Numbers 31

AND the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

Avenge the children of Israel of the Midianites: For their malicious designs and practices against Israel, both by hiring Balaam to curse them, and by sending their Women to insnare them. The Moabites also were guilty, but God out of his own good pleasure, and in kindness to Lot, was pleased to spare them, the rather, because the measure of their Iniquity was not yet full. afterwards shalt thou be gathered unto thy people.

And Moses spake unto the people, saying, Arm some of your selves unto the war, and let them go against the Midianites, and avenge the LORD For the affront and injury which they offered to God partly by their own Idolatry and lewdness, and partly by seducing Gods people into Rebellion against him. Gods great care was to avenge the Israelites, v. 2. and Moses his chief desire was to avenge God rather than himself or the people. Withal he does hereby insinuate, that God and his people have the same cause, the same Friends and Enemies. of Midian.

Of every tribe a thousand, throughout all the tribes of Israel, shall ye send to the war.

So there were delivered out of the thousands of Israel, a thousand of every tribe To prevent Emulations or divisions., twelve thousand armed for war. God would send no more, though it is apparent that the Midianites were numerous and strong, because he would try and exercise their trust in him, and because he would hereby give them an earnest of their Cana... nitish Conquests.

And Moses sent them to the war, a thousand of every tribe; them and Phinehas Who had the charge not of the Army, as General, (an Office never committed to any Priest in all the Old Testament) but of the Holy Instruments, &c. as is here expressed, and was also sent to encourage, and quicken, and confirm them in their good enterprize. It is not here mentioned who was the general, whether Iosua, as some think, because he is not named amongst those who went out to meet the returning host, though that might be for other reasons, or some other Prince, nor is it worth while to determine. the son of Eleazar the Priest to the war, with the holy instruments Either 1. the Ark, with the things belonging to it, which before the building of the Temple, they did sometimes carry into the War for the encouragement of their Army. See Numb. 14. 44. Ios. 6. 9. 1 Sam. 4. 4. and 14. 18. But why then is it thus ambiguously expressed, seeing in all the other places it is called by its proper Name? Nor is the Ark ever so called in Scripture. Or 2. The Trumpets, as it here follows, the words being thus to be read, the Holy Instruments, that is, the Trumpets: for and is oft times put exegetically for that is, or to wit, as Gen. 13. 15. 1 Chron. 21. 12. compared with 2 Sam. 24. 13. Zach. 1. 4. and 9. 9, &c. Or rather 3. The Holy Breast-plate, wherein was the Urim and Thummim, which was easily carryed, and used, and very useful in War upon many emergent occasions. See 1 Sam. 23. 9. and 30. 7., and the trumpets to blow Which were to be used in war as well as in the service of the Tabernacle. See Numb. 10. 9. 2 Chron. 13. 12. in his hand.

And they warred against the Midianites, as the LORD commanded Moses, and they slew all the males Namely all whom they took in that War; Or, all who lived in those parts, for it is probable, and was then very usual, some colonies of them were sent forth to remoter places, which therefore had no hand either in their former sin, or in this present raine, of whom we read after this, Iudg 6. And herein they did according to Gods own order concerning such people, Deut 20. 13. only their fault was, that they did not consider the special reason and great obligation which they had to involve the Women in the destruction, for which reason Moses blames them afterward, v. 15, 16..

And they slew the Kings of Midian Called Dukes or Princes of Sihon, Ios. 13. 21. because they were subject to him while he lived, but upon his death they resumed their Kingly power., besides the rest of them that were slain; namely, Evi, and Rekem, and Zur The Father of Cozbi, Numb. 25. 15., and Hur, and Reba, five Kings of Midian: Balaam also Obj. he was gone and returned to his own place, Numb. 24. 25. which was Aram or Mesopotamia, Numb. 23. 7. Answ. Either he did go thitherward, but in his journey made some stay in Midian, where he was overtaken by divinevengeance: or understanding the success of his wicked counsel left with Balaam in the sin and slaughter of the Israelites, he returned partly to enjoy the reputation and reward of his counsel which he had lost before, and partly to employ his Hellish arts against Israel, now they were, as he thought forsaken by their God, and exposed to his malice. Here Balaam dies the death of the wicked, and not of the righteous, as he desired, Numb. 23. 10. the son of Beor, they slew with the sword.

And the children of Israel took all the Women of Midian Captives, and their little ones, and took the spoil of all their cattel, and all their Flocks, and all their goods.

And they burnt all their cities Partly to blot out the Name and Memory of so lewd and vile a people; partly least any of the Israelites should be tempted to settle there, and so be discouraged in their progress to Canaan; and partly least they should be possessed by other people who might prove as bad Neighbours to them as these would have been., wherein they dwelt, and all their goodly castles with fire:

And they took all the spoil, and all the prey both of men and of beasts.

And they brought the captives, and the prey and the spoil unto Moses, and Eleazar the Priest, and unto the Congregation of the children of Israel, unto the camp at the plains of Moab, which are by Jordan near Jericho.

And Moses, and Eleazar the Priest, and all the Princes of the congregation went forth to meet them 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 Warriours into it..

And Moses was wroth with the officers of the host Because they had spared those who were most criminal, and who by the law of God and of nature were worthy of Death., with the captains over thousands, and captains over hundreds, which came from the battel.

And Moses said unto them, Have ye saved all the women alive?

Behold, these caused the children of Israel, through the counsel of Balaam to commit trespass against the LORD in the matter of Peor, and there was a plague among the congregation of the LORD.

