1 And 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.

13And 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.

19And 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.

25 And 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.

32And 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.

48And 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.

1And the Lord spake vnto Moses, saying,

2 Auenge the children of Israel of the Midianites: afterward shalt thou be gathered vnto thy people.

3And Moses spake vnto the people, saying, Arme some of your selues vnto the warre, and let them goe against the Midianites, and auenge the Lord of Midian.

4Of euery tribe a thousand, throughout all the tribes of Israel, shall ye send to the warre.

5So there were deliuered out of the thousands of Israel, a thousand of euery tribe, twelue thousand armed for warre.

6And Moses sent them to the warre, a thousand of euery tribe, them and Phinehas the sonne of Eleazar the Priest, to the warre, 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 slaine; namely Eui, and Rekem, and Zur, and Hur, and Reba, fiue Kings of Midian; Balaam also the sonne of Beor they slew with the sword.

9And the children of Israel tooke all the women of Midian captiues, and their little ones, and tooke the spoile of all their cattell, 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 tooke all the spoile, and all the pray, both of men and of beasts.

12And they brought the captiues, and the pray, and the spoile vnto Moses and Eleazar the Priest, and vnto the Congregation of the children of Israel, vnto the campe at the plaines of Moab, which are by Iordan neere Iericho.

13 And Moses and Eleazar the Priest, and all the Princes of the Congregation went foorth to meete them without the campe.

14And Moses was wroth with the officers of the hoste, with the captaines ouer thousands, and captaines ouer hundreds, which came from the battel.

15And Moses said vnto them, Haue ye saued all the women aliue?

16Behold, these caused the children of Israel, through the counsell of Balaam, to commit trespasse against the Lord in the matter of Peor, and there was a plague among the Congregation of the Lord.

17Now therefore kill euery male among the little ones, and kill euery woman that hath knowen man, by lying with him.

18But all the women children that haue not knowen a man by lying with him, keepe aliue for your selues.

19And doe yee abide without the campe seuen dayes: whosoeuer hath killed any person, and whosoeuer hath touched any slaine, purifie both your selues, and your captiues, on the third day, and on the seuenth day.

20And purifie all your raiment, and all that is made of skinnes, and all worke of goates haire, and all things made of wood.

21 And Eleazar the Priest said vnto the men of warre which went to the battell, This is the ordinance of the law which the Lord commaunded Moses.

22Onely the gold, and the siluer, the brasse, the yron, the tinne, and the lead,

23Euery thing that may abide the fire, yee shall make it goe through the fire, and it shall be cleane: neuerthelesse, it shall be purified with the water of separation: and all that abideth not the fire, yee shall make goe through the water.

24And ye shall wash your clothes on the seuenth day, and ye shalbe cleane, and afterward yee shall come into the campe.

25 And the Lord spake vnto Moses, saying,

26Take the summe of the pray, that was taken, both of man and of beast, thou and Eleazar the Priest, and the chiefe fathers of the Congregation:

27And diuide the pray into two parts, betweene them that tooke the warre vpon them, who went out to battell, and betweene all the Congregation.

28And leuie a tribute vnto the Lord of the men of warre which went out to battell: one soule of fiue hundred, both of the persons, and of the beeues, and of the asses, and of the sheepe.

29Take it of their halfe, and giue it vnto Eleazar the Priest, for an heaue offering of the Lord.

30And of the children of Israels halfe, thou shalt take one portion of fiftie, of the persons, of the beeues, of the asses, and of the flockes, of all maner of beasts, and giue them vnto the Leuites, which keepe the charge of the Tabernacle of the Lord.

31And Moses and Eleazar the Priest did as the Lord commanded Moses.

32And the bootie being the rest of the pray which the men of war had caught, was six hundred thousand, and seuenty thousand, and fiue thousand sheepe,

33And threescore and twelue thousand beeues,

34And threescore and one thousand asses:

35And thirtie and two thousand persons in all, of women that had not knowen man by lying with him.

36And the halfe which was the portion of them that went out to warre, was in number three hundred thousand, and seuen and thirtie thousand, and fiue hundred sheepe.

37And the Lords tribute of the sheepe was sixe hundred and threescore and fifteene.

38And the beeues were thirtie and sixe thousand, of which the Lords tribute was threescore and twelue.

39And the asses were thirtie thousand and fiue hundred, of which the Lords tribute was threescore and one.

40And the persons were sixteene thousand, of which the Lords tribute was thirtie and two persons.

41And Moses gaue the tribute which was the Lords heaue offering, vnto Eleazar the Priest, as the Lord commanded Moses.

42And of the children of Israels halfe, which Moses diuided from the men that warred:

43(Now the halfe that perteined vnto the Congregation, was three hundred thousand, and thirtie thousand, and seuen thousand, and fiue hundred sheepe:

44And thirtie and sixe thousand beeues:

45And thirtie thousand asses, and fiue hundred:

46And sixteene thousand persons)

47Euen of the children of Israels halfe, Moses tooke one portion of fiftie, both of man and of beast, and gaue them vnto the Leuites, which kept the charge of the Tabernacle of the Lord, as the Lord commanded Moses.

48 And the officers which were ouer thousands of the hoste, the captaines of thousands, and captaines of hundreds came neere vnto Moses.

49And they said vnto Moses, Thy seruants haue taken the summe of the men of warre which are vnder our charge, and there lacketh not one man of vs.

50Wee haue therefore brought an oblation for the Lord, what euerie man hath gotten, of iewels of golde chaines, and bracelets, rings, earerings, and tablets, to make an atonement for our soules before the Lord.

51And Moses and Eleazar the Priest tooke the gold of them: euen all wrought iewels.

52And all the gold of the offring that they offered vp to the Lord, of the captaines of thousands, and of the captaines of hundreds, was sixteene thousand, seuen hundred and fiftie shekels.

53(For the men of warre had taken spoile, euery man for himselfe.)

54And Moses and Eleazar the Priest tooke the gold of the captaines, of thousands, and of hundreds, and brought it into the Tabernacle of the Congregation, for a memoriall for the children of Israel before the Lord.

 

II == Num 25:17 ; 27:13

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

VI == Num 10:9

 

 

 

VII == Deut 20:13 ; Judg 6:1-2 , 33 ; 21:11 ; 1st
Sam 27:9 ; 1st Kings 11:15-16

VIII == Josh 13:21-22

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

XI == Deut 20:14

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

XV == Deut 20:14 ; 1st Sam 15:3

XVI == Num 24:14 ; 25:2 , 9 ; 2nd Peter 2:15 ; Rev 2:14

 

 

XVII == Judg 21:11

 

 

 

 

XIX == Num 5:2 ; 19:11

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

XXIII == Num 19:9 , 17

 

 

 

XXIV == Lev 11:25

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

XXVII == Josh 22:8 ; 1st Sam 30:24

 

XXVIII == Num 18:26 ; 31:30 , 47

 

 

 

 

 

Num 3:7-8 , 25 , 31 , 36 ; 18:3-4 ; 31:42-47

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

XLI == Num 18:8 , 19

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

XLVII == Num 31:30

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

l == Ex 30:12 , 16

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

LIII == Deut 20:14

Ex 30:16

 

 

 

 

1 The LORD said to Moses,

2 "Avenge the Israelites on the Midianites, and then you shall be taken to your people."

3 So Moses told the people, "Select men from your midst and arm them for war, to attack the Midianites and execute the LORD'S vengeance on them.

4 From each of the tribes of Israel you shall send a band of one thousand men to war."

5 From the clans of Israel, therefore, a thousand men of each tribe were levied, so that there were twelve thousand men armed for war.

6 Moses sent them out on the campaign, a thousand from each tribe, with Phinehas, son of Eleazar, the priest for the campaign, who had with him the sacred vessels and the trumpets for sounding the alarm.

7 They waged war against the Midianites, as the LORD had commanded Moses, and killed every male among them.

8 Besides those slain in battle, they killed the five Midianite kings: Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur and Reba; and they also executed Balaam, son of Beor, with the sword.

9 But the Israelites kept the women of the Midianites with their little ones as captives, and all their herds and flocks and wealth as spoil,

10 while they set on fire all the towns where they had settled and all their encampments.

11 Then they took all the booty, with the people and beasts they had captured, and brought the captives, together with the spoils and booty,

12 to Moses and the priest Eleazar and to the Israelite community at their camp on the plains of Moab, along the Jericho stretch of the Jordan.

13 When Moses and the priest Eleazar, with all the princes of the community, went outside the camp to meet them,

14 Moses became angry with the officers of the army, the clan and company commanders, who were returning from combat.

15 "So you have spared all the women!" he exclaimed.

16 "Why, they are the very ones who on Balaam's advice prompted the unfaithfulness of the Israelites toward the LORD in the Peor affair, which began the slaughter of the LORD'S community.

17 Slay, therefore, every male child and every woman who has had intercourse with a man.

18 But you may spare and keep for yourselves all girls who had no intercourse with a man.

19 "Moreover, you shall stay outside the camp for seven days, and those of you who have slain anyone or touched anyone slain in battle shall purify yourselves on the third and on the seventh day. This applies both to you and to your captives.

20 You shall also purify every article of cloth, leather, goats' hair, or wood."

21 Eleazar the priest told the soldiers who had returned from combat: "This is what the law, as prescribed by the LORD to Moses, ordains:

22 Whatever can stand fire, such as gold, silver, bronze, iron, tin and lead,

23 you shall put into the fire, that it may become clean; however, it must also be purified with lustral water. But whatever cannot stand fire you shall put into the water.

24 On the seventh day you shall wash your clothes, and then you will again be clean. After that you may enter the camp."

25 The LORD said to Moses:

26 "With the help of the priest Eleazar and of the heads of the ancestral houses, count up all the human captives and the beasts that have been taken;

27 then divide them evenly, giving half to those who took active part in the war by going out to combat, and half to the rest of the community.

28 You shall levy a tax for the LORD on the warriors who went out to combat: one out of every five hundred persons, oxen, asses and sheep

29 in their half of the spoil you shall turn over to the priest Eleazar as a contribution to the LORD.

30 From the Israelites' half you shall take one out of every fifty persons, and the same from the different beasts, oxen, asses and sheep, and give them to the Levites, who have charge of the LORD'S Dwelling."

31 So Moses and the priest Eleazar did this, as the LORD had commanded Moses.

32 This booty, what was left of the loot which the soldiers had taken, amounted to six hundred and seventy-five thousand sheep,

33 seventy-two thousand oxen,

34 sixty-one thousand asses,

35 and thirty-two thousand girls who were still virgins.

36 The half that fell to those who had gone out to combat was: three hundred and thirty-seven thousand five hundred sheep,

37 of which six hundred and seventy-five fell as tax to the LORD;

38 thirty-six thousand oxen, of which seventy-two fell as tax to the LORD;

39 thirty thousand five hundred asses, of which sixty-one fell as tax to the LORD;

40 and sixteen thousand persons, of whom thirty-two fell as tax to the LORD.

41 The taxes contributed to the LORD, Moses gave to the priest Eleazar, as the LORD had commanded him.

42 The half for the other Israelites, which fell to the community when Moses had taken it from the soldiers, was:

43 three hundred and thirty-seven thousand five hundred sheep,

44 thirty-six thousand oxen,

45 thirty thousand five hundred asses,

46 and sixteen thousand persons.

47 From this, the Israelites' share, Moses, as the LORD had ordered, took one out of every fifty, both of persons and of beasts, and gave them to the Levites, who had charge of the LORD'S Dwelling.

48 Then the officers who had been clan and company commanders of the army came up to Moses

49 and said to him, "Your servants have counted up the soldiers under our command, and not one is missing.

50 So, to make atonement for ourselves before the LORD, each of us will bring as an offering to the LORD some gold article he has picked up, such as an anklet, a bracelet, a ring, an earring, or a necklace."

51 Moses and the priest Eleazar accepted this gold from them, all of it in well-wrought articles.

52 The gold that they gave as a contribution to the LORD amounted in all to sixteen thousand seven hundred and fifty shekels. This was from the clan and company commanders;

53 what the common soldiers had looted each one kept for himself.

54 Moses, then, and the priest Eleazar accepted the gold from the clan and company commanders, and put it in the meeting tent as a memorial for the Israelites before the LORD.

v 1,2. Moses must die before the people cross Jordan, so one of the final things he is to do is to avenge the Midianites as commanded in 25:17. for their complicity with Moab in seducing Israel to sin after the advice of Balaam.

v 3-6. There were to be 1000 from each tribe, or 12,000 go to battle. Phinehas had distinguished himself in breaking up the immorality in chapter 25, and he is to blow the trumpet in battle. The sacred things he took along were the trumpet, possibly the Urim and Thummim, but did not include the ark of the covenant.

 

v 7-12. In the war with Midian, the Israelites slew all the males, the five kings of Moab, and Balaam, who had caused them to seduce Israel into immorality. At this point, they saved the women and little ones as captives and took spoils of everything, plus burning their cities and camps.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

v 13-20. When the army and captives returned, Moses was angry with all the military leaders for not killing the women, because it was they who had followed Balaam’s counsel in causing Israel to sin. Therefore, all the little boys and the women were killed, but the girls who were virgins they could keep for themselves. This was a concession by Moses, because they really should have been killed, Deut. 20:16. Then everyone who had killed or touched a dead body was to follow the laws of purifying themselves, their raiment, and their captives.

 

 

 

 

 

 

v 21-24. Eleazar the priest informed the soldiers that in all battles to come they were to follow the rules for purifying. Spoils of metals were to be put through the fire for cleansing, then be cleansed with water. Things which could not abide fire were to be washed in water. Their own clothes were to be washed on the seventh day, then they would be clean and could enter camp.

 

v 25-47. Spoils captured were 675,000 sheep, 72,000 cattle, & 61,000 donkeys, and 32,000 girls and women who were virgins.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

v 48-54. After the battle the officers discovered that they had not lost one man. This could only have been of the Lord, so they brought an atonement offering of all the gold jewelry each man had taken as spoils. The amount was 16,750 shekels, which is impossible to know the exact dollar value today.