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 ) .