I think Moses understood that Reuben and Gad weren't acting in fear in Numbers 32, but he saw an opportunity for a teachable moment. Many among the other tribes would feel abandoned and threatened by their request to stay East of the Jordan. Moses gave voice to those concerns as if they were his own, surreptitiously addressing both sides with the same words. He bolstered his position of leadership and thereby that of Joshua also. They were leaders who understood their people and would speak on their behalf.

#numbers 32:6-15 #matot