Numbers 31:17-27

17 Now therefore, kill every male among the little ones, and kill every woman who has known a man intimately.

18 But keep alive for yourselves all the young girls who have not known a man intimately.

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.

20 Purify every garment, everything made of leather, everything woven of goats' hair, and everything made of wood."

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:

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

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.

24 And you shall wash your clothes on the seventh day and be clean, and afterward you may come into the camp."

25 Now the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:

26 "Count up the plunder that was taken--of man and beast--you and Eleazar the priest and the chief fathers of the congregation;

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.

Numbers 31:17-27 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO NUMBERS 31

This chapter contains an order to make war upon Midian, which was accordingly done, Nu 31:1-12, 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, Nu 31:13-18, and then directs to the purification of the soldiers, their captives and spoil, Nu 31:19-24, 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, Nu 31:25-31 and the sum of the whole booty is given, Nu 31:32-35 and of the part which belonged to the soldiers, and of the tribute given to the Lord, Nu 31:36-41 and of the part which belonged to the children of Israel, Nu 31:42-47 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, Nu 31:48-54.