Numbers 31 describes the Israelites' war against the Midianites to avenge themselves for the Midianites' role in leading them astray to worship foreign gods. After the victory, Moses is upset with the officers who led the army. Here's a breakdown of what Numbers 31:14 means:
"Moses was angry with the officers of the army...": Moses, as the leader of the Israelites, was displeased with the actions of the military leaders.
"...the captains of thousands and the captains of hundreds...": These were the commanding officers of different sized military units. It emphasizes that Moses' anger wasn't directed at individual soldiers, but at the leaders responsible for making decisions.
"...who came from the service of the war.": These officers were returning from successfully completing their mission in the war against the Midianites.
Why was Moses angry?
The verses that follow (Numbers 31:15-18) explain the reason for Moses' anger. He was furious because the Israelite army had spared the women and children of the Midianites. Moses believed this was a grave mistake because it was the Midianite women who had led the Israelites into idolatry and sin with Baal-Peor (as described in Numbers 25). He feared that allowing these women to live would lead to further apostasy among the Israelites.
In summary, Numbers 31:14 sets the stage for Moses' rebuke of the military leaders for their leniency towards the Midianite women, which he saw as a threat to the spiritual well-being of the Israelites.
Numbers 31 describes the Israelites' war against the Midianites to avenge themselves for the Midianites' role in leading them astray to worship foreign gods. After the victory, Moses is upset with the officers who led the army. Here's a breakdown of what Numbers 31:14 means:
"Moses was angry with the officers of the army...": Moses, as the leader of the Israelites, was displeased with the actions of the military leaders.
"...the captains of thousands and the captains of hundreds...": These were the commanding officers of different sized military units. It emphasizes that Moses' anger wasn't directed at individual soldiers, but at the leaders responsible for making decisions.
"...who came from the service of the war.": These officers were returning from successfully completing their mission in the war against the Midianites.
Why was Moses angry?
The verses that follow (Numbers 31:15-18) explain the reason for Moses' anger. He was furious because the Israelite army had spared the women and children of the Midianites. Moses believed this was a grave mistake because it was the Midianite women who had led the Israelites into idolatry and sin with Baal-Peor (as described in Numbers 25). He feared that allowing these women to live would lead to further apostasy among the Israelites.
In summary, Numbers 31:14 sets the stage for Moses' rebuke of the military leaders for their leniency towards the Midianite women, which he saw as a threat to the spiritual well-being of the Israelites.