Numbers 31:8 kjv
And they slew the kings of Midian, beside the rest of them that were slain; namely, Evi, and Rekem, and Zur, and Hur, and Reba, five kings of Midian: Balaam also the son of Beor they slew with the sword.
Numbers 31:8 nkjv
They killed the kings of Midian with the rest of those who were killed? Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur, and Reba, the five kings of Midian. Balaam the son of Beor they also killed with the sword.
Numbers 31:8 niv
Among their victims were Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur and Reba?the five kings of Midian. They also killed Balaam son of Beor with the sword.
Numbers 31:8 esv
They killed the kings of Midian with the rest of their slain, Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur, and Reba, the five kings of Midian. And they also killed Balaam the son of Beor with the sword.
Numbers 31:8 nlt
All five of the Midianite kings ? Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur, and Reba ? died in the battle. They also killed Balaam son of Beor with the sword.
Numbers 31 8 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Num 22-24 | The accounts of Balaam's prophecies and his interactions with Balak. | Balaam's earlier encounters and prophecies. |
| Num 25:1-3 | "Israel settled in Shittim, and the people began to whore with...daughters of Moab. These invited the people to the sacrifices of their gods, and the people ate and bowed down to their gods. So Israel yoked himself to Baal of Peor." | The direct cause of divine wrath and war against Midian. |
| Num 25:15 | "The name of the Midianite woman who was killed was Cozbi the daughter of Zur, who was the tribal head of a father's house in Midian." | Identifies Zur, one of the slain kings, as father of Cozbi. |
| Josh 13:22 | "And Balaam the son of Beor, the soothsayer, did the people of Israel kill with the sword among the rest of their slain." | Confirms Balaam's death by sword during this campaign. |
| Deut 23:4-5 | "because they did not meet you with food and water on the way when you came out of Egypt, and because they hired against you Balaam... to curse you. But the Lᴏʀᴅ your God would not listen to Balaam..." | Divine remembrance of Moabites/Ammonites hiring Balaam. |
| Deut 20:16-18 | "But in the cities of these peoples that the Lᴏʀᴅ your God is giving you for an inheritance, you shall save alive nothing that breathes, but you shall devote them to complete destruction..." | General command for "devotion to destruction" (cherem). |
| 1 Sam 15:2-3 | "Thus says the Lᴏʀᴅ of hosts, ‘I have noted what Amalek did to Israel... Now go and strike Amalek and devote to destruction all that they have..." | Similar command for complete destruction of an enemy. |
| Ps 149:7-9 | "to execute vengeance on the nations and punishments on the peoples, to bind their kings with chains and their nobles with fetters of iron, to execute on them the judgment written!" | Poetic description of God's people executing divine judgment. |
| Jdg 6:1-6 | Describes the oppression of Midianites against Israel for seven years. | Midianites as historical oppressors of Israel. |
| Jdg 7:25 | "And they captured the two princes of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb... and killed Oreb at the rock of Oreb, and Zeeb at the winepress of Zeeb." | Later defeat of Midianite princes by Gideon. |
| Ps 83:9-11 | "Do to them as you did to Midian, as to Sisera... make their nobles like Oreb and Zeeb, all their princes like Zebah and Zalmunna..." | Prayer for God to destroy enemies as He did Midian. |
| Isa 9:4 | "For the yoke of his burden, and the staff for his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor, you have broken as on the day of Midian." | God's future deliverance compared to defeating Midian. |
| 2 Pet 2:15-16 | "They have forsaken the right way and gone astray, following the way of Balaam, the son of Beor, who loved gain from wrongdoing... and was rebuked for his iniquity by a speechless donkey..." | Balaam as an example of false prophets seeking gain. |
| Jude 1:11 | "Woe to them! For they have gone in the way of Cain and abandoned themselves for the sake of gain to Balaam's error and perished in Korah's rebellion." | Balaam's error cited as an example of greedy apostasy. |
| Rev 2:14 | "But I have a few things against you: you have some there who hold the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, so that they might eat food sacrificed to idols and practice sexual immorality." | The "teaching of Balaam" explicitly linking him to Israel's sin. |
| Rom 6:23 | "For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." | General principle that unrepented sin leads to death. |
| Gal 6:7 | "Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap." | Principle of divine retribution for actions. |
| Prov 11:21 | "Though hand join in hand, the wicked shall not be unpunished: but the seed of the righteous shall be delivered." | No wicked person escapes ultimate judgment. |
| Nah 1:2-3 | "The Lᴏʀᴅ is a jealous God and avenging; the Lᴏʀᴅ is avenging and wrathful... The Lᴏʀᴅ is slow to anger and great in power, and the Lᴏʀᴅ will by no means clear the guilty." | God's justice and refusal to clear the wicked. |
| Rom 12:19 | "Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, ‘Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.’" | Divine right to vengeance, here enacted by His people. |
Numbers 31 verses
Numbers 31 8 Meaning
Numbers 31:8 details the complete and decisive victory of the Israelites over the Midianites, specifically highlighting the slaying of their five kings: Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur, and Reba. Crucially, it also records the execution of Balaam, son of Beor, who had advised the Midianites on how to lead Israel into sin. This verse marks the climactic retribution against those responsible for the apostasy at Peor, underscoring the severity of divine judgment against intentional sin and spiritual corruption.
