Numbers 31

Numbers 31:1-6

This chapter is the history of a Holy War, a war with Midian. Here is, (1.) A diaries command for the war, ver. 1, 2. (2.) The undertaking of the war, ver. 3—6. (3.) The glorious success of it, ver. 7—12. (4.) Their triumphant return from the war. 1. The respect Moses paid the soldiers, ver. 13. 2. The rebate he gave them for sparing the women, ver. 14—18. 3. The directions he gave them for the purifying themselves, and their effects, ver. 19—24. 4. The distribution of the feast they had taken, ver. 25—47. 5. The free-will-offering of the officers, ver. 48—54.

1. AND the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 2. Avenge the children of Israel of the Midianites: afterward shall thou be gathered unto thy people. 3. And Moses spake unto the people, saying, Arm some of yourselves unto the war, and let them go against the Midianites, and avenge the LORD of Midian. 4. Of every tribe a thousand throughout all the tribes of Israel, shall ye send to the war. 5. So there were delivered out of the thousands of Israel, a thousand of every tribe, twelve thousand armed for war. 6. And Moses sent them to the war, a thousand of every tribe, them and Phinehas, the son of Eleazar the priest, to the war, with the holy instruments, and the trumpets to follow in his hand.

The Midianites had been, with the Moabites, greatly instrumental in drawing Israel aside from God; they are therefore to be punished among the first; for they are our worst enemies who draw us into sin. Nor. Our fasts are those Midianites, and on them we must wage unrelenting war. 1. God orders Moses to avenge the people on their enemies, that though he may not see all their victories, he may behold the first fruits of them before he dies. It is a comfort in death to leave the church of God in a state of growing prosperity. 2. Moses obeys, and draws out a detachment of a thousand men from each tribe; though, if God was with them, to confome the more numerous hosts of Midian. God will thus teach them, that it is not so much the arm of flesh, as his favour, that ensues them victory. 3. Phinehas, who had distinguished himself for his zeal against the Midianites, is sent with them, to blow the trumpets that breathed martial ardour into every heart, and with the holy instruments, probably those which were used when they confided God on extraordinary occasions. Nor. (1.) Where the battle is the Lord’s, and to avenge his quarrel in so good a cause, we may boldly advance. (2.) Those soldiers will be truly brave, whom God’s mindless needs, on the principles of the gospel, to overcome the fear of death and danger.

7. And they warned against the Midianites, as the LORD commanded Moses; and they flew all the males. 8. And they flew the kings of Midian, beside the rest of them that were slain, namely, Evi, and Rekem, and Ziar, and Hur, and Reba, five kings of Midian: Balsam also the son of Beor, they flew with the

the sword. 9. And the children of Israel took all the women of Midian captives, and their little ones, and took the spoil of all their cattle, and all their flocks, and all their goods. 10. And they burnt all their cities wherein they dwelt, and all their goodly cattles with fire. 11. And they took all the spoil, and all the prey, both of men and of beaths. 12. 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.

Numbers 31:7-12

The success was answerable to their wishes. Their enemies fell before them, and justly suffered for the evil they had coloured Israel to commit. Note, God will often make the tempters to sin to be tormented of those whom they deceived. 1. They flow all the males, not all the mitons, but all they met in that part of the country where they made their attack. Among them, five kings or princes of Midian fell; and as an inflator of special judgment, Balaam the author of all the mischief was among the slain, who now on the same malicious errand, was probably employed by the Midianites, as before by the Mosbites. God will take consign vengeance on those who have been the introducers of corruption among his people. If judgment overtake them not on this side the grave, it unfaithly will on the other. 2. They took the women and children captives, plundered the country, burnt their cities and detemples, and returned laden with the spoil of their enemies.

13. ¶ And Moses and Eleazar the priest, and all the princes of the congregation, went forth to meet them without the camp. 14. And Moses was wroth with the officers of the host, with the captains over thousands, and captains over hundreds, which came from the battle. 15. And Moses said unto them, Have ye fared all the women alive? 16. 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. 17. Now therefore kill every male among the little ones, and kill every woman that hath known man, by lying with him. 18. But all the women-children that have not known a man by lying with him, keep alive for yourselves. 19. And do ye abide without the camp seven days: whosoever hath killed any person, and whosoever hath touched any slain, purify both yourselves and your captives on the third day and on the seventh day. 20. And purify all your raiment, and all that is made of skins, and all work of goats hair, and all things made of wood. 21. ¶ And Eleazar the priest said unto the men of war which went to the battle, This is the ordinance of the law which the LORD commanded Moses; 22. Only the gold, and the silver, the brass, the iron, the tin, and the lead. 23. Every thing that may abide the fire, ye shall make it go through the fire, and it shall be clean: nevertheless it shall be purified with the water of separation: and all that abideeth not the fire ye shall make go through the water. 24. And ye shall wash your clothes on the seventh day, and ye shall be clean, and afterward ye shall come into the camp.

