREN OF REUBEN ANSWERED, SAYING: [AS THE ETERNAL HATH SAID UNTO THY SERVANTS, SO WILL WE DO]. 32. WE WILL PASS OVER ARMED. They said to Moses: “Our lord need not command us with a double condition¹²⁶If they will pass over the Jordan … then ye shall give them the land of Gilead … But if they will not pass over, they shall have possessions among you (Verses 29-30). [to cross over the Jordan]. Far be it from your servants to transgress that which my lord commands! For they [i.e., your words] are the words of G-d, and we will not transgress His commandment!” And this is the meaning of the expression, as the Eternal hath said, for at the beginning [i.e., before Moses had made the double condition] they had [already] said that they would do as my lord commanded¹²⁷Above, Verse 25. [hence we must say that here in Verse 31 they were telling Moses there was no need for the double condition, for the reason explained above].

-32. ויענו בני גד, The members of Gad etc. replied: The Torah had to repeat matters once more and also could not simply write: ויאמרו, "they said," but had to write: "they replied." Seeing that Moses had said ונתתם, the two and a half tribes had begun to fear that such a handing over would only commence at the end of the fourteen years of their whole-hearted participation. This is why they described their forthcoming participation as so firmly anchored in an unbreakable agreement that although their part of the fulfilment of the agreement was some time in the future, the rewards for abiding by it accrued to them as an immediate benefit, i.e. the land was to be given to them as of now. This is why they said: ואתנו נחלתנו, "the possession of our inheritance will remain with us." They had not properly understood Moses' words, as we have explained them. As a result, Moses gave them the land immediately to prevent any misunderstandings.

It is also possible that initially even Moses had not meant for the two and a half tribes to actually acquire their claim until after they had demonstrated fulfilment of their part of the bargain. However, once Moses realised how firmly these two and a half tribes had committed themselves to helping the other tribes he agreed to give them possession of these lands immediately.