Numbers 31: The war on Midian, and the sharing of the plunder
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What happens?
Yahweh tells Moses to take vengeance for Israel on the Midianites, and 12,000 men go to war with Phinehas, the son of Eleazar the priest. They kill every male, the five kings of Midian and Balaam, and bring back the women, the children and the animals, and Moses is angry that the women were kept alive and orders the boys and the women who have slept with a man to be killed. The soldiers and their captives are made clean, the plunder is divided in two with a share for Yahweh, and the officers bring an offering of gold because not one of their men is missing.
Who is speaking?
Most of the chapter is the narrator. God's own words are in 6 of the 54 verses: his order to take vengeance on Midian in verse 2, and his rules for dividing the plunder in verses 26 to 30. Moses speaks to the people in verses 3 and 4 and to the officers in verses 15 to 20, Eleazar the priest speaks in verses 21 to 24, and the officers speak in verses 49 and 50. God's own words are printed in gold, and those verses are marked God speaks
1Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,
In plain English: Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,
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2“Avenge the children of Israel on the Midianites. Afterward you shall be gathered to your people.”God speaks
In plain English: "Take vengeance for the Israelites on the Midianites. After that you will be gathered to your people."
Good to know: "Gathered to your people" is what Yahweh says of Aaron before his death in and , and of Moses in . In and Yahweh told Moses to strike the Midianites because of the matter of Peor and of Cozbi.
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3Moses spoke to the people, saying, “Arm men from among you for war, that they may go against Midian, to execute Yahweh’s vengeance on Midian.
In plain English: Moses spoke to the people, saying, "Arm men from among you for war, so that they may go against Midian and carry out Yahweh's vengeance on Midian.
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4You shall send one thousand out of every tribe, throughout all the tribes of Israel, to the war.”
In plain English: Send 1,000 men from each tribe, from all the tribes of Israel, to the war."
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5So there were delivered, out of the thousands of Israel, a thousand from every tribe, twelve thousand armed for war.
In plain English: So 1,000 men from each tribe were chosen out of the thousands of Israel: 12,000 men armed for war.
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6Moses sent them, one thousand of every tribe, to the war with Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest, to the war, with the vessels of the sanctuary and the trumpets for the alarm in his hand.
In plain English: Moses sent them to the war, 1,000 from each tribe, with Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest. Phinehas had the holy things (literally: the vessels of the holy place) and the trumpets for sounding the alarm in his hand.
Good to know: Phinehas is the one who killed the Israelite man and the Midianite woman in and ; she is named Cozbi in . The same word for trumpets is used in , where Yahweh tells Moses to make two silver trumpets, and says to sound an alarm with the trumpets when Israel goes to war.
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7They fought against Midian, as Yahweh commanded Moses. They killed every male.
In plain English: They fought against Midian, as Yahweh had commanded Moses, and they killed every male.
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8They killed the kings of Midian with the rest of their slain: Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur, and Reba, the five kings of Midian. They also killed Balaam the son of Beor with the sword.
In plain English: Along with the rest of those they killed, they killed the five kings of Midian: Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur, and Reba. They also killed Balaam the son of Beor with the sword.
Good to know: At the end of the Balaam story, says Balaam went back to his place. The text does not say why he was now with Midian. also tells of his death and calls him "the soothsayer". Zur is also the name of Cozbi's father in ; the text does not say if it is the same man.
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9The children of Israel took the women of Midian captive with their little ones; and all their livestock, all their flocks, and all their goods, they took as plunder.
In plain English: The Israelites took the women of Midian and their little ones captive, and they took all their cattle, all their flocks, and all their goods as plunder.
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10All their cities in the places in which they lived, and all their encampments, they burned with fire.
In plain English: They burned with fire all their cities where they lived and all their camps.
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11They took all the captives, and all the plunder, both of man and of animal.
In plain English: They took all the plunder and all the captured goods, both people and animals.
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12They brought the captives with the prey and the plunder, to Moses, and to Eleazar the priest, and to the congregation of the children of Israel, to the camp at the plains of Moab, which are by the Jordan at Jericho.
In plain English: They brought the captives, the captured goods, and the plunder to Moses, to Eleazar the priest, and to the community of the Israelites, at the camp on the plains of Moab, by the Jordan across from Jericho.
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13Moses and Eleazar the priest, with all the princes of the congregation, went out to meet them outside of the camp.
In plain English: Moses, Eleazar the priest, and all the leaders of the community went out to meet them outside the camp.
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14Moses was angry with the officers of the army, the captains of thousands and the captains of hundreds, who came from the service of the war.
In plain English: Moses was angry with the officers of the army, the commanders of thousands and the commanders of hundreds, who had come back from the war.
