| Back to Home Page | Back to Book Index
|
Numbers Chapter
Thirty-one
New King James Version (NKJV)
INTRODUCTION TO NUMBERS 31
This
chapter contains an order to make war upon Midian, which was accordingly done, Numbers 31:1, but Moses
was wroth, because they saved the women alive, who, through the counsel of
Balaam, had been the cause of sin, and of the plague for it in Israel, and
therefore orders them, and the male children, to be slain, Numbers 31:13, and
then directs to the purification of the soldiers, their captives and spoil, Numbers 31:19, and
by the command of God an account is taken of the prey, and a division of it
made between the soldiers and the congregation, and out of each part a tribute
is levied for the Lord, Numbers 31:25 and
the sum of the whole booty is given, Numbers 31:32 and
of the part which belonged to the soldiers, and of the tribute given to the
Lord, Numbers 31:36 and
of the part which belonged to the children of Israel, Numbers 31:42 and
besides the above tribute to the Lord, the officers made a voluntary oblation
out of their spoil, both by way of gratitude for sparing their lives, and to
make atonement for their souls, Numbers 31:48.
Numbers 31:1 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:
YLT
1And Jehovah speaketh unto
Moses, saying,
And the Lord spake unto Moses,.... After the plague
upon Israel for their fornication and idolatry, into which they were drawn by
the daughters of Moab and Midian, and after the sum of the people was taken in
the plains of Moab, and various laws given or repeated, and a little before the
death of Moses:
saying; as follows.
Numbers 31:2 2 “Take vengeance on the Midianites for the children of
Israel. Afterward you shall be gathered to your people.”
YLT
2`Execute the vengeance of
the sons of Israel against the Midianites -- afterwards thou art gathered unto
thy people.'
Avenge the children of Israel of the Midianites,.... For the
injury they had done them, by sending their daughters among them, who enticed
them to commit uncleanness with them, and then drew them into the worship of
their idols, which brought the wrath of God upon them, and for which 24,000
persons were slain. Now, though the Moabites had a concern in this affair as
well as the Midianites, yet they were spared; which some think was for the sake
of Lot, from whom they descended; but why not the Midianites for the sake of
Abraham, whose offspring they were by Keturah? Jarchi says, they were spared
because of Ruth, who was to spring from them; and so she might, and yet
vengeance be taken on great numbers of them: but the truer reason seems to be,
either because the sin of the Moabites was not yet full, and they were reserved
for a later punishment; or rather because they were not the principal actors in
the above affair; but the Midianites, who seem to have advised Balak at first
to send for Balaam to curse Israel, and who harboured that soothsayer after he
had been dismissed by Balak, and to whom he gave his wicked counsel, and which
they readily followed, and industriously pursued:
afterward shalt thou be gathered unto thy people; or die, see Numbers 27:13, it
being some satisfaction to him to see the good land, as he did from Abarim, and
the Israelites avenged on their enemies before his death.
Numbers 31:3 3 So Moses spoke to the people, saying, “Arm some of
yourselves for war, and let them go against the Midianites to take vengeance
for the Lord on Midian.
YLT
3And Moses speaketh unto the
people, saying, `Be ye armed some of you for the host, and they are against
Midian, to put the vengeance of Jehovah on Midian;
And Moses spake unto the people, saying,.... In
obedience to the divine command; this must be supposed to be spoken to the
heads or princes of the tribes:
arm some of yourselves unto the war: not the whole body of
the militia, 600,000 men and upwards, only some of them, and these choice and
select men; and, according to the Jewish writers, good men, who, detesting the
sins of lewdness and idolatry, would more strictly and severely avenge themselves
on the Midianites for drawing their brethren into those sins, whereby they
fell; and so Jarchi calls them righteous men:
and let them go against the
Midianites, and avenge the Lord of Midian: what the Lord calls the
vengeance of the Israelites, Moses calls the vengeance of the Lord, because
they were the Lord's people, and his cause and theirs the same: and because the
sins they were drawn into by the Midianites were not only against themselves,
and to their prejudice, but against the Lord and to the dishonour of his name.
Numbers 31:4 4 A thousand from each tribe of all the tribes of Israel
you shall send to the war.”
YLT
4a thousand for a tribe -- a
thousand for a tribe, to all the tribes of Israel -- ye do send to the host.'
Of every tribe a thousand,.... So that the whole
number of those that were armed were 12,000 as after given:
throughout all the tribes of Israel; this is observed, as
Jarchi thinks, to comprehend the tribe of Levi, which in some cases was left
out of the account:
shall ye send to the war; to fight with Midian.
Numbers 31:5 5 So there were recruited from the divisions of Israel
one thousand from each tribe, twelve thousand armed for war.
