Of the Midianites, for their malicious designs and practices against Israel, both by hiring Balaam to curse them, and by sending their women to enslave them. The Moabites also were guilty, but God out of his own good pleasure, and in kindness to Lot, was pleased to spare them, the rather, because the measure of their iniquity was not yet full. read more
CRITICAL AND EXPLANATORY NOTESMoses had already received command to smite the Midianites (Numbers 25:16-18); and in this chapter we have the order given to him to execute that command, and the narrative of its execution.Numbers 31:2. Avenge the children of Israel of the Midianites, i.e., for the injury which the Midianites had done to the Israelites in seducing them to the licentious and idolatrous worship of Baal-Peor.Afterward shalt thou be gathered unto thy people. See p. 379.Numbers 31:3.... read more
Chapter 31Then 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 ( Numbers 31:2 )So this was to be sort of the final act of Moses. They are just about ready to enter into the land that God has promised and God orders the avenging against the Midianites, who actually created a problem with the children of Israel that we were studying last week. Balak the... read more
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 equally just to punish Midian. Numbers 31:4 . Of every tribe a thousand. The twelve thousand sent against the Midianites were picked men, such as the enemy could not resist; and they were the more encouraged to see the priests and the ark of God marching at their head. The people of Midian... read more
Numbers 31:1-12They warred against the Midianites.The vengeance of Jehovah on MidianI. That in the administration of the Divine government the punishment of sin is certain.1. The sin which the Midianites had committed.2. The Author of the punishment of the Midianites.3. The executioners of the punishment.4. The severity of the punishment.(1) It fell upon an immense number.(2) It tell upon persons of every rank.(3) It involved the destruction of their towns and villages, and the loss of their... read more
Num 31:2 Avenge the children of Israel of the Midianites: afterward shalt thou be gathered unto thy people. Ver. 2. Avenge the children of Israel. ] This is called the vengeance of Jehovah. Num 31:3 The righteous Judge will not fail to avenge our unrighteous vexations, if we "commit ourselves to him in well doing." 1Pe 4:19 read more
Reciprocal: Numbers 10:31 - forasmuch 1 Kings 8:44 - whithersoever read more
Avenge: Numbers 31:3, Numbers 25:17, Numbers 25:18, Deuteronomy 32:35, Judges 16:24, Judges 16:28-Amos :, Psalms 94:1-Leviticus :, Isaiah 1:24, Nahum 1:2, Luke 21:22, Romans 12:19, Romans 13:4, 1 Thessalonians 4:6, Hebrews 10:30, Revelation 6:10, Revelation 18:20, Revelation 19:2 the Midianites: Numbers 25:6, Numbers 25:14-Job :, Genesis 25:1-Numbers :, Exodus 2:16 gathered: Numbers 27:13, Genesis 15:15, Genesis 25:8, Genesis 25:17, Judges 2:10, Acts 13:36 Reciprocal: Genesis 25:2 - Midian... read more
MIDIAN CONQUERED AND BALAAM SLAIN, Numbers 31:1-12. 2. Avenge the children of Israel This is stronger than an ordinary declaration of war. It is the execution of the righteous sentence of Jehovah. Midian had deliberately plotted the moral and national ruin of Israel, clearly demonstrated to be the people of God by the favours shown them. The means employed by the Midianites to compass the downfall of Israel reveals a moral obliquity so marked and contagious as to call for the seven... read more
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Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible - Numbers 31:1-18
Numbers 31:1-Job : . 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-Ezra :) is marked by various fanciful elements, such as ( a) the huge number massacred (for if the girls and unmarried women amounted to 32,000, the married women and the males of all ages must have been three times as many); ( b) the vast quantity of spoil taken; ( c) the complete immunity of the Israelite... read more