Numberschapter 31

A.A thousand from every tribe against Midianvv. 1-12

1 And the LORD said to Moses, 2 “Take vengeance on the Midianites for the Israelites. After that, you will be gathered to your people.” 3 So Moses told the people, “Arm some of your men for war, that they may go against the Midianites and execute the LORD’s vengeance on them. 4 Send into battle a thousand men from each tribe of Israel.” 5 So a thousand men were recruited from each tribe of Israel—twelve thousand armed for war. 6 And Moses sent the thousand from each tribe into battle, along with Phinehas son of Eleazar the priest, who took with him the vessels of the sanctuary and the trumpets for signaling. 7 Then they waged war against Midian, as the LORD had commanded Moses, and they killed every male. 8 Among the slain were Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur, and Reba—the five kings of Midian. They also killed Balaam son of Beor with the sword. 9 The Israelites captured the Midianite women and their children, and they plundered all their herds, flocks, and goods. 10 Then they burned all the cities where the Midianites had lived, as well as all their encampments, 11 and carried away all the plunder and spoils, both people and animals. 12 They brought the captives, spoils, and plunder to Moses, to Eleazar the priest, and to the congregation of Israel at the camp on the plains of Moab, by the Jordan across from Jericho.

B.Moses angry over those who were sparedvv. 13-20

13 And Moses, Eleazar the priest, and all the leaders of the congregation went to meet them outside the camp. 14 But Moses was angry with the officers of the army—the commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds—who were returning from the battle. 15 “Have you spared all the women?” he asked them. 16 “Look, these women caused the sons of Israel, through the counsel of Balaam, to turn unfaithfully against the LORD at Peor, so that the plague struck the congregation of the LORD. 17 So now, kill all the boys, as well as every woman who has had relations with a man, 18 but spare for yourselves every girl who has never had relations with a man. 19 All of you who have killed a person or touched the dead are to remain outside the camp for seven days. On the third day and the seventh day you are to purify both yourselves and your captives. 20 And purify every garment and leather good, everything made of goat’s hair, and every article of wood.”

C.Through the fire and through the watervv. 21-24

21 Then Eleazar the priest said to the soldiers who had gone into battle, “This is the statute of the law which the LORD has commanded Moses: 22 Only the gold, silver, bronze, iron, tin, and lead— 23 everything that can withstand the fire—must be put through the fire, and it will be clean. But it must still be purified with the water of purification. And everything that cannot withstand the fire must pass through the water. 24 On the seventh day you are to wash your clothes, and you will be clean. After that you may enter the camp.”

D.Dividing the spoil, and the LORD's tributevv. 25-47

25 The LORD said to Moses, 26 “You and Eleazar the priest and the family heads of the congregation are to take a count of what was captured, both of man and beast. 27 Then divide the captives between the troops who went out to battle and the rest of the congregation. 28 Set aside a tribute for the LORD from what belongs to the soldiers who went into battle: one out of every five hundred, whether persons, cattle, donkeys, or sheep. 29 Take it from their half and give it to Eleazar the priest as an offering to the LORD. 30 From the Israelites’ half, take one out of every fifty, whether persons, cattle, donkeys, sheep, or other animals, and give them to the Levites who keep charge of the tabernacle of the LORD.” 31 So Moses and Eleazar the priest did as the LORD had commanded Moses, 32 and this plunder remained from the spoils the soldiers had taken: 675,000 sheep, 33 72,000 cattle, 34 61,000 donkeys, 35 and 32,000 women who had not slept with a man. 36 This was the half portion for those who had gone to war: 37 337,500 sheep, including a tribute to the LORD of 675, 38 36,000 cattle, including a tribute to the LORD of 72, 39 30,500 donkeys, including a tribute to the LORD of 61, 40 and 16,000 people, including a tribute to the LORD of 32. 41 Moses gave the tribute to Eleazar the priest as an offering for the LORD, as the LORD had commanded Moses. 42 From the Israelites’ half, which Moses had set apart from the men who had gone to war, 43 this half belonged to the congregation: 337,500 sheep, 44 36,000 cattle, 45 30,500 donkeys, 46 and 16,000 people. 47 From the Israelites’ half, Moses took one out of every fifty persons and animals and gave them to the Levites who kept charge of the tabernacle of the LORD, as the LORD had commanded him.

E.Not one man missing — gold for a memorialvv. 48-54

48 Then the officers who were over the units of the army—the commanders of thousands and of hundreds—approached Moses 49 and said, “Your servants have counted the soldiers under our command, and not one of us is missing. 50 So we have brought to the LORD an offering of the gold articles each man acquired—armlets, bracelets, rings, earrings, and necklaces—to make atonement for ourselves before the LORD.” 51 So Moses and Eleazar the priest received from them all the articles made out of gold. 52 All the gold that the commanders of thousands and of hundreds presented as an offering to the LORD weighed 16,750 shekels. 53 Each of the soldiers had taken plunder for himself. 54 And Moses and Eleazar the priest received the gold from the commanders of thousands and of hundreds and brought it into the Tent of Meeting as a memorial for the Israelites before the LORD.

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Chapter summary

War with Midian, at the LORD's command.

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War with Midian, at the LORD's command. Vengeance for Baal-peor. A thousand from every tribe, twelve thousand armed for war. The five kings of Midian slain; the cities burnt. Balaam son of Beor is killed with the sword. Moses is angry that the women. The very cause of the plague at Peor. Have been kept alive; he commands their death (the female children innocent) and the purification of soldiers and spoil. Spoil divided: half to the warriors, half to the congregation; a levy to the LORD. The officers bring a heave offering of jewels, confessing that not one of their thousand-man bands was missing. A heave offering of gratitude.