YLT
5And there are given out of
the thousands of Israel a thousand for a tribe, twelve thousand armed ones of
the host;
So they were delivered out of the thousands of Israel,.... Several
thousands very probably offered themselves voluntarily to go to the war, or
however were summoned together on this account, and out of them the following
number was delivered of picked and chosen men:
a thousand of every tribe, twelve thousand armed for war; which was but
a small number to go against so considerable a nation and people; but this was
done to show that the war was of the Lord, he would fight the battle, and give
them victory, it being the same to him to do it with few as with many; and to
encourage the people of Israel to believe the Lord would give them success
against their many and powerful enemies in the land of Canaan, on the borders
of which they now were.
Numbers 31:6 6 Then Moses sent them to the war, one thousand from each
tribe; he sent them to the war with Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest,
with the holy articles and the signal trumpets in his hand.
YLT
6and Moses sendeth them, a
thousand for a tribe, to the host, them and Phinehas son of Eleazar the priest,
to the host; and the holy vessels, and the trumpets of the shouting, in his
hand.
And Moses sent them to the war,.... Being mustered and
armed:
a thousand of every tribe, them and Phinehas the son of
Eleazar the priest to the war; which looks as if Phinehas was the general
of this army; for Moses went not to the war, and no mention is made of Joshua,
nor might it be proper for him, he being the successor of Moses, who was
quickly to die; but it seems rather that there was no one person that had the
command of the whole, but every captain commanded his own company; since, when
Moses met them, and was angry with them for sparing the women, he does not
address anyone as the chief commander, but all the officers, Numbers 31:14,
however, it was very proper and prudent to send Phinehas with them, both on
account of his office as a priest, to encourage the people, and because of his
extraordinary zeal against the Midianites for what they had done, as appears by
his slaying a prince of Simeon and a Midianitish princess in their uncleanness:
and he went with the holy
instruments, and the trumpets to blow in his hand; by "the
holy instruments", Aben Ezra understands the ark with what appertained to
it, which in later times used to be carried out when the Israelites went to
war, Joshua 6:4, and
Jarchi interprets them of the ark and plate of goldF26So the Rabbins
in Abendana in Miclol Yophi in loc. which was upon the forehead of the high
priest; but what had Phinehas to do with this, who was but a common priest?
though the Targum of Jonathan paraphrases it,"with the Urim and Thummim of
holiness, to inquire by them;'and it appears, that sometimes a son of an high
priest was intrusted with the ephod, to which the breastplate was fastened,
which had the Urim and Thummim on it, and made use thereof to inquire by, as in
the times of David, 1 Samuel 23:6, but
it is the opinion of some learned men, and they may be in the right, that these
instruments are no other than the trumpets, and who suppose the "vau"
is not copulative, but explanative, so Ben Gersom, and read the words thus,
"with the holy instruments, even", or, "that is, the
trumpets"F1וחצצרות "erantque
tubae", Tigurine version; "id est tubae", Vatablus; "nempe
tubae", Piscator; so Ainsworth. , the silver trumpets ordered to be made, Numbers 10:2 one of
which was far the journey of the camps, and also to blow an alarm for war, and
which was done by the priests; and so the Targum of Jonathan adds here,"to
cause the camp of Israel to rest, and to cause it to go;'that is, to direct it
when it should stop, and when it should move.
Numbers 31:7 7 And they warred against the Midianites, just as the Lord commanded Moses, and they killed all the males.
YLT
7And they war against
Midian, as Jehovah hath commanded Moses, and slay every male;
And they warred against the Midianites, as the Lord commanded
Moses,.... Whether the Midianites came out against them with an army,
and there was a pitched battle between them, is not certain; however the
Israelites committed acts of hostility upon them, by entering their cities,
plundering their houses, and slaying the inhabitants of them; the Targum of
Jonathan is,"they warred against Midian, and surrounded it in the three
corners of it, as the Lord commanded Moses;'for, as MaimonidesF2Hilchot
Melacim, c. 6. sect. 7. observes from tradition,"when they besiege a city
to take it, they do not surround it in the four corners of it, but in the three
corners of it, and leave a place to flee out, that everyone that would might
escape for his life, as it is said, "and they warred against Midian, as
the Lord commanded Moses"; by report, or from tradition, it is learnt that
so he commanded him;'that is, in such a manner to besiege a city; but for this
there is only tradition, for it is not mentioned among the rules after directed
to in such a case, Deuteronomy 20:10,
and they slew all the males; which fell into their
hands; for, no doubt, there were multitudes that made their escape, since in
later times we read of the Midianites, as a very powerful people, and very
distressing to Israel, Judges 6:1 these,
as Aben Ezra observes, they slew, were such as were grown up, for as for their
little ones, them they spared and carried captive, Numbers 31:9.
Numbers 31:8 8 They killed the kings of Midian with the rest of
those who were killed—Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur, and Reba, the five kings of Midian.
Balaam the son of Beor they also killed with the sword.
YLT
8and the kings of Midian
they have slain, besides their pierced ones, Evi, and Rekem, and Zur, and Hur, and
Reba, five kings of Midian; and Balaam son of Beor, they have slain with the
sword.
And they slew the kings of Midian, beside the rest of them that
were slain,.... Besides the males of the common people, they slew their
kings, who were petty kings or princes, perhaps under the king of Moab, or had
reassumed their titles and government after the death of Sihon the king of the
Amorites, who, in his time, were called dukes of Sihon, Joshua 13:21,
namely:
Evi, and Rekem, and Zur, and Hur, and Reba, five kings of Midian; the Targum of
Jonathan says of Zur, this is Balak, which is not probable; it is more likely,
what Aben Ezra observes, that he was the father of Cosbi, whom Phinehas slew, Numbers 25:15.
Balaam also, the son of Beor, they slew with the sword; so that he
died not a natural death, but a violent one, not such an one as he desired, the
death of the righteous, but of bloody and deceitful men, who do not live out
half their days; for if the Jewish writersF3Shalshalet Hakabala,
fol. 7. 2. are to be credited, he was but thirty four years of age when he was
slain, which is not quite half the age of man, that being seventy, Psalm 90:10, it
appears by this that he was among the Midianites at the time of this war;
either he stayed here till this time, when he went from Balak with an intention
to go into his own country; or he had returned hither, being either sent for,
by the princes of Midian, on this occasion; or, as some say, as Aben Ezra
observes, that he came to Midian after he returned to his place, on hearing the
plague that came upon Israel through his counsel, to receive the money of the
elders of Midian for it; and so Chaskuni.
Numbers 31:9 9 And the children of Israel took the women of Midian
captive, with their little ones, and took as spoil all their cattle, all their
flocks, and all their goods.
YLT
9And the sons of Israel take
captive the women of Midian, and their infants; and all their cattle, and all
their substance, and all their wealth they have plundered;
And the children of Israel took all the women of Midian
captives,.... The word "all" is not in the original text, nor
should it be supplied; for if all had been taken, and carried captive, and put
to death, as those were afterwards, how could there have been such an increase
of the Midianites as there was in some time after this? see Judges 6:1 but the
meaning is, that as many as fell into their hands they took and carried
captive:
and their little ones; both male and female:
and took the spoil of all their cattle, and all their flocks; their oxen
and their sheep, and also their asses, as appears by the following account:
and all their goods: in their houses, their
wealth and substance, gold, silver, &c.
Numbers 31:10 10 They also burned with fire all the cities where they
dwelt, and all their forts.
YLT
10and all their cities, with
their habitations, and all their towers, they have burnt with fire.
And they burnt all their cities wherein they dwelt, &c.) So
far as they went into the country, which, perhaps, might not be the whole land
of Midian:
and all their goodly castles with fire; which were
either the palaces of their princes and nobles, or such like great personages;
or they were fortified places, for the security of their cities and country:
the Targums of Onkelos and Jonathan interpret them of their houses of worship,
their temples, and their altars.
Numbers 31:11 11 And they took all the spoil and all the booty—of man
and beast.
YLT
11And they take all the
spoil, and all the prey, among man and among beast;
And they took all the spoil,.... In their cities and
castles; and all the prey, both of men and of beasts; all sorts of cattle,
oxen, sheep, and asses.
Numbers 31:12 12 Then they brought the captives, the booty, and the
spoil to Moses, to Eleazar the priest, and to the congregation of the children
of Israel, to the camp in the plains of Moab by the Jordan, across from
Jericho.
YLT
12and they bring in, unto
Moses, and unto Eleazar the priest, and unto the company of the sons of Israel,
the captives, and the prey, and the spoil, unto the camp, unto the plains of
Moab, which [are] by Jordan, [near] Jericho.
The
women and children, who were the captives, and the beasts which were the prey,
and the gold, silver, &c. which were the spoil:
unto Moses and Eleazar the priest, and unto the congregation of
the children of Israel; that is, they were bringing the above persons things unto them, returning
from the war with Midian:
unto the camp at the plains of Moab, which are by Jordan near
Jericho: see Numbers 22:1, but
they were stopped, and were not admitted into the camp until seven days after.
Numbers 31:13 13 And Moses, Eleazar the priest, and all the leaders of
the congregation, went to meet them outside the camp.
