Numbers 25:17

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Numbers 25

Numbers 25:17

17 “Treat the Midianites as enemies and kill them.

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Numbers 25:17 in Other Translations

KJV

17 Vex the Midianites, and smite them:

ESV

17 "Harass the Midianites and strike them down,

NLT

17 “Attack the Midianites and destroy them,

MSG

17 "From here on make the Midianites your enemies. Fight them tooth and nail.

CSB

17 "Attack the Midianites and strike them dead.

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.

Taken from John Gill's Exposition of the Bible

Numbers 25:17 In-Context

15 And the name of the Midianite woman who was put to death was Kozbi daughter of Zur, a tribal chief of a Midianite family.

16 The LORD said to Moses,

17 “Treat the Midianites as enemies and kill them.

18 They treated you as enemies when they deceived you in the Peor incident involving their sister Kozbi, the daughter of a Midianite leader, the woman who was killed when the plague came as a result of that incident.”

Cross References 3

1. Numbers 31:1-3
2. Exodus 23:22; Judges 2:16-18; Nehemiah 9:27; Psalms 8:2; Psalms 21:8; Psalms 74:23
3. Deuteronomy 21:1; 1 Samuel 17:9,35; 2 Kings 9:27; 2 Kings 10:25