The big picture
Moses, Israel's leader, receives an order for war before his death. Israel, God's people, must attack Midian, a people blamed for leading them into false worship. Phinehas, the priest Eleazar's son, goes with the army. The soldiers kill men and take women and children captive. Moses then orders more deaths among those brought back. Rules follow for cleansing the people and goods, sharing the spoils, and giving a portion to God. The survivors' gold becomes a lasting reminder before him.
In this chapter
- Twelve Thousand Men Attack Midian Numbers 31:1-12
Before his death, Moses must carry out God's vengeance against Midian.
- Moses Orders More Captives Killed Numbers 31:13-18
Moses meets the army outside camp with Eleazar and the leaders.
- War Leaves People and Goods Unclean Numbers 31:19-24
The soldiers must stay outside camp for seven days.
- The Spoils Are Divided and Levied Numbers 31:25-31
Moses, Eleazar and the family heads must count the spoils at God's command.
- The Captives and Animals Are Counted Numbers 31:32-47
The count includes 32,000 girls and women who have not had sex with men.
- Officers Bring Gold After the Count Numbers 31:48-54
The army officers count their men and report that none is missing.
Central truth
Israel's war against Midian brings severe killing and captivity, followed by cleansing, a commanded division of spoils and an offering from surviving soldiers.
Scripture beside the summary
Numbers · King James Version · 54Numbers 31:1-12
Twelve Thousand Men Attack Midian
Before his death, Moses must carry out God's vengeance against Midian. Each tribe sends a thousand men, making an army of twelve thousand. Phinehas goes with them, carrying sacred things and trumpets. They kill the men of Midian and its five kings. Balaam, son of Beor, also dies by the sword. The soldiers take the women, children, animals and goods, then burn the towns. They bring their captives and spoils to Israel's camp. Moses and Eleazar receive them in Moab, near Jordan and Jericho.
In everyday life
A museum curator records the names of residents whose homes burned during a war. She places their accounts beside photographs of the ruined streets. Missing relatives matter more than the sums on the damage reports. She leaves space for both in the display. Numbers presents Israel's attack as vengeance that God commands.
Notice
Numbers 31:9 Women and children are brought back alive from the fighting. Their capture comes before Moses gives the later order that many of them must die.
Numbers 31:1-12
King James Version1And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
2Avenge the children of Israel of the Midianites: afterward shalt thou be gathered unto thy people.
3And Moses spake unto the people, saying, Arm some of yourselves unto the war, and let them go against the Midianites, and avenge the LORD of Midian.
4Of every tribe a thousand, throughout all the tribes of Israel, shall ye send to the war.
5So there were delivered out of the thousands of Israel, a thousand of every tribe, twelve thousand armed for war.
6And Moses sent them to the war, a thousand of every tribe, them and Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest, to the war, with the holy instruments, and the trumpets to blow in his hand.
7And they warred against the Midianites, as the LORD commanded Moses; and they slew all the males.
8And they slew the kings of Midian, beside the rest of them that were slain; namely, Evi, and Rekem, and Zur, and Hur, and Reba, five kings of Midian: Balaam also the son of Beor they slew with the sword.
9And the children of Israel took all the women of Midian captives, and their little ones, and took the spoil of all their cattle, and all their flocks, and all their goods.
10And they burnt all their cities wherein they dwelt, and all their goodly castles, with fire.
11And they took all the spoil, and all the prey, both of men and of beasts.
12And they brought the captives, and the prey, and the spoil, unto Moses, and Eleazar the priest, and unto the congregation of the children of Israel, unto the camp at the plains of Moab, which are by Jordan near Jericho.
Numbers 31:13-18
Moses Orders More Captives Killed
Moses meets the army outside camp with Eleazar and the leaders. He is angry that the women are still alive. He blames them for following Balaam's advice and leading Israel into sin at Peor. That sin brought a plague. Moses orders the deaths of every boy and each woman who has had sex. Girls who have not had sex are kept alive for the victors. Their wishes play no part in the order. Nothing here tells what their later lives are like.
In everyday life
The relief interpreter reads a notice that divides displaced families into separate groups. Nobody waiting in the hall has been asked where they want to go. She hears parents ask what will happen to their children. Officials hold the lists and decide their next step. Moses' order includes killing children and adult women.
Notice
Numbers 31:17 The order explicitly includes boys among those to be killed. The severity cannot be explained away by describing only armed men or those accused of seducing Israel.
