1I korero ano a Ihowa ki a Mohi, i mea, 2Rapua he utu mo nga tama a Iharaira i nga Miriani: hei muri iho ka kohia koe ki tou iwi. 3Na ka korero a Mohi ki te iwi, ka mea, Whitiki etahi o koutou mo te whawhai, ka haere ai ki te tu i a Miriana ki te tohe i ta Ihowa utu i a Miriana. 4Kia kotahi te mano o tenei iwi, o tenei iwi, o nga iwi katoa o iharaira, e unga ki te whawhai. 5Na ka wehea e ratou i roto i nga mano o Iharaira, he mano no ia iwi, tekau ma rua mano, rite tonu i te patu mo te whawhai. 6Na, ka unga ratou e Mohi ki te whawhai, he mano no tenei iwi, no tenei iwi, me Pinehaha tama a Eratara tohunga, ki te whawhai, me nga mea tapu ano, me nga tetere i tona ringa hei whakaoho. 7Na ka whawhai ratou ki a Miriana, ka pera me ta Ihowa i whakahau ai ki a Mohi: a patua iho e ratou nga tane katoa. 8I patua ano e ratou nga kingi o Miriana, i roto i te parekura; a Ewi ratou ko Rekeme, ko Turu, ko Huru, ko Repa, nga kingi tokorima o Miriana: i patua ano e ratou a Paraama, te tama a Peoro ki te hoari. 9A whakaraua ana e nga tama a Iharaira nga wahine o Miriana, me a ratou kohungahunga; i tongohia ano a ratou kararehe katoa, hei taonga parau, me a ratou kahui katoa, me o ratou taonga katoa. 10Tahuna ake hoki e ratou ki te ahi o ratou pa katoa i noho ai ratou, me o ratou whare rangatira katoa. 11A tangohia ana e ratou nga taonga katoa, me nga mea parau katoa, te tangata me te kararehe. 12A kawea ana e ratou ki a Mohi raua ko Ereatara tohunga, ki te whakaminenga ano hoki o nga tama a Iharaira, nga whakarau, me era mea parau, me nga taonga, ki te puni ki nga mania o Moapa, ki te wahi o Horano e tata ana ki Heriko. 13A ka puta a Mohi ratou ko Ereatara tohunga, ko nga ariki katoa o te whakaminenga ki te whakatau i a ratou ki waho o te puni; 14Na ka riri a Mohi ki nga rangatira o te ope, ki nga rangatira o nga mano, ki nga rangatira ano hoki o nga rau, i haere mai nei i te whawhai. 15Na ka mea a Mohi ki a ratou, Kua whakaorangia e koutou nga wahine katoa? 16Nana, ko nga mea enei nana i tutu ai nga tama a Iharaira ki a Ihowa i to Peoro ra, he mea tohutohu na Paraama, i pa ai te whiu ki te whakaminenga a Ihowa. 17Na reira patua aianei nga tane katoa i roto i nga kohungahunga, patua hoki nga wahine katoa kua mohio, kua takoto ki te tane. 18Ko nga kohungahunga wahine katoa ia, kahore nei i mohio, i takoto ki te tane, whakaorangia ma koutou. 19Ko koutou hoki, me noho ki waho o te puni, kia whitu nga ra: ko nga tangata katoa i patu i te tangata, me nga mea katoa hoki i pa ki te tangata i patua, me pure koutou i a koutou, me a koutou whakarau i te toru o nga ra, i te whitu hoki o nga ra. 20Me pure ano hoki nga kakahu katoa, me nga oko hiako, me nga mea katoa i hanga ki te huruhuru koati, me nga oko rakau katoa. 21I mea ano a Ereatara tohunga ki nga tangata whawhai, i haere ki te riri, Ko te tikanga tenei o te ture i whakahaua e Ihowa ki a Mohi; 22Ko te koura anake, me te hiriwa, ko te parahi, ko te rino, ko te tine, me te mata, 23Ko nga mea katoa e puta i te ahi, me tuku na roto i te ahi, a ka kore te poke: otiia me pure ano ki te wai o te wehenga: a, ko nga mea katoa e kore e puta i te ahi, me tuku na roto i te wai. 24A me horoi o koutou kakahu i te whitu o nga ra, a ka kore o koutou poke, a hei muri iho ka tomo ki te puni. 25A i korero a Ihowa ki a Mohi, i mea, 26Tirohia te maha o te taonga parau i riro mai, o te tangata, o te kararehe, e korua ko