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15Moses said to them, “Have you saved all the women alive?
In plain English: Moses said to them, "Have you let all the women live?
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16Behold, these caused the children of Israel, through the counsel of Balaam, to commit trespass against Yahweh in the matter of Peor, and so the plague was among the congregation of Yahweh.
In plain English: Look, these women, by Balaam's advice (literally: by the word of Balaam), caused the Israelites to be unfaithful to Yahweh in the matter of Peor, and so the plague struck Yahweh's community.
Good to know: Chapter 25, which tells of Peor, does not name Balaam. This verse is the only one in Numbers that links him with it. later speaks of Balaam, "who taught Balak to throw a stumbling block before the children of Israel".
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17Now therefore kill every male among the little ones, and kill every woman who has known man by lying with him.
In plain English: So now kill every male among the little ones, and kill every woman who has slept with a man (literally: has known a man by lying with him).
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18But all the girls, who have not known man by lying with him, keep alive for yourselves.
In plain English: But keep alive for yourselves all the girls (literally: the little ones among the women) who have not slept with a man.
Good to know: In verses 15 to 18 Moses is speaking to the officers. The text records his order as part of the rules of war of that time, and does not comment on it. Jewish and Christian readers differ on how to understand these verses today.
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19“Encamp outside of the camp for seven days. Whoever has killed any person, and whoever has touched any slain, purify yourselves on the third day and on the seventh day, you and your captives.
In plain English: "Stay outside the camp for seven days. Whoever has killed anyone, and whoever has touched anyone killed, purify yourselves on the third day and on the seventh day, you and your captives.
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20You shall purify every garment, and all that is made of skin, and all work of goats’ hair, and all things made of wood.”
In plain English: Purify every garment, everything made of leather, everything made of goats' hair, and everything made of wood."
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21Eleazar the priest said to the men of war who went to the battle, “This is the statute of the law which Yahweh has commanded Moses.
In plain English: Eleazar the priest said to the soldiers who had gone to the battle, "This is the rule of the law that Yahweh commanded Moses:
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22However the gold, and the silver, the bronze, the iron, the tin, and the lead,
In plain English: only the gold, the silver, the bronze, the iron, the tin, and the lead,
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23everything that may withstand the fire, you shall make to go through the fire, and it shall be clean; nevertheless it shall be purified with the water for impurity. All that doesn’t withstand the fire you shall make to go through the water.
In plain English: everything that can stand the fire, you are to put through the fire, and it will be clean. But it is also to be purified with the water for impurity. Everything that cannot stand the fire you are to put through the water.
The Hebrew word: "Impurity" is niddah, which the dictionary gives as "properly, rejection; by implication, impurity". This Bible says "impurity" in all 5 verses of Numbers that use it.
Good to know: "The water for impurity" is the water made with the ashes of the red heifer in chapter 19, for anyone who touches a dead body ( and ).
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24You shall wash your clothes on the seventh day, and you shall be clean. Afterward you shall come into the camp.”
In plain English: Wash your clothes on the seventh day, and you will be clean. After that you may come into the camp."
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25Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,
In plain English: Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,
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26“Count the plunder that was taken, both of man and of animal, you, and Eleazar the priest, and the heads of the fathers’ households of the congregation;God speaks
In plain English: "You and Eleazar the priest and the heads of the families of the community are to count (literally: lift up the head of) the plunder that was taken, both people and animals.
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27and divide the plunder into two parts: between the men skilled in war, who went out to battle, and all the congregation.God speaks
In plain English: Divide the plunder into two halves: one for the soldiers who went out to battle, and one for the whole community.
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28Levy a tribute to Yahweh of the men of war who went out to battle: one soul of five hundred; of the persons, of the cattle, of the donkeys, and of the flocks.God speaks
In plain English: From the soldiers who went out to battle, take a share (this Bible: tribute) for Yahweh: one in every 500, of the people, the cattle, the donkeys, and the flocks.
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29Take it from their half, and give it to Eleazar the priest, for Yahweh’s wave offering.God speaks
In plain English: Take it from their half and give it to Eleazar the priest as Yahweh's offering (this Bible: wave offering).
The Hebrew word: "Wave offering" here is terumah, which the dictionary gives as "a present (as offered up), especially in sacrifice or as tribute".
How it is translated: In Numbers this Bible says "wave" in 15 of the 16 verses that use terumah. Other Bibles say "heave offering" or "contribution".
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30Of the children of Israel’s half, you shall take one drawn out of every fifty, of the persons, of the cattle, of the donkeys, and of the flocks, of all the livestock, and give them to the Levites, who perform the duty of Yahweh’s tabernacle.”God speaks
In plain English: From the Israelites' half, take one in every 50, of the people, the cattle, the donkeys, and the flocks, of all the animals, and give them to the Levites, who take care of the work of Yahweh's tabernacle."
