Mínshùjì 31

1 Yēhéhuá fēnfu Móxī shuō ,

2 Nǐ yào zaì Mǐdiàn rénshēn shàng bào Yǐsèliè rén de chóu , hòulái yào guī dào nǐ lièzǔ ( yuánwén zuò bĕn mín ) nàli.

3 Móxī fēnfu bǎixìng shuō , yào cóng nǐmen zhōngjiān jiào rén daì bīngqì chū qù gōngjī Mǐdiàn , hǎo zaì Mǐdiàn rénshēn shàng wéi Yēhéhuá bàochóu .

4 Cóng Yǐsèliè zhòng zhīpaì zhōng , mĕi zhīpaì yào dǎfa yī qiā rén qù dǎzhàng .

5 Yúshì cóng Yǐsèliè qiāwàn rén zhōng , mĕi zhīpaì jiāo chū yī qiā rén , gōng yī wàn èr qiā rén , daì zhe bīngqì yùbeì dǎzhàng .

6 Móxī jiù dǎfa mĕi zhīpaì de yī qiā rén qù dǎzhàng , bìng dǎfa jìsī YǐlìYàsā de érzi Fēiníhā tóng qù . Fēiníhā shǒu lǐ ná zhe shèng suǒ de qìmǐn hé chuī dàshēng de haó Tǒng .

7 Tāmen jiù zhào Yēhéhuá suǒ fēnfu Móxī de , yǔ Mǐdiàn rén dǎzhàng , shā le suǒyǒude nán dīng .

8 Zaì suǒ shā de rén zhōng , shā le Mǐdiàn de wǔ wáng , jiù shì Yǐwèi , Lìjīn , Sūĕr , Hùĕr , Lìbā , yòu yòng dāo shā le Bǐĕr de érzi Bālán .

9 Yǐsèliè rén lǔ le Mǐdiàn rén de fùnǚ háizi , bìng jiàng tāmende shēngchù , yáng qún , hé suǒyǒude cáiwù dōu duó le lái , dàng zuò lǔ wù ,

10 Yòu yòng huǒ fùnshāo tāmen suǒ zhù de chéngyì hé suǒyǒude yíng zhaì ,

11 Bǎ yīqiè suǒ duó de , suǒ lǔ de , lián rén daì shēngchù dōu daì le qù ,

12 Jiàng suǒ lǔ de rén , suǒ duó de shēngchù , cáiwù , dōu daì dào Móyē píngyuán , zaì Yuēdànhé bian yǔ Yēlìgē xiāngduì de yíng pán , jiāo gĕi Móxī hé jìsī YǐlìYàsā , bìng Yǐsèliè de huì zhòng .

13 Móxī hé jìsī YǐlìYàsā , bìng huì zhòng yīqiè de shǒulǐng , dōu chū dào yíng waì yíngjiē tāmen .

14 Móxī xiàng dǎzhàng huí lái de jūnzhǎng , jiù shì qiā fú zhǎng , bǎifūzhǎng , fānù ,

15 Duì tāmen shuō , nǐmen yào cún liú zhè yīqiè fùnǚ de huó méng ma ,

16 Zhèxie fùnǚ yīn Bālán de jì móu , jiào Yǐsèliè rén zaì pí Ěr de shì shàng de zuì Yēhéhuá , yǐzhì Yēhéhuá de huì zhòng zāoyù wēnyì .

17 Suǒyǐ , nǐmen yào bǎ yīqiè de nánhái hé suǒ yǒu yǐ jià de nǚzi dōu shā le .

18 Dàn nǚhái zǐ zhōng , fán méiyǒu chūjià de , nǐmen dōu kĕyǐ cún liú tāde huó méng .

19 Nǐmen yào zaì yíng waì zhù zhā qī rì . fán shā le rén de , hé yīqiè mó le beì shā de , bìng nǐmen suǒ lǔ lái de rénkǒu , dì sān rì , dì qī rì , dōu yào jiéjìng zìjǐ ,

20 Yĕ yào yīn yīqiè de yīfu , pí wù , shānyáng maó zhī de wù , hé gèyàng de mù qì , jiéjìng zìjǐ .

21 Jìsī YǐlìYàsā duì dǎzhàng huí lái de bīng dīng shuō , Yēhéhuá suǒ fēnfu Móxī lǜfǎ zhōng de tiaólì nǎi shì zhèyàng ,

22 Jīn , yín , tóng , tiĕ , xī , yán ,

23 Fán néng jiàn huǒ de , nǐmen yào jiào tā jìng huǒ jiù wéi jiéjìng , ránér hái yào yòng chú wūhuì de shuǐ jiéjìng tā . fán bùnéng jiàn huǒ de , nǐmen yào jiào tā guō shuǐ .

