Verses 12-18 narrate how Joshua secured the help of the two and one-half tribes that settled on the east side of the Jordan, Numbers 32.1-42, Deuteronomy 3.12-22, and Joshua 13.8-13 narrate how Moses assigned to the tribes of Reuben and Gad and to half the tribe of Manasseh land on the east side of the Jordan River (the other half of the tribe of Manasseh settled on the west side). So before Joshua directs the people across the Jordan to the west bank he asks these two and one-half tribes to promise to help their fellow Israelites invade the land on the west side and possess it, after which they may return to their territories on the east side of the river (see 22.1-9). They promptly promise to do so and pledge their allegiance to Joshua.

In some languages it may be more natural in verse 12 to follow the order of the Hebrew text so as to have Joshua’s address to the people immediately follow the verb “said”: “To the tribes of Reuben and Gad and to the half tribe of Manasseh, Joshua said….” Or, “Then Joshua gave some special instructions to the tribes of Reuben and Gad and to the half tribe of Manasseh. He said….”

Quoted with permission from Bratcher, Robert G. and Newman, Barclay M. A Handbook on Joshua. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1983. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .