Numbers31
American Standard Version · Public Domain
1And Jehovah spake unto Moses, saying,
2Avenge the children of Israel of the Midianites: afterward shalt thou be gathered unto thy people.
3And Moses spake unto the people, saying, Arm ye men from among you for the war, that they may go against Midian, to execute Jehovah’s vengeance on Midian.
4Of every tribe a thousand, throughout all the tribes of Israel, shall ye send to the war.
5So there were delivered, out of the thousands of Israel, a thousand of every tribe, twelve thousand armed for war.
6And Moses sent them, a thousand of every tribe, to the war, them and Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest, to the war, with the vessels of the sanctuary and the trumpets for the alarm in his hand.
7And they warred against Midian, as Jehovah commanded Moses; and they slew every male.
8And they slew the kings of Midian with the rest of their slain: Evi, and Rekem, and Zur, and Hur, and Reba, the five kings of Midian: Balaam also the son of Beor they slew with the sword.
9And the children of Israel took captive the women of Midian and their little ones; and all their cattle, and all their flocks, and all their goods, they took for a prey.
10And all their cities in the places wherein they dwelt, and all their encampments, they burnt with fire.
11And they took all the spoil, and all the prey, both of man and of beast.
12And they brought the captives, and the prey, and the spoil, unto Moses, and unto Eleazar the priest, and unto the congregation of the children of Israel, unto the camp at the plains of Moab, which are by the Jordan at Jericho.
13And Moses, and Eleazar the priest, and all the princes of the congregation, went forth to meet them without the camp.
14And Moses was wroth with the officers of the host, the captains of thousands and the captains of hundreds, who came from the service of the war.
15And Moses said unto them, Have ye saved all the women alive?
16Behold, these caused the children of Israel, through the counsel of Balaam, to commit trespass against Jehovah in the matter of Peor, and so the plague was among the congregation of Jehovah.
17Now therefore kill every male among the little ones, and kill every woman that hath known man by lying with him.
18But all the women-children, that have not known man by lying with him, keep alive for yourselves.
19And encamp ye without the camp seven days: whosoever hath killed any person, and whosoever hath touched any slain, purify yourselves on the third day and on the seventh day, ye and your captives.
20And as to every garment, and all that is made of skin, and all work of goats’ hair, and all things made of wood, ye shall purify yourselves.
21And Eleazar the priest said unto the men of war that went to the battle, This is the statute of the law which Jehovah hath commanded Moses:
22howbeit the gold, and the silver, the brass, the iron, the tin, and the lead,
23everything that may abide the fire, ye shall make to go through the fire, and it shall be clean; nevertheless it shall be purified with the water for impurity: and all that abideth not the fire ye shall make to go through the water.
24And ye shall wash your clothes on the seventh day, and ye shall be clean; and afterward ye shall come into the camp.
25And Jehovah spake unto Moses, saying,
26Take the sum of the prey that was taken, both of man and of beast, thou, and Eleazar the priest, and the heads of the fathers’ houses of the congregation;
27and divide the prey into two parts: between the men skilled in war, that went out to battle, and all the congregation.
28And levy a tribute unto Jehovah of the men of war that went out to battle: one soul of five hundred, both of the persons, and of the oxen, and of the asses, and of the flocks:
29take it of their half, and give it unto Eleazar the priest, for Jehovah’s heave-offering.
30And of the children of Israel’s half, thou shalt take one drawn out of every fifty, of the persons, of the oxen, of the asses, and of the flocks, even of all the cattle, and give them unto the Levites, that keep the charge of the tabernacle of Jehovah.
31And Moses and Eleazar the priest did as Jehovah commanded Moses.
32Now the prey, over and above the booty which the men of war took, was six hundred thousand and seventy thousand and five thousand sheep,
33and threescore and twelve thousand oxen,
34and threescore and one thousand asses,
35and thirty and two thousand persons in all, of the women that had not known man by lying with him.
36And the half, which was the portion of them that went out to war, was in number three hundred thousand and thirty thousand and seven thousand and five hundred sheep:
37and Jehovah’s tribute of the sheep was six hundred and threescore and fifteen.
38And the oxen were thirty and six thousand; of which Jehovah’s tribute was threescore and twelve.
39And the asses were thirty thousand and five hundred; of which Jehovah’s tribute was threescore and one.
40And the persons were sixteen thousand; of whom Jehovah’s tribute was thirty and two persons.
41And Moses gave the tribute, which was Jehovah’s heave-offering, unto Eleazar the priest, as Jehovah commanded Moses.
42And of the children of Israel’s half, which Moses divided off from the men that warred
43(now the congregation’s half was three hundred thousand and thirty thousand, seven thousand and five hundred sheep,
44and thirty and six thousand oxen,
45and thirty thousand and five hundred asses,
46and sixteen thousand persons),
47even of the children of Israel’s half, Moses took one drawn out of every fifty, both of man and of beast, and gave them unto the Levites, that kept the charge of the tabernacle of Jehovah; as Jehovah commanded Moses.
48And the officers that were over the thousands of the host, the captains of thousands, and the captains of hundreds, came near unto Moses;
49and they said unto Moses, Thy servants have taken the sum of the men of war that are under our charge, and there lacketh not one man of us.
