Numbers 31:2

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

Avenge {H5358}{H5360} the children {H1121} of Israel {H3478} of the Midianites {H4084}: afterward {H310} shalt thou be gathered {H622} unto thy people {H5971}.

"On behalf of the people of Isra'el, take vengeance on the Midyanim. After that, you will be gathered to your people."

β€œTake vengeance on the Midianites for the Israelites. After that, you will be gathered to your people.”

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

Commentary

Numbers 31:2 records a direct command from God to Moses, instructing him to execute divine judgment upon the Midianites before Moses himself passes away. This verse is pivotal, serving as a concluding act of justice in Moses's leadership and a significant moment in Israel's wilderness journey.

Context

This command follows immediately after a severe incident where the Midianites, in league with the Moabites, enticed the Israelites into idolatry and sexual immorality at Baal-peor (Numbers 25). This transgression provoked God's wrath, resulting in a plague that killed 24,000 Israelites. The divine instruction to "avenge the children of Israel of the Midianites" is not personal revenge but a righteous act of judgment against a people who deliberately sought to corrupt God's chosen nation and lure them into pagan practices. It also foreshadows Moses's imminent death, marking this as one of his final acts of obedience as Israel's leader.

Key Themes

  • Divine Justice and Retribution: God's holiness demands a response to sin, especially when it involves spiritual corruption and leading His people astray. The command for vengeance highlights God's unwavering commitment to justice.
  • Consequences of Sin: The Midianites' actions at Baal-peor brought severe consequences upon themselves, demonstrating that unrepentant sin ultimately leads to judgment.
  • Obedience and Leadership: Moses, even at the end of his life, faithfully carries out God's difficult command, exemplifying his lifelong dedication to God's will. This mission is a final testament to his leadership before he is gathered to his people.
  • Purity of Israel: The campaign against Midian was essential for maintaining the spiritual purity of Israel, removing a corrupting influence that threatened their covenant relationship with God.

Linguistic Insights

The Hebrew word translated "avenge" is naqam (נקם), which carries the sense of retribution, vindication, or punishment, often in a divine context. It's not about personal spite but about righting a wrong and upholding justice, particularly God's justice. The phrase "gathered unto thy people" is a common biblical idiom for death, signifying joining one's ancestors in the realm of the dead, such as when Abraham was gathered to his people.

Reflection and Application

While the specific command to wage war is unique to Old Testament Israel's role as God's chosen nation in a particular historical context, the underlying principles remain relevant. This verse reminds us of:

  • God's Holiness and Justice: God takes sin seriously, especially spiritual idolatry and immorality that seeks to draw His people away from Him. We are called to recognize the gravity of sin and God's righteous character.
  • The Need for Spiritual Discernment: Just as Israel faced corrupting influences, believers today must be vigilant against worldly philosophies and temptations that seek to compromise their faith and draw them away from God (see 1 John 2:15).
  • Faithful Completion of Our Calling: Moses's obedience to this final, difficult command before his death serves as an example of finishing one's appointed task with faithfulness and dedication to God's will.
Note: If the commentary doesn’t appear instantly, please allow 2–5 seconds for it to load. It is generated by Gemini 2.5 Flash using a prompt focused on Biblical fidelity over bias. While the insights have been consistently reliable, we encourage prayerful discernment through the Holy Spirit.

Please note that only the commentary section is AI-generated β€” the main Scripture and cross-references are stored on the site and are from trusted and verified sources.

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.

  • 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 the earth?

  • 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 yet the works which he had done for Israel.

  • Numbers 25:14

    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 chief house among the Simeonites.

  • Numbers 25:18

    For they vex you with their wiles, wherewith they have beguiled you in the matter of Peor, and in the matter of Cozbi, the daughter of a prince of Midian, their sister, which was slain in the day of the plague for Peor's sake.

  • 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 unto his people.

  • 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.
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