New Living Translation
Numbers 31:3
3So Moses said to the people, “Choose some men, and arm them to fight the Lord’s war of revenge against Midian.
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
1Then the Lord said to Moses, 2“On behalf of the people of Israel, take revenge on the Midianites for leading them into idolatry. After that, you will die and join your ancestors.” So Moses said to the people, “Choose some men, and arm them to fight the Lord’s war of revenge against Midian. 4From each tribe of Israel, send 1,000 men into battle.” 5So they chose 1,000 men from each tribe of Israel, a total of 12,000 men armed for battle.
Read all of Numbers 31Numbers 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 commanded Joshua, “Choose some men to go out and fight the army of Amalek for us. Tomorrow, I will stand at the top of the hill, holding the staff of God in my hand.”
- Numbers 25:11“Phinehas son of Eleazar and grandson of Aaron the priest has turned my anger away from the Israelites by being as zealous among them as I was. So I stopped destroying all Israel as I had intended to do in my zealous anger.
- Exodus 17:16He said, “They have raised their fist against the Lord’s throne, so now the Lord will be at war with Amalek generation after generation.”
- Leviticus 26:25I will send armies against you to carry out the curse of the covenant you have broken. When you run to your towns for safety, I will send a plague to destroy you there, and you will be handed over to your enemies.
- Judges 5:2“Israel’s leaders took charge, and the people gladly followed. Praise the Lord!
- 2 Kings 9:7You are to destroy the family of Ahab, your master. In this way, I will avenge the murder of my prophets and all the Lord’s servants who were killed by Jezebel.
- 2 Kings 10:30Nonetheless the Lord said to Jehu, “You have done well in following my instructions to destroy the family of Ahab. Therefore, your descendants will be kings of Israel down to the fourth generation.”
- Jeremiah 46:10For this is the day of the Lord, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, a day of vengeance on his enemies. The sword will devour until it is satisfied, yes, until it is drunk with your blood! The Lord, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, will receive a sacrifice today in the north country beside the Euphrates River.
- Jeremiah 50:28Listen to the people who have escaped from Babylon, as they tell in Jerusalem how the Lord our God has taken vengeance against those who 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
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
New Living Translation — © 1996, 2004, 2015 Tyndale House Foundation
Commentaries