Numbers31

The LORD commanded Moses to avenge Israel upon the Midianites, leading to a war where 12,000 Israelites, accompanied by Phinehas, slew all Midianite males, including their kings and Balaam, and took extensive spoil. Moses, angered that the women who caused Israel to sin at Peor were spared, ordered the killing of all male children and non-virgin women. Following purification rites, the vast spoil was meticulously divided between the warriors and the congregation, with specific tributes allocated to the priests and Levites.

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The Lord Commands Vengeance on Midian

And the LORD said to Moses,

“Take vengeance on the Midianites for the Israelites. After that, you will be gathered to your people.”

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.

Send into battle a thousand men from each tribe of Israel.”

So a thousand men were recruited from each tribe of Israel—twelve thousand armed for war.

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.

The Battle and the Spoils Taken

Then they waged war against Midian, as the LORD had commanded Moses, and they killed every male.

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.

The Israelites captured the Midianite women and their children, and they plundered all their herds, flocks, and goods.

Then they burned all the cities where the Midianites had lived, as well as all their encampments,

and carried away all the plunder and spoils, both people and animals.

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.

Moses Orders Further Execution and Purification

And Moses, Eleazar the priest, and all the leaders of the congregation went to meet them outside the camp.

But Moses was angry with the officers of the army—the commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds—who were returning from the battle.

“Have you spared all the women?” he asked them.

“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.

So now, kill all the boys, as well as every woman who has had relations with a man,

but spare for yourselves every girl who has never had relations with a man.

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.

And purify every garment and leather good, everything made of goat’s hair, and every article of wood.”

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:

Only the gold, silver, bronze, iron, tin, and lead—

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.

On the seventh day you are to wash your clothes, and you will be clean. After that you may enter the camp.”

The Division of the Spoils

The LORD said to Moses,

“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.

Then divide the captives between the troops who went out to battle and the rest of the congregation.

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.

Take it from their half and give it to Eleazar the priest as an offering to the LORD.

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.”

So Moses and Eleazar the priest did as the LORD had commanded Moses,

and this plunder remained from the spoils the soldiers had taken: 675,000 sheep,

72,000 cattle,

61,000 donkeys,

and 32,000 women who had not slept with a man.

This was the half portion for those who had gone to war:

337,500 sheep, including a tribute to the LORD of 675,

36,000 cattle, including a tribute to the LORD of 72,

30,500 donkeys, including a tribute to the LORD of 61,

and 16,000 people, including a tribute to the LORD of 32.

Moses gave the tribute to Eleazar the priest as an offering for the LORD, as the LORD had commanded Moses.

From the Israelites’ half, which Moses had set apart from the men who had gone to war,

this half belonged to the congregation: 337,500 sheep,

36,000 cattle,

30,500 donkeys,

and 16,000 people.

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.

Voluntary Atonement Offering

Then the officers who were over the units of the army—the commanders of thousands and of hundreds—approached Moses

and said, “Your servants have counted the soldiers under our command, and not one of us is missing.

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.”

So Moses and Eleazar the priest received from them all the articles made out of gold.

All the gold that the commanders of thousands and of hundreds presented as an offering to the LORD weighed 16,750 shekels.

Each of the soldiers had taken plunder for himself.

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.

Study Notes for Numbers 31

Verse 2

This command serves as divine judgment against Midian for their deliberate role in the Baal-Peor incident (Num. 25). God links this act of vengeance directly to Moses’ impending death, making it his final major military assignment.

Verse 3

Moses frames the conflict as avenging the LORD, emphasizing that this is a punitive, theological war against those who led Israel into idolatry and sexual sin, not merely a territorial dispute.

Verse 6

Phinehas, who previously demonstrated zeal in stopping the plague at Peor (Num. 25), leads the contingent, underscoring the religious nature of this mission. The 'holy instruments' likely refer to sacred objects or the trumpets used for signaling the assembly and battle.

Verse 7

The execution of 'all the males' indicates a policy of complete eradication of the male population, reflecting the severity of Midian’s offense against God’s covenant people.

Verse 8

The execution of Balaam settles his fate. Although he was a prophet who blessed Israel, his malicious counsel (see V. 16) led directly to the Baal-Peor apostasy, resulting in his death during this divine judgment.

Verse 14

Moses’ anger stems from the officers’ failure to recognize the spiritual danger posed by the Midianite women who were the central agents of temptation and sin at Peor (Num. 25).

Verse 16

This verse explicitly links the captured women and Balaam’s strategy to the plague and apostasy at Baal-Peor, justifying the immediate and severe judgment that follows.

Verse 17

The distinction between adult women ('known man') and female children is based on culpability. The command targets those responsible for the previous spiritual corruption, eliminating the source of future temptation.

Verse 19

The returning soldiers and their captives required seven days of ritual purification because of their contact with the dead, demonstrating the necessity of cleansing even after a divinely sanctioned holy war.

Verse 23

The purification of spoil reflected practical and ritual concerns. Durable items (metals) were cleansed by fire, while the 'water of separation' (mixed with red heifer ashes, Num. 19) was necessary to remove defilement from death.

Verse 27

The spoils are divided equally into two halves: one for the 12,000 fighting men and one for the entire remaining congregation, establishing a precedent for equitable sharing of war gains.

Verse 28

The tribute levied on the soldiers’ half is extremely small (1 in 500), designated as a 'heave offering' for the priests (Eleazar), acknowledging God's direct hand in the victory.

Verse 30

The congregation’s half contributes a larger portion (1 in 50) to the Levites, who were responsible for the service of the Tabernacle and relied on communal support.

Verse 35

The inventory of 32,000 female children highlights the scope of the operation and the immense quantity of non-combatant spoil taken, which would be integrated into the Israelite community.

Verse 49

The report of zero casualties among the 12,000 men is astonishing and serves as the ultimate proof of divine protection and approval of the campaign.

Verse 50

The officers offer gold jewelry for 'atonement for our souls.' Even without casualties, they recognized the need for purification and dedication after dealing with death and taking spoil in a holy war.

Verse 54

The gold was placed in the Tabernacle as a 'memorial,' permanently recording the miraculous, casualty-free victory and the faithfulness of the officers and men.

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Numbers31

The Lord Commands Vengeance on Midian

The Battle and the Spoils Taken

Moses Orders Further Execution and Purification

The Division of the Spoils

Voluntary Atonement Offering

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