Numbers 31:27

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.

Numbers 31:1

The Midianite War

31:1 ¹ The Lord spoke to Moses:

Numbers 30:1

Vows Made by Men

30:1 ² Moses told the leaders ³  of the tribes concerning the Israelites, “This is what ⁴  the Lord has commanded:

Psalms 68:12

68:12 Kings leading armies run away – they run away! ⁵ 

The lovely lady ⁶  of the house divides up the loot.

[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.

[30:1]  ² sn Num 30 deals with vows that are different than the vows discussed in Lev 27 and Num 6. The material is placed here after all the rulings of the offerings, but it could have been revealed to Moses at any time, such as the Nazirite vows, or the question of the daughters’ inheritance. The logic of placing it here may be that a festival was the ideal place for discharging a vow. For additional material on vows, see R. de Vaux, Ancient Israel, 465-66.

[30:1]  ³ tn Heb “heads.”

[30:1]  ⁴ tn Heb “This is the word which.”

[68:12]  ⁵ tn The verbal repetition draws attention to the statement.

[68:12]  ⁶ tn The Hebrew form appears to be the construct of נוּה (nuh, “pasture”) but the phrase “pasture of the house” makes no sense here. The translation assumes that the form is an alternative or corruption of נצוה (“beautiful woman”). A reference to a woman would be appropriate in light of v. 11b.