YLT
13And Moses, and Eleazar the
priest, and all the princes of the company, go out to meet them, unto the
outside of the camp,
And Moses and Eleazar the priest, and all the princes of the
congregation,.... Attended, no doubt, with a proper retinue:
went forth to meet them without the camp; partly to do
honour to them, and to congratulate them on their victory, and partly to hinder
them going into the camp directly, until they were purified; see Genesis 14:17.
Numbers 31:14 14 But Moses was angry with the officers of the army, with
the captains over thousands and captains over hundreds, who had come from the
battle.
YLT
14and Moses is wroth against
the inspectors of the force, chiefs of the thousands, and chiefs of the
hundreds, who are coming in from the host of the battle.
And Moses was wroth with the officers of the host,.... The
general officers who had the command of the army, for there does not appear to
be anyone that was one general over the whole, otherwise the displeasure would
have fallen upon him:
with the captains
over thousands, and captains over hundreds, which came from the battle; rather
"with" should be left out, not being in the text; and these captains
only explain who the officers were, and these were one hundred and thirty two,
as Aben Ezra observes; twelve who were captains over thousands, and were more
properly the general officers; and one hundred and twenty over so many
hundreds, into which the whole were subdivided.
Numbers 31:15 15 And Moses said to them: “Have you kept all the women
alive?
YLT
15And Moses saith unto them,
`Have ye kept alive every female?
And Moses said unto them, have ye saved all the women alive? Which either
had been reported to him, or he concluded, by seeing so many with them; and
this question is put, not for information, but by way of reproof, and as
chiding them for what they had done; for they might have received orders from
him to put them to death, when he sent them out; and if so, there was the more
reason to be angry with them; or he might conclude they would have done this of
themselves, knowing what instruments of mischief these women had been to
Israel.
Numbers 31:16 16 Look, these women caused the children of
Israel, through the counsel of Balaam, to trespass against the Lord in the incident of Peor, and there was a plague among the
congregation of the Lord.
YLT
16lo, they -- they have been
to the sons of Israel, through the word of Balaam, to cause a trespass against
Jehovah in the matter of Peor, and the plague is in the company of Jehovah.
Behold, these caused the children of Israel, through the counsel
of Balaam,.... Who advised the Midianites to send their women into the camp
of Israel, and allure them to uncleanness, and so draw them into idolatry,
which counsel they followed and it succeeded; for, by this means, they were
brought
to commit trespass against the Lord in the matter of Peor; by
worshipping Baalpeor, the god of the Moabites and Midianites; whereby they
transgressed the commandment of God, which forbid them having and worshipping
any other gods besides him, and is a sin highly offensive to him, being greatly
derogatory to his honour and glory:
and there was a plague among the congregation of the Lord; for that sin;
and in that plague died 24,000 persons, Numbers 25:9.
Numbers 31:17 17 Now therefore, kill every male among the little ones,
and kill every woman who has known a man intimately.
YLT
17`And now, slay ye every
male among the infants, yea, every woman known of man by the lying of a male ye
have slain;
Now therefore kill every male among the little ones,.... Which
they had taken and brought captives, Numbers 31:9.
and kill every woman that hath known man by lying with him; who might be
such, at least many of them, who had lain with Israelitish men; and as the
adulterers had been put to death, so now the adulteresses; or they were ordered
to, be slain, even all of them, lest they should entice the children of Israel
to uncleanness, and so to idolatry again: now these were known to be such,
either by conjecture at their age, or rather, through the examination of
matrons, unless it can be thought, as it is by some, that it was by divine
revelation.
Numbers 31:18 18 But keep alive for yourselves all the young girls who
have not known a man intimately.
YLT
18and all the infants among
the women, who have not known the lying of a male, ye have kept alive for
yourselves.
But all the women children,.... The females among
the little ones:
that have not known a man by lying with him; which might
be pretty clear, and easily concluded, from their age:
keep for yourselves; either to be handmaids
to them, or to be married among them when grown up, and become proselytes, and
initiated into their religion.
Numbers 31:19 19 And as for you, remain outside the camp seven days;
whoever has killed any person, and whoever has touched any slain, purify
yourselves and your captives on the third day and on the seventh day.
YLT
19`And ye, encamp ye at the
outside of the camp seven days -- any who hath slain a person, and any who hath
come against a pierced one, ye cleanse yourselves on the third day, and on the
seventh day -- ye and your captives;
And do ye abide without the camp seven days..... Which was
the time that anyone that touched a dead body remained unclean, Numbers 19:11,
whosoever hath killed any person; as most of them if not
all must have done; all the males of Midian that fell into their hands being
slain by them, that were men grown:
and whosoever hath touched any slain; as they must
to strip them of their garments, and take their spoil from them:
purify both yourselves and your captives, on the third and on the
seventh day; which were the days appointed for the purification of such that
were polluted by touching dead bodies, Numbers 19:11 and
their captives, which were the female little ones; (for as for the women, and
males among the little ones, they were ordered to be slain;) though they were
Heathens, yet inasmuch as they were to be for the service of the Israelites,
and to be brought up in their religion, they were to be purified also; to which
purpose is the note of Jarchi;"not that the Gentiles receive uncleanness
and need sprinkling, but as ye are the children of the covenant, so your
captives, when they come into the covenant, and are defiled, need sprinkling.'
