the Week of Proper 6 / Ordinary 11
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JPS Old Testament
Numbers 31:3
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- CondensedParallel Translations
Moshe spoke to the people, saying, Arm you men from among you for the war, that they may go against Midyan, to execute the LORD's vengeance on Midyan.
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.
Moses spoke to the people, saying, "Arm yourself from among your men for the battle, so that they will go against Midian to mete out the vengeance of Yahweh on Midian.
So Moses spoke to the people, saying, "Arm men from among you for the war, that they may go against Midian to execute the Lord 's vengeance on Midian.
So Moses said to the people, "Get some men ready for war. The Lord will use them to pay back the Midianites.
So Moses spoke to the people: "Arm men from among you for the war, to attack the Midianites and to execute the Lord 's vengeance on Midian.
Moses spoke to the people, saying, "Arm men from among you for war, so that they may go against Midian to execute the LORD'S vengeance on Midian [for seducing Israel to participate in idolatry].
So Moses spoke to the people, saying, "Arm men from among you for the war, so that they may go against Midian to execute the LORD'S vengeance on Midian.
And Moses spake to the people, saying, Harnesse some of you vnto warre, and let them goe against Midian, to execute the vengeance of the Lord against Midian.
And Moses spoke to the people, saying, "Arm men from among you for the war, that they may go against Midian to execute Yahweh's vengeance on Midian.
Then Moses told the people, "The Lord wants to punish the Midianites. So have our men prepare for battle.
Moshe said to the people, "Equip men from among yourselves for war. They are to go and fight Midyan, in order to carry out Adonai 's vengeance on Midyan.
And Moses spoke to the people, saying, Arm from amongst you men for military service, that they go against Midian to execute Jehovah's vengeance upon Midian.
So Moses spoke to the people. He said, "Choose some of your men to be soldiers. The Lord will use these men to do to the Midianites what they did to you.
And Moses said to the people, Arm some of the men from among you for the host, and let them go against the Midianites to avenge the LORD against Midian.
So Moses said to the people, "Get ready for war, so that you can attack Midian and punish them for what they did to the Lord .
So Moses spoke to the people, “Equip some of your men for war. They will go against Midian to inflict the Lord’s vengeance on them.
And Moses spoke to the people, saying, Some men of you be armed for the army, and they shall be against Midian, to give the vengeance of Jehovah on Midian;
The spake Moses vnto the people, & sayde: Harnesse some men amonge you to the warre agaynst the Madianites (yt they maye auenge ye LORDE vpon the Madianites)
And Moses spake unto the people, saying, Arm ye men from among you for the war, that they may go against Midian, to execute Jehovah's vengeance on Midian.
So Moses said to the people, Let men from among you be armed for war to put into effect against Midian the Lord's punishment on them.
And Moyses spake vnto the folke, saying: Harnesse some of you vnto warre, and let them go vpon the Madianites, & auenge the Lorde of the Madianites.
And Moses spake vnto the people, saying, Arme some of your selues vnto the warre, and let them goe against the Midianites, and auenge the Lord of Midian.
And Moses spoke to the people, saying, Arm some of you, and set yourselves in array before the Lord against Madian, to inflict vengeance on Madian from the Lord.
And Moses spake unto the people, saying, Arm ye men from among you for the war, that they may go against Midian, to execute the LORD'S vengeance on Midian.
So Moses told the people, "Arm some of your men for war, that they may go against the Midianites and execute the LORD's vengeance on them.
And anoon Moises seide, Arme ye men of you to batel, that moun take of Madianytis the veniaunce of the Lord.
And Moses speaketh unto the people, saying, `Be ye armed some of you for the host, and they are against Midian, to put the vengeance of Jehovah on Midian;
And Moses spoke to the people, saying, Arm men from among you for the war, that they may go against Midian, to execute Yahweh's vengeance on Midian.
And Moses spoke to the people, saying, Arm some of yourselves for the war, and let them go against the Midianites, and avenge the LORD on Midian.
Moses spoke to the people, saying, Arm you men from among you for the war, that they may go against Midian, to execute Yahweh's vengeance on Midian.
So Moses spoke to the people, saying, "Arm some of yourselves for war, and let them go against the Midianites to take vengeance for the LORD on Midian.
So Moses said to the people, "Choose some men, and arm them to fight the Lord 's war of revenge against Midian.
Then Moses said to the people, "Take men from among you and make them ready for war against Midian. They will punish Midian for the Lord.
So Moses said to the people, "Arm some of your number for the war, so that they may go against Midian, to execute the Lord 's vengeance on Midian.
So Moses spake unto the people saying, Arm ye from among you men, for the war, and let them go against Midian, to render the avenging of Yahweh upon Midian.
