Vengeance on Midian
The Lord ordered Moses to lead Israel in...
The Lord ordered Moses to lead Israel in a war of retaliation against the Midianites, who had joined the Moabites in leading the Hebrews into idolatry (ch 25). The Midianites were a tribal people who inhabited the arid and semiarid regions south and east of Palestine and east of the Jordan River; they were counted among the “people of the east” (Judg 6:3, 33; 7:12). They lived in camps or settlements and were famous for their knowledge of desert transportation (cp. Gen 37:28, 36; Isa 60:6). While they were descended from Abraham (Gen 25:1–2) and had been friendly toward Moses (Exod 2:15–3:1; cp. Num 10:29), the elders of Midian had joined Balak in hiring Balaam to curse Israel (22:4, 7), whose presence threatened the peoples of Transjordan (the region east of the Jordan).
1And the LORD said to Moses, 2“Take vengeance on the Midianites for the Israelites. After that, you will be gathered to your people.”
Each tribe contributed 1,000 men for the battle,...
Each tribe contributed 1,000 men for the battle, which enabled all of them to gain experience in combat and share in the victory.
3So Moses told the people, “Arm some of your men for war, that they may go against the Midianites and execute the LORD’s vengeance on them. 4Send into battle a thousand men from each tribe of Israel.”
5So a thousand men were recruited from each tribe of Israel—twelve thousand armed for war. 6And Moses sent the thousand from each tribe into battle, along with Phinehas son of Eleazar the priest, who took with him the vessels of the sanctuary and the trumpets for signaling.
7Then they waged war against Midian, as the LORD had commanded Moses, and they killed every male. 8Among the slain were Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur, and Reba—the five kings of Midian. They also killed Balaam son of Beor with the sword.
After the battle, the Hebrews began the practice...
After the battle, the Hebrews began the practice that they sometimes followed throughout the period of conquest and beyond (e.g., Josh 6; 8; 10–11). They destroyed their enemies (sometimes the total population), burned towns, and set aside spoils for their own use or as dedicated to the Lord.
9The Israelites captured the Midianite women and their children, and they plundered all their herds, flocks, and goods. 10Then they burned all the cities where the Midianites had lived, as well as all their encampments, 11and carried away all the plunder and spoils, both people and animals.
12They brought the captives, spoils, and plunder to Moses, to Eleazar the priest, and to the congregation of Israel at the camp on the plains of Moab, by the Jordan across from Jericho. 13And Moses, Eleazar the priest, and all the leaders of the congregation went to meet them outside the camp.
Moses was furious: God had commanded total destruction,...
Moses was furious: God had commanded total destruction, but the Midianite women who had followed Balaam’s advice and were largely responsible for the apostasy of Baal-peor had wrongly been given clemency.
14But Moses was angry with the officers of the army—the commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds—who were returning from the battle. 15“Have you spared all the women?” he asked them. 16“Look, these women caused the sons of Israel, through the counsel of Balaam, to turn unfaithfully against the LORD at Peor, so that the plague struck the congregation of the LORD.
Only young virgin women were to be spared,...
Only young virgin women were to be spared, since they had not participated in the incident at Baal-peor.
17So now, kill all the boys, as well as every woman who has had relations with a man, 18but spare for yourselves every girl who has never had relations with a man.
Israelite warriors who had contact with corpses subjected...
Israelite warriors who had contact with corpses subjected themselves and their equipment to routine, but important, purification rituals (see 5:1–4; 19:1–22).
19All of you who have killed a person or touched the dead are to remain outside the camp for seven days. On the third day and the seventh day you are to purify both yourselves and your captives. 20And purify every garment and leather good, everything made of goat’s hair, and every article of wood.”
21Then Eleazar the priest said to the soldiers who had gone into battle, “This is the statute of the law which the LORD has commanded Moses: 22Only the gold, silver, bronze, iron, tin, and lead— 23everything that can withstand the fire—must be put through the fire, and it will be clean. But it must still be purified with the water of purification. And everything that cannot withstand the fire must pass through the water. 24On the seventh day you are to wash your clothes, and you will be clean. After that you may enter the camp.”