Numbers 31:13-18
King James Version13And Moses, and Eleazar the priest, and all the princes of the congregation, went forth to meet them without the camp.
14And Moses was wroth with the officers of the host, with the captains over thousands, and captains over hundreds, which came from the battle.
15And Moses said unto them, Have ye saved all the women alive?
16Behold, these caused the children of Israel, through the counsel of Balaam, to commit trespass against the LORD in the matter of Peor, and there was a plague among the congregation of the LORD.
17Now therefore kill every male among the little ones, and kill every woman that hath known man by lying with him.
18But all the women children, that have not known a man by lying with him, keep alive for yourselves.
Numbers 31:19-24
War Leaves People and Goods Unclean
The soldiers must stay outside camp for seven days. Those who killed someone or touched a corpse need to be made clean. Captives must also pass through this process on days three and seven. Clothes and goods need cleansing too. Eleazar gives separate rules for items that can withstand fire. These metals pass through fire and then receive the cleansing water. Other things go through water. On the seventh day, clothes are washed before the people return. Winning the war does not make contact with death clean.
In everyday life
The salvage foreman sorts damaged goods at the door of a shelter. Some items can take heat; others need a gentler wash. Workers clean their hands and change clothes before they enter. Useful goods still have to pass the checks. These precautions concern health, while Israel's cleansing deals with contact with the dead before God.
Notice
Numbers 31:19 Captives as well as soldiers require cleansing. The effects of contact with death reach those taken in the war, not only the people who fought it.
Numbers 31:19-24
King James Version19And do ye abide without the camp seven days: whosoever hath killed any person, and whosoever hath touched any slain, purify both yourselves and your captives on the third day, and on the seventh day.
20And purify all your raiment, and all that is made of skins, and all work of goats’ hair, and all things made of wood.
21And Eleazar the priest said unto the men of war which went to the battle, This is the ordinance of the law which the LORD commanded Moses;
22Only the gold, and the silver, the brass, the iron, the tin, and the lead,
23Every thing that may abide the fire, ye shall make it go through the fire, and it shall be clean: nevertheless it shall be purified with the water of separation: and all that abideth not the fire ye shall make go through the water.
24And ye shall wash your clothes on the seventh day, and ye shall be clean, and afterward ye shall come into the camp.
Numbers 31:25-31
The Spoils Are Divided and Levied
Moses, Eleazar and the family heads must count the spoils at God's command. Captives and animals are to be split into two equal parts. The fighters receive one half; the rest of the people receive the other. From the army's share, one in five hundred goes to Eleazar for God. One in fifty from the people's share goes to the Levites. They care for God's sacred tent. Moses and Eleazar obey. Captive humans are divided with the animals, under the power of those who took them.
In everyday life
A film producer splits a licence fee between the crew and the studio. Each side owes a fixed share to the fund that maintains their equipment. She enters both sums before sending out the payments. Working on the film does not entitle the crew to everything. Israel's spoils include captive people, not only earned income.
Notice
Numbers 31:27 Fighters share the spoils with the wider community. The army does not keep the entire gain, though the division still includes humans held as captives.
Numbers 31:25-31
King James Version25And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
26Take the sum of the prey that was taken, both of man and of beast, thou, and Eleazar the priest, and the chief fathers of the congregation:
27And divide the prey into two parts; between them that took the war upon them, who went out to battle, and between all the congregation:
28And levy a tribute unto the LORD of the men of war which went out to battle: one soul of five hundred, both of the persons, and of the beeves, and of the asses, and of the sheep:
29Take it of their half, and give it unto Eleazar the priest, for an heave offering of the LORD.
30And of the children of Israel’s half, thou shalt take one portion of fifty, of the persons, of the beeves, of the asses, and of the flocks, of all manner of beasts, and give them unto the Levites, which keep the charge of the tabernacle of the LORD.
31And Moses and Eleazar the priest did as the LORD commanded Moses.
Numbers 31:32-47
The Captives and Animals Are Counted
The count includes 32,000 girls and women who have not had sex with men. Sheep number 675,000, and there are 61,000 donkeys. The cattle total is 72,000. Each group is split in half. From the fighters' half, 32 captives go to Eleazar as God's portion. The required shares of each kind of animal go with them. The other half supplies the larger portion for the Levites. These exact counts include human lives. The women and girls are held and shared out by the victors.
In everyday life
The ferry planner counts passengers waiting on the quay and lists their bags separately. Hundreds of people need seats, food and a safe place to wait. A combined load figure would hide those needs. She checks the people count before ordering supplies. Numbers uses its totals to share out captives, not to arrange their care.
Notice
Numbers 31:35 The list counts 32,000 female captives along with the animals. That number gives the scale of human lives held under the power of the victors.
Numbers 31:32-47
King James Version32And the booty, being the rest of the prey which the men of war had caught, was six hundred thousand and seventy thousand and five thousand sheep,
33And threescore and twelve thousand beeves,
34And threescore and one thousand asses,
35And thirty and two thousand persons in all, of women that had not known man by lying with him.
36And the half, which was the portion of them that went out to war, was in number three hundred thousand and seven and thirty thousand and five hundred sheep:
37And the LORD’s tribute of the sheep was six hundred and threescore and fifteen.
38And the beeves were thirty and six thousand; of which the LORD’s tribute was threescore and twelve.
39And the asses were thirty thousand and five hundred; of which the LORD’s tribute was threescore and one.
40And the persons were sixteen thousand; of which the LORD’s tribute was thirty and two persons.
41And Moses gave the tribute, which was the LORD’s heave offering, unto Eleazar the priest, as the LORD commanded Moses.
42And of the children of Israel’s half, which Moses divided from the men that warred,
43(Now the half that pertained unto the congregation was three hundred thousand and thirty thousand and seven thousand and five hundred sheep,
44And thirty and six thousand beeves,
45And thirty thousand asses and five hundred,
46And sixteen thousand persons;)
47Even of the children of Israel’s half, Moses took one portion of fifty, both of man and of beast, and gave them unto the Levites, which kept the charge of the tabernacle of the LORD; as the LORD commanded Moses.
Numbers 31:48-54
Officers Bring Gold After the Count
The army officers count their men and report that none is missing. They bring gold chains, bracelets, rings and other gold items taken in war. Their gift seeks atonement for their lives before God. Moses and Eleazar receive 16,750 shekels of gold from them. The troops have kept goods for themselves as well. This gold goes into the meeting tent as a memorial before God. It marks the safe return of the men. It is separate from the shares already taken from the spoils.
In everyday life
A cave rescue leader checks each name when her team returns. Every member is safe. She places a plaque in the training room to record their names and the date. It stays there after the ropes and lamps are stored away. The officers in Numbers give captured gold to seek atonement before God.
Notice
Numbers 31:49 The officers report that no soldier is missing. Their count explains the added offering, while the chapter's earlier losses remain entirely on the other side of the war.
Numbers 31:48-54
King James Version48And the officers which were over thousands of the host, the captains of thousands, and captains of hundreds, came near unto Moses:
49And they said unto Moses, Thy servants have taken the sum of the men of war which are under our charge, and there lacketh not one man of us.
50We have therefore brought an oblation for the LORD, what every man hath gotten, of jewels of gold, chains, and bracelets, rings, earrings, and tablets, to make an atonement for our souls before the LORD.
51And Moses and Eleazar the priest took the gold of them, even all wrought jewels.
52And all the gold of the offering that they offered up to the LORD, of the captains of thousands, and of the captains of hundreds, was sixteen thousand seven hundred and fifty shekels.
53(For the men of war had taken spoil, every man for himself.)
54And Moses and Eleazar the priest took the gold of the captains of thousands and of hundreds, and brought it into the tabernacle of the congregation, for a memorial for the children of Israel before the LORD.
Details worth noticing
The opening image
Numbers 31:1 begins with “And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,”
Where the chapter turns
Numbers 31:18 forms a natural hinge: “But all the women children, that have not known a man by lying with him, keep alive for yourselves.”
The final note
Numbers 31:54 leaves the reader with “And Moses and Eleazar the priest took the gold of the captains of thousands and of hundreds, and brought it into the tabernacle of the congregation, for a…”
A word trail through the chapter
The words Moses, LORD, Eleazar, priest, children, thirty help reveal the chapter’s repeated concerns.
KJV words made clear
- behold
- look, or pay close attention
- unto
- to
- thou
- you
- thy
- your
- hath
- has
Music and video connected to the passage
Related media appears when its Scripture reference overlaps this study. Music and video can illuminate a theme while the biblical text remains the foundation.
