Chapter Thirty-One

The defeat of the Midianites. The death of Balaam. The purification of the warriors and the spoil. The division of the spoil.

Numbers 31:1. And the Lord said to Moses, saying: Numbers 31:2. Avenge the children of Israel on the Midianites; afterward you shall be gathered to your people. Numbers 31:3. And Moses said to the people, saying: Arm some of yourselves for war, and let them go against the Midianites, to execute the Lord’s vengeance on Midian; Numbers 31:4. A thousand from each tribe, from all the tribes of the children of Israel, shall you send to war. The command to destroy the Midianites is given in accordance with the law concerning punishment of those who incite idolatry (Deut 13:6-10) and to ensure the protection of the Hebrews from future dangerous neighboring peoples.

Numbers 31:6. And Moses sent them to war, a thousand from each tribe, along with them Phinehas son of Eleazar, [son of Aaron,] the priest, to the war, and in his hand the holy vessels and the trumpets for the alarm. Phinehas, son of Eleazar the high priest, is sent as the chief priest with the troops, openly demonstrating his zeal for the honor of the name of God at the moment of the people’s involvement with pagan idolatry (Num 25:6-8).

Numbers 31:7. And they waged war on Midian, as the Lord commanded Moses, and they killed all the males; “And they killed all the males,” except of course those who escaped by flight or were absent from that location. In the book Judg 6:1 the Midianites are mentioned among the nations that made attacks on the Israelites. But after Gideon “humbled” them, “the Midianites... no longer dared to lift their heads” (Judg 8:28).

Numbers 31:8. And together with those they killed they slew the kings of Midian: Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur, and Reba, five kings of Midian, and Balaam son of Beor they killed with the sword [together with those they slew]; In the book Josh 13:21, Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur, and Reba are named “princes of Sihon,” that is, princes of King Sihon—probably because of the dominant position of Sihon the Amorite in the territory of southern Transjordan (Num 21:29).

Numbers 31:17. Now therefore, kill every male among the little ones, and kill every woman who has known a man by lying with him; Numbers 31:18. But all the children among the women who have not known a man by lying with him, keep alive for yourselves; The boys are regarded as probable perpetuators of their fathers’ lives. The women “who have known a man by lying with him” are regarded as a constant risk of temptation for the Hebrews to repeat their sin at Shittim (Num 25). The girls, not defiled by the shameful rituals in honor of Baal-Peor, could be re-educated (in view of their comparative gentleness) in the environment of pious Hebrew women and subsequently become members of the Israelite community.

Numbers 31:19. And stay outside the camp seven days; whoever of you has killed a person, and whoever has touched any slain, purify yourselves on the third day and on the seventh day—you and your captives; Numbers 31:20. And purify every garment, every piece of skin, everything made of goat’s hair, and every wooden vessel. Numbers 31:21. And Eleazar the priest said to the men of war who had gone to battle: This is the statute of the law which the Lord has commanded Moses: Numbers 31:22. Gold, silver, bronze, iron, tin, and lead, Numbers 31:23. Everything that endures fire, you shall pass through fire, and it shall be clean. Nevertheless it shall also be purified with water of purification; and everything that does not endure fire you shall pass through water. Numbers 31:24. And you shall wash your clothes on the seventh day, and be clean; and afterward you may enter the camp. The law concerning purification for those who have touched a human corpse and objects that have been in contact with it is set forth in chapter XIX.

Numbers 31:25. And the Lord said to Moses, saying: Numbers 31:26. Count the captive booty, both of man and of beast, you and Eleazar the priest and the leaders of the congregation; Numbers 31:27. And divide the spoil into two parts: between those who took part in the war, who went out to battle, and all the congregation; Numbers 31:28. And levy a tribute to the Lord from the men of war who went out to battle: one out of five hundred, from the persons and from the cattle and from the donkeys and from the sheep; Numbers 31:29. Take it from their half and give it to Eleazar the priest as an offering to the Lord; Numbers 31:30. And from the children of Israel’s half, take one out of fifty, from the persons, from the cattle, from the donkeys, and from the sheep, and give them to the Levites, who keep charge of the tabernacle of the Lord. Numbers 31:31. And Moses and Eleazar the priest did as the Lord commanded Moses. The manner in which the Midianite spoil was divided (in half between those who went to war and those who remained in the camp with the baggage) subsequently acquired the force of an eternal law (1 Sam 30:24). The warriors who did not participate in the expedition were obliged to make a contribution to the tabernacle from their received spoil in the amount of 1/50 of the spoil; those who participated were obliged to do so in the amount of 1/500 of the spoil. The first portion of the spoil was to go for the benefit of the Levites, the second for the benefit of the priests.

Numbers 31:48. And there came to Moses the captains of thousands of the army, the commanders of thousands and the commanders of hundreds, Numbers 31:49. And they said to Moses: Your servants have counted the soldiers who were under our command, and not one of them is missing; Numbers 31:50. And we have brought an offering to the Lord, what each man found—articles of gold: bracelets, bracelets, rings, earrings, and ornaments—to make atonement for ourselves before the Lord. Numbers 31:51. And Moses and Eleazar the priest took the gold from them in all the fashioned articles; Numbers 31:52. And the total gold that was presented as an offering to the Lord was sixteen thousand seven hundred fifty shekels, from the commanders of thousands and from the commanders of hundreds. Numbers 31:53. The soldiers plundered each one for himself. Numbers 31:54. And Moses and Eleazar the priest took the gold from the commanders of thousands and from the commanders of hundreds, and brought it to the tabernacle of meeting as a memorial for the children of Israel before the Lord. “An offering to the Lord,” as the firstfruits of the spoil and as a sign of thanksgiving for the successful completion of the campaign (vv. 32-46, 49). “To make atonement for ourselves,” for our souls that have been defiled by killing and touching the slain and their possessions.