And Moses forthwith said: Arm of you men to fight, who may take the revenge of the Lord on the Madianites.
And Moses said to the people, "Arm men from among you for the war, that they may go against Mid'ian, to execute the LORD's vengeance on Mid'ian.
Moses addressed the people: "Recruit men for a campaign against Midian, to exact God 's vengeance on Midian, a thousand from each tribe of Israel to go to war."
Moses spoke to the people, saying, "Arm men from among you for the war, that they may go against Midian to execute the LORD'S vengeance on Midian.
Contextual Overview
Bible Verse Review
from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge
Arm some: Exodus 17:9-13
avenge the Lord: It was God's quarrel, not their own, that they were now to take up. These people were idolaters, and had seduced the Israelites to practise the same abominations. Idolatry is an offence against God; and the civil power has no authority to meddle with what belongs to Him, without especial directions, certified, as in this case, in the most unequivocal manner. Private revenge, ambition, or avarice were to have no place in this business: Jehovah is to be avenged; and through Him, the children of Israel - Numbers 31:2, because they were nearly ruined by their idolatries. If Jehovah, instead of punishing sinners by earthquakes, pestilence, or famine,is pleased expressly to command any person or people to avenge his cause, this commission justifies, nay sanctifies, war, massacre, or devastation. Though none at present shew such a commission, yet the Israelites could; and it is therefore absurd to censure Moses, Joshua, and Israel, for the dreadful slaughter made by them. God himself passed sentence of condemnation, and employed them merely as ministers of his vengeance; and unless it could be proved that the criminals did not deserve their doom, or that God had no right to punish his rebellious creatures, such objectors only shew their enmity to God by becoming the unsolicited advocates of his enemies. Numbers 25:11, Numbers 25:13, Exodus 17:16, Leviticus 26:25, Judges 5:2, Judges 5:23, 2 Kings 9:7, 2 Kings 10:30, Jeremiah 46:10, Jeremiah 50:28
Reciprocal: Genesis 37:28 - Midianites Psalms 149:7 - General
Cross-References
for all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed for ever.
And it came to pass at that time, that Abimelech and Phicol the captain of his host spoke unto Abraham, saying: 'God is with thee in all that thou doest.
And the LORD appeared unto him the same night, and said: 'I am the God of Abraham thy father. Fear not, for I am with thee, and will bless thee, and multiply thy seed for My servant Abraham's sake.'
and give thee the blessing of Abraham, to thee, and to thy seed with thee; that thou mayest inherit the land of thy sojournings, which God gave unto Abraham.'
And, behold, the LORD stood beside him, and said: 'I am the LORD, the God of Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac. The land whereon thou liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed.
And it came to pass, when Rachel had borne Joseph, that Jacob said unto Laban: 'Send me away, that I may go unto mine own place, and to my country.
And Jacob beheld the countenance of Laban, and, behold, it was not toward him as beforetime.
And the LORD said unto Jacob: 'Return unto the land of thy fathers, and to thy kindred; and I will be with thee.'
and said unto them: 'I see your father's countenance, that it is not toward me as beforetime; but the God of my father hath been with me.
I am the God of Beth-el, where thou didst anoint a pillar, where thou didst vow a vow unto Me. Now arise, get thee out from this land, and return unto the land of thy nativity.'
Gill's Notes on the 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 whole body of the militia, 600,000 men and upwards, only some of them, and these choice and select men; and, according to the Jewish writers, good men, who, detesting the sins of lewdness and idolatry, would more strictly and severely avenge themselves on the Midianites for drawing their brethren into those sins, whereby they fell; and so Jarchi calls them righteous men:
[and] let them go against the Midianites, and avenge the Lord of Midian: what the Lord calls the vengeance of the Israelites, Moses calls the vengeance of the Lord, because they were the Lord's people, and his cause and theirs the same: and because the sins they were drawn into by the Midianites were not only against themselves, and to their prejudice, but against the Lord and to the dishonour of his name.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible
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 among the Midianites who were personally guiltless as regards Israel. But the rulers deliberately adopted the counsel of Balaam against Israel, and their behests had been but too readily obeyed by their subjects. The sin therefore was national, and the retribution could be no less so.
But the commission of the Israelites in the text must not be conceived as a general license to slay. They had no discretion to kill or to spare. They were bidden to exterminate without mercy, and brought back to their task Numbers 31:14 when they showed signs of flinching from it. They had no alternarive in this and similar matters except to fulfill the commands of God; an awful but doubtless salutary manifestation, as was afterward the slaughter of the Canaanites, of Godâs wrath against sin; and a type of the future extermination of sin and sinners from His kingdom.
Clarke's Notes on the Bible
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.
