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Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

Numbers 31:3

Verse Numbers 31:3. Avenge the Lord of Midian.] It was God's quarrel, not their own, that they were now to take up. These people were idolaters; idolatry is an offence against GOD; the civil power has no authority to meddle with what belongs to Him, without especial directions, certified in the most unequivocal way. Private revenge, extension of territory, love of plunder, were to have no place in this business; the Lord is to be avenged; and through HIM the children of Israel, (Numbers 31:2), because their souls as well as their bodies had been well nigh ruined by their idolatry.

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See also Numbers 31:3 in other biblical comments:

  • Albert Barnes' Bible Commentary

    AVENGE THE LORD OF MIDIAN - The war against the Midianites was no ordinary war. It was indeed less a war than the execution of a divine sentence against a most guilty people. Doubtless there were many...

  • Annotated Bible by A.C. Gaebelein

    7. THE WAR AGAINST THE MIDIANITES CHAPTER 31 _ 1. The command to fight Midian (Numbers 31:1)_ 2. The war (Numbers 31:7) 3. The cleansing (Numbers 31:13) 4. The spoil taken ...

  • Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible

    THE EXTERMINATION OF THE MIDIANITES. This story of a war of extermination, waged to avenge the wiles practised on Israel by Midian (as described in Numbers 25:6) is marked by various fanciful elements...

  • Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes

    AVENGE THE LORD OF MIDIAN. render the vengeance of Jehovah upon Midian. Compare Ch. Numbers 25:17....

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    _The utter destruction of every Midianite_, with the exception of the virgins who are to be kept as spoil....

  • Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

    AVENGE THE LORD OF MIDIAN— What is called _avenging the children of Israel,_ in Numbers 31:2 is here called _avenging the LORD;_ because the war was with idolaters, the enemies of the true religion, a...

  • College Press Bible Study Textbook Series

    IV. THE LAST EVENTS IN TRANS-JORDAN (NUMBERS 31; NUMBERS 32; NUMBERS 33:1-42) A. ATTACK UPON THE MIDIANITES vv. 1-12 TEXT Numbers 31:1. And th

  • Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

    _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...

  • Darby's translation notes (1890)

    31:3 go (a-18) Lit. 'be.'...

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    WAR AGAINST MIDIAN This chapter contains an account of the fulfilment of the decree of extermination passed upon the Midianites as being the occasion of Israel's apostasy in the plains of Moab: see o...

  • EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries

    THE OLD TESTAMENT BOOK OF NUMBERS IN THE DESERT NUMBERS _MARION ADAMS_ CHAPTER 31 *ISRAEL’S WAR AGAINST THE COUNTRY CALLED MIDIAN – NUMBERS 31:1-12 V1 The *LORD said to Moses, V2...

  • Ellicott's Commentary On The Whole Bible

    ARM SOME OF YOURSELVES... — Better, _Arm from among you_ (or, _from those with you_)_ men for the war._ The details of the selection are contained in the next verse....

  • ETCBC data on Hebrew bible

    וַ יְדַבֵּ֤ר מֹשֶׁה֙ אֶל ־הָ עָ֣ם לֵ

  • Expositor's Bible Commentary (Nicoll)

    WAR AND SETTLEMENT 1. THE WAR WITH MIDIAN Numbers 31:1 THE command to vex and smite the Midianites Numbers 25:16 has already been considered. Israel had not the spiritual power which would have just...

  • Frederick Brotherton Meyer's Commentary

    THE DESTRUCTION OF THE MIDIANITES Numbers 31:1 In reading such a chapter as this we must remember that the Bible is the history of the slow advance of a nation toward the knowledge of God, and its pr...

  • G. Campbell Morgan's Exposition on the Whole Bible

    Here we have the story of the end of Balaam. It took place in connection with a war directly resulting from the sin of the people committed through the influence of Balaam. They had corrupted the nati...

  • Geneva Study Bible Commentary

    And Moses spake unto the people, saying, Arm some of yourselves unto the war, and let them go (a) against the Midianites, and avenge the LORD of Midian. (a) As he had commanded in (Numbers 25:17), de...

  • Hawker's Poor man's commentary

    I beg the Reader to observe the words of Moses in this verse. In the former verse the LORD had said that the children of Israel should avenge themselves of the Midianites. But Moses varies the precept...

  • Introductory Lectures - Commentary by William Kelly

    The successes given to the children of Israel alarmed some of their neighbours, more particularly Moab; and this gives occasion for a striking episode in the history which brought to issue as solemn a...