Numbers 31:20 20 Purify every garment, everything made of leather,
everything woven of goats’ hair, and everything made of wood.”
YLT
20and every garment, and
every skin vessel, and every work of goats' [hair], and every wooden vessel, ye
yourselves cleanse.'
And purify all your raiment,.... By washing them; and
this may intend not so much their own wearing apparel, as the raiment they took
off of the dead bodies of the Midianites, since the person that touched a dead
body was not obliged to wash his clothes, but the clean person that sprinkled
the water of purification on him, Numbers 19:19, some
render the words, "purify yourselves"F4תתחטאו
"purgatote vos", Junius & Tremellius, Piscator; Vid. L'Empereur,
Not. ad Kimchii οδοιπορια, p. 130. ,
"together with the raiment", &c. which seems to be the best
version of them:
and all that is made of skins; of any sort of
creatures, as the covering of tents, shoes, bottles, &c. see Leviticus 11:32.
and all work of goats' hair; such as the covering of
tents was also made of: and this, according to Jarchi and other Jewish writersF5Maimon.
& Bartenora in Misn. Celim, c. 2. sect. 1. includes vessels made of the
horns, hoofs, and bones of these creatures: and all things made of wood; as
beds, cups, dishes, &c. all which might be purified by washing; see Leviticus 15:12.
Numbers 31:21 21 Then Eleazar the priest said to the men of war who had
gone to the battle, “This is the ordinance of the law which the Lord commanded Moses:
YLT
21And Eleazar the priest
saith unto the men of the host who go in to battle, `This [is] the statute of
the law which Jehovah hath commanded Moses:
And Eleazar the priest said unto the men of war, which went to the
battle,.... To all the soldiers, officers, and common men:
this is the ordinance of the law, which the Lord commanded Moses; concerning
the purification of unclean persons and things, hereby confirming what Moses
had said.
Numbers 31:22 22 Only the gold, the silver, the bronze, the iron, the
tin, and the lead,
YLT
22only, the gold, and the
silver, the brass, the iron, the tin, and the lead,
Only the gold, and the silver, the brass, the iron, the tin, and
the lead. These are excepted, and, though unclean, are not to be purified
by washing, but in another way, by fire, as follows; all these metals were well
known in those early times, and were made use of for instruments and vessels of
various sorts.
Numbers 31:23 23 everything that can endure fire, you shall put through
the fire, and it shall be clean; and it shall be purified with the water of
purification. But all that cannot endure fire you shall put through water.
YLT
23every thing which may go
into fire, ye cause to pass over through fire, and it hath been clean; only,
with the water of separation it is cleansed, and all that may not go into fire,
ye cause to pass over through water;
Every thing that may abide the fire, ye shall make it go through
the fire,.... Either through the smoke of the fire, and so be purified by
suffumigation; or be put into the fire itself, where though they might be
melted as the above things, yet not consumed as raiment, and vessels of skins,
goats' hair, and wood, would be:
and it shall be clean; accounted so:
nevertheless, it shall be purified with the water of separation; with the
water mixed with the ashes of the red heifer burnt, and sprinkled on it; see Numbers 19:9.
and all that abideth not the fire; without being consumed,
as whatsoever is of wood, &c.
ye shall make go through the water; dip them in it, and
rinse them there with a quantity sufficient; which the Targum of Jonathan says
is forty seahs of water.
Numbers 31:24 24 And
you shall wash your clothes on the seventh day and be clean, and afterward you
may come into the camp.”
YLT
24and ye have washed your
garments on the seventh day, and have been clean, and afterwards ye come in
unto the camp.'
And ye shall wash your clothes on the seventh day,.... As the
leper did, Leviticus 14:9,
and ye shall be clean, and afterward ye shall come into the camp; into the camp
of Israel, into the camp of the Levites, and into the camp of God, the
tabernacle.
Numbers 31:25 25 Now the Lord spoke to
Moses, saying:
YLT
25And Jehovah speaketh unto
Moses, saying,
And the Lord spake unto Moses,.... After the
purification of the soldiers, their captives, and spoil:
saying; as follows.
