Numbers 31:14-24

14 Moses was angry with the army officers, the commanders over a thousand men, and those over a hundred men, who returned from war.

15 He asked them, "Why did you let the women live?

16 They were the ones who followed Balaam's advice and turned the Israelites from the Lord at Peor. Then a terrible sickness struck the Lord's people.

17 Kill all the Midianite boys, and kill all the Midianite women who have had sexual relations.

18 But save for yourselves the girls who have not had sexual relations with a man.

19 "All you men who killed anyone or touched a dead body must stay outside the camp for seven days. On the third and seventh days you and your captives must make yourselves clean.

20 You must clean all your clothes and anything made of leather, goat hair, or wood."

21 Then Eleazar the priest said to the soldiers who had gone to war, "These are the teachings that the Lord gave to Moses:

22 Put any gold, silver, bronze, iron, tin, or lead --

23 anything that will not burn -- into the fire, and then it will be clean. But also purify those things with the cleansing water. Then they will be clean. If something cannot stand the fire, wash it with the water.

24 On the seventh day wash your clothes, and you will be clean. After that you may 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.