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Texts -- Numbers 31:1-41 (NET)

Context
The Midianite War
31:1 The Lord spoke to Moses : 31:2 “Exact vengeance for the Israelites on the Midianites – after that you will be gathered to your people .” 31:3 So Moses spoke to the people : “Arm men from among you for the war , to attack the Midianites and to execute the Lord’s vengeance on Midian . 31:4 You must send to the battle a thousand men from every tribe throughout all the tribes of Israel .” 31:5 So a thousand from every tribe , twelve thousand armed for battle in all, were provided out of the thousands of Israel .
Campaign Against the Midianites
31:6 So Moses sent them to the war , one thousand from every tribe , with Phinehas son of Eleazar the priest , who was in charge of the holy articles and the signal trumpets . 31:7 They fought against the Midianites , as the Lord commanded Moses , and they killed every male . 31:8 They killed the kings of Midian in addition to those slain – Evi , Rekem , Zur , Hur , and Reba – five Midianite kings . They also killed Balaam son of Beor with the sword . 31:9 The Israelites took the women of Midian captives along with their little ones , and took all their herds , all their flocks , and all their goods as plunder . 31:10 They burned all their towns where they lived and all their encampments . 31:11 They took all the plunder and all the spoils , both people and animals . 31:12 They brought the captives and the spoils and the plunder to Moses , to Eleazar the priest , and to the Israelite community , to the camp on the plains of Moab , along the Jordan River across from Jericho . 31:13 Moses , Eleazar the priest , and all the leaders of the community went out to meet them outside the camp .
The Death of the Midianite Women
31:14 But Moses was furious with the officers of the army , the commanders over thousands and commanders over hundreds , who had come from service in the war . 31:15 Moses said to them, “Have you allowed all the women to live ? 31:16 Look , these people through the counsel of Balaam caused the Israelites to act treacherously against the Lord in the matter of Peor – which resulted in the plague among the community of the Lord ! 31:17 Now therefore kill every boy , and kill every woman who has had sexual intercourse with a man . 31:18 But all the young women who have not had sexual intercourse with a man will be yours.
Purification After Battle
31:19 “Any of you who has killed anyone or touched any of the dead , remain outside the camp for seven days ; purify yourselves and your captives on the third day , and on the seventh day . 31:20 You must purify each garment and everything that is made of skin , everything made of goat’s hair, and everything made of wood .” 31:21 Then Eleazar the priest said to the men of war who had gone into the battle , “This is the ordinance of the law that the Lord commanded Moses : 31:22 ‘Only the gold , the silver , the bronze , the iron , the tin , and the lead , 31:23 everything that may stand the fire , you are to pass through the fire , and it will be ceremonially clean , but it must still be purified with the water of purification . Anything that cannot withstand the fire you must pass through the water . 31:24 You must wash your clothes on the seventh day , and you will be ceremonially clean , and afterward you may enter the camp .’”
The Distribution of Spoils
31:25 Then the Lord spoke to Moses : 31:26 “You and Eleazar the priest , and all the family leaders of the community , take the sum of the plunder that was captured , both people and animals . 31:27 Divide the plunder into two parts , one for those who took part in the war – who went out to battle – and the other for all the community . 31:28 “You must exact a tribute for the Lord from the fighting men who went out to battle : one life out of five hundred , from the people , the cattle , and from the donkeys and the sheep . 31:29 You are to take it from their half-share and give it to Eleazar the priest for a raised offering to the Lord . 31:30 From the Israelites ’ half-share you are to take one portion out of fifty of the people , the cattle , the donkeys , and the sheep – from every kind of animal – and you are to give them to the Levites , who are responsible for the care of the Lord’s tabernacle .” 31:31 So Moses and Eleazar the priest did as the Lord commanded Moses . 31:32 The spoil that remained of the plunder which the fighting men had gathered was 675,000 sheep , 31:33 72,000 cattle , 31:34 61,000 donkeys , 31:35 and 32,000 young women who had never had sexual intercourse with a man . 31:36 The half-portion of those who went to war numbered 337,500 sheep ; 31:37 the Lord’s tribute from the sheep was 675 . 31:38 The cattle numbered 36,000 ; the Lord’s tribute was 72 . 31:39 The donkeys were 30,500 , of which the Lord’s tribute was 61 . 31:40 The people were 16,000 , of which the Lord’s tribute was 32 people . 31:41 So Moses gave the tribute , which was the Lord’s raised offering , to Eleazar the priest , as the Lord commanded Moses .

Pericope

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Bible Dictionary

  • Balaam

    [ebd] lord of the people; foreigner or glutton, as interpreted by others, the son of Beor, was a man of some rank among the Midianites (Num. 31:8; comp. 16). He resided at Pethor (Deut. 23:4), in Mesopotamia (Num. 23:7). It is evi...
    [isbe] BALAAM - ba'-lam bil`am, "devourer"): The son of Beor, from a city in Mesopotamia called Pethor, a man possessing the gift of prophecy, whose remarkable history may be found in Nu 22:2 through 24:25; compare Num 31:8,16; Dt ...
    [smith] (B.C. 1451), the son of beor, a man endowed with the gift of prophecy. (Numbers 22:5) He is mentioned in conjunction with the five kings of Midian, apparently as a person of the same rank. (Numbers 31:8) cf. Numb 31:16 He see...
    [nave] BALAAM, son of Beor. From Mesopotamia, Deut. 23:4. A soothsayer, Josh. 13:22. A prophet, Num. 24:2-9; 2 Pet. 2:14, 16. Balak sends for, to curse Israel, Num. 22:5-7; Josh. 24:9; Neh. 13:2; Mic. 6:5. Anger of, rebuked by h...

  • Moses

    [isbe] MOSES - mo'-zez, mo'-ziz (mosheh; Egyptian mes, "drawn out," "born"; Septuagint Mouse(s)). The great Hebrew national hero, leader, author, law-giver and prophet. I. LIFE 1. Son of Levi 2. Foundling Prince 3. Friend of the Pe...
    [nave] MOSES A Levite and son of Amram, Ex. 2:1-4; 6:20; Acts 7:20; Heb. 11:23. Hidden in an ark, Ex. 2:3. Discovered and adopted by the daughter of Pharaoh, Ex. 2:5-10. Learned in all the wisdom of Egypt, Acts 7:22. His loyalt...

  • ABEL-SHITTIM

    [ebd] meadow of the acacias, frequently called simply "Shittim" (Num. 25:1; Josh. 2:1; Micah 6:5), a place on the east of Jordan, in the plain of Moab, nearly opposite Jericho. It was the forty-second encampment of the Israelites,...
    [isbe] ABEL-SHITTIM - a'-bel-shit'-tim ('abhel ha-shiTTim, "the meadow of the Acacias"): The name appears only in Nu 33:49; but the name Shittim is used to denote the same locality (Nu 25:1; Josh 2:1; 3:1; Mic 6:5). The name always...

  • Israel

    [nave] ISRAEL 1. A name given to Jacob, Gen. 32:24-32; 2 Kin. 17:34; Hos. 12:3, 4. 2. A name of the Christ in prophecy, Isa. 49:3. 3. A name given to the descendants of Jacob, a nation. Called also Israelites, and Hebrews, Gen. 4...

  • Wars of the Lord, The Book of the

    [ebd] (Num. 21:14, 15), some unknown book so called (comp. Gen. 14:14-16; Ex. 17:8-16; Num. 14:40-45; 21:1-3, 21-25, 33-35; 31. The wars here recorded might be thus designated).

  • Midianites

    [nave] MIDIANITES Descendants of Midian, son of Abraham by Keturah, Gen. 25:1, 2, 4; 1 Chr. 1:32, 33. Called Ishmaelites, Gen. 37:25, 28; Judg. 8:24. Were merchantmen, Gen. 37:28. Buy Joseph and sell him to Potiphar, Gen. 37:28,...

  • BOOTY

    [ebd] captives or cattle or objects of value taken in war. In Canaan all that breathed were to be destroyed (Deut. 20: 16). The "pictures and images" of the Canaanites were to be destroyed also (Num. 33:52). The law of booty as to...
    [isbe] BOOTY - boot'-i (baz and baz): "Booty" is the translation of baz or baz, usually rendered "prey" and "spoil" (Jer 49:32); of malqoach, "prey," "booty" (Nu 31:32, "the booty--the rest of the prey," the Revised Version (Britis...
    [smith] consisted of captives of both sexes, cattle, and whatever a captured city might contain, especially metallic treasures. Within the limits of Canaan no captives were to be made, (20:14,16) beyond these limits, in case of warli...

  • SLAVE; SLAVERY

    [isbe] SLAVE; SLAVERY - slav, slav'-er-i: 1. Acquiring of Slaves 2. Hebrews as War Captives 3. Freedom of Slaves 4. Rights of Slaves 5. Rights of Slave Masters 6. The New Testament Conception LITERATURE The origin of the term "slav...

  • Armies

    [nave] ARMIES Who of the Israelites were subject to service in, Num. 1:2, 3; 26:2; 2 Chr. 25:5; who were exempt from service in, Num. 1:47-50; 2:33; Deut. 20:5-9; Judg. 7:3. Enumeration of Israel's military forces, Num. 1:2, 3; 26...

  • Priest

    [smith] The English word is derived from the Greek presbyter , signifying an "elder" (Heb. cohen). Origin. --The idea of a priesthood connects itself in all its forms, pure or corrupted, with the consciousness, more or less distinct ...
    [nave] PRIEST. Before Moses Melchizedek, Gen. 14:18; Heb. 5:6, 10, 11; 6:20; 7:1-21. Jethro, Ex. 2:16. Priests in Israel before the giving of the law, Ex. 19:22, 24. Called angel, Eccl. 5:6. Mosaic Ex. 28:1-4; 29:9, 44; Num....

  • Spoils

    [nave] SPOILS Of war, Gen. 14:11, 12; Num. 31:9, 10; Deut. 2:35. Divided between the combatants and non-combatants of the Israelites, including priests and Levites, Num. 31:25-54; 1 Sam. 30:24. Dedicated to the Lord, 1 Sam. 15:15...

  • Sanitation

    [nave] SANITATION. Carcasses Lev. 5:2; Lev. 10:4, 5; Lev. 11:24-28, 31-40; Lev. 22:4, 6; Num. 9:6, 10; Num. 19:11-16; Num. 31:19; Deut. 21:22, 23 Childbirth Lev. 12:3; Ezek. 16:4 Circumcision See: Circumcision. Contagion Le...

  • Servant

    [nave] SERVANT Distinguished as bond servant, who was a slave, and hired servant. Bond Laws of Moses concerning, Ex. 21:1-11, 20, 21, 26, 27, 32; Lev. 19:20-22; 25:6, 10, 35-55; Deut. 15:12, 14, 18; 24:7. Kidnapping forbidden, D...

  • Captive

    [nave] CAPTIVE Prisoner of war, Gen. 14:12; 1 Sam. 30:1, 2. Cruelty to: Putting to death, Num. 31:9-20; Deut. 20:13; 21:10; Josh. 8:29; 10:15-40; 11:11; Judg. 7:25; 8:21; 21:11; 1 Sam. 15:32, 33; 2 Sam. 8:2; 2 Kin. 8:12; Jer. 39:6...

  • War

    [smith] The most important topic in connection with war is the formation of the army which is destined to carry it on. [ARMY] In (1 Kings 9:22) at a period (Solomon?s reign) when the organization of the army was complete, we have ...
    [nave] WAR Divine approval of, 2 Sam. 22:35. Civil, Judg. 12:1-6; 20; 2 Sam. 2:12-31; 3:1; 20; 1 Kin. 14:30; 16:21; Isa. 19:2; forbidden, 2 Chr. 11:4; averted, Josh. 22:11-34. Enemy harangued by general of opposing side, 2 Kin. 1...

  • TAX; TAXING

    [isbe] TAX; TAXING - taks, taks'-ing: I. INTRODUCTION 1. General Considerations 2. Limits of the Discussion II. TAXES IN ISRAEL UNDER SELF-GOVERNMENT 1. In the Earliest Period 2. Under the Theocracy; in the Period of the Judges 3. ...

  • Women

    [nave] WOMEN Creation of, Gen. 1:27; 2:21, 22. Named, Gen. 2:23. Fall of, and curse upon, Gen. 3:1-16; 2 Cor. 11:3; 1 Tim. 2:14. Promise to, Gen. 3:15. Had separate apartments in dwellings, Gen. 24:67; 31:33; Esth. 2:9, 11. Ve...

  • Phinehas

    [ebd] mouth of brass, or from old Egypt, the negro. (1.) Son of Eleazar, the high priest (Ex. 6:25). While yet a youth he distinguished himself at Shittim by his zeal against the immorality into which the Moabites had tempted the ...
    [isbe] PHINEHAS - fin'-e-as, -az, fin'-e-has, -haz (pinechac, "mouth of brass"): (1) Son of Eleazar and grandson of Aaron (Ex 6:25; compare 1 Ch 6:4; Ezr 7:5, where he is seen to be an ancestor of Ezra). He took a leading part in c...
    [smith] (mouth of brass). Son of Eleazar and grandson of Aaron. (Exodus 6:25) He is memorable for having while quite a youth, by his zeal and energy at the critical moment of the licentious idolatry of Shittim, appeased the divine w...
    [nave] PHINEHAS 1. High priest, Ex. 6:25; 1 Chr. 6:4, 50. Religious zeal of, Num. 25:7-15; Psa. 106:30. Chief of the Korahite Levites, 1 Chr. 9:19, 20. Sent to sound the trumpets in the battle with the Midianites, Num. 31:6. A ...

