King James Version:
(The Lord speaking is red text)
And Moses was wroth with the officers of the host, [with] the captains over thousands, and captains over hundreds, which came from the battle.
Complete Jewish Bible:
But Moshe was angry with the army officers, the commanders of thousands and the commanders of hundreds coming in from the battlefield.
Berean Standard Bible:
But Moses was angry with the officers of the army—the commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds—who were returning from the battle.
American Standard Version:
And Moses was wroth with the officers of the host, the captains of thousands and the captains of hundreds, who came from the service of the war.
KJV with Strong’s Numbers:
And Moses{H4872} was wroth{H7107} with the officers{H6485} of the host{H2428}, with the captains{H8269} over thousands{H505}, and captains{H8269} over hundreds{H3967}, which came{H935} from{H6635} the battle{H4421}.
Cross-References (KJV):
1 Samuel 15:13
- And Samuel came to Saul: and Saul said unto him, Blessed [be] thou of the LORD: I have performed the commandment of the LORD.
1 Samuel 15:14
- And Samuel said, What [meaneth] then this bleating of the sheep in mine ears, and the lowing of the oxen which I hear?
Numbers 12:3
- (Now the man Moses [was] very meek, above all the men which [were] upon the face of the earth.)
Exodus 32:22
- And Aaron said, Let not the anger of my lord wax hot: thou knowest the people, that they [are set] on mischief.
1 Kings 20:42
- And he said unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Because thou hast let go out of [thy] hand a man whom I appointed to utter destruction, therefore thy life shall go for his life, and thy people for his people.
Leviticus 10:16
- And Moses diligently sought the goat of the sin offering, and, behold, it was burnt: and he was angry with Eleazar and Ithamar, the sons of Aaron [which were] left [alive], saying,
Ephesians 4:26
- Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath:
Explore This Verse Across Other Resources:
Commentary for Numbers 31:14
1. Themes:
- Divine Retribution: The verse reflects the theme of divine retribution, as Moses is angered by the officers' failure to carry out the Lord's command to execute vengeance upon the Midianites.
- Obedience to God: It underscores the importance of strict obedience to God's commands, particularly in the context of warfare and the treatment of enemies designated by God for punishment.
- Leadership and Accountability: The verse highlights the responsibility of leaders (military officers and captains) to enforce divine directives and the consequences of failing to do so.
2. Historical Context:
- The Israelites are in the final stages of their wilderness journey, poised to enter the Promised Land.
- The event follows the incident at Baal-peor, where the Moabite women, instigated by Balaam, led the Israelites into idolatry and immorality, resulting in a plague sent by God (Numbers 25).
- In response, God commands Moses to take vengeance on the Midianites (Numbers 25:16-18), who were complicit in the incident at Baal-peor.
- The Israelite army goes to war against Midian and returns with captives and spoils, but without having executed all the male children and non-virgin women as commanded (Numbers 31:1-13).
- Moses' anger, as mentioned in Numbers 31:14, is a reaction to this disobedience, and he instructs them to kill the women and male children, sparing only the virgin women (Numbers 31:15-18).
This verse is part of a broader narrative that deals with the complex issues of holy war, divine justice, and the conduct expected of the Israelites as they transition from a nomadic existence to a nation with a defined land and religious identity.
*This commentary is produced by Microsoft/WizardLM-2-8x22B AI model
Strong's Numbers and Definitions:
Note: H = Hebrew (OT), G = Greek (NT)
- Strong's Number: H4872
There are 704 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: מֹשֶׁה
Transliteration: Môsheh
Pronunciation: mo-sheh'
Description: from מָשָׁה; drawing out (of the water), i.e. rescued; Mosheh, the Israelite lawgiver; Moses. - Strong's Number: H7107
There are 32 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: קָצַף
Transliteration: qâtsaph
Pronunciation: kaw-tsaf'
Description: a primitive root; to crack off, i.e. (figuratively) burst out in rage; (be) anger(-ry), displease, fret self, (provoke to) wrath (come), be wroth. - Strong's Number: H6485
There are 270 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: פָּקַד
Transliteration: pâqad
Pronunciation: paw-kad'
Description: a primitive root; to visit (with friendly or hostile intent); by analogy, to oversee, muster, charge, care for, miss, deposit, etc.; appoint, [idiom] at all, avenge, bestow, (appoint to have the, give a) charge, commit, count, deliver to keep, be empty, enjoin, go see, hurt, do judgment, lack, lay up, look, make, [idiom] by any means, miss, number, officer, (make) overseer, have (the) oversight, punish, reckon, (call to) remember(-brance), set (over), sum, [idiom] surely, visit, want. - Strong's Number: H2428
There are 228 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: חַיִל
Transliteration: chayil
Pronunciation: khah'-yil
Description: from חוּל; probably a force, whether of men, means or other resources; an army, wealth, virtue, valor, strength; able, activity, ([phrase]) army, band of men (soldiers), company, (great) forces, goods, host, might, power, riches, strength, strong, substance, train, ([phrase]) valiant(-ly), valour, virtuous(-ly), war, worthy(-ily). - Strong's Number: H8269
There are 368 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: שַׂר
Transliteration: sar
Pronunciation: sar
Description: from שָׂרַר; a head person (of any rank or class); captain (that had rule), chief (captain), general, governor, keeper, lord,(-task-)master, prince(-ipal), ruler, steward. - Strong's Number: H505
There are 496 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: אֶלֶף
Transliteration: ʼeleph
Pronunciation: eh'-lef
Description: prop, the same as אֶלֶף; hence (the ox's head being the first letter of the alphabet, and this eventually used as a numeral) a thousand; thousand. - Strong's Number: H3967
There are 512 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: מֵאָה
Transliteration: mêʼâh
Pronunciation: may-aw'
Description: or מֵאיָה; properly, a primitive numeral; a hundred; also as a multiplicative and a fraction; hundred((-fold), -th), [phrase] sixscore. - Strong's Number: H935
There are 2307 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: בּוֹא
Transliteration: bôwʼ
Pronunciation: bo
Description: a primitive root; to go or come (in a wide variety of applications); abide, apply, attain, [idiom] be, befall, [phrase] besiege, bring (forth, in, into, to pass), call, carry, [idiom] certainly, (cause, let, thing for) to come (against, in, out, upon, to pass), depart, [idiom] doubtless again, [phrase] eat, [phrase] employ, (cause to) enter (in, into, -tering, -trance, -try), be fallen, fetch, [phrase] follow, get, give, go (down, in, to war), grant, [phrase] have, [idiom] indeed, (in-) vade, lead, lift (up), mention, pull in, put, resort, run (down), send, set, [idiom] (well) stricken (in age), [idiom] surely, take (in), way. - Strong's Number: H6635
There are 463 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: צָבָא
Transliteration: tsâbâʼ
Pronunciation: tsaw-baw'
Description: or (feminine) צְבָאָה; from צָבָא; a mass of persons (or figuratively, things), especially reg. organized forwar (an army); by implication, a campaign, literally or figuratively (specifically, hardship, worship); appointed time, ([phrase]) army, ([phrase]) battle, company, host, service, soldiers, waiting upon, war(-fare). - Strong's Number: H4421
There are 308 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: מִלְחָמָה
Transliteration: milchâmâh
Pronunciation: mil-khaw-maw'
Description: from לָחַם (in the sense of fighting); a battle (i.e. the engagement); generally, war (i.e. warfare); battle, fight(-ing), war(-rior).