At Balaam's instigation, the Midianites had tempted the Israelites to commit idolatry and adultery at Baal Peor. God then instructed Moses to carry out judgment upon these Midianites for actively opposing God's plan and people (Num 25:16-18).
The Midianites apparently consisted of a number of clans, some of whom were nomadic herdsmen. Some, like Moses' in-laws, were friends of the Israelites, while others opposed them. It was the clans in this latter group who were to be punished.
The details of how this judgment was done are recorded in Numbers 31. This was a special holy war, using a small percentage of Israel's army (one eleph from each tribe). This small force totally defeated the offending Midianites, suffering no casualties in the process.
This battle was a "warm up" for the conquest of Canaan, which would begin in a few months. It would have given the Israelites some encouragement for that task. As Frank Fenton noted in a short teaching at Church of the Messiah on December 10, 2022, when God gives his people a task, he provides the means necessary to carry it out.
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