^31:3So Moses spoke to the people: “Arm⁵ men from among you for the war, to attack the Midianites and to execute⁶ the Lord’s vengeance on Midian. ^31:4You must send to the battle a thousand men from every tribe throughout all the tribes of Israel.”⁷^31:5So a thousand from every tribe, twelve thousand armed for battle in all, were provided out of the thousands of Israel.

Campaign Against the Midianites

^31:6So Moses sent them to the war, one thousand from every tribe, with Phinehas son of Eleazar the priest, who was in charge⁸ of the holy articles⁹ and the signal trumpets. ^31:7They fought against the Midianites, as the Lord commanded Moses, and they killed every male.¹⁰

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Footnotes

2 The imperative is followed by its cognate accusative to stress this vengeance. The Midianites had attempted to destroy Israel with their corrupt pagan practices, and now will be judged. The accounts indicate that the effort by Midian was calculated and evil.
3 The war was commanded by the Lord and was to be divine vengeance on the Midianites. So it was holy war. No Israelites then could take spoils in this—it was not a time for plunder and aggrandizement. It was part of the judgment of God upon those who would destroy or pervert his plan and his people.
4 This would be the last major enterprise that Moses would have to undertake. He would soon die and “be gathered to his people” as Aaron was.
5 The Niphal imperative, literally “arm yourselves,” is the call to mobilize the nation for war. It is followed by the jussive, “and they will be,” which would then be subordinated to say “that they may be.” The versions changed the verb to a Hiphil, but that is unnecessary: “arm some of yourselves.”
6 Heb “give.”
7 Some commentators argue that given the size of the nation (which they reject) the small number for the army is a sign of the unrealistic character of the story. The number is a round number, but it is also a holy war, and God would give them the victory. They are beginning to learn here, and at Jericho, and later against these Midianites under Gideon, that God does not want or need a large army in order to obtain victory.
8 The Hebrew text uses the idiom that these “were in his hand,” meaning that he had the responsibility over them.
9 It is not clear what articles from the sanctuary were included. adds (interpretively) “the Urim and Thummim.”
10 Many modern biblical scholars assume that this passage is fictitious. The text says that they killed every male, but Judges accounts for the Midianites. The texts can be harmonized rather simply—they killed every Midianite who was in the battle. Midianite tribes and cities dotted the whole region, but that does not mean Israel went and killed every single one of them. There apparently was a core of Midianites whom Balaam had influenced to pervert Israel.

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

“Avenge the people of Israel on the Midianites. Afterward you shall be gathered to your people.” So Moses spoke to the people, saying, “Arm men from among you for the war, that they may go against Midian to execute the Lord’s vengeance on Midian. You shall send a thousand from each of the tribes of Israel to the war.” So there were provided, out of the thousands of Israel, a thousand from each tribe, twelve thousand armed for war. And Moses sent them to the war, a thousand from each tribe, together with Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest, with the vessels of the sanctuary and the trumpets for the alarm in his hand. They warred against Midian, as the Lord commanded Moses, and killed every male.

NIVNew International Version (2011)

“Take vengeance on the Midianites for the Israelites. After that, you will be gathered to your people.”

So Moses said to the people, “Arm some of your men to go to war against the Midianites so that they may carry out the Lord’s vengeance on them. Send into battle a thousand men from each of the tribes of Israel.” So twelve thousand men armed for battle, a thousand from each tribe, were supplied from the clans of Israel. Moses sent them into battle, a thousand from each tribe, along with Phinehas son of Eleazar, the priest, who took with him articles from the sanctuary and the trumpets for signaling.

They fought against Midian, as the Lord commanded Moses, and killed every man.

CSBChristian Standard Bible

“Execute vengeance for the Israelites against the Midianites. After that, you will be gathered to your people.”

So Moses spoke to the people, “Equip some of your men for war. They will go against Midian to inflict the Lord’s vengeance on them. Send one thousand men to war from each Israelite tribe.” So one thousand were recruited from each Israelite tribe out of the thousands in Israel—twelve thousand equipped for war. Moses sent one thousand from each tribe to war. They went with Phinehas son of Eleazar the priest, in whose care were the holy objects and signal trumpets.

They waged war against Midian, as the Lord had commanded Moses, and killed every male.

NLTNew Living Translation

“On behalf of the people of Israel, take revenge on the Midianites for leading them into idolatry. After that, you will die and join your ancestors.”

So Moses said to the people, “Choose some men, and arm them to fight the Lord’s war of revenge against Midian. From each tribe of Israel, send 1,000 men into battle.” So they chose 1,000 men from each tribe of Israel, a total of 12,000 men armed for battle. Then Moses sent them out, 1,000 men from each tribe, and Phinehas son of Eleazar the priest led them into battle. They carried along the holy objects of the sanctuary and the trumpets for sounding the charge. They attacked Midian as the Lord had commanded Moses, and they killed all the men.

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

“Seek vengeance for the Israelites on the Midianites; afterward you will be gathered to your people.” Moses spoke to the people, saying, “Arm yourself from among your men for the battle, so that they will go against Midian to mete out the vengeance of Yahweh on Midian. A thousand from each tribe of every tribe of Israel you will send to battle.” So they were assigned from the thousands of Israel, a thousand from each tribe, twelve thousand equipped for battle. Moses sent them, a thousand from each tribe, to the battle, and Phinehas son of Eleazar the priest to the battle with them, and the vessels of the sanctuary and the trumpets of the blast were in his hand. And they fought against Midian just as Yahweh commanded Moses, and they killed every male.

KJV 1900King James Version

Avenge the children of Israel of the Midianites: afterward shalt thou be gathered unto thy people. 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. Of every tribe a thousand, throughout all the tribes of Israel, shall ye send to the war. So there were delivered out of the thousands of Israel, a thousand of every tribe, twelve thousand armed for war. And Moses sent them to the war, a thousand of every tribe, them and Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest, to the war, with the holy instruments, and the trumpets to blow in his hand. And they warred against the Midianites, as the Lord commanded Moses; and they slew all the males.

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