  • Purification

    [nave] PURIFICATION, sanitary and symbolical. For women before marriage, Esth. 2:12; after childbirth, Lev. 12:6-8; Luke 2:22; after menstruation, Lev. 15:19-33; 2 Sam. 11:4. Of the Jews before the passover, John 11:55. For those ...

  • TRIBUTE

    [isbe] TRIBUTE - trib'-ut (mac, "tribute," really meaning "forced laborers," "labor gang" (1 Ki 4:6; 9:15,21); also "forced service," "serfdom"; possibly "forced payment" is meant in Est 10:1; the idea contained in the modern word ...
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Slavery; The Way of Balaam

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Expository Notes on the Bible (Constable)

  • To formulate a statement that summarizes the teaching of this book it will be helpful to identify some of the major revelations in Numbers. These constitute the unique values of the book.The first major value of Numbers is th...
  • I. Experiences of the older generation in the wilderness chs. 1-25A. Preparations for entering the Promised Land from the south chs. 1-101. The first census and the organization of the people chs. 1-42. Commands and rituals t...
  • 22:1-20 Moab had not attacked Israel as the people of God had moved north along Moab's eastern border. In fact the Moabites sold the Israelites bread and water (Deut. 2:29). The Moabites probably counted on Sihon, who had for...
  • "Chapters 23 and 24 are two of the brightest chapters in the book of Numbers. Scores of wonderful things are said about Israel, mainly prophetical. The dark sins of the past were forgotten; only happy deliverance from Egypt w...
  • This chapter contains one of the great failures of Israel that followed one of its great blessings.238As God was preparing to bless His people they were preparing to disobey Him."So now we come to the ultimate rebellion of Is...
  • The writer now recorded the fulfillment of God's instructions to Moses that Israel should destroy the Midianites (25:16-18). In this account, the aftermath of the battle receives more attention than the battle itself. Evident...
  • These instructions deal with how Israel was to come into possession of the Promised Land (cf. Num. 33:50-56). They are in the context of civil legislation because Israel did not have a standing army. Soldiers volunteered to g...
  • This portion of the Promised Land went to the two and one-half tribes that had requested it previously (Num. 32).13:8-14 This pericope of verses records the boundaries of Israel's whole transjordanian territory. The peoples t...
  • The main part of the second half of the Book of Joshua dealing with the division of the land ends with the appointment of the Levitical cities (chs. 13-21). The rest of the book deals with settlement in the land (chs. 22-24)....
  • The Israelites felt the main influence of the Ammonites on the east side of the Jordan River that bordered Ammon (v. 8). However the Ammonites also attacked the tribes of Judah, Benjamin, and Ephraim west of the Jordan (v. 9)...
  • The rest of the chapter describes the distribution of plunder from this battle. The amount of space the writer devoted to this revelation shows that he intended to stress it.David returned to his 200 exhausted followers at th...
  • 6:1 Why did Isaiah date this passage since he did not date most of his others?70Probably he did so because King Uzziah had been the best king of Judah since Solomon. Nevertheless during the last part of his reign he suffered ...
  • The writer now focused on the issue of sacrifice."The argument moves a stage further as the author turns specifically to what Christ has done. The sacrifices of the old covenant were ineffectual. But in strong contrast Christ...
  • Peter next emphasized the conduct of false teachers to motivate his readers to turn away from them.2:10b "Daring"means bold to the point of being presumptuous, and "self-willed"is arrogant."They are concerned about doing thei...
  • v. 10 The things the false teachers did not understand but reviled probably refer to aspects of God's revealed will that they chose to reject (cf. 1 Cor. 2:7-16)."Jude, like his brother James, denounces the sins of the tongue...
  • If the erring believers would not judge themselves and repent they could anticipate God's judgment (cf. 1 Cor. 11:31)."Unwillingness to repent shows that a person is not a faithful believer."118They would die by the sword pro...

Expositions Of Holy Scripture (Maclaren)

  • Let me die the death of the righteous, and let my last end be like his!'--Num. 23:10.Balaam also the son of Beor they slew with the sword.'--Num. 31:8.PONDER these two pictures. Take the first scene. A prophet, who knows God ...
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