Our little ones, our wives, our flocks, and all our cattle, shall remain there in the cities of Gilead: In this context little ones refers to “children” (Good News Translation; see verse 16). The Hebrew word for flocks (miqneh) is a generic term for livestock (see verse 1, where it is rendered “cattle”). Cattle renders another generic Hebrew term (behemah) for domestic animals (see 31.9.) By using both of these terms, the Gadites and Reubenites emphasize that they will leave all their animals behind (note the adjective all) while they themselves will go into battle, like the other Israelites. Good News Translation renders our flock, and all our cattle as “our cattle and sheep,” which is not accurate. A better model is “all our livestock.” Instead of there, many translations say “here” (Good News Translation, Contemporary English Version) since the speakers were still in the land east of the Jordan River. In this context Gilead seems to be a general reference to the land east of the Jordan (so Noth, page 239; see the comments on verse 1).
But your servants will pass over: Translators should begin a new sentence here (so Good News Translation). For your servants, see verses 4 and 25. In some languages it will be helpful to provide an object for the verb pass over; for example, Good News Translation says “cross the Jordan.”
Every man who is armed for war: The Hebrew word for armed is chalats, as in verse 21, and the word for war is tsavaʾ (see 4.3). The phrase armed for war may be rendered “battle-ready,” as in 31.5 (see the comments there).
Before the LORD to battle: The Gadites and Reubenites show their commitment to the agreement by adopting the theological language used by Moses in verses 20-21. As in verse 21, Good News Translation renders before the LORD as “under the LORD’s command.”
As my lord orders: For my lord, see verse 25. If possible, this phrase should be rendered the same way here.
Quoted with permission from de Regt, Lénart J. and Wendland, Ernst R. A Handbook on Numbers. (UBS Helps for Translators). Miami: UBS, 2016. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .