Commento su Numeri 32:17

ואנחנו נחלץ חשים means, AND WE SHALL ARM OURSELVES SPEEDILY, the last word being the same as in (Isaiah 8:3): “the spoil hasteth, the prey speedeth (חש)” and in (Isaiah 5:19), “Let Him make haste, let Him speed."

עד אשר אם הביאונום “as long as we have not brought them, etc.” The construction is similar to Proverbs 8,26 עד לא עשה ארץ ןחוצות, “while G’d had not yet made earth nor its attributes.” We also find something similar in Genesis 24,19 עד אם כלו, “until they have finished.”

וישב טפנו בערי המבצר, "while our children will dwell in the fortified cities." This comment had to appear here and not previously when the two tribes mentioned the building of cities for their children (and women). They wanted to make it plain that once they could feel reassured about the safety of their families they could volunteer to add another undertaking, i.e. not to return to their own families until all the other tribes had taken over their respective inheritance. The time frame under discussion was 14 years, 7 years of conquest and another seven years for the distribution of the various lands. The two tribes made it plain that unless they left their families in a condition which made it unnecessary for them to worry they would only be with the other tribes during the seven years of conquest. This was why the Torah inserted these words in the middle of this verse although the statement נחלץ חושים should really have been followed immediately by verse 18.

חושים, speedy. Compare Psalms 55,9 אחישה מפלט לי, “I would find a refuge speedily.”

When we are with our brothers. For otherwise, why would they tell Moshe what would happen [later]?

V. 17. ”אוץ“ ,”עוש“ ,”חוש“ ,”חשים“ nach etwas hindrängen, eilen.

Before Bnei Yisroel. This removed Moshe’s first complaint against them: How will Bnei Yisroel have the heart to go to war if we remain across the Yardein. The second claim was removed as well: Yisroel will say we are afraid and do not rely on Hashem’s supervision. On the contrary, at the time we go armed before them, our children will dwell in fortified cities — This is proof that we are not afraid to leave our children behind and we rely on Hashem’s protection. Without Hashem’s individualized supervision, fortified cities offer no benefit, for there will be no one to wage battle in them.

ואנחנו חלץ חושים, “we will be ready armed to act as vanguard;” These tribes promised, after first having settled their families and livestock, not only to fight along the other tribes but to do so in the most exposed positions. They would be able to do so, precisely because they would not be encumbered by their families and livestock.

לפני בני ישראל BEFORE THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL - i.e. at the head of the troops, because they were mighty men; for thus is it said of Gad, (Deuteronomy 30:20): “He teareth the arm, with the crown of the head”. Moses distinctly stated this to them in Sedrah אלה הדברים (Deuteronomy 3:18): “And I commanded you at that time … Ye shall pass over armed before the children of Israel, all ye men of valour”. And regarding the siege of Jericho it is written, (Joshua 6:13): “And the armed men (החלוץ) went before them”— this refers to the tribes of Reuben and Gad who thus fulfilled the conditions they had laid down.

Which we shall build now. Since those that were built previously were destroyed during the war.

The consideration about these tribes remaining with the main body of the Israelite army until after the distribution of the land also explains something which otherwise appears as contradictory. On the one hand they had said they would join and bear arms (verse 18) until התנחל, the other tribes would inherit; on the other hand they said in the earlier verse that they would participate until הביאותם אל מקומם, "until we have brought them to their place." If you accept our interpretation both statements make sense and are in place.

לפני בני ישראל, they would lead the fight on behalf of the people just as they also had taken the lead in settling their families.

וישב טפנו AND OUR LITTLE ONES SHALL STAY, so long as we are with our brethren waging war,

Moses added the word לכם when he encouraged the two tribes to build cities, etc. in verse 24 to show that he agreed with the purpose of their building the cities for their families' safety. In fact, this is what the two tribes did as we know from verse 34-38. The fact is that the soldiers of these tribes did not return to their homes until 14 years later.

בערי המבצר IN THE FORTIFIED CITIES which we will now build (cf. v. 16 with v. 36).