3
Mosesמֹשֶׁהspokeוַיְדַבֵּרto the people,אֶל הָעָםsaying,לֵאמֹר“Armהֵחָלְצוּmenאֲנָשִׁיםfrom among youמֵאִתְּכֶםfor the army,לַצָּבָאand let them beוְיִהְיוּagainstעַלMidianמִדְיָןto executeלָתֵתthe vengeanceנִקְמַתof YHWHיְהוָהon Midian.בְּמִדְיָן
Numbers 31:3
Study it in the app“Moses spoke to the people, saying, “Arm men from among you for the army, and let them be against Midian to execute the vengeance of YHWH on Midian.”
With the Hebrew beneath
Numbers 31:3, word by word
- Mosesמֹשֶׁהmoshe
Moses
Moses, the man God called to bring Israel out of Egypt and through whom he gave the Law. His name sounds like "draw out" (Exodus 2:10).
Where else “moshe” appears- spokeיְדַבֵּרyedaber
speak
To speak, say something; above all God to his people.
Where else “yedaber” appears- to the peopleעָםam
crowd
The people gathered in a place: the crowd, or the troops that go out to war.
Where else “am” appears- sayingאמֹרmor
say
To say with the mouth to someone what one thinks or wants, or to answer him.
Where else “mor” appears- “Armהֵחָלְצוּhechaltsu
arm
To get ready for war.
Where else “hechaltsu” appears- menאֲנָשִׁיםanashim
man
An adult male person; also each man of a people, a trade or a place.
Where else “anashim” appears- for the armyצָּבָאtsava
war
War, going out to fight.
Where else “tsava” appears- and let them beיִהְיוּyihyu
be
To be: "I will be their Elohim".
Where else “yihyu” appears- Midianמִדְיָןmidyan
Midian
See it on the mapWhere else “midyan” appears- to executeתֵתtet
give
To hand something over to someone: a gift, a payment, a charge or a land.
Where else “tet” appears- the vengeanceנִקְמַתnikmat
vengeance
Vengeance: punishment given for a wrong received.
Where else “nikmat” appears- of YHWHיְהוָהyehva
YHWH
The personal name of the God of Israel, written in Hebrew with four letters, Y-H-W-H, without vowels. Out of reverence Jews stopped pronouncing it and read "Adonai" (Lord), so many Bibles put "the LORD" or "Jehovah". This translation keeps the four letters. The name is related to the verb "to be" (Exodus 3:14-15). He is not a god other than Elohim: "YHWH Elohim" is the same Creator God, called by his name.
Where else “yehva” appears
Places in this verse
Midian ?
Today: northwest Saudi Arabia, southern Jordan; debated
A region east of the Gulf of Aqaba, in what is now northwest Saudi Arabia; its borders are not certain.
Moses fled to Midian, married there and tended sheep (Exod 2:15-21). Centuries later the Midianites oppressed Israel until Gideon defeated them (Judg 6:1; 7:21).
The context
2“Execute the vengeance of the sons of Israel on the Midianites; afterward you shall be gathered to your people.”
3 · This verse (above)
4A thousand from each tribe, a thousand from each tribe, of all the tribes of Israel, you shall send to the army.”