Introduction
‘The LORD said to Moses, “Take vengeance on the Midianites for the Israelites. After that, you will be gathered to your people.” So Moses said to the people, “Arm some of your men to go to war against the Midianites so that they may carry out the LORD’s vengeance on them. Send into battle a thousand men from each of the tribes of Israel.” So twelve thousand men armed for battle, a thousand from each tribe, were supplied from the clans of Israel. 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 signalling. They fought against Midian, as the LORD commanded Moses, and killed every man. 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. The Israelites captured the Midianite women and children and took all the Midianite herds, flocks, and goods as plunder. They burned all the towns where the Midianites had settled, as well as all their camps. They took all the plunder and spoils, including the people and animals, 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. Moses, Eleazar the priest and all the leaders of the community went to meet them outside the camp. Moses was angry with the officers of the army—the commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds—who returned from the battle. “Have you allowed all the women to live?” he asked them. “They were the ones who followed Balaam’s advice and enticed the Israelites to be unfaithful to the LORD in the Peor incident, so that a plague struck the LORD’s people. Now kill all the boys. And kill every woman who has slept with a man but save for yourselves every girl who has never slept with a man. “Anyone who has killed someone or touched someone who was killed must stay outside the camp seven days. On the third and seventh days you must purify yourselves and your captives. Purify every garment as well as everything made of leather, goat hair or wood.” Then Eleazar the priest said to the soldiers who had gone into battle, “This is what is required by the law that the LORD gave Moses: Gold, silver, bronze, iron, tin, lead, 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. On the seventh day wash your clothes and you will be clean. Then you may come into the camp.” Numbers 31:1-24
VENGEANCE ON THE MIDIANITES
In this chapter we find Moses being obedient to God in reference to making war against the Midianites, Numbers 25:17-18. God tells Moses to take vengeance, Numbers 31:1-2 / Numbers 31:3, which implies, that this is God Himself taking action against the Midianites because they had deceived His people.
This action would certainly send a strong message out to all of the other nations that if anyone tried to destroy Israel, they themselves would end up being destroyed. Notice that God tells Moses, that after this, he will be gathered to his people, Numbers 31:2. This means his life is coming to an end, Genesis 25:8 / Genesis 25:8 / Genesis 49:33.
So Moses tells the people to arm some of their men to go to war against the Midianites so that they may carry out the LORD’s vengeance on them, Numbers 31:3. He tells them to send into battle a thousand men from each of the tribes of Israel, Numbers 31:4. So twelve thousand men armed for battle, a thousand from each tribe, were supplied from the clans of Israel, Numbers 31:5. 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 signalling, Numbers 31:6.
Barnes in his commentary says the following, concerning Phinehas.
‘He was marked out as the fitting director of the expedition by his conduct, Numbers 25:7-13, in the matter of Zimri and Cozbi.’
Israel goes to war against the Midianites, using only 12,000 men, they caught the Midianites by surprise and killed all their males and five of their kings, Numbers 31:7-8 / Joshua 13:21. Notice that Balaam was also among those who were killed, Numbers 31:8, because he counselled the women of Midian to seduce the men of Israel, Numbers 23:10 / Numbers 24:25 / Numbers 25:1-5 / Jude 11.
The Israelites captured the Midianite women and children and took all the Midianite herds, flocks and goods as plunder, Numbers 31:9. They burned all the towns where the Midianites had settled, as well as all their camps, Numbers 31:10. They took all the plunder and spoils, including the people and animals, 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, Numbers 31:11-12.
Moses, Eleazar the priest and all the leaders of the community went to meet them outside the camp and notice that Moses was angry with those who returned from the battle, Numbers 31:13-14. Moses was angry because he had ordered that the older women be killed, as well as all the male children, the army, however, had spared the lives of the women and children, Numbers 31:15. They were the ones who followed Balaam’s advice and enticed the Israelites to be unfaithful to the LORD in the Peor incident, so that a plague struck the LORD’s people, Numbers 31:16.
It appears that the Israelite men had forgotten that it was the Midian women who had deceived them into committing fornication, Numbers 25:1-3. It’s certainly possible that those men who had relationships with those Midianite women wanted to keep them alive. The point is that Israel were to kill all the adults to prevent any future influence of immortality from the nations around.
Moses commands them to kill all the boys and kill every woman who has slept with a man but save for yourselves every girl who has never slept with a man, Numbers 31:17-18.
Coffman, in his commentary, says the following.
‘Moses’ outrage because the soldiers had brought the vast company of women, along with their children, with the purpose of bringing them into the camp of Israel is easily understood. To have permitted this would have been an unqualified disaster for Israel. Therefore, Moses ordered all except the virgins to be slain at once.’
Anyone who has killed someone or touched someone who was killed must stay outside the camp seven days and on the third and seventh days they must purify themselves and their captives, Numbers 31:19. They are also to purify every garment as well as everything made of leather, goat hair or wood, Numbers 31:20. The ceremony of purification mentioned in Numbers 31:20, is fully elaborated in Numbers 19.
Then Eleazar the priest said to the soldiers who had gone into battle, this is what is required by the law that the LORD gave Moses: Gold, silver, bronze, iron, tin, lead, 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, Numbers 31:21-23. Note that the KJV uses the words, ‘waters of separation, Numbers 31:23.
