Numbers 31 · Verse 3

Numbers 31:3

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.
Numbers 31:3, King James Version

Numbers 31:3 in other translations

BSBSo Moses told the people, “Arm some of your men for war, that they may go against the Midianites and execute the LORD’s vengeance on them.
WEBMoses spoke to the people, saying, “Arm men from among you for war, that they may go against Midian, to execute the LORD’s vengeance on Midian.
ASVAnd Moses spake unto the people, saying, Arm ye men from among you for the war, that they may go against Midian, to execute Jehovah’s vengeance on Midian.
YLTAnd Moses speaketh unto the people, saying, ‘Be ye armed some of you for the host, and they are against Midian, to put the vengeance of Jehovah on Midian;
DARBYAnd Moses spoke to the people, saying, Arm from amongst you men for military service, that they go against Midian to execute Jehovah's vengeance upon Midian.
BBESo Moses said to the people, Let men from among you be armed for war to put into effect against Midian the Lord's punishment on them.
WebsterAnd Moses spoke to the people, saying, Arm some of yourselves for the war, and let them go against the Midianites, and avenge the LORD on Midian.

What does Numbers 31:3 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
3. 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.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 3 Avenge 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 Israel, (Num 31:2), because their souls as well as their bodies had been well nigh ruined by their idolatry.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Numbers 31:1-6

All who, without commission from God, dare to execute private revenge, and who, from ambition, covetousness, or resentment, wage war and desolate kingdoms, must one day answer for it. But if God, instead of sending an earthquake, a pestilence, or a famine, be pleased to authorize and command any people to avenge his cause, such a commission surely is just and right. The Israelites could show such a commission…

Read the full comment on Numbers 31:1-6 →

Numbers 31:3 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וַיְדַבֵּ֤רvay.da.Berand he spokeH1696
מֹשֶׁה֙mo.ShehMosesH4872
אֶל\־'el-toH413
הָעָ֣םha.'Amthe peopleH5971
לֵאמֹ֔רle.Mor<to> sayingH559
הֵחָלְצ֧וּhe.chal.Tzube equippedH2502
מֵאִתְּכֶ֛םme.'i.te.Khemfrom with <the> youH854
אֲנָשִׁ֖ים'a.na.ShimmenH582
לַצָּבָ֑אla.tza.Va'for <the> warH6635
וְיִהְיוּ֙ve.yih.Yuso they may beH1961
עַל\־'al-onH5921
מִדְיָ֔ןmid.YanMidianH4080
לָתֵ֥תla.Tetto giveH5414
נִקְמַת\־nik.mat-[the] vengeance ofH5360
יְהוָ֖הYah.wehYahwehH3068
בְּמִדְיָֽן\׃be.mid.Yanon MidianH4080

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Numbers 31:3

  • Leviticus 26:25

    And I will bring a sword upon you, that shall avenge the quarrel of my covenant: and when ye are gathered together within your cities, I will send the pestilence among you; and ye shall be delivered into the hand of the enemy.

  • Numbers 25:13

    And he shall have it, and his seed after him, even the covenant of an everlasting priesthood; because he was zealous for his God, and made an atonement for the children of Israel.

  • Exodus 17:16

    For he said, Because the Lord hath sworn that the Lord will have war with Amalek from generation to generation.

  • 2 Kings 10:30

    And the Lord said unto Jehu, Because thou hast done well in executing that which is right in mine eyes, and hast done unto the house of Ahab according to all that was in mine heart, thy children of the fourth generation shall sit on the throne of Israel.

  • Numbers 25:11

    Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, hath turned my wrath away from the children of Israel, while he was zealous for my sake among them, that I consumed not the children of Israel in my jealousy.

  • Judges 5:2

    Praise ye the Lord for the avenging of Israel, when the people willingly offered themselves.

  • Jeremiah 46:10

    For this is the day of the Lord God of hosts, a day of vengeance, that he may avenge him of his adversaries: and the sword shall devour, and it shall be satiate and made drunk with their blood: for the Lord God of hosts hath a sacrifice in the north country by the river Euphrates.

  • Judges 5:23

    Curse ye Meroz, said the angel of the Lord, curse ye bitterly the inhabitants thereof; because they came not to the help of the Lord, to the help of the Lord against the mighty.

  • 2 Kings 9:7

    And thou shalt smite the house of Ahab thy master, that I may avenge the blood of my servants the prophets, and the blood of all the servants of the Lord, at the hand of Jezebel.

  • Exodus 17:9-13

    And Moses said unto Joshua, Choose us out men, and go out, fight with Amalek: to morrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the rod of God in mine hand. So Joshua did as Moses had said to him, and fought with Amalek: and Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. And it came to pass, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed: and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed. But Moses’ hands were heavy; and they took a stone, and put it under him, and he sat thereon; and Aaron and Hur stayed up his hands, the one on the one side, and the other on the other side; and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun. …

  • Jeremiah 50:28

    The voice of them that flee and escape out of the land of Babylon, to declare in Zion the vengeance of the Lord our God, the vengeance of his temple.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Arm some.
Ex 17:9-13
avenge the Lord.It was God's quarrel, not their own, that they were now to take up. These people were idolaters, and had seduced the Israelites to practise the same abominations. Idolatry is an offence against God; and the civil power has no authority to meddle with what belongs to Him, without especial directions, certified, as in this case, in the most unequivocal manner. Private revenge, ambition, or avarice were to have no place in this business: Jehovah is to be avenged; and through Him, the children of Israel, (ver. 2,) because they were nearly ruined by their idolatries. If Jehovah, instead of punishing sinners by earthquakes, pestilence, or famine,is pleased expressly to command any person or people to avenge his cause, this commission justifies, nay sanctifies, war, massacre, or devastation. Though none at present shew such a commission, yet the Israelites could; and it is therefore absurd to censure Moses, Joshua, and Israel, for the dreadful slaughter made by them. God himself passed sentence of condemnation, and employed them merely as ministers of his vengeance; and unless it could be proved that the criminals did not deserve their doom, or that God had no right to punish his rebellious creatures, such objectors only shew their enmity to God by becoming the unsolicited advocates of his enemies.
25:11,13; Ex 17:16; Le 26:25; Jud 5:2,23; 2Ki 9:7; 10:30; Jer 46:10
Jer 50:28

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Numbers 31:2

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

  • Numbers 31:3

    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.

  • Numbers 31:4

    Of every tribe a thousand, throughout all the tribes of Israel, shall ye send to the war.

Read all of Numbers 31

Numbers 31:3 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Entonces Moisés habló al pueblo, diciendo: Armaos algunos de vosotros para la guerra, é irán contra Madián, y harán la venganza de Jehová en Madián.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Et Moïse parla au peuple, disant: Équipez d’entre vous des hommes pour l’armée, afin qu’ils marchent contre Madian, pour exécuter la vengeance de l’ Éternel sur Madian.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Und Mose redete zu dem Volke und sprach: Rüstet von euch Männer zum Heere aus, daß sie wider Midian ziehen, um die Rache Jehovas an Midian auszuführen.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Statimque Moyses: Armate, inquit, ex vobis viros ad pugnam, qui possint ultionem Domini expetere de Madianitis.