50And we have brought Jehovah’s oblation, what every man hath gotten, of jewels of gold, ankle-chains, and bracelets, signet-rings, ear-rings, and armlets, to make atonement for our souls before Jehovah.
51And Moses and Eleazar the priest took the gold of them, even all wrought jewels.
52And all the gold of the heave-offering that they offered up to Jehovah, of the captains of thousands, and of the captains of hundreds, was sixteen thousand seven hundred and fifty shekels.
53(For the men of war had taken booty, every man for himself.)
54And Moses and Eleazar the priest took the gold of the captains of thousands and of hundreds, and brought it into the tent of meeting, for a memorial for the children of Israel before Jehovah.
Study Guide
Public-domain commentary and original-language notes for Numbers 31.
Chapter Summary
In this chapter: War with Midian. (1–6). Balaam slain. (7–12). Those slain who caused sin. (13–38). Purification of the Israelites. (39–24). Division of the spoil. (25–47). Offerings. (48–54).
vv1-6
All who, without commission from God, dare to execute private revenge, and who, from ambition, covetousness, or resentment, wage war and desolate kingdoms, must one day answer for it. But if God, instead of sending an earthquake, a pestilence, or a famine, be pleased to authorize and command any people to avenge his cause, such a commission surely is just and right. The Israelites could show such a commission, though no persons now can do so. Their wars were begun and carried on expressly by Divine direction, and they were enabled to conquer by miracles. Unless it can be proved that the wicked Canaanites did not deserve their doom, objectors only prove their dislike to God, and their love to his enemies. Man makes light of the evil of sin, but God abhors it. This explains the terrible executions of the nations which had filled the measure of their sins.
vv7-12
The Israelites slew the Kings of Midian. They slew Balaam. God's overruling providence brought him thither, and their just vengeance found him. Had he himself rightly believed what he had said of the happy state of Israel, he would not have thus herded with the enemies of Israel. The Midianites' wicked wiles were Balaam's projects: it was just that he should perish with them, Ho 4:5. They took the women and children captives. They burnt their cities and castles, and returned to the camp.
vv13-18
The sword of war should spare women and children; but the sword of justice should know no distinction, but that of guilty or not guilty. This war was the execution of a righteous sentence upon a guilty nation, in which the women were the worst criminals. The female children were spared, who, being brought up among the Israelites, would not tempt them to idolatry. The whole history shows the hatefulness of sin, and the guilt of tempting others; it teaches us to avoid all occasions of evil, and to give no quarter to inward lusts. The women and children were not kept for sinful purposes, but for slaves, a custom every where practised in former times, as to captives. In the course of providence, when famine and plagues visit a nation for sin, children suffer in the common calamity. In this case parents are punished in their children; and for children dying before actual sin, full provision is made as to their eternal happiness, by the mercy of God in Christ.
Key Words
דָבַר: perhaps properly, to arrange; but used figuratively (of words), to speak; rarely (in a destructive sense) to subdue
מֹשֶׁה: Mosheh, the Israelite lawgiver
אָמַר: to say (used with great latitude)
בֵּן: a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or condition, etc., (like father or brother), etc.)
יִשְׂרָאֵל: Jisrael, a symbolical name of Jacob; also (typically) of his posterity
מִדְיָנִי: a Midjanite or descendant (native) of Midjan
אַחַר: properly, the hind part; generally used as an adverb or conjunction, after (in various senses)
אָסַף: to gather for any purpose; hence, to receive, take away, i.e. remove (destroy, leave behind, put up, restore, etc.)
עַם: a people (as a congregated unit); specifically, a tribe (as those of Israel); hence (collectively) troops or attendants; figuratively, a flock
חָלַץ: to pull off; hence (intensively) to strip, (reflex.) to depart; by implication, to deliver, equip (for fight); present, strengthen
Cross References
Numbers 31Direct command to vex the Midianites for their deceit in the matter of Peor.
Supported by Matthew Henry, Matthew Poole, JFB
The explicit historical trigger where Midianite women seduced Israel to trespass at Baal-peor.
Supported by Matthew Henry, Matthew Poole, John Calvin, JFB
Ordinance requiring the sounding of trumpets by priests in times of war.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Confirms the death of the five Midianite kings and Balaam by the sword.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Phinehas, who previously executed judgment at Peor, is sent to lead the holy instruments.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
General law of warfare directing the slaying of males while taking spoil.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
New Testament exposure of Balaam's counsel to Balak to cast a stumblingblock.
Supported by Matthew Henry, JFB
David's established statute echoing this division of spoil between combatants and non-combatants.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Shows Midian's survival and subsequent oppression of Israel, illustrating incomplete destruction.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Apostolic commentary on Balaam, who loved the wages of unrighteousness.
Supported by JFB
Prophetic call to remember what Balak consulted and what Balaam answered.
Supported by JFB
Laws of purification for touching a dead body on third and seventh days.
Supported by Matthew Henry, John Calvin
The prescription for ransom money to make atonement for souls.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Balaam's departure toward his place before his fatal return to Midian.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
The standard ordinance allocating tithes and offerings to the Levites.
Supported by Matthew Henry