John Gill Commentary Numbers 25:17

"Vex the Midianites, and smite them;" — Numbers 25:17 (ASV)

Vex the Midianites, and smite them.

Go to war with them, and smite them with the sword; not the Moabites, but the Midianites, though they were both confederates against Israel.

But God has given a charge not to contend in battle with Moab (Deuteronomy 2:9); they were spared for the sake of Lot, from whom they sprang; and, as Jarchi says, for the sake of Ruth, who was to come from them; and so in the Talmud ^F12; though they did not entirely escape the divine resentment, as appears from (Deuteronomy 23:3Deuteronomy 23:4).

But the Midianites were the first that advised to send for Balaam, and with them he stayed and was entertained, after he had been dismissed by Balak; and it seems he gave them the wicked counsel, to draw Israel into fornication, and so into idolatry, and thereby bring the curse of God upon them; which advice they communicated to the Moabites, and both were concerned in putting it into execution; see (Numbers 22:4Numbers 22:7) (Numbers 25:1Numbers 25:6) (Numbers 31:9Numbers 31:16).

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FOOTNOTES:

• F12: T. Bab. Bava Kama, fol. 38. 2.