1 The LORD said to Moses, |
2 "Take vengeance on the Midianites for the Israelites. After that, you will be gathered to your people." |
3 So Moses said to the people, "Arm some of your men to go to war against the Midianites and to carry out the LORD's vengeance on them. |
4 Send into battle a thousand men from each of the tribes of Israel." |
5 So twelve thousand men armed for battle, a thousand from each tribe, were supplied from the clans of Israel. |
6 Moses sent them into battle, a thousand from each tribe, along with Phinehas son of Eleazar, the priest, who took with him articles from the sanctuary and the trumpets for signaling. |
7 They fought against Midian, as the LORD commanded Moses, and killed every man. |
8 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. |
9 The Israelites captured the Midianite women and children and took all the Midianite herds, flocks and goods as plunder. |
10 They burned all the towns where the Midianites had settled, as well as all their camps. |
11 They took all the plunder and spoils, including the people and animals, |
12 and brought the captives, spoils and plunder to Moses and Eleazar the priest and the Israelite assembly at their camp on the plains of Moab, by the Jordan across from Jericho.1 31:12 Hebrew Jordan of Jericho ; possibly an ancient name for the Jordan River |
13 Moses, Eleazar the priest and all the leaders of the community went to meet them outside the camp. |
14 Moses was angry with the officers of the army-the commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds-who returned from the battle. |
15 "Have you allowed all the women to live?" he asked them. |
16 "They were the ones who followed Balaam's advice and were the means of turning the Israelites away from the LORD in what happened at Peor, so that a plague struck the LORD's people. |
17 Now kill all the boys. And kill every woman who has slept with a man, |
18 but save for yourselves every girl who has never slept with a man. |
19 "All of you who have killed anyone or touched anyone who was killed must stay outside the camp seven days. On the third and seventh days you must purify yourselves and your captives. |
20 Purify every garment as well as everything made of leather, goat hair or wood." |
21 Then Eleazar the priest said to the soldiers who had gone into battle, "This is the requirement of the law that the LORD gave Moses: |
22 Gold, silver, bronze, iron, tin, lead |
23 and anything else that can withstand fire must be put through the fire, and then it will be clean. But it must also be purified with the water of cleansing. And whatever cannot withstand fire must be put through that water. |
24 On the seventh day wash your clothes and you will be clean. Then you may come into the camp." |
25 The LORD said to Moses, |
26 "You and Eleazar the priest and the family heads of the community are to count all the people and animals that were captured. |
27 Divide the spoils between the soldiers who took part in the battle and the rest of the community. |
28 From the soldiers who fought in the battle, set apart as tribute for the LORD one out of every five hundred, whether persons, cattle, donkeys, sheep or goats. |
29 Take this tribute from their half share and give it to Eleazar the priest as the LORD's part. |
30 From the Israelites' half, select one out of every fifty, whether persons, cattle, donkeys, sheep, goats or other animals. Give them to the Levites, who are responsible for the care of the LORD's tabernacle." |
31 So Moses and Eleazar the priest did as the LORD commanded Moses. |
32 The plunder remaining from the spoils that the soldiers took was 675,000 sheep, |
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35 and 32,000 women who had never slept with a man. |
36 The half share of those who fought in the battle was: |
37 of which the tribute for the LORD was 675; |
38 36,000 cattle, of which the tribute for the LORD was 72; |
39 30,500 donkeys, of which the tribute for the LORD was 61; |
40 16,000 people, of which the tribute for the LORD was 32. |
41 Moses gave the tribute to Eleazar the priest as the LORD's part, as the LORD commanded Moses. |
42 The half belonging to the Israelites, which Moses set apart from that of the fighting men- |
43 the community's half-was 337,500 sheep, |
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47 From the Israelites' half, Moses selected one out of every fifty persons and animals, as the LORD commanded him, and gave them to the Levites, who were responsible for the care of the LORD's tabernacle. |
48 Then the officers who were over the units of the army-the commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds-went to Moses |
49 and said to him, "Your servants have counted the soldiers under our command, and not one is missing. |
50 So we have brought as an offering to the LORD the gold articles each of us acquired-armlets, bracelets, signet rings, earrings and necklaces-to make atonement for ourselves before the LORD ." |
51 Moses and Eleazar the priest accepted from them the gold-all the crafted articles. |
52 All the gold from the commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds that Moses and Eleazar presented as a gift to the LORD weighed 16,750 shekels.2 31:52 That is, about 420 pounds (about 190 kilograms) |
53 Each soldier had taken plunder for himself. |
54 Moses and Eleazar the priest accepted the gold from the commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds and brought it into the Tent of Meeting as a memorial for the Israelites before the LORD . |