Ereatara tohunga, e nga matua ariki ano hoki o nga whare o te whakaminenga: 27Wehea hoki nga taonga parau kia rua nga wahi; ma te hunga i hapai i te pakanga, i haere atu ki te whawhai, ma te whakaminenga katoa ano. 28Tangohia ano hoki he takoha ma Ihowa i nga tangata i whawhai, i haere atu na ki te riri: kia kotahi wairua i roto i nga rau e rima, o te tangata, ratou tahi ko te kau, ko te kaihe, ko nga hipi hoki. 29Me tango i roto i ta ratou hawhe, ka hoatu ai ki a Ereatara, ki te tohunga, hei whakahere hapahapai ki a Ihowa. 30Me tango ano e koe i roto i te hawhe a nga tama a Iharaira, kia kotahi wahi i roto i te rima tekau, o te tangata, o te kau, o te kaihe, o te hipi, ara o nga kararehe katoa, ka hoatu ai ma nga Riwaiti, ma nga kaitiaki o nga mea o te tapenakara o Ihowa. 31Na peratia ana e Mohi raua ko Ereatara tohunga me ta Ihowa i whakahau ai ki a Mohi. 32A ko te taonga, ko te toenga iho o nga mea i riro parau i nga tangata i whawhai, e ono rau e whitu tekau ma rima mano hipi, 33E whitu tekau ma rua mano hoki nga kau, 34E ono tekau ma tahi mano nga kaihe, 35E toru tekau ma rua mano nga tangata, ara nga wahine kahore ano i mohio noa, i takoto noa, ki te tane. 36A, ko tera hawhe, ko te wahi a te hunga i haere ki te whawhai, e toru rau e toru tekau ma whitu mano e rima rau te maha o nga hipi: 37A, ko te takoha ma Ihowa o nga hipi e ono rau e whitu tekau ma rima. 38E toru tekau ma ono mano nga kau; a, ko te takoha ma Ihowa e whitu tekau ma rua. 39E toru tekau mano e rima rau nga kaihe; a, ko te takoha ma Ihowa e ono tekau ma tahi. 40A ko nga tangata tekau ma ono mano; a, ko te takoha ma Ihowa, e toru tekau ma rua tangata. 41Na ka hoatu e Mohi te takoha, te whakahere hapahapai ma Ihowa, ki a Ereatara tohunga, ka peratia me ta Ihowa i whakahau ai ki a Mohi. 42Na, no roto i te hawhe a nga tama a Iharaira i wehea nei e Mohi i roto i ta te hunga i whawhai, 43Ko te hawhe hoki a te whakaminenga, e toru rau e toru tekau ma whitu mano e rima rau hipi, 44E toru tekau ma ono mano nga kau, 45E toru tekau mano e rima rau nga kaihe, 46Kotahi tekau ma ono mano nga tangata; 47I tangohia e Mohi i roto i te hawhe a nga tama a Iharaira, kotahi wahi i roto i te rima tekau, o te tangata, o te kararehe; a hoatu ana ki nga Riwaiti i tiaki nei i nga mea o te tapenakara o Ihowa; i peratia ano me ta Ihowa i whakahau ai ki a Mo hi. 48Na ka haere mai ki a Mohi nga rangatira mano o te ope, nga rangatira mano ratou ko nga rangatira rau: 49A ka mea ki a Mohi, Kua tirohia e au pononga te tokomaha o nga tangata i whawhai nei i raro i o matou ringa, a kahore i ngaro tetahi o matou. 50Koia i kawea mai ai e matou he whakahere ma Ihowa, e ia tangata, e ia tangata, tana i whiwhi ai, etahi mea koura, etahi mekameka, poroporo, mowhiti, whakakai, heitiki hoki, hei whakamarie mo o matou wairua ki te aroaro o Ihowa. 51Na ka tangohia e Mohi raua ko Ereatara tohunga te koura i a ratou, he mea mahi katoa. 52A kotahi tekau ma ono mano e whitu rau e rima tekau hekere o te koura katoa o te whakahere i tapaea e ratou ki a Ihowa, o ta nga rangatira mano ratou ko nga rangatira rau. 53I pahuatia hoki e nga tangata i whakawhai etahi taonga, tena mona ake, tena mona ake. 54Na tangohia ana e Mohi raua ko Ereatara tohunga te koura a nga rangatira o nga mano, o nga rau, a kawea ana e raua ki roto ki te tapenakara o te whakaminenga, hei whakamahara mo nga tama a Iharaira ki te aroaro o Ihowa.
Jamieson Fausset Brown Bible Commentary 1 THE MIDIANITES SPOILED AND BALAAM SLAIN. (Num. 31:1-54)
the Lord spake unto Moses, Avenge the children of Israel of the Midianites--a semi-nomad people, descended from Abraham and Keturah, occupying a tract of country east and southeast of Moab, which lay on the eastern coast of the Dead Sea. They seem to have been the principal instigators of the infamous scheme of seduction, planned to entrap the Israelites into the double crime of idolatry and licentiousness [
Num 25:1-
Num 25:3,
Num 25:17-
Num 25:18] by which, it was hoped, the Lord would withdraw from that people the benefit of His protection and favor. Moreover, the Midianites had rendered themselves particularly obnoxious by entering into a hostile league with the Amorites (
Josh 13:21). The Moabites were at this time spared in consideration of Lot (
Deut 2:9) and because the measure of their iniquities was not yet full. God spoke of avenging "the children of Israel" [
Num 31:2]; Moses spoke of avenging the Lord [
Num 31:3], as dishonor had been done to God and an injury inflicted on His people. The interests were identical. God and His people have the same cause, the same friends, and the same assailants. This, in fact, was a religious war, undertaken by the express command of God against idolaters, who had seduced the Israelites to practise their abominations.
3 Arm some of yourselves--This order was issued but a short time before the death of Moses. The announcement to him of that approaching event [
Num 31:2] seems to have accelerated, rather than retarded, his warlike preparations.
5 there were delivered--that is, drafted, chosen, an equal amount from each tribe, to prevent the outbreak of mutual jealousy or strife. Considering the numerical force of the enemy, this was a small quota to furnish. But the design was to exercise their faith and animate them to the approaching invasion of Canaan.
6 Moses sent . . . Eleazar the priest, to the war--Although it is not expressly mentioned, it is highly probable that Joshua was the general who conducted this war. The presence of the priest, who was always with the army (
Deut 20:2), was necessary to preside over the Levites, who accompanied the expedition, and to inflame the courage of the combatants by his sacred services and counsels.
holy instruments--As neither the ark nor the Urim and Thummim were carried to the battlefield till a later period in the history of Israel, the "holy instruments" must mean the "trumpets" (
Num 10:9). And this view is agreeable to the text, by simply changing "and" into "even," as the Hebrew particle is frequently rendered.
7 they slew all the males--This was in accordance with a divine order in all such cases (
Deut 20:13). But the destruction appears to have been only partial--limited to those who were in the neighborhood of the Hebrew camp and who had been accomplices in the villainous plot of Baal-peor (
Num 25:1-
Num 25:3), while a large portion of the Midianites were absent on their pastoral wanderings or had saved themselves by flight. (Compare
Judg 6:1).
8 the kings of Midian--so called, because each was possessed of absolute power within his own city or district; called also dukes or princes of Sihon (
Josh 13:21), having been probably subject to that Amorite ruler, as it is not uncommon in the East to find a number of governors or pachas tributary to one great king.
Zur--father of Cozbi (
Num 25:15).
Balaam also . . . they slew with the sword--This unprincipled man, on his dismissal from Balak, set out for his home in Mesopotamia (
Num 24:25). But, either diverging from his way to tamper with the Midianites, he remained among them without proceeding farther, to incite them against Israel and to watch the effects of his wicked counsel; or, learning in his own country that the Israelites had fallen into the snare which he had laid and which he doubted not would lead to their ruin, he had, under the impulse of insatiable greed, returned to demand his reward from the Midianites. He was an object of merited vengeance. In the immense slaughter of the Midianitish people--in the capture of their women, children, and property and in the destruction of all their places of refuge--the severity of a righteous God fell heavily on that base and corrupt race. But, more than all others, Balaam deserved and got the just reward of his deeds. His conduct had been atrociously sinful, considering the knowledge he possessed, and the revelations he had received, of the will of God. For any one in his circumstances to attempt defeating the prophecies he had himself been the organ of uttering, and plotting to deprive the chosen people of the divine favor and protection, was an act of desperate wickedness, which no language can adequately characterize.
13 Moses, and Eleazar the priest, . . . went forth to meet them without the camp--partly as a token of respect and congratulation on their victory, partly to see how they had executed the Lord's commands, and partly to prevent the defilement of the camp by the entrance of warriors stained with blood.
14 And Moses was wroth with the officers of the host--The displeasure of the great leader, though it appears the ebullition of a fierce and sanguinary temper, arose in reality from a pious and enlightened regard to the best interests of Israel. No order had been given for the slaughter of the women, and in ancient war they were commonly reserved for slaves. By their antecedent conduct, however, the Midianitish women had forfeited all claims to mild or merciful treatment; and the sacred character, the avowed object of the war (
Num 31:2-
Num 31:3), made their slaughter necessary without any special order. But why "kill every male among the little ones"? It was designed to be a war of extermination, such as God Himself had ordered against the people of Canaan, whom the Midianites equalled in the enormity of their wickedness.
19 abide without the camp seven days: whosoever hath killed any person . . . purify both yourselves and your captives--Though the Israelites had taken the field in obedience to the command of God, they had become defiled by contact with the dead. A process of purification was to be undergone, as the law required (
Lev 15:13;
Num 19:9-
Num 19:12), and this purifying ceremony was extended to dress, houses, tents, to everything on which a dead body had lain, which had been touched by the blood-stained hands of the Israelitish warriors, or which had been the property of idolaters. This became a standing ordinance in all time coming (
Lev 6:28;
Lev 11:33;
Lev 15:12).
25 Take the sum of the prey that was taken--that is, of the captives and cattle, which, having been first lumped together according to ancient usage (
Exod 15:9;
Judg 5:30), were divided into two equal parts: the one to the people at large, who had sustained a common injury from the Midianites and who were all liable to serve: and the other portion to the combatants, who, having encountered the labors and perils of war, justly received the largest share. From both parts, however, a certain deduction was taken for the sanctuary, as a thank offering to God for preservation and for victory. The soldiers had greatly the advantage in the distribution; for a five-hundredth part only of their half went to the priest, while a fiftieth part of the congregation's half was given to the Levites.
32 the booty, being the rest of the prey which the men of war had caught--Some of the captives having been killed (
Num 31:17) and part of the cattle taken for the support of the army, the total amount of the booty remaining was in the following proportions:
Prey Total Amount Half to Soldiers Deducted to God Half to Congregation Deducted to Levites
Sheep 675,000 337,500 675 337,500 6,750
Beeves 72,000 36,000 72 36,000 720
Asses 61,000 30,500 61 30,500 610
Persons 32,000 16,000 32 16,000 320
48 officers . . . said . . . there lacketh not one man of us--A victory so signal, and the glory of which was untarnished by the loss of a single Israelitish soldier, was an astonishing miracle. So clearly betokening the direct interposition of Heaven, it might well awaken the liveliest feelings of grateful acknowledgment to God (
Ps 44:2-
Ps 44:3). The oblation they brought for the Lord "was partly an atonement" or reparation for their error (
Num 31:14-
Num 31:16), for it could not possess any expiatory virtue, and partly a tribute of gratitude for the stupendous service rendered them. It consisted of the "spoil," which, being the acquisition of individual valor, was not divided like the "prey," or livestock, each soldier retaining it in lieu of pay; it was offered by the "captains" alone, whose pious feelings were evinced by the dedication of the spoil which fell to their share. There were jewels to the amount of 16,750 shekels, equal to Ł87,869 16s. 5d. sterling.