Numbers 31 8 Context
This verse is embedded in Numbers chapter 31, which details Israel's divinely commanded "vengeance of the LORD" against the Midianites. This punitive war was a direct consequence of Midian's instrumental role in leading Israel into idolatry and sexual immorality at Baal Peor (Num 25), resulting in a devastating plague that killed 24,000 Israelites. Moses, instructed by God, commissioned 1,000 men from each tribe to undertake this retaliatory expedition. The context immediately preceding verse 8 is the preparation and going forth of these Israelite forces (Num 31:1-7). Historically, this event occurs just prior to Israel's entry into the promised land, serving as a cleansing and a final dealing with significant threats and sources of spiritual corruption from their wilderness journey. The complete extermination of Midianite males, their kings, and particularly Balaam, signified a comprehensive purging of evil influences from Israel's immediate vicinity and demonstrated the severe consequences of actively corrupting God's people.
Numbers 31 8 Word analysis
And they slew (וַיַּהַרְגוּ - wa·yahargû):
- Meaning: From the verb harag, "to kill, slay." It implies a decisive and often violent taking of life, frequently used in contexts of warfare or judicial execution.
- Significance: Denotes the deliberate act of Israelite soldiers, fulfilling a divine command. It's not accidental death but targeted extermination.
the kings (מַלְכֵי - malkê):
- Meaning: Plural of melek, "king, ruler."
- Significance: Emphasizes the defeat of Midian's supreme leadership. The elimination of these kings signifies the dismantling of Midian's political and military power structure. Their naming confirms a total victory.
of Midian (מִדְיָן - Miḏyān):
- Meaning: The nomadic, tribal people often associated with trade, inhabiting areas east of Canaan.
- Significance: Identifies the specific enemy. The war was commanded against Midian, highlighting their culpability in the Baal Peor incident.
beside (עַל - ‘al):
- Meaning: "upon, on account of, in addition to, along with."
- Significance: Here implies "in addition to" or "among" the others who were killed, signifying their death was part of a larger slaughter, not isolated incidents.
the rest of them that were slain (חַלְלֵיהֶם - ḥalalêhem):
- Meaning: From ḥalal, referring to "the slain" or "those who are pierced." Used for those fallen in battle.
- Significance: This phrase underscores the extent of the massacre; the kings were not spared from the general slaughter that befell their people.
namely (אֶת - ’eṯ):
- Meaning: Direct object marker. Here it functions to introduce the specific names.
- Significance: Grammatically connects the general mention of "kings" to the specific individuals.
Evi (אֱוִי - ’Ĕwî), Rekem (רֶקֶם - Reqem), and Zur (וְצוּר - wəṣûr), and Hur (וְחוּר - wəḥûr), and Reba (וְרֶבַע - wəreḇaʿ):
- Meaning: Proper names of the five Midianite kings.
- Significance: The meticulous listing of names provides specific, factual detail, lending veracity to the account. Notably, Zur is elsewhere identified as the father of Cozbi, the Midianite woman who contributed to Israel's sin at Peor (Num 25:15), linking him directly to the provocation of this judgment.
five kings of Midian (חֲמֵשֶׁת מַלְכֵי מִדְיָן - ḥamēšeṯ malkê Miḏyān):
- Meaning: Reinforces the precise number and identity of the royalty.
- Significance: Emphasizes the completeness of the judgment on Midianite leadership. No ruling power escaped.