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31Moses and Eleazar the priest did as Yahweh commanded Moses.
In plain English: Moses and Eleazar the priest did as Yahweh had commanded Moses.
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32Now the plunder, over and above the booty which the men of war took, was six hundred seventy-five thousand sheep,
In plain English: The plunder left over from what the soldiers had taken was 675,000 sheep,
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33seventy-two thousand head of cattle,
In plain English: 72,000 cattle,
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34sixty-one thousand donkeys,
In plain English: 61,000 donkeys,
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35and thirty-two thousand persons in all, of the women who had not known man by lying with him.
In plain English: and 32,000 people in all, women who had not slept with a man.
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36The half, which was the portion of those who went out to war, was in number three hundred thirty-seven thousand five hundred sheep;
In plain English: The half that was the share of those who went out to war was 337,500 sheep,
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37and Yahweh’s tribute of the sheep was six hundred seventy-five.
In plain English: and Yahweh's share of the sheep was 675.
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38The cattle were thirty-six thousand, of which Yahweh’s tribute was seventy-two.
In plain English: The cattle were 36,000, and Yahweh's share was 72.
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39The donkeys were thirty thousand five hundred, of which Yahweh’s tribute was sixty-one.
In plain English: The donkeys were 30,500, and Yahweh's share was 61.
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40The persons were sixteen thousand, of whom Yahweh’s tribute was thirty-two persons.
In plain English: The people were 16,000, and Yahweh's share was 32 people.
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41Moses gave the tribute, which was Yahweh’s wave offering, to Eleazar the priest, as Yahweh commanded Moses.
In plain English: Moses gave the share, which was Yahweh's offering, to Eleazar the priest, as Yahweh had commanded Moses.
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42Of the children of Israel’s half, which Moses divided off from the men who fought
In plain English: From the Israelites' half, which Moses divided off from the men who fought
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43(now the congregation’s half was three hundred thirty-seven thousand five hundred sheep,
In plain English: (the community's half was 337,500 sheep,
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44thirty-six thousand head of cattle,
In plain English: 36,000 cattle,
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45thirty thousand five hundred donkeys,
In plain English: 30,500 donkeys,
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46and sixteen thousand persons),
In plain English: and 16,000 people),
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47even of the children of Israel’s half, Moses took one drawn out of every fifty, both of man and of animal, and gave them to the Levites, who performed the duty of Yahweh’s tabernacle, as Yahweh commanded Moses.
In plain English: from the Israelites' half Moses took one in every 50, of people and of animals, and gave them to the Levites, who took care of the work of Yahweh's tabernacle, as Yahweh had commanded Moses.
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48The officers who were over the thousands of the army, the captains of thousands, and the captains of hundreds, came near to Moses.
In plain English: The officers over the thousands of the army, the commanders of thousands and the commanders of hundreds, came to Moses.
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49They said to Moses, “Your servants have taken the sum of the men of war who are under our command, and there lacks not one man of us.
In plain English: They said to Moses, "Your servants have counted the soldiers under our command, and not one of us is missing.
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50We have brought Yahweh’s offering, what every man found: gold ornaments, armlets, bracelets, signet rings, earrings, and necklaces, to make atonement for our souls before Yahweh.”
In plain English: We have brought an offering to Yahweh, what each man found of gold things: armlets, bracelets, signet rings, earrings, and necklaces, to make atonement for ourselves before Yahweh."
Good to know: asks each man to give a ransom for his soul when the people are counted, "that there be no plague among them". Here the officers have just counted their men (). The text does not say whether the two are linked.
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51Moses and Eleazar the priest took their gold, even all worked jewels.
In plain English: Moses and Eleazar the priest took the gold from them, all of it worked jewelry.
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52All the gold of the wave offering that they offered up to Yahweh, of the captains of thousands, and of the captains of hundreds, was sixteen thousand seven hundred fifty shekels.
In plain English: All the gold of the offering that the commanders of thousands and the commanders of hundreds gave to Yahweh was 16,750 shekels.
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53The men of war had taken booty, every man for himself.
In plain English: (The soldiers had each taken plunder for himself.)
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54Moses and Eleazar the priest took the gold of the captains of thousands and of hundreds, and brought it into the Tent of Meeting for a memorial for the children of Israel before Yahweh.
In plain English: Moses and Eleazar the priest took the gold from the commanders of thousands and of hundreds, and brought it into the Tent of Meeting as a reminder (this Bible: memorial) for the Israelites before Yahweh.
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