1Jehovah habló a Moisés diciendo: 2"Lleva a cabo por completo la venganza de los hijos de Israel contra los madianitas, y después serás reunido con tu pueblo." 3Entonces Moisés habló al pueblo diciendo: "Armaos algunos de vuestros hombres para la guerra e id contra Madián, para llevar a cabo la venganza de Jehovah contra Madián. 4Enviaréis a la guerra 1.000 hombres de cada tribu, de todas las tribus de Israel." 5De los millares de Israel fueron dados 1.000 por cada tribu, 12.000 en pie de guerra. 6Y Moisés los envió a la guerra, 1.000 de cada tribu, junto con Fineas, hijo del sacerdote Eleazar, quien fue a la guerra llevando consigo los utensilios del santuario y las trompetas para dar la señal. 7Hicieron la guerra contra Madián, como Jehovah había mandado a Moisés, y mataron a todos los varones. 8Entre los muertos mataron a los reyes de Madián: Evi, Requem, Zur, Hur y Reba, cinco reyes de Madián. También mataron a espada a Balaam hijo de Beor. 9Después los hijos de Israel se llevaron cautivas a las mujeres de Madián y a sus hijos pequeños; saquearon todo su ganado, todos sus rebaños y todas sus riquezas. 10Luego prendieron fuego a todas sus ciudades donde habitaban y a todas sus fortificaciones. 11Tomaron todo el botín y todo lo capturado, tanto de hombres como de ganado. 12Y llevaron los cautivos, lo capturado y el botín ante Moisés, el sacerdote Eleazar y toda la congregación de los hijos de Israel en el campamento, en las llanuras de Moab que están junto al Jordán, frente a Jericó. 13Moisés, el sacerdote Eleazar y todos los dirigentes de la congregación salieron a recibirlos fuera del campamento. 14Y Moisés se enojó contra los oficiales del ejército, contra los jefes de millares y de centenas que volvían de la campaña militar, 15y les dijo: —¿Habéis dejado con vida a todas las mujeres? 16¡He aquí ellas fueron las que vinieron a los hijos de Israel, por consejo de Balaam, para que ellos actuaran contra Jehovah en el asunto de Peor, por lo que hubo mortandad en la congregación de Jehovah! 17Ahora pues, matad a todos los niños varones y a toda mujer que haya tenido relaciones sexuales con varón. 18Pero dejad vivas para vosotros a todas las muchachas de entre las mujeres que no hayan tenido relaciones con varón. 19Moisés continuó: —Acampad vosotros fuera del campamento durante siete días. Cualquiera que haya matado a alguna persona y cualquiera que haya tocado algún cadáver, os purificaréis en el tercer día y en el séptimo día, vosotros y vuestros cautivos. 20Asimismo, purificaréis todo vestido, todo artículo de cuero, todo objeto de pelo de cabra y todo utensilio de madera. 21Entonces el sacerdote Eleazar dijo a los soldados que habían regresado de la guerra: —Este es el estatuto de la ley que Jehovah ha mandado a Moisés: 22Sólo el oro, la plata, el bronce, el hierro, el estaño y el plomo, 23todo lo que resiste el fuego, haréis pasar por fuego, y será limpio. Pero también habrá de ser purificado con el agua para la impureza. Todo lo que no resiste el fuego lo pasaréis por el agua. 24Además, lavaréis vuestras vestiduras en el séptimo día, y quedaréis puros. Después podréis entrar en el campamento. 25Jehovah habló a Moisés diciendo: 26"Saca la cuenta, tú con el sacerdote Eleazar y los jefes de las casas paternas de la congregación, de lo que se ha tomado cautivo, tanto de las personas como del ganado. 27Luego repartirás lo capturado por partes iguales entre los combatientes que fueron a la guerra y toda la congregación. 28"Toma tú para Jehovah el tributo de los hombres de guerra que fueron a la campaña, que será de uno por cada 500, tanto de las personas como del ganado vacuno, de los asnos y de las ovejas. 29Esto lo tomarás de la mitad que les corresponde, y se lo darás al sacerdote Eleazar como ofrenda alzada para Jehovah. 30De la mitad que corresponde a los hijos de Israel tomarás uno por cada 50, tanto de las personas como del ganado vacuno, de los asnos, de las ovejas y de todo animal, y se los darás a los levitas que tienen el cuidado del tabernáculo de Jehovah." 31Moisés y el sacerdote Eleazar hicieron como Jehovah había mandado a Moisés. 32El botín que quedaba de lo que tomó la gente del ejército era de 675.000 ovejas, 33de 72.000 cabezas de ganado vacuno 34y de 61.000 asnos. 35En cuanto a las personas, las mujeres que no habían tenido relaciones sexuales con varón fueron en total 32.000. 36La mitad correspondiente a los que habían salido a la guerra fue de 337.500 ovejas 37(de las cuales el tributo para Jehovah fue de 675), 38de 36.000 cabezas de ganado vacuno (de las cuales el tributo para Jehovah fue de 72), 39de 30.500 asnos (de los cuales el tributo para Jehovah fue de 61), 40y de 16.000 personas (de las cuales el tributo para Jehovah fue de 32). 41Moisés dio el tributo al sacerdote Eleazar, como ofrenda alzada a Jehovah, como lo había mandado Jehovah a Moisés. 42La mitad correspondiente a los hijos de Israel y que Moisés apartó de la de los hombres que habían ido a la guerra, 43es decir, la mitad para el resto de la congregación, fue de 337.500 ovejas, 44de 36.000 cabezas de ganado vacuno, 45de 30.500 asnos 46y de 16.000 personas. 47De la mitad que correspondía a los hijos de Israel, Moisés tomó uno de cada 50, tanto de las personas como de los animales, y se los dio a los levitas que tenían el cuidado del tabernáculo de Jehovah, como lo había mandado Jehovah a Moisés. 48Entonces se acercaron a Moisés los oficiales de los millares del ejército, los jefes de los millares y los jefes de las centenas, 49y dijeron a Moisés: —Tus siervos hemos pasado revista a los hombres de guerra que estuvieron bajo nuestro mando, y ninguno de nosotros falta. 50Por tanto, hemos traído una ofrenda a Jehovah, cada uno de lo que ha hallado: objetos de oro, cadenillas, brazaletes, anillos, aretes y collares, para hacer expiación por nosotros mismos delante de Jehovah. 51Moisés y el sacerdote Eleazar recibieron de ellos el oro y todos los objetos elaborados. 52Todo el oro de la ofrenda alzada que ofrecieron a Jehovah los jefes de los millares y los jefes de las centenas fue de 16.750 siclos. 53Pues los hombres del ejército habían saqueado cada uno para sí. 54Moisés y el sacerdote Eleazar recibieron el oro de los jefes de los millares y de los jefes de las centenas, y lo llevaron al tabernáculo de reunión, como memorial para los hijos de Israel delante de Jehovah.
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.