Balaam (בִּלְעָם - Bil‘ām):
- Meaning: Proper name. The prophet-diviner hired by Balak of Moab to curse Israel, but who instead blessed them before offering the treacherous counsel that led to Israel's downfall.
- Significance: His death is climactic. Balaam, though not a Midianite king, was the master strategist behind Israel's fall (Rev 2:14). His presence among the slain kings highlights his critical role in the Midianite scheme and confirms his final allegiance. His end signifies the full removal of a profoundly corrupt spiritual influence.
also (גַּם - gam):
- Meaning: "also, too, even."
- Significance: Places Balaam alongside the kings, indicating he was included in the comprehensive judgment.
the son of Beor (בֶּן־בְּעוֹר - ben-bĕ‘ôr):
- Meaning: Patronyme, identifying his lineage.
- Significance: Solidifies his identity as the well-known, notorious figure from the earlier chapters (Num 22-24).
they slew with the sword (הָרְגוּ בֶּחָרֶב - hargû ḇeḥareḇ):
- Meaning: "Killed by sword." The weapon ḥereb specifies a deliberate act of military or judicial execution, not accidental death.
- Significance: Concludes Balaam's fate. His death by Israelite swords signifies righteous judgment enacted. He reaped what he sowed (Gal 6:7), his wicked counsel culminating in his own demise by the very people he sought to corrupt.
Words-group Analysis:
"And they slew the kings of Midian... five kings of Midian": This phrase frames the verse by focusing on the political annihilation of Midian. The repeated mention of "kings" and "five kings" ensures clarity on the target and extent of the judgment. It's not just a military victory, but a decapitation of the enemy's state.
"beside the rest of them that were slain": This clause indicates that the kings were part of the general carnage of the Midianite army and people, yet singled out for specific mention due to their high status and responsibility. No special treatment or mercy was afforded them.
"Balaam also the son of Beor they slew with the sword": The strategic inclusion of Balaam, not a Midianite king, at the end of the list, after the named kings, elevates his significance. His death by the sword marks the completion of the divine vengeance. It emphasizes that both the secular leaders of Midian and the spiritual architect of Israel's fall met their end, directly linking him to the sin he masterminded (Rev 2:14). His being "slain with the sword" like the warriors and kings indicates his classification as an enemy combatant deserving of death.
Numbers 31 8 Bonus section
The detailing of Balaam's death here, even though he was not a Midianite king, emphasizes that divine judgment targeted not only military or political threats but also spiritual architects of wickedness. His continued presence with the Midianites, years after his initial engagement with Balak and Israel, strongly suggests he remained involved in their affairs and very likely sought personal gain by remaining aligned with those who opposed Israel, possibly serving as an advisor for payment. This act serves as a warning against covetousness and spiritual compromise (2 Pet 2:15-16, Jude 11). The severity of the retribution against Balaam also highlights the exceptional seriousness of his "counsel" (Num 31:16), which caused so many Israelites to die in the plague (Num 25:9). His demise alongside the kings underscores the unity of their wicked endeavor against God's people and the completeness of its judgment.
Numbers 31 8 Commentary
Numbers 31:8 encapsulates the profound consequences of opposing God and corrupting His people. The destruction of Midianite kings alongside Balaam serves as a stark testament to divine justice. This was not a war of conquest for land, but a punitive action ("vengeance of the LORD") against those who lured Israel into apostasy. Balaam, a non-Israelite prophet, epitomizes spiritual corruption: despite having genuinely received prophecies from God, he yielded to avarice, eventually counseling Balak to ensnare Israel through immorality and idolatry (the "teaching of Balaam" in Rev 2:14). His lingering presence with Midian, years after the initial encounter, confirms his enduring malevolence and deep complicity.
The specific naming of the five Midianite kings, including Zur, whose daughter instigated a pivotal moment of sin (Num 25:15), demonstrates God's precise memory of transgressions and meticulous execution of judgment. The fact that they were "slain with the sword" underscores the decisive nature of this divine reckoning—it was a military and judicial execution. This act cleansed Israel of a profound spiritual threat and reaffirmed the covenant demands for holiness, showing that deliberate sin, especially that which leads God's people astray, will not go unpunished. It foreshadows the broader biblical theme that the wages of sin is death (Rom 6:23) and that God will indeed "repay" those who do evil (Rom 12:19). For instance, Christians must discern and reject false teachings that subtly undermine faith and promote worldly compromise, understanding that such influences, if not eradicated, can lead to spiritual death.