Numbers 31:26 26 “Count up the plunder that was taken—of man and
beast—you and Eleazar the priest and the chief fathers of the congregation;
YLT
26`Take up the sum of the
prey of the captives, among man and among beast, thou, and Eleazar the priest,
and the heads of the fathers of the company;
Take the sum of the prey that was taken, both of man and beast,.... The
number of the females that were taken captive and spared, and of the cattle,
the sheep, oxen, and asses:
thou, and Eleazar the priest, and the chief fathers of the
congregation; who were all men of authority and character, and fit to be
employed in such service, and of whose capacity and fidelity there could be no
doubt.
Numbers 31:27 27 and divide the plunder into two parts, between those
who took part in the war, who went out to battle, and all the congregation.
YLT
27and thou hast halved the
prey between those handling the battle who go out to the host and all the
company;
And divide the prey into two parts,.... Into two equal
parts, both the number of the people and of the cattle, when taken:
between them that took the war upon them, and went out to battle; the soldiers;
and by this it appears that they went voluntarily and cheerfully:
and between all the congregation; so that the part of them
that went to battle, and of those that stayed in the camp, were alike, and
which in process of time became a statute and ordinance, 1 Samuel 30:24.
Numbers 31:28 28 And levy a tribute for the Lord on the men of war who went out to battle: one of every five hundred
of the persons, the cattle, the donkeys, and the sheep;
YLT
28and thou hast raised a
tribute to Jehovah from the men of war, who go out to the host, one body out of
five hundred, of man, and of the herd, and of the asses, and of the flock;
And levy a tribute unto the Lord of the men of war, which went out
to battle,.... That is, out of the part of the prey which was divided to
them:
one soul of five hundred, both "of the
persons"; or one woman of five hundred, as the Targum of Jonathan:
and of the beeves, and of the asses, and of the sheep; that is, one
out of five hundred, of each of them also.
Numbers 31:29 29 take it from their half, and give it to
Eleazar the priest as a heave offering to the Lord.
YLT
29from their half ye do take,
and thou hast given to Eleazar the priest -- the heave-offering of Jehovah.
And take it of their half,.... Of the half part of
the prey divided to the soldiers:
and give it unto Eleazar the priest for an heave offering of the
Lord; by way of thanksgiving for the success and victory, God had
given them, by means of which so much booty had fallen into their hands.
Numbers 31:30 30 And from the children of Israel’s half you shall take
one of every fifty, drawn from the persons, the cattle, the donkeys, and the
sheep, from all the livestock, and give them to the Levites who keep charge of
the tabernacle of the Lord.”
YLT
30`And from the sons of
Israel's half thou dost take one possession out of fifty, of man, of the herd,
of the asses, and of the flock, of all the cattle, and thou hast given them to
the Levites keeping the charge of the tabernacle of Jehovah.'
And of the children of Israel's half, thou shall take one portion
of fifty,.... Which was abundantly more than what was taken out of the
part of the soldiers; and the reason of it is plain and easy to be discerned;
the soldiers had taken much pains, and gone through much fatigue, as well as
had hazarded their lives, and therefore less was to be taken from them; and
besides the tribute levied out of their half was to be given to the priests,
who were not so numerous as the Levites, among whom the part out of the half of
the congregation was to be distributed:
of the persons; of the women, as the Targums of Jonathan,
one of fifty out of them was to be given to the Levites to be their handmaids,
or to be taken in marriage by them, or their sons, when fit for it:
of the beeves, of the asses, and of the sheep, of all manner of
beasts; of oxen, asses, sheep, and goats, one out of fifty of each of
these sorts were to be taken. Aben Ezra observes, no mention is made of camels,
being but few, and no part taken:
and give them unto the Levites, which keep the charge of the
tabernacle of the Lord; for these being employed in the service of the tabernacle, came
in for their share of the tribute levied unto the Lord.
Numbers 31:31 31 So Moses and Eleazar the priest did as the Lord commanded Moses.
YLT
31And Moses doth -- Eleazar
the priest also -- as Jehovah hath commanded Moses.
And Moses and Eleazar the priest did as the Lord commanded Moses. Took an
account of the booty, divided it equally between the soldiers and the
congregation of Israel, and levied a part out of each as a tribute for the
Lord, which was given to the priests and Levites.
Numbers 31:32 32 The booty remaining from the plunder, which the men of
war had taken, was six hundred and seventy-five thousand sheep,
YLT
32And the prey, the residue
of the spoil which the people of the host have spoiled, is of the flock six
hundred thousand, and seventy thousand, and five thousand;
Verses 32-47
And the booty, being the rest of the prey which the men of war had
caught,.... The remainder of it, besides what they had eaten in their
return from the war, and during their seven days' stay without the camp: from
hence to the end of Numbers 31:47 is
only an account of the prey or booty taken, which in general were 675,000
sheep, 72,000 beeves or oxen, 61,000 asses, and 32,000 females who had never
known man; the half out of these, which fell to the share of the soldiers, were
337,500 sheep, 36,000 beeves or oxen, 30,500 asses, and 16,000 females, out of
which were given as an heave offering to the Lord six hundred and seventy five
sheep, seventy two beeves or oxen, sixty one asses, and thirty two women: the
half divided unto the children of Israel consisted of 337,500 sheep, 36,000
beeves or oxen, 30,500 asses, and 16,000 women, out of which one in fifty, both
of women and cattle, were given to the Levites; what that amounted to is not
expressed, but may be easily reckoned.