  • John Calvin's Bible Commentary

    3._And Moses spake unto the people. _There is no doubt but that Moses delivered the commands which he had received from God; although, therefore, it is stated (205) that only ten thousand went forth t...

  • John Darby's Synopsis

    War is found in the wilderness (though it is not characteristic of it) whenever we fall into the snares the enemy there lays for us. There are always conflicts in the heavenly places in order to the e...

  • John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

    AND MOSES SPAKE UNTO THE PEOPLE, SAYING,.... In obedience to the divine command; this must be supposed to be spoken to the heads or princes of the tribes: ARM SOME OF YOURSELVES UNTO THE WAR: not the...

  • John Trapp Complete Commentary

    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. Ver. 3. _Arm some of yourselves unto the war._] La...

  • Joseph Benson’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    _Avenge the Lord_ What in the preceding verse is termed _avenging Israel_, is here called _avenging the Lord_, because by their idolatry and lewdness, and by seducing God's people into rebellion again...

  • KJV Original Language Details

    1 The Midianites are spoyled, and Balaam slaine. 13 Moses is wroth with the officers, for sauing the women aliue. 19 How the souldiers with their captiues and spoile, are to be purified. 25 The pro...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    And Moses spake unto the people, saying, Arm some of yourselves unto the war, prepare everything for a campaign, mobilize an army, AND LET THEM GO AGAINST THE MIDIANITES, AND AVENGE THE LORD OF MIDIAN...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    THE OVERTHROW OF MIDIAN...

  • Leslie M. Grant's Commentary on the Bible

    VENGEANCE ON MIDIAN (vs.1-11) The Midianites had been guilty of seducing Israel, and God required that account to be settled. This was the last charge laid upon Moses before his death (v.2). His own...

  • Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible

    1-6 All who, without commission from God, dare to execute private revenge, and who, from ambition, covetousness, or resentment, wage war and desolate kingdoms, must one day answer for it. But if God,...

  • Matthew Poole's Concise Commentary On The Bible

    For the affront and injury which they offered to God, partly by their own idolatry and lewdness, and partly by seducing God's people into rebellion against him. God's great care was to AVENGE THE ISRA...

  • Notes on the Pentateuch by Charles Henry Mackintosh

    We have here the closing scene of Moses' _ official_ life; as in Deuteronomy 34:1-12 we have the closing scene of his _ personal_ history. "and the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Avenge the children o...

  • Patchworkid's Personal Study Bible Notes

    Numbers 31:3 Moses H4872 spoke H1696 (H8762) people H5971 saying H559 (H8800) Arm H2502 (H8734) some...

  • Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible

    (I) THE SENTENCE PASSED AND CARRIED OUT ON THE LOCAL MIDIANITES (NUMBERS 31:1). Analysis. a The command to avenge Yahweh on Midian (Numbers 31:1). b The judgment of Yahweh in the defeat of Midian ...

  • Summarized Bible Commentary

    CONTENTS: The judgment of Midian. CHARACTERS: God, Moses, Balaam. CONCLUSION: Our worst enemies are those that draw us to sin. Over all such enemies there is absolute victory for those who take side...

  • Sutcliffe's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    Numbers 31:2. _Avenge the children of Israel of the Midianites._ If it were just to cut off twenty four thousand of the Israelites for the awful feast, apostasy, and fornication at Baal-peor, it was e...

  • The Biblical Illustrator

    _They warred against the Midianites._ THE VENGEANCE OF JEHOVAH ON MIDIAN I. That in the administration of the Divine government the punishment of sin is certain. 1. The sin which the Midianites had...

  • The ESV Global Study Bible's Study Notes

    NUMBERS—NOTE ON NUMBERS 31:1__ The Midianites were nomadic people who lived in the deserts on the outside edges of Canaan. They were associated with the Ishmaelites, Amalekites, and Moabites. It is th...

  • The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary

    CRITICAL AND EXPLANATORY NOTES Moses had already received command to smite the Midianites (Numbers 25:16); and in this chapter we have the order given to him to execute that command, and the narrativ...

  • Through The Bible C2000 Serie by Chuck Smith

    Then as we get into Numbers chapter thirty-one, the Lord orders the destruction of the Midianites. Avenge the children of Israel of the Midianites: afterward thou shall be gathered to your people (Nu...

  • Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

    2 Kings 10:30; 2 Kings 9:7; Exodus 17:16; Exodus 17:9; Jeremiah 46:10

  • Wesley's Explanatory Notes

    Avenge ye the Lord — For the affront which they offered to God, by their own idolatry and lewdness, and by seducing God's people into rebellion against him. God's great care was to avenge the Israelit...

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