Numbers 25:17

Christian Standard Bible ®

“Attack the Midianites and strike them dead.

Parallel Translations

English Standard Version
"Harass the Midianites and strike them down,

Update Bible Version
Vex the Midianites, and smite them;

English Revised Version
Vex the Midianites, and smite them:

New Century Version
"The Midianites are your enemies, and you should kill them.

New English Translation
"Bring trouble to the Midianites, and destroy them,

Webster's Bible Translation
Distress the Midianites, and smite them:

World English Bible
Vex the Midianites, and strike them;

Amplified Bible
"Provoke hostilities with the Midianites and attack them,

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
`Madianytis feele you enemyes, and smyte ye hem;

Young's Literal Translation
`Distress the Midianites, and ye have smitten them,

Berean Standard Bible
"Attack the Midianites and strike them dead.

Contemporary English Version
"The Midianites are now enemies of Israel, so attack and defeat them! They tricked the people of Israel into worshiping their god at Peor, and they are responsible for the death of Cozbi, the daughter of one of their own leaders."

American Standard Version
Vex the Midianites, and smite them;

Bible in Basic English
Take up arms against the Midianites and overcome them;

Bishop's Bible (1568)
Uexe the Madianites, & smyte them:

Complete Jewish Bible
"Treat the Midyanim as enemies and attack them;

Darby Translation
Harass the Midianites, and smite them,

Easy-to-Read Version
"The Midianites are your enemies. You must kill them.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
'Harass the Midianites, and smite them;

King James Version (1611)
Uexe the Midianites, and smite them:

New Life Bible
"Be angry at the Midianites and fight against them.

New Revised Standard
"Harass the Midianites, and defeat them;

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Besiege the Midianites, - and ye shall smite them:

Geneva Bible (1587)
Vexe the Midianites, and smite them:

George Lamsa Translation
Harass the Midianites and destroy them;

Good News Translation
"Attack the Midianites and destroy them,

Douay-Rheims Bible
Let the Madianites find you their enemies, and slay you them:

Revised Standard Version
"Harass the Mid'ianites, and smite them;

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
Plague the Madianites as enemies, and smite them,

Hebrew Names Version
Vex the Midyanim, and strike them;

King James Version
Vex the Midianites, and smite them:

Lexham English Bible
"Attack the Midianites and strike them

Literal Translation
Vex the Midianites, and you shall strike them;

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Vexe the Madianites, & smyte them,

New American Standard Bible
"Be hostile to the Midianites and attack them;

New King James Version
"Harass the Midianites, and attack them;

New Living Translation
"Attack the Midianites and destroy them,

New American Standard Bible (1995)
"Be hostile to the Midianites and strike them;

Legacy Standard Bible
"Be hostile to the Midianites and strike them,

Contextual Overview

¹⁶The Lord told Moses: ¹⁷“Attack the Midianites and strike them dead. ¹⁸For they attacked you with the treachery that they used against you in the Peor incident. They did the same in the case involving their sister Cozbi, daughter of the Midianite leader who was killed the day the plague came at Peor.”

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Balaam's counsel seems to have been first given to Balak, king of Moab; but probably the Midianitish women, especially of the higher ranks, as Cozbi was, were the principal tempters; and the nation of Midian seems to have come into the execrable measure more generally and heartily than that of Moab: they were therefore first selected to be made examples of, for a warning to the Moabites, who were spared at this time. Numbers 31:2, Revelation 18:6

Reciprocal: Genesis 25:2 - Midian Genesis 37:28 - Midianites Deuteronomy 25:17 - General Judges 6:1 - Midian

Cross-References

Genesis 15:15
But you will go to your fathers in peace and be buried at a good old age.

Genesis 25:7
This is the length of Abraham’s life: 175 years.

Genesis 25:8
He took his last breath and died at a good old age, old and contented, and he was gathered to his people.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Vex the Midianites, and smite them. Go to war with them, and smite them with the sword; not the Moabites, but the Midianites, though they were both confederates against Israel; but God had given a charge not to contend in battle with Moab, Deuteronomy 2:9, they were spared for the sake of Lot, from whom they sprang; and, as Jarchi says, for the sake of Ruth, who was to come from them; and so in the Talmud l; though they did not entirely escape the divine resentment, as appears from

Deuteronomy 23:3 but the Midianites were the first that advised to send for Balaam, and with them he stayed and was entertained, after he had been dismissed by Balak; and it seems as if it was to them he gave the wicked counsel, to draw Israel into fornication, and so into idolatry, and thereby bring the curse of God upon them; which advice they communicated to the Moabites, and both were concerned in putting it into execution; see Numbers 22:4.

l T. Bab. Bava Kama, fol. 38. 2.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Numbers 25:17. Vex the Midianites, &c. — See this order fulfilled, Numbers 31:1-20. Twelve thousand Israelites attacked the Midianites, destroyed all their cities, slew their five kings, every male, and every grown up woman, and took all their spoils.