Vengeance on Midian
And the LORD said to Moses, “Take vengeance on the Midianites for the Israelites. After that, you will be gathered to your people.” Num 27:13Num 25:14-18Jdg 2:10Rev 6:101Th 4:6Act 13:36Deu 32:35Exo 2:16
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. Lev 26:252Ki 10:302Ki 9:7Exo 17:16Exo 17:9-13Jdg 5:2Jdg 5:23Jer 46:10 Send into battle a thousand men from each tribe of Israel.” 1Sa 14:6Jdg 7:2Lev 26:8
So a thousand men were recruited from each tribe of Israel—twelve thousand armed for war. 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. Num 14:44Num 10:8-91Sa 14:181Sa 23:91Sa 4:171Sa 4:4-52Ch 13:12-152Sa 11:11
Then they waged war against Midian, as the LORD had commanded Moses, and they killed every male. 1Ki 11:15-16Jdg 21:111Sa 27:9Deu 20:13-14Jdg 6:1-2Jdg 6:33 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. Jos 13:21-22Num 25:15Jud 1:11Rev 2:141Ti 6:9-102Pe 2:15Num 22:10Num 22:4
The Israelites captured the Midianite women and their children, and they plundered all their herds, flocks, and goods. 2Ch 28:52Ch 28:8-10Deu 20:14Num 31:15-16 Then they burned all the cities where the Midianites had lived, as well as all their encampments, 1Ki 9:161Sa 30:1Gen 25:16Isa 1:7Jos 6:24Rev 18:8 and carried away all the plunder and spoils, both people and animals. Deu 20:14Jos 8:2
They brought the captives, spoils, and plunder to Moses, to Eleazar the priest, and to the congregation of Israel at the camp on the plains of Moab, by the Jordan across from Jericho. Num 22:1 And Moses, Eleazar the priest, and all the leaders of the congregation went to meet them outside the camp. 1Sa 15:121Sa 30:21Gen 14:17Num 19:11Num 31:12Num 31:22-24Num 5:2
But Moses was angry with the officers of the army—the commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds—who were returning from the battle. 1Ki 20:421Sa 15:13-142Ki 13:19Eph 4:26Exo 32:19Exo 32:22Lev 10:16Num 12:3 “Have you spared all the women?” he asked them. 1Sa 15:3Deu 2:34Jer 48:10Deu 20:13Deu 20:16-18Ezk 9:6Jos 10:40Jos 11:14 “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. Num 25:1-92Pe 2:15Rev 2:14Deu 4:3Jos 22:17Num 24:14Num 25:18Pro 23:27 So now, kill all the boys, as well as every woman who has had relations with a man, Deu 20:16-18Deu 7:2Jdg 21:11-12 but spare for yourselves every girl who has never had relations with a man. Deu 21:10-142Ch 28:8-10Deu 20:14Lev 25:44Isa 14:2
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. Num 19:11-22Num 5:21Ch 22:8 And purify every garment and leather good, everything made of goat’s hair, and every article of wood.” Exo 19:10Gen 35:2Num 19:14-16Num 19:22
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: Num 30:16 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. Num 19:91Co 3:13Num 19:17Isa 43:2Mat 3:111Pe 1:71Pe 3:211Pe 4:12 On the seventh day you are to wash your clothes, and you will be clean. After that you may enter the camp.” Lev 11:25Lev 14:9Lev 15:13Num 19:19
Division of the Spoils
The LORD said to Moses, “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. Jos 22:81Sa 30:24-25Psa 68:121Sa 30:4
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. Num 18:26Num 31:30Num 31:471Ch 18:111Ch 26:26-272Sa 8:11-12Gen 14:20Isa 18:7 Take it from their half and give it to Eleazar the priest as an offering to the LORD. Deu 12:12Deu 12:19Exo 29:27Num 18:26
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.” Num 3:25Num 3:31Num 3:7-81Ch 23:321Ch 26:20-271Ch 9:27-291Co 4:21Co 9:13-14
So Moses and Eleazar the priest did as the LORD had commanded Moses, and this plunder remained from the spoils the soldiers had taken:
675,000 sheep,
72,000 cattle,
61,000 donkeys,
and 32,000 women who had not slept with a man.
This was the half portion for those who had gone to war:
337,500 sheep, including a tribute to the LORD of 675,
36,000 cattle, including a tribute to the LORD of 72,
30,500 donkeys, including a tribute to the LORD of 61,
and 16,000 people, including a tribute to the LORD of 32.
Moses gave the tribute to Eleazar the priest as an offering for the LORD, as the LORD had commanded Moses. Num 18:19Num 18:81Co 9:10-141Ti 5:17Gal 6:6Heb 7:4-6Heb 7:9-12Mat 10:10
From the Israelites’ half, which Moses had set apart from the men who had gone to war, this half belonged to the congregation:
337,500 sheep,
36,000 cattle,
30,500 donkeys,
and 16,000 people.
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. Num 31:301Th 5:12-13Deu 12:17-19Isa 56:10-11Luk 10:1-8Num 18:21-24Psa 134:1
The Voluntary Offering
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. 1Sa 30:18-19Jhn 18:9Psa 72:14 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.” Exo 30:12Exo 30:15-16Lev 17:11Psa 107:15Psa 107:21-22Psa 116:12Psa 116:17
So Moses and Eleazar the priest received from them all the articles made out of gold. Num 7:2-6 All the gold that the commanders of thousands and of hundreds presented as an offering to the LORD weighed 16,750 shekels. 1 Each of the soldiers had taken plunder for himself. Deu 20:14Num 31:32 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. Exo 30:16Zec 6:14Act 10:4Jos 4:7Luk 22:19Num 16:40Psa 103:1-2Psa 115:1