Numbers 31:33 33 seventy-two thousand cattle,
YLT
33and of the herd two and
seventy thousand;
Numbers 31:34 34 sixty-one thousand donkeys,
YLT
34and of asses one and sixty
thousand;
Numbers 31:35 35 and thirty-two thousand persons in all, of women who
had not known a man intimately.
YLT
35and of human beings -- of
the women who have not known the lying of a male -- all the persons [are] two
and thirty thousand.
Numbers 31:36 36 And the half, the portion for those who had gone out
to war, was in number three hundred and thirty-seven thousand five hundred
sheep;
YLT
36And the half -- the portion
of those who go out into the host -- the number of the flock is three hundred
thousand, and thirty thousand, and seven thousand and five hundred.
Numbers 31:37 37 and the Lord’s tribute
of the sheep was six hundred and seventy-five.
YLT
37And the tribute to Jehovah
of the sheep is six hundred five and seventy;
Numbers 31:38 38 The cattle were thirty-six thousand, of which
the Lord’s tribute was seventy-two.
YLT
38and the herd [is] six and
thirty thousand, and their tribute to Jehovah [is] two and seventy;
Numbers 31:39 39 The donkeys were thirty thousand five hundred,
of which the Lord’s tribute was sixty-one.
YLT
39and the asses [are] thirty
thousand and five hundred, and their tribute to Jehovah [is] one and sixty;
Numbers 31:40 40 The persons were sixteen thousand, of which the
Lord’s tribute was thirty-two persons.
YLT
40and the human beings [are]
sixteen thousand, and their tribute to Jehovah [is] two and thirty persons.
Numbers 31:41 41 So Moses gave the tribute which was the Lord’s heave offering to Eleazar the priest, as the Lord commanded Moses.
YLT
41And Moses giveth the
tribute -- Jehovah's heave-offering -- to Eleazar the priest, as Jehovah hath
commanded Moses.
Numbers 31:42 42 And from the children of Israel’s half, which Moses
separated from the men who fought—
YLT
42And of the sons of Israel's
half, which Moses halved from the men who war –
Numbers 31:43 43 now the half belonging to the congregation was three
hundred and thirty-seven thousand five hundred sheep,
YLT
43and the company's half is,
of the flock three hundred thousand, and thirty thousand, seven thousand and five
hundred;
Numbers 31:44 44 thirty-six thousand cattle,
YLT
44and of the herd six and
thirty thousand;
Numbers 31:45 45 thirty thousand five hundred donkeys,
YLT
45and of asses thirty
thousand and five hundred;
Numbers 31:46 46 and sixteen thousand persons—
YLT
46and of human beings sixteen
thousand –
Numbers 31:47 47 and from the children of Israel’s half Moses took one
of every fifty, drawn from man and beast, and gave them to the Levites, who
kept charge of the tabernacle of the Lord, as the Lord commanded Moses.
YLT
47Moses taketh from the sons
of Israel's half the one possession from the fifty, of man and of beast, and
giveth them to the Levites keeping the charge of the tabernacle of Jehovah, as
Jehovah hath commanded Moses.
Numbers 31:48 48 Then the officers who were over thousands of
the army, the captains of thousands and captains of hundreds, came near to
Moses;
YLT
48And the inspectors whom the
thousands of the host hath, (heads of the thousands and heads of the hundreds),
draw near unto Moses,
And the officers which were over thousands of the host,.... Over the
twelve thousand, of which the host or army consisted: namely, the captains of
thousands, and the captains of hundreds, came near unto Moses; of their own
accord, without being sent, or required to do what they did.
Numbers 31:49 49 and they said to Moses, “Your servants have taken a
count of the men of war who are under our command, and not a man of us
is missing.
YLT
49and they say unto Moses,
`Thy servants have taken up the sum of the men of war who [are] with us, and
not a man of us hath been missed;
And they said unto Moses,.... Gave the following
relation to him, which is a very surprising one:
thy servants have taken the sum of the men of war which are under
our charge; since the war with Midian was over, they had mustered the
several companies under their command, such as had thousands, and those that
had hundreds:
and there lacketh not one man of us; which is a most amazing
and unheard of thing, that in waging war with a whole nation, slaying all their
males, sacking and burning so many cities, plundering the inhabitants of their
substance, taking and carrying off such a vast number of captives, yet not one
should fall by the sword of the enemy, or by any disease or accident whatever,
but all to a man should return to the camp of Israel again; this is not to be
paralleled in any history.