Now therefore, kill every male among the little ones Which they were forbidden to do to other people, Deut. 20. 14. except the Canaanites, to whom this people had equalled themselves by their horrid crimes, and therefore it is not strange, nor unjust, that God, the supream Lord of all mens lives, who as he gives them, so may take them away when he pleaseth, did equal them in the punishment., and kill every woman that has known man Partly for punishment, because the guilt was general, and though some of them only did prostitute themselves to the Israelites, yet the rest made themselves accessary by their consent or concurrence or approbation; and partly, for prevention of the like mischief from such an adulterous generation., by lying with him.

But all the women children that have not known a man To wit, carnally. See on Gen. 48. 1. and 19. 8. Levit. 18. 22., by lying with him, keep alive for your selves Either to sell them as slaves to others, or to use them as Servants to your selves, or to marry them, when you have prepared and instructed them..

And do ye abide without the camp seven days According to the Law, Levit. 15. 13. and Numb. 19. 11, 12.: whosoever has killed any person, and whosoever has touched any slain, purify With the water of sprinkling, Numb. 19. 9. both your selves, and your captives on the third day, and on the seventh day.

And purifie all To wit your spoil and prey. See Levit. 8. 15. and 14. 49. your raiment, and all that is made of skins, and all work of goats hair 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 Souldiers, who were legally defiled by the slaughters they made., and all things made of wood.

And Eleazar the Priest said unto the men of war which went to the battel, This is the ordinance of the Law which the LORD commanded Moses.

Only the gold, and the silver, the brass, the iron, the tin, and the lead,

Every thing that may abide the fire, ye shall make it go thorow the fire, and it shall be clean: nevertheless, it shall be purified with the water of separation; and all that abideth not the fire, ye shall make go through the water.

And ye shall wash your clothes on the seventh day, and ye shall be clean, and afterward ye shall come into the camp.

And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

Take the sum of the prey that was taken, both of man and of beast, thou and Eleazar the priest, and the chief fathers of the congregation;

And divide the prey into two parts between them that took the war upon them, who went out to battel, and between all the congregation The Congregation has some share, because the Warriours 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 Warriours who were but 12000, have a far greater share than others of their brethren, because they underwent greater pains and dangers..

And levy a tribute unto the LORD, of the men of war which went out to battel: one soul (i. e.) one person, as it follows here and ver. 30. of five hundred, both of the persons, and of the beeves, and of the asses, and of the sheep.

Take it of their half, and give it unto Eleazar the priest for an heave-offering of the LORD In thankfulness to God for their preservation and good success..

And of the children of Israels half, thou shalt take one portion of fifty Whereas the former part was one of 500, 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, when the Priests were but few., of the persons, of the beeves, of the asses, and of the sheep, of all manner of beasts, and give them unto the Levites, which keep the charge of the tabernacle of the LORD.

And Moses and Eleazar the priest did as the LORD commanded Moses.

And the booty, being the rest of the prey All which was now left of the prey. It is so expressed because they took more, but some of the persons were since killed, ver. 17. and some of the cattel was spent for the necessary provisions of the army. which the men of war had caught, was six hundred thousand, and seventy thousand, and five thousand sheep,

And threescore and twelve thousand beeves,

And threescore and one thousand asses,

And thirty and two thousand persons in all, of women that had not known man, by lying with him.

And the half, which was the portion of them that went out to war, was in number three hundred thousand, and seven and thirty thousand, and five hundred sheep.

And the LORDS tribute of the sheep was six hundred and threescore and fifteen.

And the beeves were thirty and six thousand, of which the LORDS tribute was threescore and twelve.

And the asses were thirty thousand and five hundred, of which the LORDS tribute was threescore and one.

And the persons were sixteen thousand, of which the LORDS tribute was thirty and two persons.

And Moses gave the tribute which was the LORDS heave-offering unto Eleazar the priest, as the LORD commanded Moses Either now upon his consulting of God in the case, or formerly in general rules and laws for such occasions, such as Numb. 18. 8..

And of the children of Israels half, which Moses divided from the men that warred:

(Now the half that pertained unto the congregation, was three hundred thousand and thirty thousand, and seven thousand and five hundred sheep.

And thirty and six thousand beeves:

And thirty thousand asses, and five hundred,

And sixteen thousand persons,)

Even of the children of Israels half, Moses took one portion of fifty, both of man and of beast, and gave them unto the Levites, which kept the charge of the tabernacle of the LORD, as the LORD commanded Moses.

And the officers, which were over thousands of the host: the captains of thousands, and captains of hundreds came near unto Moses.

And they said unto Moses, Thy servants have taken the sum of the men of war which are under our charge, and there lacketh not one man of us.

We have therefore brought an oblation for the LORD, what every man has gotten, of jewels of gold, chains and bracelets, rings, earrings, and tablets, to make an atonement for our souls For their error noted ver. 14, 15, 16. and withal for a memorial, as it is said ver. 54. or by way of gratitude for such a stupendious assistance and deliverance, as appears from the word therefore in the beginning of this verse, and from ver. 49. before the LORD.

And Moses and Eleazar the priest took the gold of them: even all wrought jewels.

And all the gold of the offering that they offered up to the LORD, of the captains of thousands, and of the captains of hundreds, was sixteen thousand seven hundred and fifty shekels.

(For the men of war had taken spoil, every man for himself.)

And Moses and Eleazar the priest took the gold of the captains of thousands and of hundreds, and brought it into the tabernacle of the congregation, for a memorial for the children of Israel before the LORD.