Attributed commentary excerpt
John Gill's Exposition on Numbers 31:7
A historical reference excerpt for this verse. Read it alongside the biblical text and other available sources.
Exposition of the Old and New Testament
John Gill (1697–1771) · 18th-century historical commentary
Source: BibleWord.ai's local reference edition of this named work.
And they warred against the Midianites, as the Lord commanded Moses, etc.] Whether the Midianites came out against them with an army, and there was a pitched battle between them, is not certain; however the Israelites committed acts of hostility upon them, by entering their cities, plundering their houses, and slaying the inhabitants of them; the Targum of Jonathan is, “they warred against Midian, and surrounded it in the three corners of it, as the Lord commanded Moses;” for, as Maimonides f454 observes from tradition, “when they besiege a city to take it, they do not surround it in the four corners of it, but in the three corners of it, and leave a place to flee out, that everyone that would might escape for his life, as it is said, “and they warred against Midian, as the Lord commanded Moses”; by report, or from tradition, it is learnt that so he commanded him;” that is, in such a manner to besiege a city; but for this there is only tradition, for it is not mentioned among the rules after directed to in such a case, (<052010>Deuteronomy 20:10-20), and they slew all the males; which fell into their hands; for, no doubt, there were multitudes that made their escape, since in later times we read of the Midianites, as a very powerful people, and very distressing to Israel, (<070601>Judges 6:1,2) these, as Aben Ezra observes, they slew, were such as were grown up, for as for their little ones, them they spared and carried captive, (<043109>Numbers 31:9).
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