31 God commands Moses to avenge Israel of the Midianites, Num 31:1-2.
Moses sends them to the war, Num 31:3-6.
They slay the Midianites, Num 31:7-12.
He reproves them for sparing the women, Num 31:13-18.
Directions for purifying themselves, Num 31:19-24.
The distribution of the spirit, Num 31:25-47.
The free - will - offering of the officers, Num 31:48-54.
31:3 Avenge ye the Lord - For the affront which they offered to God, by their own idolatry and lewdness, and by seducing God's people into rebellion against him. God's great care was to avenge the Israelites, Num 31:2, andMoses's chief desire was to avenge God rather than himself or the people.
31:5 Twelve thousand - God would send no more, though it is apparent the Midianites were numerous and strong, because he would exercise their trust in him, and give them an earnest of their Canaanitish conquests.
31:6 Them and Phinehas - Who had the charge not of the army, as general, (an office never committed to a priest in all the Old Testament) but of the holy instruments, and was sent to encourage, and quicken, them in their enterprize. The holy instruments - The holy breast - plate, wherein was the Urim and Thummim, which was easily carried, and very useful in war upon many emergent occasions.
31:7 All the males - Namely all who lived in those parts, for colonies of them, were sent forth to remoter places, which therefore had no hand either in their former sin, or in this present ruling. And herein they did according to God's own order concerning such people, Deu 20:13, only their fault was, that they did not consider the special reason which they had to involve the women in the destruction.
31:13 Without the camp - Partly to put respect upon them, and congratulate with them for their happy success; and partly to prevent the pollution of the camp by the untimely entrance of the warriors into it.
31:17 The little ones - Which they were forbidden to do to other people, Deu 20:14, except the Canaanites, to whom this people had equaled themselves by their horrid crimes, and therefore it is not strange, nor unjust, that God, the supreme Lord of all mens lives, who as he gives them, so may take them away when he pleaseth, did equal them in the punishment. Every woman - Partly for punishment, because the guilt was general, and though some ofthem only did prostitute themselves to the Israelites, yet the rest made themselves accessary by their consent or approbation; and partly, for prevention of the like mischief from such an adulterous generation.
31:20 Your raiment - Namely, your spoil and prey. All work - All which had contracted some ceremonial uncleanness either from the dead bodies which wore them, or the tents or houses where they were, in which such dead bodies lay, or from the touch of the Israelitish soldiers, who were legally defiled by the slaughters they made.
31:27 Two parts - The congregation hath some share, because the warriors went in the name of all, and because all having been injured by the Midianites, all were to have some share in the reparations: but the warriors who were but 12000, have a far greater share than their brethren, because they underwent greater pains and dangers.
31:29 An heave - offering - In thankfulness to God for their preservation and good success.
31:30 One of fifty - Whereas the former part was one of five hundred; the reason of the difference is, partly, because this was taken out of the peoples portion, whose hazards being less than the others, their gains also in all reason were to be less: partly because this was to be distributed into more hands, the Levites being now numerous, whereas the priests were but few.
31:50 An atonement - For their error noted, Num 31:14-16, and withal for a memorial, or by way of gratitude for such a stupendous assistance and deliverance. We should never take any thing to ourselves in war or trade, of which we cannot in faith consecrate a part to God, who hates robbery for burnt - offerings. But when God has remarkably preserved and succeeded us, he expects we should make some particular return of gratitude to him.