24 Dì qī rì , nǐmen yào xǐ yīfu , jiù wéi jiéjìng , ránhòu kĕyǐ jìn yíng .

25 Yēhéhuá xiǎoyù Móxī shuō ,

26 Nǐ hé jìsī YǐlìYàsā , bìng huì zhòng de gè zúzhǎng , yào jìsuàn suǒ lǔ lái de rénkǒu hé shēngchù de zǒng shǔ .

27 Bǎ suǒ lǔ lái de f4 zuò liǎng bàn , yī bàn guīyǔ chū qù dǎzhàng de jīng bīng , yī bàn guīyǔ quánhuì zhòng .

28 Yòu yào cóng chū qù dǎzhàng suǒ de de rénkǒu , niú , lü , yáng qún zhōng , mĕi wǔ bǎi qǔ yī , zuòwéi gòng wù fèng gĕi Yēhéhuá .

29 Cóng tāmen yī bàn zhī zhōng , yào qǔ chūlai jiāo gĕi jìsī YǐlìYàsā , zuòwéi Yēhéhuá de jǔ jì .

30 Cóng Yǐsèliè rén de yī bàn zhī zhōng , jiù shì cóng rénkǒu , niú , lü , yáng qún , gèyàng shēngchù zhōng , mĕi wǔ shí qǔ yī , jiāo gĕi kānshǒu Yēhéhuá zhàngmù de Lìwèi rén .

31 Yúshì Móxī hé jìsī YǐlìYàsā zhào Yēhéhuá suǒ fēnfu Móxī de xíng le .

32 Chúle bīng dīng suǒ duó de cáiwù yǐwaì , suǒ lǔ lái de , yáng liù shí qī wàn wǔ qiā zhǐ .

33 Niú qī wàn èr qiā zhǐ .

34 Lü liù wàn yī qiā pǐ .

35 Nǚrén gōng sān wàn èr qiā kǒu , dōu shì méiyǒu chūjià de .

36 Chū qù dǎzhàng zhī rén de fèn , jiù shì tāmen suǒ de de nà yī bàn , gòng jì yáng sān shí sān wàn qī qiā wǔ bǎi zhǐ ,

37 Cóng qízhōng guī Yēhéhuá wéi gòng wù de , yǒu liù bǎi qī shí wǔ zhǐ .

38 Niú sān wàn liù qiā zhǐ , cóng qízhōng guī Yēhéhuá wéi gòng wù de , yǒu qī shí èr zhǐ .

39 Lü sān wàn líng wǔ bǎi pǐ , cóng qízhōng guī Yēhéhuá wéi gòng wù de , yǒu liù shí yī pǐ .

40 Rén yī wàn liù qiā kǒu , cóng qízhōng guī Yēhéhuá de , yǒu sān shí èr kǒu .

41 Móxī bǎ gòng wù , jiù shì guīyǔ Yēhéhuá de jǔ jì , jiāo gĕi jìsī YǐlìYàsā , shì zhào Yēhéhuá suǒ fēnfu Móxī de .

42 Yǐsèliè rén suǒ de de nà yī bàn , jiù shì Móxī cóng dǎzhàng de rén qǔ lái fèn gĕi tāmende .

43 ( Huì zhòng de nà yī bàn yǒu , yáng sān shí sān wàn qī qiā wǔ bǎi zhǐ.

44 Niú sān wàn liù qiā zhǐ.

45 Lü sān wàn líng wǔ bǎi pǐ.

46 Rén yī wàn liù qiā kǒu. )

47 Wúlùn shì rénkǒu shì shēngchù , Móxī mĕi wǔ shí qǔ yī , jiāo gĕi kānshǒu Yēhéhuá zhàngmù de Lìwèi rén , shì zhào Yēhéhuá suǒ fēnfu Móxī de .

48 Daìlǐng qiā jūn de gè jūnzhǎng , jiù shì qiā fú zhǎng , bǎifūzhǎng , dōu jìn qián lái jiàn Móxī ,

49 Duì tā shuō , púrén quán xià de bīng yǐjing jìsuàn zǒng shǔ , bìng bù duǎn shǎo yī rén .

50 Rújīn wǒmen jiàng gèrén suǒ de de jīnqì , jiù shì jiǎo liànzi , zhuózi , dǎ yìn de jièzhi , ĕr huán , shǒu chuàn , dōu sòng lái wéi Yēhéhuá de gōngwù , hǎo zaì Yēhéhuá miànqián wéi wǒmen de shēngmìng shú zuì .

51 Móxī hé jìsī YǐlìYàsā jiù shōu le tāmende jīnzi , dōu Shìdá chéng de qìmǐn .

52 Qiā fú zhǎng , bǎifūzhǎng suǒ xiàn gĕi Yēhéhuá wéi jǔ jì de jīnzi gōng yǒu yī wàn liù qiā qī bǎi wǔ shí Shĕkèlè .

53 Gè bīng dīng dōu wéi zìjǐ duó le cáiwù .

54 Móxī hé jìsī YǐlìYàsā shōu le qiā fú zhǎng , bǎifūzhǎng de jīnzi , jiù daì jìn huì mù , zaì Yēhéhuá miànqián zuòwéi Yǐsèliè rén de jìniàn .

Mínshùjì 31 Commentary

Chapter 31

War with Midian. (1-6) Balaam slain. (7-12) Those slain who caused sin. (13-38) Purification of the Israelites. (39-24) Division of the spoil. (25-47) Offerings. (48-54)

Verses 1-6 All who, without commission from God, dare to execute private revenge, and who, from ambition, covetousness, or resentment, wage war and desolate kingdoms, must one day answer for it. But if God, instead of sending an earthquake, a pestilence, or a famine, be pleased to authorize and command any people to avenge his cause, such a commission surely is just and right. The Israelites could show such a commission, though no persons now can do so. Their wars were begun and carried on expressly by Divine direction, and they were enabled to conquer by miracles. Unless it can be proved that the wicked Canaanites did not deserve their doom, objectors only prove their dislike to God, and their love to his enemies. Man makes light of the evil of sin, but God abhors it. This explains the terrible executions of the nations which had filled the measure of their sins.

Verses 7-12 The Israelites slew the Kings of Midian. They slew Balaam. God's overruling providence brought him thither, and their just vengeance found him. Had he himself rightly believed what he had said of the happy state of Israel, he would not have thus herded with the enemies of Israel. The Midianites' wicked wiles were Balaam's projects: it was just that he should perish with them, ( Hosea 4:5 ) . They took the women and children captives. They burnt their cities and castles, and returned to the camp.

Verses 13-18 The sword of war should spare women and children; but the sword of justice should know no distinction, but that of guilty or not guilty. This war was the execution of a righteous sentence upon a guilty nation, in which the women were the worst criminals. The female children were spared, who, being brought up among the Israelites, would not tempt them to idolatry. The whole history shows the hatefulness of sin, and the guilt of tempting others; it teaches us to avoid all occasions of evil, and to give no quarter to inward lusts. The women and children were not kept for sinful purposes, but for slaves, a custom every where practised in former times, as to captives. In the course of providence, when famine and plagues visit a nation for sin, children suffer in the common calamity. In this case parents are punished in their children; and for children dying before actual sin, full provision is made as to their eternal happiness, by the mercy of God in Christ.

Verses 19-24 The Israelites had to purify themselves according to the law, and to abide without the camp seven days, though they had not contracted any moral guilt, the war being just and lawful, and commanded by God. Thus God would preserve in their minds a dread and detestation of shedding blood. The spoil had been used by Midianites, and being now come into the possession of Israelites, it was fit that it should be purified.

Verses 25-47 Whatever we have, God justly claims a part. Out of the people's share God required one in fifty, but out of the soldiers' share only one in five hundred. The less opportunity we have of honouring God with personal services, the more should we give in money or value.

Verses 48-54 The success of the Israelites had been very remarkable, so small a company overcoming such multitudes, but it was still more wonderful that not one was slain or missing. They presented the gold they found among the spoils, as an offering to the Lord. Thus they confessed, that instead of claiming a reward for their service, they needed forgiveness of much that had been amiss, and desired to be thankful for the preservation of their lives, which might justly have been taken away.

Chapter Summary

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.