Numbers 31:14-24

14 And Moses was angry with the captains of the host, the heads of thousands and the heads of hundreds who came from the battle-array.

15 And Moses said to them, Why have ye saved every female alive?

16 For they were to the children of Israel by the word of Balaam of their revolting and despising the word of the Lord, because of Phogor; and there was a plague in the congregation of the Lord.

17 Now then slay every male in all the spoil, slay every woman, who has known the lying with man.

18 And as for all the captivity of women, who have not known the lying with man, save ye them alive.

19 And ye shall encamp outside the camp seven days; every one who has slain and who touches a dead body, shall be purified on the third day, and ye and your captivity on the seventh day.

20 And ye shall purify every garment and every leathern utensil, and all furniture of goat skin, and every wooden vessel.

21 And Eleazar the priest said to the men of the host that came from the battle-array, This the ordinance of the law which the Lord has commanded Moses.

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

23 every thing that shall pass through the fire shall so be clean, nevertheless it shall be purified with the water of sanctification; and whatsoever will not pass through the fire shall pass through water.

24 And on the seventh day ye shall wash your garments, and be clean; and afterwards ye shall come into the camp.

Numbers 31:14-24 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.

Footnotes

• [a]. of a slain man
• [b]. shall purify himself.
• [c]. every work.