And the border of the children of Reuben was Jordan, and the border thereof. This was the inheritance of the children of Reuben after their families, the cities and the villages thereof.
Joshua balked at dividing land not yet conquered, but God corrected him: take what lies before you now and trust the rest will follow when your numbers require it. Property divided by law and equity, not force, secures the inheritance for your children; what is seized by arms alone is soon lost again, but what God grants cannot be shaken.
AI summary
Commenting on Joshua 13:7-33
And Moses gave inheritance unto the tribe of Gad,.... On the other side Jordan, as he did to Reuben: even unto the children of Gad, according to their families: according to the number and largeness of them, dividing to each their part and portion.
The cities and the villages - By villages, חצרים chatserim, it is likely that moveable villages or tents are meant, such as are in use among the Bedouin Arabs; places where they were accustomed to feed and pen their cattle.