Numbers 31:17-27

17 Now therefore kill every male among the little ones, and kill every woman who hath known a man by lying with him.

18 But all the women children, who have not known a man by lying with him, keep alive for yourselves.

19 And abide ye outside the camp seven days. Whosoever hath killed any person, and whosoever hath touched any slain, purify both yourselves and your captives on the third day and on the seventh day.

20 And purify all your raiment and all that is made of skins, and all work of goats' hair, and all things made of wood."

21 And Eleazar the priest said unto the men of war who went to the battle, "This is the ordinance of the law which the LORD commanded Moses:

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

23 every thing that may abide the fire, ye shall make it go through the fire, and it shall be clean; nevertheless it shall be purified with the water of separation. And all that abideth not the fire ye shall make go through the water.

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

25 And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying,

26 "Take the sum of the prey that was taken, both of man and of beast, thou and Eleazar the priest and the chief fathers of the congregation;

27 and divide the prey into two parts, between those who took the war upon them, who went out to battle, and between 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.