Numbers 31:3-13

3 Moshe spoke to the people, saying, Arm you men from among you for the war, that they may go against Midyan, to execute the LORD's vengeance on Midyan.

4 Of every tribe one thousand, throughout all the tribes of Yisra'el, shall you send to the war.

5 So there were delivered, out of the thousands of Yisra'el, a thousand of every tribe, twelve thousand armed for war.

6 Moshe sent them, one thousand of every tribe, to the war, them and Pinechas the son of El`azar the Kohen, to the war, with the vessels of the sanctuary and the trumpets for the alarm in his hand.

7 They warred against Midyan, as the LORD commanded Moshe; and they killed every male.

8 They killed the kings of Midyan with the rest of their slain: Evi, and Rekem, and Tzur, and Hur, and Reva, the five kings of Midyan: Bil`am also the son of Be'or they killed with the sword.

9 The children of Yisra'el took captive the women of Midyan and their little ones; and all their cattle, and all their flocks, and all their goods, they took for a prey.

10 All their cities in the places in which they lived, and all their encampments, they burnt with fire.

11 They took all the spoil, and all the prey, both of man and of animal.

12 They brought the captives, and the prey, and the spoil, to Moshe, and to El`azar the Kohen, and to the congregation of the children of Yisra'el, to the camp at the plains of Mo'av, which are by the Yarden at Yericho.

13 Moshe, and El`azar the Kohen, and all the princes of the congregation, went forth to meet them outside of the camp.

Numbers 31:3-13 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.