Clarkes, in his commentary, says the following.
‘The water of separation is the water in which the ashes of the red heifer were mingled, Numbers 8:7 / Numbers 8:7 / Numbers 19:2. The Garments, whether of cloth or skins, were to be washed. Gold, silver, brass, iron, tin, and lead, to pass through the fire, probably to be melted down.’
On the seventh day wash their clothes and they themselves will be clean, then they may come into the camp, Numbers 31:24.
DIVIDING THE SPOILS
‘The LORD said to Moses, “You and Eleazar the priest and the family heads of the community are to count all the people and animals that were captured. Divide the spoils equally between the soldiers who took part in the battle and the rest of the community. From the soldiers who fought in the battle, set apart as tribute for the LORD one out of every five hundred, whether people, cattle, donkeys, or sheep. Take this tribute from their half share and give it to Eleazar the priest as the LORD’s part. From the Israelites’ half, select one out of every fifty, whether people, cattle, donkeys, sheep, or other animals. Give them to the Levites, who are responsible for the care of the LORD’s tabernacle.” So Moses and Eleazar the priest did as the LORD commanded Moses. The plunder remaining from the spoils that the soldiers took was 675,000 sheep, 72,000 cattle, 61,000 donkeys and 32,000 women who had never slept with a man. The half share of those who fought in the battle was: 337,500 sheep, of which the tribute for the LORD was 675; 36,000 cattle, of which the tribute for the LORD was 72; 30,500 donkeys, of which the tribute for the LORD was 61; 16,000 people, of whom the tribute for the LORD was 32. Moses gave the tribute to Eleazar the priest as the LORD’s part, as the LORD commanded Moses. The half belonging to the Israelites, which Moses set apart from that of the fighting men—the community’s half—was 337,500 sheep, 36,000 cattle, 30,500 donkeys and 16,000 people. From the Israelites’ half, Moses selected one out of every fifty people and animals, as the LORD commanded him, and gave them to the Levites, who were responsible for the care of the LORD’s tabernacle. Then the officers who were over the units of the army—the commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds—went to Moses and said to him, “Your servants have counted the soldiers under our command, and not one is missing. 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.” Moses and Eleazar the priest accepted from them the gold—all the crafted articles. 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. Each soldier had taken plunder for himself. 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.’ Numbers 31:25-54
When the war was over, Israel counted of all the spoils from the war which had been taken from their enemies, Numbers 31:25-26. After doing so, the spoils were then divided in half, with half going to the soldiers who actually went to war and the other half to the rest of the people who stayed at home and watched the camp, Numbers 25:28.
One-fifth of one per cent of what was given to the soldiers was to be given to Eleazar the priest, Numbers 31:29. Two per cent of the half that was given to the people was to be given to the Levites, Numbers 31:30-31.
The plunder remaining from the spoils that the soldiers took was 675,000 sheep, 33 72,000 cattle, 34 61,000 donkeys and 32,000 women who had never slept with a man, Numbers 31:32-35 / Numbers 31:18.
The half share of those who fought in the battle was: 337,500 sheep, of which the tribute for the LORD was 675; 36,000 cattle, of which the tribute for the LORD was 72; 30,500 donkeys, of which the tribute for the LORD was 61; 16,000 people, of whom the tribute for the LORD was 32, Numbers 31:36-40.
Moses gave the tribute to Eleazar the priest as the LORD’s part, as the LORD commanded Moses, Numbers 31:42. The half belonging to the Israelites, which Moses set apart from that of the fighting men the community’s half was 337,500 sheep, 36,000 cattle, 30,500 donkeys and 16,000 people. From the Israelites’ half, Moses selected one out of every fifty people and animals, as the LORD commanded him, and gave them to the Levites, who were responsible for the care of the LORD’s tabernacle, Numbers 31:41-47.
Then the officers who were over the units of the army, the commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds went to Moses and said to him, your servants have counted the soldiers under our command, and not one is missing, Numbers 31:48-49. Because the soldiers were grateful that none of them had lost their lives during the war, they brought all the jewels of gold to the tabernacle to be offered as an atonement for themselves, Numbers 31:50 / Exodus 25:39 / Exodus 30:11-16.
The rings were finger-rings, or seal-rings and the tablets were worn suspended from the neck, Exodus 35:22. These jewels of gold were stored in the tabernacle as a remembrance of the great victory that God had given them over the Midianites.
Whitelaw, in his commentary, says the following.
‘We should not be surprised by such enormous quantities of gold and jewels captured from a race of nomadic wanderers. It is still the case with peoples of that area and under circumstances far less favourable. The weight of the gold mentioned here as some 11,000 ounces. At the current price of gold $325.00 per ounce, the value of this free-will offering was more than $3,500,000.00!’
Barnes, in his commentary, says the following, concerning the atonement, Numbers 31:50.
‘The atonement was not for any special offence committed, which would have called for a sacrifice of blood-shedding, but rather like the half-shekel given at the census in the Book of Exodus, Exodus 30:11-16, was an acknowledgement of having received undeserved mercies. These, if unacknowledged, would have entailed guilt on the soul.’