56 matching verse commentaries
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
INTRODUCTION TO Numbers 31 This chapter contains an order to make war upon Midian, which was accordingly done, Numbers 31:1, but Moses was wroth, because they saved the women alive, who, through the counsel of Balaam, had been the cause of sin, and of the plague for it in Israel, and therefore orders them, and the male children, to be slain,...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And the Lord spake unto Moses,.... After the plague upon Israel for their fornication and idolatry, into which they were drawn by the daughters of Moab and Midian, and after the sum of the people was taken in the plains of Moab, and various laws given or repeated, and a little before the death of Moses: saying; as follows.
Matthew Henry - Complete Commentary - Matthew Henry
This chapter belongs to "the book of the wars of the Lord," in which it is probable it was inserted. It is the history of a holy war, a war with Midian. Here is, I. A divine command for the war, ver. 1, 2. II. The undertaking of the war, ver. 3-6. III. The glorious success of it, ver. 7-12. IV. Their triumphant return from the war. 1. The respect...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Avenge the children of Israel of the Midianites,.... For the injury they had done them, by sending their daughters among them, who enticed them to commit uncleanness with them, and then drew them into the worship of their idols, which brought the wrath of God upon them, and for which 24,000 persons were slain. Now, though the Moabites had a...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
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...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Of every tribe a thousand,.... So that the whole number of those that were armed were 12,000 as after given: throughout all the tribes of Israel; this is observed, as Jarchi thinks, to comprehend the tribe of Levi, which in some cases was left out of the account: shall ye send to the war; to fight with Midian.
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
So they were delivered out of the thousands of Israel,....] Several thousands very probably offered themselves voluntarily to go to the war, or however were summoned together on this account, and out of them the following number was delivered of picked and chosen men: a thousand [of every] tribe, twelve thousand armed for war; which was but a...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And Moses sent them to the war,.... Being mustered and armed: a thousand of [every] tribe, them and Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest to the war; which looks as if Phinehas was the general of this army; for Moses went not to the war, and no mention is made of Joshua, nor might it be proper for him, he being the successor of Moses, who was...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And they warred against the Midianites, as the Lord commanded Moses,.... Whether the Midianites came out against them with an army, and there was a pitched battle between them, is not certain; however the Israelites committed acts of hostility upon them, by entering their cities, plundering their houses, and slaying the inhabitants of them; the...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And they slew the kings of Midian, beside the rest of them that were slain,.... Besides the males of the common people, they slew their kings, who were petty kings or princes, perhaps under the king of Moab, or had reassumed their titles and government after the death of Sihon the king of the Amorites, who, in his time, were called dukes of Sihon,...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And the children of Israel took [all] the women of Midian captives,.... The word "all" is not in the original text, nor should it be supplied; for if all had been taken, and carried captive, and put to death, as those were afterwards, how could there have been such an increase of the Midianites as there was in some time after this? see Judges 6:1...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And they burnt all their cities wherein they dwelt, c. ) So far as they went into the country, which, perhaps, might not be the whole land of Midian: and all their goodly castles with fire which were either the palaces of their princes and nobles, or such like great personages; or they were fortified places, for the security of their cities and...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And they took all the spoil,.... In their cities and castles; and all the prey, both of men and of beasts; all sorts of cattle, oxen, sheep, and asses.
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Ver. 12 And they brought the captives, the prey, and the spoil,.... The women and children, who were the captives, and the beasts which were the prey, and the gold, silver, c. which were the spoil: unto Moses and Eleazar the priest, and unto the congregation of the children of Israel that is, they were bringing the above persons things unto them,...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And Moses and Eleazar the priest, and all the princes of the congregation,.... Attended, no doubt, with a proper retinue: went forth to meet them without the camp; partly to do honour to them, and to congratulate them on their victory, and partly to hinder them going into the camp directly, until they were purified; see Genesis 14:17.
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And Moses was wroth with the officers of the host,.... The general officers who had the command of the army, for there does not appear to be anyone that was one general over the whole, otherwise the displeasure would have fallen upon him: [with] the captains over thousands, and captains over hundreds, which came from the battle; rather "with"...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And Moses said unto them, have ye saved all the women alive?] Which either had been reported to him, or he concluded, by seeing so many with them; and this question is put, not for information, but by way of reproof, and as chiding them for what they had done; for they might have received orders from him to put them to death, when he sent them...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Behold, these caused the children of Israel, through the counsel of Balaam,.... Who advised the Midianites to send their women into the camp of Israel, and allure them to uncleanness, and so draw them into idolatry, which counsel they followed and it succeeded; for, by this means, they were brought to commit trespass against the Lord in the matter...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Now therefore kill every male among the little ones,.... Which they had taken and brought captives, Numbers 31:9 and kill every woman that hath known man by lying with him; who might be such, at least many of them, who had lain with Israelitish men; and as the adulterers had been put to death, so now the adulteresses; or they were ordered to, be...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
But all the women children,.... The females among the little ones: that have not known a man by lying with him; which might be pretty clear, and easily concluded, from their age: keep for yourselves; either to be handmaids to them, or to be married among them when grown up, and become proselytes, and initiated into their religion.