Numbers 25:17

17 "Treat the Midyanim as enemies and attack them;

Numbers 25:17 Meaning and Commentary

Numbers 25:17

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 F12; though they did not entirely escape the divine resentment, as appears from ( Deuteronomy 23:3 Deuteronomy 23:4 ) 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 Numbers 22:7 ) ( Numbers 25:1 Numbers 25:6 ) ( Numbers 31:9 Numbers 31:16 ) .


FOOTNOTES:

F12 T. Bab. Bava Kama, fol. 38. 2.

Numbers 25:17 In-Context

15 The name of the woman from Midyan who was killed was Kozbi the daughter of Tzur, and he was head of the people in one of the clans of Midyan.
16 ADONAI said to Moshe,
17 "Treat the Midyanim as enemies and attack them;
18 because they are treating you as enemies by the trickery they used to deceive you in the P'or incident and in the affair of their sister Kozbi, the daughter of the leader from Midyan, the woman who was killed on the day of the plague in the P'or incident."
Complete Jewish Bible Copyright 1998 by David H. Stern. Published by Jewish New Testament Publications, Inc. All rights reserved. Used by permission.