Num 31:1-12 | Clarke | STEP | The command of the Lord to make war on the Midianites, , . One thousand men are chosen out of each of the twelve tribes, and sent with Phinehas against the Midianites, . They slay all the males, ; their five kings and Balaam, . They take all the women captives, with the flocks and goods, ; burn their cities, and bring away the spoil, , . They bring the captives, etc., to Moses, who is wroth with the officers for sparing the women, who had formerly been the cause of their transgression and punishment, . He commands all the male children and all the grown up females to be slain, , . How the soldiers were to purify themselves, , ; and the different articles taken in war, . They are commanded to take the sum of the prey, to divide it into two parts; one for the 12,000 warriors, and the other for the rest of the congregation, . One of 500, both of persons and cattle, of the share of the warriors, to be given to the Lord, , ; and one part of fifty, of the people's share, to be given to the Levites, . The sum of the prey remaining after the above division; sheep 675,000, beeves 72,000, asses 61,000, young women 32,000, . How the soldiers' part was divided, . How the part belonging to the congregation was divided, . The officers report that they had not lost a man in this war, , . They bring a voluntary oblation to God, of gold and ornaments, , ; the amount of which was 16,750 shekels, , . Moses and Eleazar bring the gold into the tabernacle for a memorial, .

Numbers 31:1-12

Introduction

The command of the Lord to make war on the Midianites, Num 31:1, Num 31:2. One thousand men are chosen out of each of the twelve tribes, and sent with Phinehas against the Midianites, Num 31:3-6. They slay all the males, Num 31:7; their five kings and Balaam, Num 31:8. They take all the women captives, with the flocks and goods, Num 31:9; burn their cities, and bring away the spoil, Num 31:10, Num 31:11. They bring the captives, etc., to Moses, who is wroth with the officers for sparing the women, who had formerly been the cause of their transgression and punishment, Num 31:12-16. He commands all the male children and all the grown up females to be slain, Num 31:17, Num 31:18. How the soldiers were to purify themselves, Num 31:19, Num 31:20; and the different articles taken in war, Num 31:21-24. They are commanded to take the sum of the prey, to divide it into two parts; one for the 12,000 warriors, and the other for the rest of the congregation, Num 31:25-27. One of 500, both of persons and cattle, of the share of the warriors, to be given to the Lord, Num 31:28, Num 31:29; and one part of fifty, of the people's share, to be given to the Levites, Num 31:30. The sum of the prey remaining after the above division; sheep 675,000, beeves 72,000, asses 61,000, young women 32,000, Num 31:31-35. How the soldiers' part was divided, Num 31:36-40. How the part belonging to the congregation was divided, Num 31:41-47. The officers report that they had not lost a man in this war, Num 31:48, Num 31:49. They bring a voluntary oblation to God, of gold and ornaments, Num 31:50, Num 31:51; the amount of which was 16,750 shekels, Num 31:52, Num 31:53. Moses and Eleazar bring the gold into the tabernacle for a memorial, Num 31:54. Verse 2

Gathered unto thy people - Where? Not in the grave surely. Moses was gathered with none of them, his burial-place no man ever knew. "But being gathered unto one's people means dying." It does imply dying, but it does not mean this only. The truth is, God considers all those who are dead to men in a state of conscious existence in another world. Therefore he calls himself the God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob; now God is not the God of the dead, but of the living; because all Live to Him, whether dead to men or not. Moses therefore was to be gathered to his people - to enter into that republic of Israel which, having died in the faith, fear, and love of God, were now living in a state of conscious blessedness beyond the confines of the grave. See the note on Gen 25:8, and Gen 49:33 (note). Verse 3

Avenge the Lord of Midian - It was God's quarrel, not their own, that they were now to take up. These people were idolaters; idolatry is an offense against God; the civil power has no authority to meddle with what belongs to Him, without especial directions, certified in the most unequivocal way. Private revenge, extension of territory, love of plunder, were to have no place in this business; the Lord is to be avenged; and through Him the children of Israel, (Num 31:2), because their souls as well as their bodies had been well nigh ruined by their idolatry. Verse 6

A thousand of every tribe - Twelve thousand men in the whole. And Phinehas, the son of Eleazar; some think he was made general in this expedition, but this is not likely. The ark and its contents must proceed to this battle, because the battle was the Lord's, and he dwelt between the cherubim over the ark; and Phinehas, who had before got a grant in the eternal priesthood, was chosen to accompany the ark in place of his father Eleazar, who was probably now too far advanced in years to undergo the fatigue. Who then was general? Joshua, without doubt, though not here mentioned, because the battle being the Lord's, he alone is to have the supreme direction, and all the glory. Besides, it was an extraordinary war, and not conducted on the common principle, for we do not find that peace was offered to the Midianites, and that they refused it; see Deu 20:10, etc. In such a case only hostilities could lawfully commence; but they were sinners against God; the cup of their iniquity was full, and God thought proper to destroy them. Though a leader there certainly was, and Joshua was probably that leader, yet because God, for the above reason, was considered as commander-in-chief, therefore no one else is mentioned; for it is evident that the sole business of Phinehas was to take care of the holy instruments and to blow with the trumpet. Verse 8

Balaam - they slew with the sword - This man had probably committed what St. John calls the sin unto death - a sin which God punishes with temporal death, while at the same time he extends mercy to the soul. See the remarks at Num 24:25 (note).