“And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,”
The LORD spoke to Moses saying, Avenge the Israelites on the Midianites — the divine initiative for judgment follows directly from the Baal-Peor crisis where Midianite women seduced Israel into idolatry and death. This is not personal vengeance but the outworking of covenant justice: the LORD's holiness demands a response to covenant violation. The term "avenge" (naqam) carries the weight of divine retribution against those who attacked Israel's covenant status.
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Thomas MuellerNote1mo agoThe Holy War Against Midian
The Lord said to Moses: Take vengeance on the Midianites for the Israelites. The Midianites had brought the Israelite men into unfaithfulness, leading them into idolatry and immorality. This passage i...
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Sarah KoenigNote1mo agoHoly War and Its Aftermath - Justice and Judgment
The LORD spoke to Moses, saying: Avenge the Israelites on the Midianites. The military campaign is described in brutal detail - everyone is killed except young girls. Then those soldiers return ritual...
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