Two of the tribes thought the land they were already in was very suitable for them as they had large herds and flocks. Moses' first concern was that they would then avoid fighting with the rest of the Israelites. Moses reaction was deeply affected by what had happened the first time they were on the verge of entering the Promised Land.
It is not clear whether the tribes of Reuben and Gad actually were seeking to avoid a battle, but whatever the case, they went to Moses and said that they would join the battle with the rest of the Israelites.
Moses then agreed to their request as long as they were fully engaged with helping their fellow Israelites. In all this it is not clear whether this was something the Lord approved of or not.
Chapter 33 then gives a detailed listing of the route that the Israelites took. As has been said many times, the journey was a lot longer than it needed to be.
When they entered the Promised Land they were to rid the land of all of its idols. The land was to be distributed among the tribes and clans in accordance with the size of each group.
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