Numbers 31:1-12
1 The Midianites are spoiled, and Balaam slain.13 Moses is wroth with the officers, for saving the women alive.19 How the soldiers, with their captives and spoil, are to be purified.25 The proportion in which the prey is to be divided.48 The voluntary oblation unto the treasury of the Lord. 1 Avenge.3; 25:17,18; De 32:35; Jud 16:24,28-30; Ps 94:1-3; Isa 1:24Na 1:2; Lu 21:22; Ro 12:19; 13:4; 1Th 4:6; Heb 10:30; Re 6:10Re 18:20; 19:2the Midianites.25:6,14-18; Ge 25:1-4; Ex 2:16gathered.27:13; Ge 15:15; 25:8,17; Jud 2:10; Ac 13:36 Arm some.Ex 17:9-13avenge 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 46:10Jer 50:28 Of every tribe a thousand. Heb. A thousand of a tribe, athousand of a tribe. a thousand. Le 26:8; Jud 7:2; 1Sa 14:6 5 a thousand.Twelve thousand in all--a small number in proportion to all Israel, or to the forces which they had to encounter. As they were under the conduct of captains of thousands and hundreds, they probably had no general; for Phinehas seems to have accompanied them simply to take charge of "the holy instruments;" probably the ark and silver trumpets. Phinehas.25:7-13the holy instruments.14:44; 33:20-22; Ex 25:9; Jos 6:4-6,13-15; 1Sa 4:4,5,17; 14:181Sa 23:9; 2Sa 11:11to blow.10:8,9; 2Ch 13:12-15 all.De 20:13,14; Jud 21:11; 1Sa 27:9; 1Ki 11:15,16the males.Jud 6:1,2,33 the kings.22:4; Jos 13:21,22Zur.25:15,18Balaam.22:10; 24:25; Jos 13:22; Ps 9:16; 10:2; 1Ti 6:9,10; 2Pe 2:15Jude 1:11; Re 2:14; 19:20 15,16; De 20:14; 2Ch 28:5,8-10 Jos 6:24; 1Sa 30:1; 1Ki 9:16; Isa 1:7; Re 18:8 De 20:14; Jos 8:2 the plains of Moab.22:1Joshua 6:2-5
the Lord.5:13-15See, I have.9-24; 2:9,24; 8:1; 11:6-8; Jud 11:21; 2Sa 5:19; Ne 9:24; Da 2:21,44Da 4:17,35; 5:18the king.De 7:24; Jud 11:24 ye shall.7,14; Nu 14:9; 1Co 1:21-25; 2Co 4:7 trumpets of rams'.The words {shopheroth hyyovelim,} should rather be rendered jubilee, trumpets, i.e., such as were used on the jubilee, which were probably made of horn or silver: for the entrance of the Israelites into Canaan was indeed a jubilee to them (See Note on Le 25:11): instead of the dreadful trumpet of war, they were ordered to sound the trumpet of joy, as already conquerors. Le 25:9; Nu 10:1-10; Jud 7:7,8,15-22; 2Ch 13:12; 20:17,19,21Isa 27:13; Zec 4:6seven times.Ge 2:3; 7:2,3; Le 4:6; 14:16; 25:8; Nu 23:1; 1Ki 18:43; 2Ki 5:10Job 42:8; Zec 4:2; Re 1:4,20; 5:1,6; 8:2,6; 10:3; 15:1,7; 16:1 make a long.16,20; Ex 19:19; 2Ch 20:21,22the people.Jud 7:20-22; 1Sa 4:5; 17:20,52; 2Ch 13:14,15; Jer 50:15and the wall.The words {wenaphelah chomath hair tachteyha,} are literally, "and the wall of the city shall fall down under itself;" which appears simply to mean, that the wall shall fall down from its very foundation; which was probably the case in every part, though large breaches in different places might have been amply sufficient first to admit the armed men, after whom the host might enter to destroy the city. There is no ground for the supposition that the walls sunk into the earth. Isa 25:12; 30:25; 2Co 10:4,5; Heb 11:30flat. Heb. under it.Joshua 8:1-2
