Numbers 31:14

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.

Numbers 31:1

The Midianite War

31:1 ¹ The Lord spoke to Moses:

Numbers 8:12

8:12 When ²  the Levites lay their hands on the heads of the bulls, offer ³  the one for a purification offering and the other for a whole burnt offering to the Lord, ⁴  to make atonement for the Levites.

Numbers 17:1

The Budding of Aaron’s Staff

17:1 ⁵ The Lord spoke to Moses:

Numbers 22:7

22:7 So the elders of Moab and the elders of Midian departed with the fee for divination in their hand. They came to Balaam and reported ⁶  to him the words of Balak.

[31:1]  ¹ sn This lengthy chapter records the mobilization of the troops (vv. 1-5), the war itself (vv. 6-13), the death of the captive women (vv. 14-18), the purification of the nations (vv. 19-24), and the distribution of the spoils (vv. 25-54). For more detail, see G. W. Coats, “Moses in Midian,” JBL 92 (1973): 3-10; and W. J. Dumbrell, “Midian – a Land or a League?” VT 25 (1975): 323-37.

[8:12]  ² tn The clause begins with a vav (ו) on the noun “the Levites,” indicating a disjunctive clause. Here it is clearly a subordinate clause prior to the instruction for Moses, and so translated as a circumstantial clause of time.

[8:12]  ³ tn The imperative is from the verb “to do; to make,” but in the sentence it clearly means to sacrifice the animals.

[8:12]  ⁴ sn The “purification offering” cleansed the tabernacle from impurity, and the burnt offering atoned by nullifying and removing the effects of sin in the Levites.

[17:1]  ⁵ sn Num 17:1 in the English Bible is 17:16 in the Hebrew text (BHS). See also the note on 16:36.

[22:7]  ⁶ tn Heb “spoke.”