Numbers 31:3

Numbers 31:3 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)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.
• New International Version (NIV)So Moses said to the people, “Arm some of your men to go to war against the Midianites so that they may carry out the Lord’s vengeance on them.
• English Standard Version (ESV)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.
• New King James Version (NKJV)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.

Context of Numbers 31:3

1The Lord said to Moses, 2‘You must punish the Midianites because they caused the Israelites to worship idols. After you have done that, you will die.’ Moses said to the people, ‘Choose some men to go and fight against the Midianites. Give them weapons to punish the Midianites as the Lord wants. 4Choose 1,000 men from each Israelite tribe to go and fight.’ 5They did that. There were 12,000 men ready with weapons to fight the battle.

Numbers 31:3 word by word

וַיְדַבֵּ֤ר מֹשֶׁה֙ אֶל־הָעָ֣ם לֵאמֹ֔ר הֵחָלְצ֧וּ מֵאִתְּכֶ֛ם אֲנָשִׁ֖ים לַצָּבָ֑א וְיִהְיוּ֙ עַל־מִדְיָ֔ן לָתֵ֥ת נִקְמַת־יְהוָ֖ה בְּמִדְיָֽן׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And Mosesמֹשֶׁהmôsheh · MosesH4872
• spakeדָבַרdâbar · to speak: speakH1696
• unto the peopleעַם‛am · peopleH5971
• sayingאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• Armחָלַץchâlats · to armH2502
• someאֱנוֹשׁ'ĕnôsh · humanH582
• of yourselves unto the warצָבָאtsâbâ' tsebâ'âh · army: warH6635
• and let them go against the Midianitesמִדְיָןmidyân · MidianH4080
• and avengeנְקָמָהneqâmâh · vengeanceH5360
• and avengeנָתַןnâthan · to give: putH5414
• the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068

Cross-references for Numbers 31:3

• Exodus 17:9Moses said to Joshua, ‘Choose some of our men. Then go out with them and fight against the Amalekites. Tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill, and I will hold God's stick in my hand.’
• Numbers 25:11‘I am no longer angry with the Israelites. That is because of what Phinehas, the son of Eleazar and grandson of Aaron the priest, did. He did not want the people to worship any god except me. Because of him, I did not kill all the Israelites.
• Exodus 17:16Moses said, ‘Take hold of the Lord's flag! The Lord will always continue to fight against the Amalekites.’
• Leviticus 26:25He will send enemy soldiers to kill the people. They have not done what they promised to do. So he will punish them for that. If they go back to their cities, he will send them diseases. The enemy will win the war.
• Judges 5:2‘The leaders of Israel led their people out. The people were happy to follow them to the battle. Praise the Lord!
• 2 Kings 9:7You will destroy the family of your master, Ahab. In this way I will punish Ahab's wife Jezebel, because she killed the prophets and other people who served me.
• 2 Kings 10:30The Lord said to Jehu, ‘You have done well. You have done the things that I say are right. You have punished Ahab's family in the way that I wanted. So your descendants will be kings of Israel for four generations.’
• Jeremiah 46:10But it is the Lord God Almighty who will win! It is the day when he will punish his enemies. His sword will completely destroy them, like a hungry person who cannot stop eating! His sword will cause a lot of blood to pour out. The Lord God Almighty will accept his enemies as a sacrifice. That is what will happen in the northern land beside the Euphrates river.
• Jeremiah 50:28Listen! People have run away from the war in Babylon. Now they are arriving in Jerusalem. They will tell the news in Zion about how the Lord is punishing Babylon. He is punishing the people of Babylon because they destroyed his temple.

Commentaries on Numbers 31:3

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 3Avenge 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 offense 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…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 3Avenge 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…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 3-5Each tribe sent 1,000 men to the battle. This allowed everyone to gain combat experience and share the victory.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 33. Arm some of yourselves--This order was issued but a short time before the death of Moses. The announcement to him of that approaching event [Nu 31:2] seems to have accelerated, rather than retarded, his warlike preparations.Read the comment

In the dictionaries

• Midian
• Moses
• Midian; Midianites
• Midian, Midianite
• Prey
• Purify
• Abel-Shittim
• Avenge; Avenger
• Balaam
• Numbers, Book of

Commentaries on Numbers 31

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings