Numbers 31 Study Notes
General
True or False: Moses sent all of Israel's fighting men to battle against Midian.
Answer: False
This is false. Moses did not send the whole army. He ordered each of the twelve tribes to supply a thousand men, twelve thousand in all (31:4-5). The census just taken had counted 601,730 men able to fight (26:51), so the force was a small part of Israel's strength, and every tribe had a share in it. The later story of Gideon, also fighting Midian, shows that God sometimes used a small army so that Israel could not boast that it had saved itself (Judges 7:2). Scripture teaches that no king is rescued by a large army (Psalm 33:16-17); the victory belonged to the LORD.
- Numbers 31:4-5 (BSB)“Send into battle a thousand men from each tribe of Israel.” So a thousand men were recruited from each tribe of Israel—twelve thousand armed for war.”Moses orders a thousand men from each tribe, twelve thousand in all.
- Numbers 26:51 (BSB)“These men of Israel numbered 601,730 in all.”The recent census had counted over six hundred thousand fighting men, so twelve thousand was a small fraction.
- Judges 7:2 (BSB)“Then the LORD said to Gideon, “You have too many men for Me to deliver Midian into their hands, lest Israel glorify themselves over Me, saying, ‘My own hand has saved me.’”Against Midian again, God reduced Gideon's army so Israel could not boast that its own strength had saved it.
- Psalm 33:16-17 (BSB)“No king is saved by his vast army; no warrior is delivered by his great strength. A horse is a vain hope for salvation; even its great strength cannot save.”Victory does not come from the size of an army.
Theological
True or False: Moses mustered Israel's entire fighting strength for the campaign against Midian.
Answer: False
This is false. The campaign used a limited, representative force: a thousand drawn from every tribe, twelve thousand in all (31:4-5), a small fraction of the 601,730 counted in the second census (26:51). All twelve tribes participated in the LORD's judgment, yet the outcome did not rest on numbers. Gideon's later war with the same enemy makes the principle explicit, as God pared down the army lest Israel credit itself (Judges 7:2), and the psalmist denies that a vast army can save (Psalm 33:16-17).
- Numbers 31:4-5 (BSB)“Send into battle a thousand men from each tribe of Israel.” So a thousand men were recruited from each tribe of Israel—twelve thousand armed for war.”Moses orders a thousand men from each tribe, twelve thousand in all.
- Numbers 26:51 (BSB)“These men of Israel numbered 601,730 in all.”The recent census had counted over six hundred thousand fighting men, so twelve thousand was a small fraction.
- Judges 7:2 (BSB)“Then the LORD said to Gideon, “You have too many men for Me to deliver Midian into their hands, lest Israel glorify themselves over Me, saying, ‘My own hand has saved me.’”Against Midian again, God reduced Gideon's army so Israel could not boast that its own strength had saved it.
- Psalm 33:16-17 (BSB)“No king is saved by his vast army; no warrior is delivered by his great strength. A horse is a vain hope for salvation; even its great strength cannot save.”Victory does not come from the size of an army.
General
What happened to Balaam, according to 31:8?
Answer: He was struck down by the sword with Midian's kings
Balaam, the diviner whom Balak hired to curse Israel (chapters 22-24), was struck down by the sword among the Midianites (31:8). God had made him speak blessings over Israel, but afterward Balaam gave the advice that led Israel into sin at Peor (31:16). The New Testament gives God's verdict on him: he loved the reward he could get from doing wrong (2 Peter 2:15), and he taught Balak how to trip Israel up, leading them to eat food offered to idols and to commit sexual sin (Revelation 2:14). Speaking true words about God did not change Balaam's greedy heart, and his death shows the danger of knowing God's truth while loving money more.
- Numbers 31:8 (BSB)“Among the slain were Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur, and Reba—the five kings of Midian. They also killed Balaam son of Beor with the sword.”Balaam son of Beor is killed with the sword among the Midianites.
- Numbers 31:16 (BSB)““Look, these women caused the sons of Israel, through the counsel of Balaam, to turn unfaithfully against the LORD at Peor, so that the plague struck the congregation of the LORD.”Moses identifies Balaam's counsel as the cause of Israel's sin at Peor.
- 2 Peter 2:15 (BSB)“They have left the straight way and wandered off to follow the way of Balaam son of Beor, who loved the wages of wickedness.”Peter describes Balaam as a man who loved the rewards of wrongdoing.
- Revelation 2:14 (BSB)“But I have a few things against you, because some of you hold to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to place a stumbling block before the Israelites so they would eat food sacrificed to idols and commit sexual immorality.”Jesus says Balaam taught Balak how to lead Israel into idol feasts and immorality.
Theological
What end does 31:8 record for Balaam?
Answer: He was slain by the sword with the kings of Midian
Balaam dies by the sword among the Midianites (31:8). Though God sovereignly compelled him to bless Israel, he afterward supplied the counsel that ensnared Israel at Peor (31:16), revealing that his heart had never been changed. The New Testament renders the verdict: he loved the pay that wrongdoing could earn (2 Peter 2:15), and he instructed Balak to entrap Israel in idol feasts and immorality (Revelation 2:14). Balaam stands as the pattern of the false teacher who handles divine truth for gain, and his end in judgment illustrates that prophetic words on the lips are no substitute for a heart renewed by grace.
- Numbers 31:8 (BSB)“Among the slain were Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur, and Reba—the five kings of Midian. They also killed Balaam son of Beor with the sword.”Balaam son of Beor is killed with the sword among the Midianites.
- Numbers 31:16 (BSB)““Look, these women caused the sons of Israel, through the counsel of Balaam, to turn unfaithfully against the LORD at Peor, so that the plague struck the congregation of the LORD.”Moses identifies Balaam's counsel as the cause of Israel's sin at Peor.
- 2 Peter 2:15 (BSB)“They have left the straight way and wandered off to follow the way of Balaam son of Beor, who loved the wages of wickedness.”Peter describes Balaam as a man who loved the rewards of wrongdoing.
- Revelation 2:14 (BSB)“But I have a few things against you, because some of you hold to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to place a stumbling block before the Israelites so they would eat food sacrificed to idols and commit sexual immorality.”Jesus says Balaam taught Balak how to lead Israel into idol feasts and immorality.
General
How many kings of Midian are named among those killed in 31:8?
Answer: Five
Verse 8 names five Midianite kings who fell in the battle, among them Evi and Zur. One of them, Zur, has the same name as the Midianite chief whose daughter Cozbi had been killed at Peor (25:15), which ties the battle back to the sin that caused it. The book of Joshua lists the same five as chiefs of Midian and princes under the Amorite king Sihon, and mentions Balaam's death alongside them (Joshua 13:21-22).
- Numbers 31:8 (BSB)“Among the slain were Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur, and Reba—the five kings of Midian. They also killed Balaam son of Beor with the sword.”The five kings of Midian and Balaam son of Beor are named among the slain.
- Numbers 25:15 (BSB)“And the name of the slain Midianite woman was Cozbi, the daughter of Zur, a tribal chief of a Midianite family.”A Midianite chief named Zur was the father of Cozbi, the woman killed at Peor.
- Joshua 13:21-22 (BSB)“all the cities of the plateau and all the kingdom of Sihon king of the Amorites, who reigned in Heshbon until Moses killed him and the chiefs of Midian (Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur, and Reba), the princes of Sihon who lived in the land. The Israelites also killed the diviner Balaam son of Beor along with the others they put to the sword.”Joshua lists the same five Midianite chiefs, and Balaam, among those killed.
Theological
How many Midianite kings does 31:8 list among the slain?
Answer: Five
Verse 8 names five Midianite kings, Reba and Zur among them. Zur bears the same name as the Midianite chief whose daughter Cozbi died at Peor (25:15), connecting the campaign to its cause. Joshua 13:21-22 lists the same five as chiefs of Midian associated with Sihon's kingdom and records Balaam's death with them.
- Numbers 31:8 (BSB)“Among the slain were Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur, and Reba—the five kings of Midian. They also killed Balaam son of Beor with the sword.”The five kings of Midian and Balaam son of Beor are named among the slain.
- Numbers 25:15 (BSB)“And the name of the slain Midianite woman was Cozbi, the daughter of Zur, a tribal chief of a Midianite family.”A Midianite chief named Zur was the father of Cozbi, the woman killed at Peor.
- Joshua 13:21-22 (BSB)“all the cities of the plateau and all the kingdom of Sihon king of the Amorites, who reigned in Heshbon until Moses killed him and the chiefs of Midian (Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur, and Reba), the princes of Sihon who lived in the land. The Israelites also killed the diviner Balaam son of Beor along with the others they put to the sword.”Joshua lists the same five Midianite chiefs, and Balaam, among those killed.
General
What did Moses and Eleazar do with the 16,750 shekels of gold the commanders offered (31:52-54)?
Answer: Placed it in the tabernacle as a reminder for Israel
The gold the commanders offered came to 16,750 shekels (31:52); it came from the plunder each soldier had taken for himself (31:53). Moses and Eleazar carried it into the tabernacle, the Tent of Meeting, to be a memorial, a lasting reminder for Israel before the LORD (31:54). The census money of Exodus 30:16 served the same kind of purpose, standing as Israel's memorial before God. Later Israel set up stones by the Jordan as a memorial of the LORD's help (Joshua 4:7). God's people are called to remember what He has done for them.
- Numbers 31:52-54 (BSB)“All the gold that the commanders of thousands and of hundreds presented as an offering to the LORD weighed 16,750 shekels. Each of the soldiers had taken plunder for himself. And Moses and Eleazar the priest received the gold from the commanders of thousands and of hundreds and brought it into the Tent of Meeting as a memorial for the Israelites before the LORD.”The gold weighed 16,750 shekels, and Moses and Eleazar brought it into the Tent of Meeting as a memorial.
- Exodus 30:16 (BSB)“Take the atonement money from the Israelites and use it for the service of the Tent of Meeting. It will serve as a memorial for the Israelites before the LORD to make atonement for your lives.””The census atonement money likewise served the tent and stood as a memorial for Israel before the LORD.
- Joshua 4:7 (BSB)“you are to tell them, ‘The waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the LORD. When it crossed the Jordan, the waters were cut off.’ Therefore these stones will be a memorial to the Israelites forever.””Israel later set up stones as a lasting memorial of what the LORD had done.
Theological
What was done with the officers' gold, weighing 16,750 shekels (31:52-54)?
Answer: It was brought into the tabernacle as a memorial
The officers' gold totaled 16,750 shekels (31:52), drawn from plunder each soldier had taken for himself (31:53); Moses and Eleazar carried it into the tabernacle to stand as Israel's memorial before God (31:54). It functions like the census atonement money of Exodus 30:16, which likewise served the tent as a memorial before God, and like the stones of Joshua 4:7 that preserved the memory of the LORD's saving act for later generations.
- Numbers 31:52-54 (BSB)“All the gold that the commanders of thousands and of hundreds presented as an offering to the LORD weighed 16,750 shekels. Each of the soldiers had taken plunder for himself. And Moses and Eleazar the priest received the gold from the commanders of thousands and of hundreds and brought it into the Tent of Meeting as a memorial for the Israelites before the LORD.”The gold weighed 16,750 shekels, and Moses and Eleazar brought it into the Tent of Meeting as a memorial.
- Exodus 30:16 (BSB)“Take the atonement money from the Israelites and use it for the service of the Tent of Meeting. It will serve as a memorial for the Israelites before the LORD to make atonement for your lives.””The census atonement money likewise served the tent and stood as a memorial for Israel before the LORD.
- Joshua 4:7 (BSB)“you are to tell them, ‘The waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the LORD. When it crossed the Jordan, the waters were cut off.’ Therefore these stones will be a memorial to the Israelites forever.””Israel later set up stones as a lasting memorial of what the LORD had done.
General
Why did the commanders present gold jewelry to the LORD (31:49-50)?
Answer: As atonement for themselves, after counting their men
After counting their soldiers and finding none missing, the commanders brought the gold jewelry each soldier had picked up, such as bracelets and rings, offering it so as to atone for themselves before God (31:49-50). Atonement means covering or ransom so that people may be right with God. Linking a count of men with atonement parallels the census law of Exodus 30:12: whenever Israel's men were numbered, each man was to give God a ransom payment for himself so that no plague would strike. That payment was offered to atone for their lives and kept as a memorial before the LORD (Exodus 30:15-16). The commanders' offering expressed both thanks for God's protection and the humble recognition that their lives belonged to Him, like the psalmist who longs to give something back to God for His kindness (Psalm 116:12). Moses and Eleazar received the gold (31:51).
- Numbers 31:49-51 (BSB)“and said, “Your servants have counted the soldiers under our command, and not one of us is missing. So we have brought to the LORD an offering of the gold articles each man acquired—armlets, bracelets, rings, earrings, and necklaces—to make atonement for ourselves before the LORD.” So Moses and Eleazar the priest received from them all the articles made out of gold.”Having found no man missing, the commanders bring gold articles to the LORD, which Moses and Eleazar receive.
- Exodus 30:12 (BSB)““When you take a census of the Israelites to number them, each man must pay the LORD a ransom for his life when he is counted. Then no plague will come upon them when they are numbered.”Whenever Israel's men were counted, each was to pay the LORD a ransom for his life so that no plague would come.
- Exodus 30:15-16 (BSB)“In making the offering to the LORD to atone for your lives, the rich shall not give more than a half shekel, nor shall the poor give less. Take the atonement money from the Israelites and use it for the service of the Tent of Meeting. It will serve as a memorial for the Israelites before the LORD to make atonement for your lives.””That census payment was an offering to atone for their lives, kept as a memorial before the LORD.
- Psalm 116:12 (BSB)“How can I repay the LORD for all His goodness to me?”The grateful response of one whom the LORD has preserved.
Theological
What rationale do the commanders give in 31:49-50 for their offering of gold?
Answer: To atone for themselves, having numbered the troops
Having numbered their troops and found none missing, the commanders present the gold ornaments each man had taken as a gift to atone for themselves before God (31:49-50). The pairing of numbering and atonement parallels Exodus 30:12, where every census required a ransom for each life lest a plague break out, and Exodus 30:15-16, where that payment atones for their lives and serves as a memorial before the LORD. The offering thus joins gratitude for preservation (Psalm 116:12) with the confession that life itself is held from God and must be covered before Him. Moses and Eleazar accept it (31:51).
- Numbers 31:49-51 (BSB)“and said, “Your servants have counted the soldiers under our command, and not one of us is missing. So we have brought to the LORD an offering of the gold articles each man acquired—armlets, bracelets, rings, earrings, and necklaces—to make atonement for ourselves before the LORD.” So Moses and Eleazar the priest received from them all the articles made out of gold.”Having found no man missing, the commanders bring gold articles to the LORD, which Moses and Eleazar receive.
- Exodus 30:12 (BSB)““When you take a census of the Israelites to number them, each man must pay the LORD a ransom for his life when he is counted. Then no plague will come upon them when they are numbered.”Whenever Israel's men were counted, each was to pay the LORD a ransom for his life so that no plague would come.
- Exodus 30:15-16 (BSB)“In making the offering to the LORD to atone for your lives, the rich shall not give more than a half shekel, nor shall the poor give less. Take the atonement money from the Israelites and use it for the service of the Tent of Meeting. It will serve as a memorial for the Israelites before the LORD to make atonement for your lives.””That census payment was an offering to atone for their lives, kept as a memorial before the LORD.
- Psalm 116:12 (BSB)“How can I repay the LORD for all His goodness to me?”The grateful response of one whom the LORD has preserved.
General
True or False: Moses ordered that the girls who had never been with a man were to be kept alive.
Answer: True
This is true. Moses ordered that the boys, and every woman who had been with a man, be put to death, but that the girls who had never been with a man be kept alive (31:17-18). The reason he gives is Midian's part at Peor, where these women, following Balaam's advice, had led Israel into unfaithfulness to the LORD and brought a plague on the people (31:16). God had already commanded Israel to strike Midian for deceiving them there (25:16-18). This was God's specific judgment on Midian for that sin, given to Israel in its unique setting as a nation under God's direct command. It is not a pattern or permission for any later people. The spared girls were then counted among the captives brought back from the war (31:35). Behind the whole account stands Abraham's confidence that God, who judges the whole world, always does what is right (Genesis 18:25).
- Numbers 31:16-18 (BSB)““Look, these women caused the sons of Israel, through the counsel of Balaam, to turn unfaithfully against the LORD at Peor, so that the plague struck the congregation of the LORD. So now, kill all the boys, as well as every woman who has had relations with a man, but spare for yourselves every girl who has never had relations with a man.”Moses orders the boys and the women who had been with a man put to death, while the girls who had not are spared.
- Numbers 25:16-18 (BSB)“And the LORD said to Moses, “Attack the Midianites and strike them dead. For they assailed you deceitfully when they seduced you in the matter of Peor and their sister Cozbi, the daughter of the Midianite leader, the woman who was killed on the day the plague came because of Peor.””God had commanded judgment on Midian because they deceived Israel at Peor.
- Genesis 18:25 (BSB)“Far be it from You to do such a thing—to kill the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous and the wicked are treated alike. Far be it from You! Will not the Judge of all the earth do what is right?””Abraham's confidence that God, who judges the whole world, always acts justly.
Theological
True or False: Moses' order in 31:17-18 distinguished among the captives, sparing the girls who were virgins.
Answer: True
This is true. Moses commanded the death of the boys and of every woman who had been with a man, while sparing the girls who had not (31:17-18). The stated ground is Midian's complicity at Peor, where these women, acting on Balaam's counsel, drew Israel into unfaithfulness and brought the plague (31:16), in keeping with God's earlier sentence on Midian for its deceit (25:16-18). The text presents this as a particular judicial act of God against Midian for Peor, within Israel's unique theocratic setting, not as a paradigm for any later nation. The spared girls were numbered among the captives of the campaign (31:35). The account rests on the righteousness of God as the Judge of the whole world (Genesis 18:25).
- Numbers 31:16-18 (BSB)““Look, these women caused the sons of Israel, through the counsel of Balaam, to turn unfaithfully against the LORD at Peor, so that the plague struck the congregation of the LORD. So now, kill all the boys, as well as every woman who has had relations with a man, but spare for yourselves every girl who has never had relations with a man.”Moses orders the boys and the women who had been with a man put to death, while the girls who had not are spared.
- Numbers 25:16-18 (BSB)“And the LORD said to Moses, “Attack the Midianites and strike them dead. For they assailed you deceitfully when they seduced you in the matter of Peor and their sister Cozbi, the daughter of the Midianite leader, the woman who was killed on the day the plague came because of Peor.””God had commanded judgment on Midian because they deceived Israel at Peor.
- Genesis 18:25 (BSB)“Far be it from You to do such a thing—to kill the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous and the wicked are treated alike. Far be it from You! Will not the Judge of all the earth do what is right?””Abraham's confidence that God, who judges the whole world, always acts justly.
General
What did Eleazar say must be done with the metal objects taken as spoil (31:21-23)?
Answer: Put them through fire, then cleanse them with water too
Eleazar the priest explained a statute the LORD had given to Moses (31:21). Metal objects that could survive fire were to be passed through fire, and after that still cleansed with the purification water; anything that could not survive fire was to be put through water (31:22-23). The purification water was special water prepared with the red heifer's ashes, kept by Israel to cleanse from sin and defilement (19:9). Leviticus already required that ordinary articles made unclean be rinsed in water (Leviticus 11:32). The spoils of war could not simply be carried into God's camp; everything had to be made clean first.
- Numbers 31:21-23 (BSB)“Then Eleazar the priest said to the soldiers who had gone into battle, “This is the statute of the law which the LORD has commanded Moses: Only the gold, silver, bronze, iron, tin, and lead— everything that can withstand the fire—must be put through the fire, and it will be clean. But it must still be purified with the water of purification. And everything that cannot withstand the fire must pass through the water.”Eleazar explains that metal spoil must go through fire and also be purified with water, and other items through water.
- Numbers 19:9 (BSB)“Then a man who is ceremonially clean is to gather up the ashes of the heifer and store them in a ceremonially clean place outside the camp. They must be kept by the congregation of Israel for preparing the water of purification; this is for purification from sin.”The purification water was prepared from the ashes of the red heifer for cleansing from sin and defilement.
- Leviticus 11:32 (BSB)“When one of them dies and falls on something, that article becomes unclean; any article of wood, clothing, leather, sackcloth, or any implement used for work must be rinsed with water and will remain unclean until evening; then it will be clean.”The law already required that ordinary articles made unclean be rinsed in water.
Theological
According to Eleazar's statute in 31:21-23, how were metal spoils to be cleansed?
Answer: By fire, and then also by the purification water
Eleazar announces a legal statute given through Moses (31:21): metals that can endure fire are passed through it and then further cleansed by the purifying water, while everything that cannot endure fire passes through water (31:22-23). That water was prepared from the red heifer's ashes and kept for cleansing from sin (19:9), extending the principle already present in Leviticus 11:32 that defiled articles must be washed. Nothing taken from the enemy could enter the camp where the LORD dwelt without first being cleansed.
- Numbers 31:21-23 (BSB)“Then Eleazar the priest said to the soldiers who had gone into battle, “This is the statute of the law which the LORD has commanded Moses: Only the gold, silver, bronze, iron, tin, and lead— everything that can withstand the fire—must be put through the fire, and it will be clean. But it must still be purified with the water of purification. And everything that cannot withstand the fire must pass through the water.”Eleazar explains that metal spoil must go through fire and also be purified with water, and other items through water.
- Numbers 19:9 (BSB)“Then a man who is ceremonially clean is to gather up the ashes of the heifer and store them in a ceremonially clean place outside the camp. They must be kept by the congregation of Israel for preparing the water of purification; this is for purification from sin.”The purification water was prepared from the ashes of the red heifer for cleansing from sin and defilement.
- Leviticus 11:32 (BSB)“When one of them dies and falls on something, that article becomes unclean; any article of wood, clothing, leather, sackcloth, or any implement used for work must be rinsed with water and will remain unclean until evening; then it will be clean.”The law already required that ordinary articles made unclean be rinsed in water.
General
Why was Moses angry that the army officers had kept the Midianite women alive (31:14-16)?
Answer: Through Balaam's advice they had led Israel into sin
When the army returned, Moses went out to meet them and was furious at the commanders because they had let the women live (31:13-15). He gave the reason in 31:16: these were the very women who, following Balaam's advice, had drawn Israel into unfaithfulness to God at Peor, which brought the plague on God's people. Chapter 25 tells that story: Israel's men fell into sexual sin and joined in sacrifices to false gods, worshiping the Baal of Peor (25:1-3), and 24,000 perished in the plague that followed (25:9). Jesus Himself confirms in Revelation 2:14 that Balaam had shown Balak how to trap Israel this way. Midian's guilt lay in deliberately leading God's people away from Him.
- Numbers 31:14-16 (BSB)“But Moses was angry with the officers of the army—the commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds—who were returning from the battle. “Have you spared all the women?” he asked them. “Look, these women caused the sons of Israel, through the counsel of Balaam, to turn unfaithfully against the LORD at Peor, so that the plague struck the congregation of the LORD.”Moses is angry that the women were spared, since through Balaam's counsel they had led Israel into sin at Peor.
- Numbers 25:1-3 (BSB)“While Israel was staying in Shittim, the men began to indulge in sexual immorality with the daughters of Moab, who also invited them to the sacrifices for their gods. And the people ate and bowed down to these gods. So Israel joined in worshiping Baal of Peor, and the anger of the LORD burned against them.”The Peor incident: Israel's men were drawn into immorality and the worship of Baal of Peor.
- Numbers 25:9 (BSB)“but those who died in the plague numbered 24,000.”The plague that followed killed 24,000.
- Revelation 2:14 (BSB)“But I have a few things against you, because some of you hold to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to place a stumbling block before the Israelites so they would eat food sacrificed to idols and commit sexual immorality.”Jesus confirms that Balaam taught Balak how to entrap Israel in this way.
Theological
What reason does Moses give in 31:16 for his anger at the officers?
Answer: The women at Balaam's counsel had seduced Israel at Peor
Moses is angry with the commanders for sparing the women (31:14-15) because they were the agents of the Peor apostasy, acting on Balaam's counsel (31:16). Numbers 25:1-3 narrates the sin: Israel's men were drawn into immorality and into the cult of the Baal of Peor; the resulting plague killed 24,000 (25:9). Revelation 2:14 attributes the strategy to Balaam's instruction of Balak. The judgment falls on Midian precisely for its deliberate assault on Israel's covenant loyalty to the LORD.
- Numbers 31:14-16 (BSB)“But Moses was angry with the officers of the army—the commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds—who were returning from the battle. “Have you spared all the women?” he asked them. “Look, these women caused the sons of Israel, through the counsel of Balaam, to turn unfaithfully against the LORD at Peor, so that the plague struck the congregation of the LORD.”Moses is angry that the women were spared, since through Balaam's counsel they had led Israel into sin at Peor.
- Numbers 25:1-3 (BSB)“While Israel was staying in Shittim, the men began to indulge in sexual immorality with the daughters of Moab, who also invited them to the sacrifices for their gods. And the people ate and bowed down to these gods. So Israel joined in worshiping Baal of Peor, and the anger of the LORD burned against them.”The Peor incident: Israel's men were drawn into immorality and the worship of Baal of Peor.
- Numbers 25:9 (BSB)“but those who died in the plague numbered 24,000.”The plague that followed killed 24,000.
- Revelation 2:14 (BSB)“But I have a few things against you, because some of you hold to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to place a stumbling block before the Israelites so they would eat food sacrificed to idols and commit sexual immorality.”Jesus confirms that Balaam taught Balak how to entrap Israel in this way.
General
What did the army's commanders report to Moses after counting their soldiers (31:48-49)?
Answer: Not a single one of their men had been lost
The officers over units of thousands and hundreds came to Moses and said they had counted the men under them and found that not one was missing (31:48-49). A whole campaign had been fought without the loss of a single Israelite soldier. Scripture gives the credit to God: Israel did not win by its own sword or strength, but by God's power and favor (Psalm 44:3), because the LORD goes with His people to fight for them (Deuteronomy 20:4). The commanders' next step, bringing a gift to the LORD, shows they understood this.
- Numbers 31:48-49 (BSB)“Then the officers who were over the units of the army—the commanders of thousands and of hundreds—approached Moses and said, “Your servants have counted the soldiers under our command, and not one of us is missing.”The commanders report that after counting their soldiers not one man was missing.
- Psalm 44:3 (BSB)“For it was not by their sword that they took the land; their arm did not bring them victory. It was by Your right hand, Your arm, and the light of Your face, because You favored them.”Israel's victories came by God's power and favor, not by their own sword.
- Deuteronomy 20:4 (BSB)“For the LORD your God goes with you to fight for you against your enemies, to give you the victory.””The LORD goes with His people to fight for them and give them victory.
Theological
What do the officers report to Moses in 31:48-49 after mustering their troops?
Answer: Not one man under their command was missing
The officers report that a muster of their troops found not one man missing (31:48-49), an entire campaign without a single Israelite casualty. Scripture credits such victories to God rather than to Israel's prowess: Israel took the land by God's right hand and favor and not by their own sword (Psalm 44:3), for the LORD Himself fights for His people (Deuteronomy 20:4). The officers' response of offering and atonement reflects that recognition.
- Numbers 31:48-49 (BSB)“Then the officers who were over the units of the army—the commanders of thousands and of hundreds—approached Moses and said, “Your servants have counted the soldiers under our command, and not one of us is missing.”The commanders report that after counting their soldiers not one man was missing.
- Psalm 44:3 (BSB)“For it was not by their sword that they took the land; their arm did not bring them victory. It was by Your right hand, Your arm, and the light of Your face, because You favored them.”Israel's victories came by God's power and favor, not by their own sword.
- Deuteronomy 20:4 (BSB)“For the LORD your God goes with you to fight for you against your enemies, to give you the victory.””The LORD goes with His people to fight for them and give them victory.
General
True or False: The Levites received 1 in every 50 from the congregation's half, a larger proportion than the priest's share from the soldiers' half.
Answer: True
This is true. The Levites, who took care of the tabernacle (God's portable tent of worship), received 1 in every 50 from the congregation's half of the spoil (31:30), and Moses gave it to them as commanded (31:47). That is ten times the rate of the priest's tribute of 1 in every 500 from the soldiers' half (31:28). The Levites had no land of their own; God provided for them through Israel's giving, just as He gave them the people's tithes in return for their service at the tent (18:21). Their work of caring for the tabernacle and its furnishings was done on behalf of the whole nation (3:7-8).
- Numbers 31:30 (BSB)“From the Israelites’ half, take one out of every fifty, whether persons, cattle, donkeys, sheep, or other animals, and give them to the Levites who keep charge of the tabernacle of the LORD.””From the congregation's half, one in fifty is given to the Levites who care for the tabernacle.
- Numbers 31:47 (BSB)“From the Israelites’ half, Moses took one out of every fifty persons and animals and gave them to the Levites who kept charge of the tabernacle of the LORD, as the LORD had commanded him.”Moses carries out this command, giving the Levites one in fifty.
- Numbers 18:21 (BSB)“Behold, I have given to the Levites all the tithes in Israel as an inheritance in return for the work they do, the service of the Tent of Meeting.”God gave the Levites Israel's tithes in return for their service at the tent.
- Numbers 3:7-8 (BSB)“They are to perform duties for him and for the whole congregation before the Tent of Meeting, attending to the service of the tabernacle. They shall take care of all the furnishings of the Tent of Meeting and fulfill obligations for the Israelites by attending to the service of the tabernacle.”The Levites' work was caring for the tabernacle and its furnishings on Israel's behalf.
Theological
True or False: The Levites' share was taken from the congregation's half at 1 in every 50, a higher rate than the priestly tribute from the warriors' half.
Answer: True
This is true. The congregation's half is assessed at 1 in 50 for the Levites responsible for the tabernacle (31:30), which Moses duly executes (31:47), ten times the rate of the 1 in 500 levied on the warriors' half for the priest (31:28). The provision parallels the Levites' landless status and their support through Israel's tithes in exchange for their service at the Tent of Meeting (18:21), service rendered on behalf of the whole congregation (3:7-8).
- Numbers 31:30 (BSB)“From the Israelites’ half, take one out of every fifty, whether persons, cattle, donkeys, sheep, or other animals, and give them to the Levites who keep charge of the tabernacle of the LORD.””From the congregation's half, one in fifty is given to the Levites who care for the tabernacle.
- Numbers 31:47 (BSB)“From the Israelites’ half, Moses took one out of every fifty persons and animals and gave them to the Levites who kept charge of the tabernacle of the LORD, as the LORD had commanded him.”Moses carries out this command, giving the Levites one in fifty.
- Numbers 18:21 (BSB)“Behold, I have given to the Levites all the tithes in Israel as an inheritance in return for the work they do, the service of the Tent of Meeting.”God gave the Levites Israel's tithes in return for their service at the tent.
- Numbers 3:7-8 (BSB)“They are to perform duties for him and for the whole congregation before the Tent of Meeting, attending to the service of the tabernacle. They shall take care of all the furnishings of the Tent of Meeting and fulfill obligations for the Israelites by attending to the service of the tabernacle.”The Levites' work was caring for the tabernacle and its furnishings on Israel's behalf.
General
What share of the soldiers' half was set apart for the LORD and handed over to the priest Eleazar (31:28-29)?
Answer: 1 in every 500
From the soldiers' half, the LORD required a tribute of 1 in every 500, of people and animals alike (31:28), handed to the priest Eleazar as the LORD's own portion (31:29). The priests had been placed in charge of God's offerings as their portion (18:8). Setting aside the LORD's share first was a way of honoring Him with wealth (Proverbs 3:9) and confessing that the victory and the spoil came from Him. As David later prayed, everything comes from God, and His people only give back what He first placed in their hands (1 Chronicles 29:14).
- Numbers 31:28-29 (BSB)“Set aside a tribute for the LORD from what belongs to the soldiers who went into battle: one out of every five hundred, whether persons, cattle, donkeys, or sheep. Take it from their half and give it to Eleazar the priest as an offering to the LORD.”A tribute of one in five hundred from the soldiers' half is given to Eleazar as the LORD's offering.
- Numbers 18:8 (BSB)“Then the LORD said to Aaron, “Behold, I have put you in charge of My offerings. As for all the sacred offerings of the Israelites, I have given them to you and your sons as a portion and a permanent statute.”God had put the priests in charge of His offerings as their portion.
- Proverbs 3:9 (BSB)“Honor the LORD with your wealth and with the firstfruits of all your crops;”God's people honor Him by giving Him a share of their wealth.
- 1 Chronicles 29:14 (BSB)“But who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to give as generously as this? For everything comes from You, and from Your own hand we have given to You.”David confesses that everything comes from God, so giving to Him returns what is already His.
Theological
What rate of the LORD's tribute was taken from the warriors' half and given to Eleazar (31:28-29)?
Answer: 1 in every 500
The warriors' half is assessed at 1 in 500 of persons and animals (31:28), delivered to Eleazar as the LORD's offering (31:29), consistent with the priests' appointed charge over the LORD's offerings (18:8). The LORD's portion is set apart first, honoring Him with the substance He has given (Proverbs 3:9); as David confesses, all things come from God, and His people give Him only what is already His (1 Chronicles 29:14).
- Numbers 31:28-29 (BSB)“Set aside a tribute for the LORD from what belongs to the soldiers who went into battle: one out of every five hundred, whether persons, cattle, donkeys, or sheep. Take it from their half and give it to Eleazar the priest as an offering to the LORD.”A tribute of one in five hundred from the soldiers' half is given to Eleazar as the LORD's offering.
- Numbers 18:8 (BSB)“Then the LORD said to Aaron, “Behold, I have put you in charge of My offerings. As for all the sacred offerings of the Israelites, I have given them to you and your sons as a portion and a permanent statute.”God had put the priests in charge of His offerings as their portion.
- Proverbs 3:9 (BSB)“Honor the LORD with your wealth and with the firstfruits of all your crops;”God's people honor Him by giving Him a share of their wealth.
- 1 Chronicles 29:14 (BSB)“But who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to give as generously as this? For everything comes from You, and from Your own hand we have given to You.”David confesses that everything comes from God, so giving to Him returns what is already His.
General
Who went with the army against Midian, and what did he bring along (31:6)?
Answer: Phinehas the priest's son, with holy objects and trumpets
Phinehas, Eleazar's son, went into battle with the army, carrying holy objects from the sanctuary (the sacred place of worship) and the trumpets used for giving signals (31:6). Phinehas was the one who had stopped the plague at Peor by his zeal for God's honor (25:11), so it fits that he goes with the army that carries out God's judgment on Midian. The trumpets recall God's promise in 10:9 that when Israel blew them in battle, He would remember His people and rescue them. Deuteronomy also has a priest speak to the army before battle, reminding them that the LORD goes with them to fight for them (Deuteronomy 20:2-4). The priest's presence showed that this was the LORD's war, fought at His command.
- Numbers 31:6 (BSB)“And Moses sent the thousand from each tribe into battle, along with Phinehas son of Eleazar the priest, who took with him the vessels of the sanctuary and the trumpets for signaling.”Phinehas goes with the army, taking holy objects from the sanctuary and the signal trumpets.
- Numbers 25:11 (BSB)““Phinehas son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, has turned My wrath away from the Israelites; for he was zealous for My sake among them, so that I did not consume the Israelites in My zeal.”Phinehas had turned away God's wrath at Peor by his zeal for God's honor.
- Numbers 10:9 (BSB)“When you enter into battle in your land against an adversary who attacks you, sound short blasts on the trumpets, and you will be remembered before the LORD your God and saved from your enemies.”God promised that when Israel sounded the trumpets in battle He would remember and rescue them.
- Deuteronomy 20:2-4 (BSB)“When you are about to go into battle, the priest is to come forward and address the army, saying to them, “Hear, O Israel, today you are going into battle with your enemies. Do not be fainthearted or afraid; do not be alarmed or terrified because of them. For the LORD your God goes with you to fight for you against your enemies, to give you the victory.””A priest was to address the army before battle, assuring them that the LORD fights for them.
Theological
According to 31:6, who accompanied the twelve thousand, and with what?
Answer: Phinehas, Eleazar's son, with holy objects and trumpets
Phinehas accompanied the army bearing holy objects from the sanctuary together with the signal trumpets (31:6). His presence is fitting: his zeal at Peor had turned away God's wrath (25:11), and he now attends the judgment on those who engineered that apostasy. The trumpets invoke the promise of 10:9 that God would remember Israel and save them when sounded in battle, and Deuteronomy's priestly address before battle (Deuteronomy 20:2-4) expresses the same theology: the LORD Himself fights for His people. The campaign is marked as holy war under God's direction, not a merely human undertaking.
- Numbers 31:6 (BSB)“And Moses sent the thousand from each tribe into battle, along with Phinehas son of Eleazar the priest, who took with him the vessels of the sanctuary and the trumpets for signaling.”Phinehas goes with the army, taking holy objects from the sanctuary and the signal trumpets.
- Numbers 25:11 (BSB)““Phinehas son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, has turned My wrath away from the Israelites; for he was zealous for My sake among them, so that I did not consume the Israelites in My zeal.”Phinehas had turned away God's wrath at Peor by his zeal for God's honor.
- Numbers 10:9 (BSB)“When you enter into battle in your land against an adversary who attacks you, sound short blasts on the trumpets, and you will be remembered before the LORD your God and saved from your enemies.”God promised that when Israel sounded the trumpets in battle He would remember and rescue them.
- Deuteronomy 20:2-4 (BSB)“When you are about to go into battle, the priest is to come forward and address the army, saying to them, “Hear, O Israel, today you are going into battle with your enemies. Do not be fainthearted or afraid; do not be alarmed or terrified because of them. For the LORD your God goes with you to fight for you against your enemies, to give you the victory.””A priest was to address the army before battle, assuring them that the LORD fights for them.
General
What did Moses require of every soldier who had killed someone or touched a dead body (31:19)?
Answer: Stay out of the camp a week, cleansed on days three and seven
Contact with death made a person ceremonially unclean, meaning unfit to take part in Israel's worship or live in the camp until cleansed. So every soldier who had killed or had contact with a corpse had to stay out of the camp for a week and be purified on day three and again on day seven, together with the captives. Their clothing and anything made of leather, goat hair, or wood also had to be purified (31:19-20). On day seven they washed their clothes and could come back in (31:24). This follows the law of chapter 19, where anyone who touched a corpse, including someone slain in battle, was unclean for a week and was cleansed on day three and day seven (19:11-12, 16). Hebrews explains that such outward cleansing pointed to the much greater cleansing of the heart and conscience by Christ's blood (Hebrews 9:13-14).
- Numbers 31:19-20 (BSB)“All of you who have killed a person or touched the dead are to remain outside the camp for seven days. On the third day and the seventh day you are to purify both yourselves and your captives. And purify every garment and leather good, everything made of goat’s hair, and every article of wood.””Those who killed or touched the dead stay outside the camp seven days and are purified, with their captives and belongings.
- Numbers 31:24 (BSB)“On the seventh day you are to wash your clothes, and you will be clean. After that you may enter the camp.””On the seventh day they wash their clothes and may re-enter the camp.
- Numbers 19:11-12 (BSB)“Whoever touches any dead body will be unclean for seven days. He must purify himself with the water on the third day and on the seventh day; then he will be clean. But if he does not purify himself on the third and seventh days, he will not be clean.”The law of chapter 19 made anyone who touched a corpse unclean for seven days, with cleansing on days three and seven.
- Numbers 19:16 (BSB)“Anyone in the open field who touches someone who has been killed by the sword or has died of natural causes, or anyone who touches a human bone or a grave, will be unclean for seven days.”The same law covered touching someone slain in the open field.
- Hebrews 9:13-14 (BSB)“For if the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean sanctify them so that their bodies are clean, how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself unblemished to God, purify our consciences from works of death, so that we may serve the living God!”Such ceremonial cleansing pointed to the far greater cleansing of the conscience by Christ's blood.
Theological
What does 31:19 require of every warrior who had killed or touched a corpse?
Answer: A week outside the camp, with cleansing on days three and seven
Corpse contact conveyed ritual impurity, so the warriors who had killed or had contact with a corpse remained outside the camp a week, purifying themselves and their captives on day three and day seven, along with garments and articles of leather, goat hair, and wood (31:19-20); after washing their clothes on day seven they could re-enter (31:24). The procedure applies the corpse-impurity law of 19:11-12, 16, which explicitly includes one slain in the field. Hebrews reads such rites as outward, bodily purifications that anticipate the definitive cleansing of the conscience by Christ's own blood (Hebrews 9:13-14). Even a war commanded by God left His people needing cleansing before they could dwell near His presence.
- Numbers 31:19-20 (BSB)“All of you who have killed a person or touched the dead are to remain outside the camp for seven days. On the third day and the seventh day you are to purify both yourselves and your captives. And purify every garment and leather good, everything made of goat’s hair, and every article of wood.””Those who killed or touched the dead stay outside the camp seven days and are purified, with their captives and belongings.
- Numbers 31:24 (BSB)“On the seventh day you are to wash your clothes, and you will be clean. After that you may enter the camp.””On the seventh day they wash their clothes and may re-enter the camp.
- Numbers 19:11-12 (BSB)“Whoever touches any dead body will be unclean for seven days. He must purify himself with the water on the third day and on the seventh day; then he will be clean. But if he does not purify himself on the third and seventh days, he will not be clean.”The law of chapter 19 made anyone who touched a corpse unclean for seven days, with cleansing on days three and seven.
- Numbers 19:16 (BSB)“Anyone in the open field who touches someone who has been killed by the sword or has died of natural causes, or anyone who touches a human bone or a grave, will be unclean for seven days.”The same law covered touching someone slain in the open field.
- Hebrews 9:13-14 (BSB)“For if the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean sanctify them so that their bodies are clean, how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself unblemished to God, purify our consciences from works of death, so that we may serve the living God!”Such ceremonial cleansing pointed to the far greater cleansing of the conscience by Christ's blood.
General
How did the LORD tell Moses to divide the captured people and animals (31:27)?
Answer: Half to those who fought and half to the rest of Israel
The LORD told Moses, Eleazar, and the heads of families to count everything captured (31:26) and then divide it into two equal halves: one for the twelve thousand who had fought, and one for all the other Israelites (31:27). Because so few shared the soldiers' half, each soldier received much more, but the whole nation shared in the victory the LORD had given. David later made a similar rule a permanent statute in Israel: the man who guarded the supplies would get the same share as the man who fought (1 Samuel 30:24-25). Joshua likewise told the warriors returning home to share the spoil with their brothers (Joshua 22:8).
- Numbers 31:26-27 (BSB)““You and Eleazar the priest and the family heads of the congregation are to take a count of what was captured, both of man and beast. Then divide the captives between the troops who went out to battle and the rest of the congregation.”The spoil is counted and divided in half between the soldiers and the rest of the congregation.
- 1 Samuel 30:24-25 (BSB)“Who will listen to your proposal? The share of the one who went to battle will match the share of the one who stayed with the supplies. They will share alike.” And so it has been from that day forward. David established this statute and ordinance for Israel to this very day.”David later made it a statute that those who stayed behind share equally with those who fought.
- Joshua 22:8 (BSB)“saying, “Return to your homes with your great wealth, with immense herds of livestock, with silver, gold, bronze, iron, and very many clothes. Divide with your brothers the spoil of your enemies.””Joshua tells returning warriors to share the spoil of their enemies with their brothers.
Theological
What principle of division does the LORD prescribe for the captives and livestock in 31:27?
Answer: Equal halves for the combatants and the congregation
After a full count (31:26), the spoil is split into equal halves, one for the combatants and one for the congregation (31:27). The warriors, being few, receive far more per person, yet the whole covenant community shares in a victory that was the LORD's gift. David later established the same principle as statute, that those who remained behind with the baggage share alike with those who fought (1 Samuel 30:24-25), and Joshua enjoins the eastern tribes to divide the enemy's spoil with their brothers (Joshua 22:8).
- Numbers 31:26-27 (BSB)““You and Eleazar the priest and the family heads of the congregation are to take a count of what was captured, both of man and beast. Then divide the captives between the troops who went out to battle and the rest of the congregation.”The spoil is counted and divided in half between the soldiers and the rest of the congregation.
- 1 Samuel 30:24-25 (BSB)“Who will listen to your proposal? The share of the one who went to battle will match the share of the one who stayed with the supplies. They will share alike.” And so it has been from that day forward. David established this statute and ordinance for Israel to this very day.”David later made it a statute that those who stayed behind share equally with those who fought.
- Joshua 22:8 (BSB)“saying, “Return to your homes with your great wealth, with immense herds of livestock, with silver, gold, bronze, iron, and very many clothes. Divide with your brothers the spoil of your enemies.””Joshua tells returning warriors to share the spoil of their enemies with their brothers.
General
According to 31:36-37, how many sheep from the soldiers' half were given to the LORD as tribute?
Answer: 675
The spoil included 675,000 sheep (31:32). The soldiers' half was 337,500 sheep, and the LORD's tribute from it at 1 in every 500 came to 675 (31:36-37). The same rate gave 72 cattle, 61 donkeys, and 32 people as the LORD's tribute (31:38-40), and Moses gave it all to Eleazar just as commanded (31:41). The careful numbers show that God's command was followed exactly. The offering was also a confession that all of it was the LORD's to begin with, since the whole earth belongs to Him (Psalm 24:1) and it is He who gives His people the ability to gain wealth (Deuteronomy 8:18).
- Numbers 31:32 (BSB)“and this plunder remained from the spoils the soldiers had taken: 675,000 sheep,”The count of the spoil begins with 675,000 sheep.
- Numbers 31:36-37 (BSB)“This was the half portion for those who had gone to war: 337,500 sheep, including a tribute to the LORD of 675,”The soldiers' half held 337,500 sheep, from which the LORD's tribute was 675.
- Psalm 24:1 (BSB)“A Psalm of David. The earth is the LORD’s, and the fullness thereof, the world and all who dwell therein.”The earth and everything in it already belong to the LORD.
- Deuteronomy 8:18 (BSB)“But remember that it is the LORD your God who gives you the power to gain wealth, in order to confirm His covenant that He swore to your fathers even to this day.”Moses reminds Israel that it is the LORD who gives the ability to gain wealth.
Theological
What was the LORD's tribute of sheep drawn from the warriors' half, according to 31:36-37?
Answer: 675
From a total of 675,000 sheep (31:32), the warriors' half of 337,500 yielded a tribute of 675 at the prescribed 1 in 500 (31:36-37); the same rate produced 72 cattle, 61 donkeys, and 32 persons (31:38-40), all delivered to Eleazar as commanded (31:41). The exact accounting records precise obedience to the LORD's word, and the tribute acknowledges His prior ownership of all things (Psalm 24:1) and His giving of the ability to acquire riches (Deuteronomy 8:18).
- Numbers 31:32 (BSB)“and this plunder remained from the spoils the soldiers had taken: 675,000 sheep,”The count of the spoil begins with 675,000 sheep.
- Numbers 31:36-37 (BSB)“This was the half portion for those who had gone to war: 337,500 sheep, including a tribute to the LORD of 675,”The soldiers' half held 337,500 sheep, from which the LORD's tribute was 675.
- Psalm 24:1 (BSB)“A Psalm of David. The earth is the LORD’s, and the fullness thereof, the world and all who dwell therein.”The earth and everything in it already belong to the LORD.
- Deuteronomy 8:18 (BSB)“But remember that it is the LORD your God who gives you the power to gain wealth, in order to confirm His covenant that He swore to your fathers even to this day.”Moses reminds Israel that it is the LORD who gives the ability to gain wealth.
General
Moses calls the war the LORD's vengeance (31:3). According to 25:16-18, why was Midian being judged?
Answer: They deceitfully lured Israel into sin at Peor
Moses tells the people that this war is vengeance from the LORD against Midian (31:3), not a private grudge or a grab for land. The reason had been given earlier: the Midianites had schemed against Israel by deceitfully seducing the people into sin at Peor, the affair that brought a deadly plague (25:16-18). This was God's specific judgment on Midian for that deliberate attack on Israel's faithfulness to Him, carried out by Israel in its unique role as God's covenant nation under His direct rule. It is not a pattern or permission for any later people to wage war in God's name. Scripture teaches that the right to repay wrongdoing belongs to God alone (Deuteronomy 32:35), and Paul tells believers never to take revenge themselves but to leave judgment to God (Romans 12:19).
- Numbers 31:3 (BSB)“So Moses told the people, “Arm some of your men for war, that they may go against the Midianites and execute the LORD’s vengeance on them.”Moses tells the people to arm men to carry out the LORD's vengeance on Midian.
- Numbers 25:16-18 (BSB)“And the LORD said to Moses, “Attack the Midianites and strike them dead. For they assailed you deceitfully when they seduced you in the matter of Peor and their sister Cozbi, the daughter of the Midianite leader, the woman who was killed on the day the plague came because of Peor.””God had earlier commanded war on Midian because they deceitfully seduced Israel at Peor.
- Deuteronomy 32:35 (BSB)“Vengeance is Mine; I will repay. In due time their foot will slip; for their day of disaster is near, and their doom is coming quickly.””Vengeance belongs to God Himself, who repays in His own time.
- Romans 12:19 (BSB)“Do not avenge yourselves, beloved, but leave room for God’s wrath. For it is written: “Vengeance is Mine; I will repay, says the Lord.””Paul forbids believers to avenge themselves, leaving judgment to God.
Theological
How does 31:3 characterize the campaign, and what ground for it had 25:16-18 already given?
Answer: The LORD's vengeance for Midian's scheming at Peor
Moses frames the campaign as the LORD's vengeance (31:3). Its ground was stated in 25:16-18: Midian had deceitfully seduced Israel into the Peor apostasy that provoked the plague. This is a particular act of divine judgment on Midian, executed by Israel within its unique theocratic setting, and not a precedent for later nations to claim divine warrant for war. Vengeance is God's prerogative (Deuteronomy 32:35), and for that very reason Paul forbids personal revenge among believers and commits all repayment to God's righteous wrath (Romans 12:19).
- Numbers 31:3 (BSB)“So Moses told the people, “Arm some of your men for war, that they may go against the Midianites and execute the LORD’s vengeance on them.”Moses tells the people to arm men to carry out the LORD's vengeance on Midian.
- Numbers 25:16-18 (BSB)“And the LORD said to Moses, “Attack the Midianites and strike them dead. For they assailed you deceitfully when they seduced you in the matter of Peor and their sister Cozbi, the daughter of the Midianite leader, the woman who was killed on the day the plague came because of Peor.””God had earlier commanded war on Midian because they deceitfully seduced Israel at Peor.
- Deuteronomy 32:35 (BSB)“Vengeance is Mine; I will repay. In due time their foot will slip; for their day of disaster is near, and their doom is coming quickly.””Vengeance belongs to God Himself, who repays in His own time.
- Romans 12:19 (BSB)“Do not avenge yourselves, beloved, but leave room for God’s wrath. For it is written: “Vengeance is Mine; I will repay, says the Lord.””Paul forbids believers to avenge themselves, leaving judgment to God.
General
What did the LORD tell Moses would happen to him once the campaign against Midian was finished (31:2)?
Answer: He would die and join his ancestors who had died
In 31:2 the LORD gives Moses one last task: to avenge Israel on the Midianites. Then He adds that afterward Moses would be gathered to his people, a common Old Testament way of describing death as joining one's ancestors who had died before. God had already told Moses that he would look at the promised land from the mountains of Abarim and then die, just as his brother Aaron had (27:12-13). The war with Midian is therefore Moses' final act of leadership in battle. Deuteronomy records that Moses died in Moab, exactly as God had foretold (Deuteronomy 34:5).
- Numbers 31:1-2 (BSB)“And the LORD said to Moses, “Take vengeance on the Midianites for the Israelites. After that, you will be gathered to your people.””The LORD commands Moses to avenge Israel on Midian and tells him that his death will follow.
- Numbers 27:12-13 (BSB)“Then the LORD said to Moses, “Go up this mountain of the Abarim range and see the land that I have given the Israelites. After you have seen it, you too will be gathered to your people, as your brother Aaron was;”God had already told Moses that after viewing the land from the Abarim range he would die, as Aaron had.
- Deuteronomy 34:5 (BSB)“So Moses the servant of the LORD died there in the land of Moab, as the LORD had said.”Moses died in Moab exactly as the LORD had said, confirming the announcement of 31:2.
Theological
What personal announcement accompanies the command to avenge Israel on Midian in 31:2?
Answer: Moses would die once the task had been completed
The command to avenge Israel on Midian is paired with the announcement that Moses would afterward be gathered to his people (31:2), the customary idiom for death and burial among one's fathers. It repeats what God had already told Moses after the second census, that he would view the land from the mountains of Abarim before dying as Aaron had (27:12-13). The Midianite campaign thus closes Moses' military leadership, and Deuteronomy records his death in Moab in keeping with the LORD's word (Deuteronomy 34:5).
- Numbers 31:1-2 (BSB)“And the LORD said to Moses, “Take vengeance on the Midianites for the Israelites. After that, you will be gathered to your people.””The LORD commands Moses to avenge Israel on Midian and tells him that his death will follow.
- Numbers 27:12-13 (BSB)“Then the LORD said to Moses, “Go up this mountain of the Abarim range and see the land that I have given the Israelites. After you have seen it, you too will be gathered to your people, as your brother Aaron was;”God had already told Moses that after viewing the land from the Abarim range he would die, as Aaron had.
- Deuteronomy 34:5 (BSB)“So Moses the servant of the LORD died there in the land of Moab, as the LORD had said.”Moses died in Moab exactly as the LORD had said, confirming the announcement of 31:2.