Division of the Spoils
The plunder was divided into two equal parts,...
The plunder was divided into two equal parts, with half going to those who fought against the Midianites and half going to the Israelites who stayed behind (cp. 1 Sam 30:21–25). In this sense, everyone participated in the armed conflict, but the relatively small number of warriors each received a larger portion than the much larger number of those who stayed behind.
25The LORD said to Moses, 26“You and Eleazar the priest and the family heads of the congregation are to take a count of what was captured, both of man and beast. 27Then divide the captives between the troops who went out to battle and the rest of the congregation.
28Set aside a tribute for the LORD from what belongs to the soldiers who went into battle: one out of every five hundred, whether persons, cattle, donkeys, or sheep. 29Take it from their half and give it to Eleazar the priest as an offering to the LORD.
30From the Israelites’ half, take one out of every fifty, whether persons, cattle, donkeys, sheep, or other animals, and give them to the Levites who keep charge of the tabernacle of the LORD.”
31So Moses and Eleazar the priest did as the LORD had commanded Moses,
The total number of animals and young girls...
The total number of animals and young girls who were not killed was quite large, which indicates that Israel fought against many Midianites.
32and this plunder remained from the spoils the soldiers had taken:
675,000 sheep,
3372,000 cattle,
3461,000 donkeys,
35and 32,000 women who had not slept with a man.
The plunder was distributed according to the principles...
The plunder was distributed according to the principles established in 31:25–30.
36This was the half portion for those who had gone to war:
337,500 sheep, 37including a tribute to the LORD of 675,
3836,000 cattle, including a tribute to the LORD of 72,
3930,500 donkeys, including a tribute to the LORD of 61,
40and 16,000 people, including a tribute to the LORD of 32.
41Moses gave the tribute to Eleazar the priest as an offering for the LORD, as the LORD had commanded Moses.
42From the Israelites’ half, which Moses had set apart from the men who had gone to war, 43this half belonged to the congregation:
337,500 sheep,
4436,000 cattle,
4530,500 donkeys,
46and 16,000 people.
47From the Israelites’ half, Moses took one out of every fifty persons and animals and gave them to the Levites who kept charge of the tabernacle of the LORD, as the LORD had commanded him.
The Voluntary Offering
Though it is unusual for no soldiers from...
Though it is unusual for no soldiers from an army to be killed in battle, it is not impossible. Classical authors also reported battles in which few or no Roman soldiers were killed. If the Israelites had the advantages of preparation, surprise, and overwhelming force, they could have defeated the Midianites and lost no troops, especially in light of God’s blessing.
48Then the officers who were over the units of the army—the commanders of thousands and of hundreds—approached Moses 49and said, “Your servants have counted the soldiers under our command, and not one of us is missing.
The commanders gladly offered gold objects in gratitude...
The commanders gladly offered gold objects in gratitude for a great victory that resulted in no loss of life (cp. Exod 30:12). Ancient art and literature indicate that the Midianites and other desert peoples, both males and females, wore gold jewelry as adornment and as a form of portable wealth (e.g., Judg 8:24–26). Moses and Eleazar brought this large collection to the Tabernacle as a memorial of this special event (cp. Num 16:39–40; Zech 6:14).
50So we have brought to the LORD an offering of the gold articles each man acquired—armlets, bracelets, rings, earrings, and necklaces—to make atonement for ourselves before the LORD.”
51So Moses and Eleazar the priest received from them all the articles made out of gold. 52All the gold that the commanders of thousands and of hundreds presented as an offering to the LORD weighed 16,750 shekels.† 53Each of the soldiers had taken plunder for himself. 54And Moses and Eleazar the priest received the gold from the commanders of thousands and of hundreds and brought it into the Tent of Meeting as a memorial for the Israelites before the LORD.