Numbers 31:50 50 Therefore we have brought an offering for the Lord, what every man found of ornaments of gold: armlets and bracelets
and signet rings and earrings and necklaces, to make atonement for ourselves
before the Lord.”
YLT
50and we bring near Jehovah's
offering, each that which he hath found, vessels of gold -- chain, and
bracelet, seal-ring, [ear]-ring, and bead -- to make atonement for ourselves
before Jehovah.'
We have therefore brought an oblation to the Lord,.... A
freewill offering, out of the spoil, over and above the tribute levied out of
the half that came unto them:
what every man hath gotten: or "found"F6מצא "invenit", Pagninus, Montanus. , in the
houses, and upon the bodies of the slain, or of such that were taken captives:
of jewels of gold either such as were set in gold; or rather,
as the words may be rendered:
vessels of goldF7כלי זהב "vas auri", Montanus;
"vasa aurea", Vatablus. , as dishes, cups, spoons, and the like:
chains; which were wore about the neck, or upon the arm, as Aben Ezra:
and bracelets; for the hand, as the same writer, see Genesis 24:22,
rings; for the finger:
ear rings; for the ear, as we render it, the word signifies something
round:
and tablets; which, according to the Targum of Jonathan, were ornaments that
hung down between the breasts:
to make an atonement for our souls before the Lord; not only this
offering was brought as a token of gratitude and thankfulness, for sparing of
everyone of their lives, and giving them such success and victory, and so large
a spoil of the enemy; but also to expiate any sins they had been guilty of in
going out, and coming in, and particularly for sparing the women they should
have put to death, for which Moses was wroth with them, Numbers 31:14.
Numbers 31:51 51 So Moses and Eleazar the priest received the gold from
them, all the fashioned ornaments.
YLT
51And Moses receiveth --
Eleazar the priest also -- the gold from them, every made vessel,
And Moses and Eleazar the priest took the gold of them,.... For it
seems the several things before mentioned were all of gold:
even all wrought jewels; or "vessels of
work"F8כלי מעשה
"vas operis", Montanus. or wrought vessels, or instruments,
"chains, bracelets", &c. which were all of gold, and curiously
wrought.
Numbers 31:52 52 And all the gold of the offering that they offered to
the Lord, from the captains of thousands and captains of hundreds, was
sixteen thousand seven hundred and fifty shekels.
YLT
52and all the gold of the
heave-offering which they have lifted up to Jehovah is sixteen thousand seven
hundred and fifty shekels, from heads of the thousands, and from heads of the
hundreds;
And all the gold of the offering that they offered up to the Lord,.... The whole
amount, weight, and value of it put together:
even of the captains of thousands, and the captains of hundreds, and perhaps
of every common soldier, who might contribute his part, though it is not
mentioned, but included in the oblation of the officers:
was 16,750 shekels; which, according to the calculation of a
very learned manF9Scheuchzer. Physica Sacr. vol. 2. p. 399. , were
7,780 ounces, four drachms, two scruples, and thirty five grains.
Numbers 31:53 53 (The men of war had taken spoil, every man for
himself.)
YLT
53(the men of the host have
spoiled each for himself);
For the men of war had taken spoil, every man for himself. And which he
kept for himself, and did not deliver in with the prey or booty, which was
brought to Moses and Eleazar, the sum of which was taken by them; and this
seems to confirm what has been hinted, that, as each soldier had taken spoil
for himself, so everyone contributed his quota towards this freewill offering
to the Lord.
Numbers 31:54 54 And Moses and Eleazar the priest received the gold
from the captains of thousands and of hundreds, and brought it into the
tabernacle of meeting as a memorial for the children of Israel before the Lord.
YLT
54and Moses taketh -- Eleazar
the priest also -- the gold from the heads of the thousands and of the
hundreds, and they bring it in unto the tent of meeting -- a memorial for the
sons of Israel before Jehovah.
And Moses and Eleazar the priest took the gold of the captains of
thousands and of hundreds,.... Which they so freely and generously
offered:
and brought it into the tabernacle of the congregation; and laid it
up in some chamber there:
for a memorial for the children of Israel before the Lord: in
remembrance of the signal victory these men obtained, and of the singular care
of divine Providence in protecting them, that not one was lost in the
expedition; and of their sense of gratitude and thankfulness for the favours
granted them, and to put the children of Israel in mind for their imitation,
when favoured with mercies from the Lord.
──《John Gill’s
Exposition of the Bible》