_AND THE LORD SPAKE UNTO MOSES, SAYING,_ The Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Avenge ... of the Midianites - a semi-nomadic people, descended from Abraham and Keturah, occupying a tract of country east and southeast of Moab, which lay on the eastern coast of the Dead Sea. They seem to have been the p... [ Continue Reading ]
_AND MOSES SPAKE UNTO THE PEOPLE, SAYING, ARM SOME OF YOURSELVES UNTO THE WAR, AND LET THEM GO AGAINST THE MIDIANITES, AND AVENGE THE LORD OF MIDIAN._ Arm ... yourselves. This order was issued but a short time before the death of Moses. The announcement to him of that approaching event seems to hav... [ Continue Reading ]
_OF EVERY TRIBE A THOUSAND, THROUGHOUT ALL THE TRIBES OF ISRAEL, SHALL YE SEND TO THE WAR._ No JFB commentary on this verse.... [ Continue Reading ]
_SO THERE WERE DELIVERED OUT OF THE THOUSANDS OF ISRAEL, A THOUSAND OF EVERY TRIBE, TWELVE THOUSAND ARMED FOR WAR._ There were delivered - i:e., draughted, chosen, an equal amount from each tribe, to prevent the outbreak of mutual jealousy or strife. Considering the numerical force of the enemy, th... [ Continue Reading ]
_AND MOSES SENT THEM TO THE WAR, A THOUSAND OF EVERY TRIBE, THEM AND PHINEHAS THE SON OF ELEAZAR THE PRIEST, TO THE WAR, WITH THE HOLY INSTRUMENTS, AND THE TRUMPETS TO BLOW IN HIS HAND._ MOSES SENT THEM ... AND PHINEAS THE SON OF ELEAZAR THE PRIEST. Although it is not expressly mentioned, it is high... [ Continue Reading ]
_AND THEY WARRED AGAINST THE MIDIANITES, AS THE LORD COMMANDED MOSES; AND THEY SLEW ALL THE MALES._ They slew all the males. This was in accordance with a divine order in all such cases (Deuteronomy 20:13). But the destruction appears to have been only partial-limited to those who were in the neigh... [ Continue Reading ]
_AND THEY SLEW THE KINGS OF MIDIAN, BESIDE THE REST OF THEM THAT WERE SLAIN; NAMELY, EVI, AND REKEM, AND ZUR, AND HUR, AND REBA, FIVE KINGS OF MIDIAN: BALAAM ALSO THE SON OF BEOR THEY SLEW WITH THE SWORD._ The kings of Midian - so called because each was possessed of absolute power within his own c... [ Continue Reading ]
_AND THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL TOOK ALL THE WOMEN OF MIDIAN CAPTIVES, AND THEIR LITTLE ONES, AND TOOK THE SPOIL OF ALL THEIR CATTLE, AND ALL THEIR FLOCKS, AND ALL THEIR GOODS._ The children of Israel took ... The taking captive the women and children, seizing the cattle and effects as booty, and reduc... [ Continue Reading ]
_AND THEY TOOK ALL THE SPOIL, AND ALL THE PREY, BOTH OF MEN AND OF BEASTS._ No JFB commentary on this verse.... [ Continue Reading ]
_AND THEY BROUGHT THE CAPTIVES, AND THE PREY, AND THE SPOIL, UNTO MOSES, AND ELEAZAR THE PRIEST, AND UNTO THE CONGREGATION OF THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL, UNTO THE CAMP AT THE PLAINS OF MOAB, WHICH ARE BY JORDAN NEAR JERICHO._ They brought the captives, and the prey, and the spoil ... The booty obtained... [ Continue Reading ]
_AND MOSES, AND ELEAZAR THE PRIEST, AND ALL THE PRINCES OF THE CONGREGATION, WENT FORTH TO MEET THEM WITHOUT THE CAMP._ Went forth to meet them without the camp - partly as a token of respect and congratulation on their victory, partly to see how they had executed the Lord's commands, and partly to... [ Continue Reading ]
_AND MOSES WAS WROTH WITH THE OFFICERS OF THE HOST, WITH THE CAPTAINS OVER THOUSANDS, AND CAPTAINS OVER HUNDREDS, WHICH CAME FROM THE BATTLE._ Moses was wroth. The displeasure of the great leader, though it appears the ebullition of a fierce and sanguinary temper, arose in reality from a pious and... [ Continue Reading ]
_AND MOSES SAID UNTO THEM, HAVE YE SAVED ALL THE WOMEN ALIVE?_ No JFB commentary on these verses.... [ Continue Reading ]
_AND DO YE ABIDE WITHOUT THE CAMP SEVEN DAYS: WHOSOEVER HATH KILLED ANY PERSON, AND WHOSOEVER HATH TOUCHED ANY SLAIN, PURIFY BOTH YOURSELVES AND YOUR CAPTIVES ON THE THIRD DAY, AND ON THE SEVENTH DAY._ Abide without the camp seven days. Though the Israelites had taken the field in obedience to the... [ Continue Reading ]
_AND PURIFY ALL YOUR RAIMENT, AND ALL THAT IS MADE OF SKINS, AND ALL WORK OF GOATS' HAIR, AND ALL THINGS MADE OF WOOD._ No JFB commentary on these verses.... [ Continue Reading ]
_TAKE THE SUM OF THE PREY THAT WAS TAKEN, BOTH OF MAN AND OF BEAST, THOU, AND ELEAZAR THE PRIEST, AND THE CHIEF FATHERS OF THE CONGREGATION:_ Take the sum of the prey - i:e., of the captives and cattle, which, having been first slumped together according to ancient usage (Exodus 15:9; Judges 5:30),... [ Continue Reading ]
_AND DIVIDE THE PREY INTO TWO PARTS; BETWEEN THEM THAT TOOK THE WAR UPON THEM, WHO WENT OUT TO BATTLE, AND BETWEEN ALL THE CONGREGATION:_ No JFB commentary on these verses.... [ Continue Reading ]
_AND THE BOOTY, BEING THE REST OF THE PREY WHICH THE MEN OF WAR HAD CAUGHT, WAS SIX HUNDRED THOUSAND AND SEVENTY THOUSAND AND FIVE THOUSAND SHEEP,_ The booty, being the rest of the prey. Some of the captives having been killed (Numbers 31:17), and find part of the cattle taken for the support of th... [ Continue Reading ]
_AND THREESCORE AND TWELVE THOUSAND BEEVES,_ No JFB commentary on these verses.... [ Continue Reading ]
_AND THIRTY AND TWO THOUSAND PERSONS IN ALL, OF WOMEN THAT HAD NOT KNOWN MAN BY LYING WITH HIM._ Persons ... of women ... х_ WªNEPESH_ (H5315) _ 'AADAAM_ (H120) _ MIN_ (H4480) _ HANAASHIYM_ (H802)] - and the human persons of women. Adam, being the generic name of the human race, is here applied to... [ Continue Reading ]
_AND THE HALF, WHICH WAS THE PORTION OF THEM THAT WENT OUT TO WAR, WAS IN NUMBER THREE HUNDRED THOUSAND AND SEVEN AND THIRTY THOUSAND AND FIVE HUNDRED SHEEP:_ No JFB commentary on these verses.... [ Continue Reading ]
_AND THE OFFICERS WHICH WERE OVER THOUSANDS OF THE HOST, THE CAPTAINS OF THOUSANDS, AND CAPTAINS OF HUNDREDS, CAME NEAR UNTO MOSES:_ Officers ... said ... there lacketh not one man of us. A victory so signal, and the glory of which was untarnished by the loss of a single Israelite soldier, was an a... [ Continue Reading ]