Numbers 31:13-24

To congratulate their victory, Moses and Eleazar go forth to meet the conquerors. When, 1. Moses is wroth at the people for sparing the women alive: they had been the chief criminals, and might endanger a fatal relapse; they must, therefore, as many as have known man, be slain immediately. We must cut off the temptations to sin, if we would be delivered from the prevalence of it. 2. As their hands must have been defiled with blood, and with the bodies of the slain, they must stay seven days without the camp, till they are purified; together with the captives and spoil they had taken, which were unclean and unfit for their use, till sprinkled with the water of purification. The vessels that would bear the fire, must pass through it, and those which would not, must be washed. Note, God’s people must purify themselves as a peculiar people, and all they enjoy must first be sanctified by the word of God, and by prayer.

25. ¶ And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 26. Take the sum of the prey that was taken, both of man and of beath, thou and Eleazar the priest, and the chief fathers of the congregation: 27. And divide the prey into two parts; between them that took the war upon them, who went out to battle, and between all the congregation. 28. And levy a tribute unto the

LORD, of the men of war which went out to battle: Before Christ one soul of five hundred, both of the persons, and of the beeves, and of the ashes, and of the sheep. 29. Take it of their half, and give it unto Eleazar the priest, for an heave-offering of the LORD. 30. And of the children of Israel’s half, thou shalt take one portion of fifty, of the persons, of the beeves, of the ashes, and of the flocks, of all manner of beaths, and give them unto the Levites, which keep the charge of the tabernacle of the LORD. 31. And Moses and Eleazar the priest did as the LORD commanded Moses. 32. And the booty, being the rest of the prey which the men of war had caught, was six hundred thousand, and seventy thousand, and five thousand sheep. 33. And therefore and twelve thousand beeves. 34. And therefore and one thousand ashes. 35. And thirty and two thousand persons in all, of women that had not known man, by lying with him. 36. 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; 37. And the LORD’s tribute of the sheep was six hundred and therefore and fifteen. 38. And the beeves were thirty and six thousand, of which the LORD’s tribute was therefore and twelve. 39. And the ashes were thirty thousand and five hundred, of which the LORD’s tribute was therefore and one. 40. And the persons were sixteen thousand, of which the LORD’s tribute was thirty and two persons. 41. And Moses gave the tributes which was the LORD’s heave-offering, unto Eleazar the priest, as the LORD commanded Moses. 42. And of the children of Israel’s half, which Moses divided from the men that warred: 43. (Now the half that pertained unto the congregation, was three hundred thousand, and thirty thousand, and seven thousand, and five hundred sheep: 44. And thirty and six thousand beeves: 45. And thirty thousand ashes and five hundred: 46. And sixteen thousand persons.) 47. Even of the children of Israel’s half, Moses took one portion of fifty, both of man and beath, and gave them unto the Levites which kept the charge of the tabernacle of the LORD, as the LORD commanded Moses.

Numbers 31:25-47

We have here an account of the vast booty they had gotten, and the distribution of it, according to God’s order. One half was divided among the whole congregation, whose service at home was needful to guard the camp, and who would have been as willing as their brethren, to have gone to the battle. The other half was divided among those who went to the battle, who had borne the greatest dangers, and deserved the greater share. Nor, if we were a hard warfare for Christ, we should be comforted, that great is our reward in heaven.—God must have his part, as well as the people theirs, since to him they were indebted for all. A fiftieth, therefore, from the people, for the use of the Levites; a five hundredth from the soldiers for the use of the people, are separated in the Lord’s tribute. It was reasonable they should give the most, who had gained it at the least hazard. Note, in all our gains, God must be regarded: as it is his blessing which maketh rich, we are bound to honour him with our substance.

48. ¶ And the officers which were over thousands of the host, the captains of thousands, and captains of hundreds, came near unto Moses: 49. 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. 50. We have therefore brought an oblation for the LORD, what every man hath gotten of jewels of gold, chains, and bracelets, rings, ear-rings, and tablets, to make an atonement for our souls before the LORD. 51. And Moses and Eleazar the priest took the gold of them, even all wrought jewels. 52. 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. 53. (For the men of war had taken spoil, every man for himself). 54. 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.

Numbers 31:48-54

The piers of the officers of Israel appears here Before God 1457.

As great as their prowess. On calling their muster-roll, not a man was lull by disease or the sword, in this expedition, an instance of Divine protection so amazing, could not but affect them; and as they loved their soldiers as brethren, and were tender of their lives, as every good general should be, they make the most grateful acknowledgements to God for his preformation. Each man brought an oblation to the Lord of gold and jewels, which was their private spoil; and therewith also fought atonement for their souls, having transferred in performing the women, and as they might justly fear in other things. Moses is ordered to recover and lay it up before the Lord, for a memorial of his care of them, and their gratitude. Note, (1.) Great deliverances deserve particular thankfulness. (2.) We take nothing in hand, but we need seek atonement when we have done. (3.) Where God gives plenty, we must abound in works of piety and charity.