Drawn from Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory, Matthew Henry, Complete Commentary, John Wesley, Notes on the Old Testament and John Calvin, Commentaries.

Context

Law · Moses — Numbers overview

A. 1–12 A thousand from every tribe against Midian
B. 13–20 Moses angry over those who were spared
C. 21–24 Through the fire and through the water
D. 25–47 Dividing the spoil, and the LORD's tribute
E. 48–54 Not one man missing — gold for a memorial

Top cross-references8 chapters ▾

Numbers 196 verses
- Numbers 19:9Then a man who is ceremonially clean is to gather up the ashes of the heifer and store them in a ceremonially clean place outside the camp. They must be kept by the congregation of Israel for preparing the water of purification; this is for purification from sin.
- Numbers 19:11Whoever touches any dead body will be unclean for seven days.
- Numbers 19:14This is the law when a person dies in a tent: Everyone who enters the tent and everyone already in the tent will be unclean for seven days,
- Numbers 19:17For the purification of the unclean person, take some of the ashes of the burnt sin offering, put them in a jar, and pour fresh water over them.
- Numbers 19:19The man who is ceremonially clean is to sprinkle the unclean person on the third day and on the seventh day. After he purifies the unclean person on the seventh day, the one being cleansed must wash his clothes and bathe in water, and that evening he will be clean.
- Numbers 19:22Anything the unclean person touches will become unclean, and anyone who touches it will be unclean until evening.”
- Read Numbers 19 →
Numbers 314 verses
- Numbers 31:12They brought the captives, spoils, and plunder to Moses, to Eleazar the priest, and to the congregation of Israel at the camp on the plains of Moab, by the Jordan across from Jericho.
- Numbers 31:30From the Israelites’ half, take one out of every fifty, whether persons, cattle, donkeys, sheep, or other animals, and give them to the Levites who keep charge of the tabernacle of the LORD.”
- Numbers 31:32and this plunder remained from the spoils the soldiers had taken: 675,000 sheep,
- Numbers 31:47From the Israelites’ half, Moses took one out of every fifty persons and animals and gave them to the Levites who kept charge of the tabernacle of the LORD, as the LORD had commanded him.
- Read Numbers 31 →
1 Samuel 304 verses
- 1 Samuel 30:1On the third day David and his men arrived in Ziklag, and the Amalekites had raided the Negev, attacked Ziklag, and burned it down.
- 1 Samuel 30:18So David recovered everything the Amalekites had taken, including his two wives.
- 1 Samuel 30:21When David came to the two hundred men who had been too exhausted to follow him from the Brook of Besor, they came out to meet him and the troops with him. As David approached the men, he greeted them,
- 1 Samuel 30:24Who will listen to your proposal? The share of the one who went to battle will match the share of the one who stayed with the supplies. They will share alike.”
- Read 1 Samuel 30 →
Numbers 183 verses
- Numbers 18:8Then the LORD said to Aaron, “Behold, I have put you in charge of My offerings. As for all the sacred offerings of the Israelites, I have given them to you and your sons as a portion and a permanent statute.
- Numbers 18:19All the holy offerings that the Israelites present to the LORD I give to you and to your sons and daughters as a permanent statute. It is a permanent covenant of salt before the LORD for you and your offspring.”
- Numbers 18:26“Speak to the Levites and tell them: ‘When you receive from the Israelites the tithe that I have given you as your inheritance, you must present part of it as an offering to the LORD—a tithe of the tithe.
- Read Numbers 18 →

4 more chapters this one speaks with

Numbers 253 verses
- Numbers 25:1While Israel was staying in Shittim, the men began to indulge in sexual immorality with the daughters of Moab,
- Numbers 25:14The name of the Israelite who was slain with the Midianite woman was Zimri son of Salu, the leader of a Simeonite family.
- Numbers 25:15And the name of the slain Midianite woman was Cozbi, the daughter of Zur, a tribal chief of a Midianite family.
- Read Numbers 25 →
Deuteronomy 123 verses
- Deuteronomy 12:12And you shall rejoice before the LORD your God—you, your sons and daughters, your menservants and maidservants, and the Levite within your gates, since he has no portion or inheritance among you.
- Deuteronomy 12:17Within your gates you must not eat the tithe of your grain or new wine or oil, the firstborn of your herds or flocks, any of the offerings that you have vowed to give, or your freewill offerings or special gifts.
- Deuteronomy 12:19and be careful not to neglect the Levites as long as you live in your land.
- Read Deuteronomy 12 →
Numbers 33 verses
- Numbers 3:7They are to perform duties for him and for the whole congregation before the Tent of Meeting, attending to the service of the tabernacle.
- Numbers 3:25The duties of the Gershonites at the Tent of Meeting were the tabernacle and tent, its covering, the curtain for the entrance to the Tent of Meeting,
- Numbers 3:31Their duties were the ark, the table, the lampstand, the altars, the articles of the sanctuary used with them, and the curtain—all the service for these items.
- Read Numbers 3 →
Exodus 303 verses
- Exodus 30:12“When you take a census of the Israelites to number them, each man must pay the LORD a ransom for his life when he is counted. Then no plague will come upon them when they are numbered.
- Exodus 30:15In making the offering to the LORD to atone for your lives, the rich shall not give more than a half shekel, nor shall the poor give less.
- Exodus 30:16Take the atonement money from the Israelites and use it for the service of the Tent of Meeting. It will serve as a memorial for the Israelites before the LORD to make atonement for your lives.”
- Read Exodus 30 →

Cross-references from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge and OpenBible.info.