1 God encourages Joshua.3 The stratagem whereby Ai was taken.29 The king thereof is hanged.30 Joshua builds an altar;32 writes the law on stones;33 and pronounces the blessings and curses. Fear not.1:9; 7:6,7,9; De 1:21; 7:18; 31:8; Ps 27:1; 46:11; Isa 12:2; 41:10-16Isa 43:2; Jer 46:27; Mt 8:26take all.It would seem, from this verse, that all that were capable of bearing arms were to march out of the camp on this occasion: 30,000 formed an ambuscade in one place; and 5,000 were placed in another, who all gained their positions in the night. With the rest of the army, Joshua appeared the next morning before Ai, which the men of that city would naturally suppose was the whole of the Israelitish force and, consequently, be the more emboldened to come out and attack them. Some, however, think that 30,000 men were the whole that were employed on this occasion, 5,000 of whom were placed in ambush on the west of the city, between Bethel and Ai (ver. 12,) and, with the rest, Joshua appeared before the city in the morning. The king, seeing but about 25,000 coming against him, though he had but 12,000 persons in the whole city (ver. 25), determined to risk a battle, issued out, and was defeated by stratagem. see, I have.6:2; Ps 44:3; Da 2:21,37,38; 4:25,35 do to Ai.24,28,29See on ch.6:21; 10:1,28; De 3:2only the spoil.27; De 20:14; Job 27:16,17; Ps 39:6; Pr 13:22; 28:20; Jer 17:11Lu 12:20,21lay thee.7,9,12,14,19; Jud 20:29-33; 2Ch 13:13; 20:22; Jer 51:12Judges 1:1-2
1 The acts of Judah and Simeon.4 Adonibezek justly requited.8 Jerusalem taken.10 Hebron taken.11 Othniel has Achsah to wife for taking of Debir.16 The Kenites dwell in Judah.17 Hormah, Gaza, Askelon, and Ekron taken.21 The acts of Benjamin.22 Of the house of Joseph, who take Beth-el.30 Of Zebulun.31 Of Asher.33 Of Naphtali.34 Of Dan. Now.Jos 24:29,30asked.20:18,28; Ex 28:30; Nu 27:21; 1Sa 22:9,10; 23:9,10 Ge 49:8-10; Nu 2:3; 7:12; Ps 78:68-70; Heb 7:14; Re 5:5; 19:11-16Judges 4:6
Barak.5:1; Heb 11:32Kedesh-naphtali.Jos 19:32,37; 21:32Hath.Jos 1:9; Ps 7:6; Isa 13:2-5; Ac 13:47Tabor.8:18; 1Sa 10:3; Ps 89:12; Jer 46:18; Ho 5:1ten thousand.10; 5:14-18Judges 6:14
the Lord.11Go in.4:6; Jos 1:5-9; 1Sa 12:11; 1Ch 14:9,10; Heb 11:32,341 Samuel 15:3
Now go.The Amalekites, a people of Arabia Petræa, who inhabited a tract of country on the frontiers of Egypt and Canaan, had acted with great cruelty towards the Israelites on their coming out of Egypt, and God then purposed that Amalek, as a nation, should be blotted out from under heaven; but it had been spared till it had filled up the measure of its iniquities, and now this purpose is carried into effect by Saul, upwards of 400 years afterwards! Nothing could justify such an exterminating decree but the absolute authority of God; and this was given: all the reasons of it we do not know; but this we know well, the Judge of all the earth doeth right. utterly destroy.Le 27:28,29; Nu 24:20; De 13:15,16; 20:16-18; Jos 6:17-21slay.Ex 20:5; Nu 31:17; Isa 14:21,22ox and sheep.Ge 3:17,18; Ro 8:20-221 Samuel 15:18
the sinners.Ge 13:13; 15:16; Nu 16:38; Job 31:3; Pr 10:29; 13:21they be consumed. Heb. they consume them.
Copyright information for
TSK