Numbers 31:2

Avenge the children of Israel of the Midianites: afterward shalt thou be gathered unto thy people.

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Word by word — the Hebrew

Word	Hebrew	Strong’s	Meaning
Avenge	נְקֹ֗ם ne.Kom	H5358	to grudge · verb, qal imperative, 2nd person masculine singular
children	בְּנֵ֣י be.Nei	H1121	a son (as a builder of the family name) · noun, common masculine plural construct
Israel	יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל Yis.ra.'El	H3478	Jisrael · proper noun, a place name
Midianites	הַמִּדְיָנִ֑ים ha.mid.ya.Nim	H4084	a Midjanite or descendant (native) of Midjan · definite article + noun, gentilic masculine plural absolute
afterward	אַחַ֖ר 'a.Char	H310	properly · cardinal number, masculine singular absolute
gathered	תֵּאָסֵ֥ף te.'a.Sef	H622	to gather for any purpose · verb, niphal imperfect, 2nd person masculine singular
people	עַמֶּֽיךָ 'a.Mei.kha	H5971	a people (as a congregated unit) · noun, common masculine plural construct + pronominal suffix, 2nd person masculine singular

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (James Strong, 1890/1894), public domain; digitized by Open Scriptures (CC BY-SA). KJV word tagging: eBible.org (public domain). Original-language text, parsing and brief lexicon: STEPBible.org data from Tyndale House, Cambridge (CC BY 4.0).

Cross-references

Numbers 27:13 And when thou hast seen it, thou also shalt be gathered unto thy people, as Aaron thy brother was gathered.
Numbers 25:14-18 Now the name of the Israelite that was slain, even that was slain with the Midianitish woman, was Zimri, the son of Salu, a prince of a chie…
Judges 2:10 And also all that generation were gathered unto their fathers: and there arose another generation after them, which knew not the LORD, nor y…
Revelation 6:10 And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on th…
Genesis 15:15 And thou shalt go to thy fathers in peace; thou shalt be buried in a good old age.
Genesis 25:1-4 Then again Abraham took a wife, and her name was Keturah.
Genesis 25:8 Then Abraham gave up the ghost, and died in a good old age, an old man, and full of years; and was gathered to his people.
Genesis 25:17 And these are the years of the life of Ishmael, an hundred and thirty and seven years: and he gave up the ghost and died; and was gathered u…

Cross-references from OpenBible.info (CC BY), in the lineage of the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (public domain).

Commentary

John Gill on Numbers 31:2

Avenge the children of Israel of the Midianites,.... For the injury they had done them, by sending their daughters among them, who enticed them to commit uncleanness with them, and then drew them into the worship of their idols, which brought the wrath of God upon them, and for which 24,000 persons were slain. Now, though the Moabites had a concern in this affair as well as the Midianites, yet they were spared; which some think was for the sake of Lot, from whom they descended; but why not the Midianites for the sake of Abraham, whose offspring they were by Keturah? Jarchi says, they were spared because of Ruth, who was to spring from them; and so she might, and yet vengeance be taken on gre…

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John Calvin on Numbers 31:1-2

And the Lord spake unto Moses. Amongst the other prerogatives which God conferred upon His Church, this one is celebrated, that He armed the godly "to execute vengeance upon the heathen, -- to execute upon them the judgment that is written," (Psalm 149:7-9) and although the Spirit declares that this should happen under the kingdom of Christ, still He refers to ancient examples, one of which, well worthy of remembrance, is here recorded. The Midianites had organized a wicked conspiracy for the destruction of God's people: and God, in undertaking to punish this cruel act of theirs, gave a striking proof of His paternal favor towards the Israelites; whilst this grace is doubled by His constitut…

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Tyndale Open Study Notes on Numbers 31:1-2

The Lord ordered Moses to lead Israel in a war of retaliation against the Midianites, who had joined the Moabites in leading the Hebrews into idolatry (ch 25). The Midianites were a tribal people who inhabited the arid and semiarid regions south and east of Palestine and east of the Jordan River; they were counted among the “people of the east” (Judg 6:3, 33; 7:12). They lived in camps or settlements and were famous for their knowledge of desert transportation (cp. Gen 37:28, 36; Isa 60:6). While they were descended from Abraham (Gen 25:1-2) and had been friendly toward Moses (Exod 2:15–3:1; cp. Num 10:29), the elders of Midian had joined Balak in hiring Balaam to curse Israel (22:4, 7), who…

Dictionary and topics

Wars of the Lord, The Book of the — (Num. 21:14, 15), some unknown book so called (comp. Gen. 14:14-16; Ex. 17:8-16; Num. 14:40-45; 21:1-3, 21-25, 33-35; 31. The wars here recorded might be thus designated).
Desert, Journey Of Israel Through The · Midianites destroyed and Balaam slain — Midianites destroyed and Balaam slain
Midianites · With the moabites: Punished for seducing Israel — With the moabites: Punished for seducing Israel
Theocracy, The, Or Immediate Government By God · Consisted in his: Proclaiming war — Consisted in his: Proclaiming war
War · God: Frequently ordered — God: Frequently ordered

Dictionary: Easton's (1897) and Smith's (1863), public domain. Topics: Nave's Topical Bible (1896) and Torrey's Topical Textbook (1897), public domain. Both as parsed by NEUU (CC BY 4.0).

Word by word — the Hebrew

Cross-references

Commentary

John Gill on Numbers 31:2

John Calvin on Numbers 31:1-2

Tyndale Open Study Notes on Numbers 31:1-2

Dictionary and topics

Word by word — the Hebrew

Cross-references

Commentary

John Gill on Numbers 31:2

John Calvin on Numbers 31:1-2

Tyndale Open Study Notes on Numbers 31:1-2

Dictionary and topics

Rashi on Numbers 31:2