Study Desk

Vengeance on the Midianites

The Lord said to Moses,

"Take vengeance on the Midianites^(a) for the Israelites. After that, you will be gathered to your people.^(b)"

So Moses said to the people, "Arm some of your men to go to war against the Midianites so that they may carry out the Lord 's vengeance^(c) on them.

Send into battle a thousand men from each of the tribes of Israel."

So twelve thousand men armed for battle,^(d) a thousand from each tribe, were supplied from the clans of Israel.

Moses sent them into battle,^(e) a thousand from each tribe, along with Phinehas^(f) son of Eleazar, the priest, who took with him articles from the sanctuary^(g) and the trumpets^(h) for signaling.

They fought against Midian, as the Lord commanded Moses,⁽ⁱ⁾ and killed every man.^(j)

Among their victims were Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur and Reba^(k)—the five kings of Midian.^(l) They also killed Balaam son of Beor^(m) with the sword.⁽ⁿ⁾

The Israelites captured the Midianite women^(o) and children and took all the Midianite herds, flocks and goods as plunder.^(p)

They burned^(q) all the towns where the Midianites had settled, as well as all their camps.^(r)

They took all the plunder and spoils, including the people and animals,^(s)

and brought the captives, spoils^(t) and plunder to Moses and Eleazar the priest and the Israelite assembly^(u) at their camp on the plains of Moab, by the Jordan across from Jericho.^(v)

Moses, Eleazar the priest and all the leaders of the community went to meet them outside the camp.

Moses was angry with the officers of the army^(w)—the commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds—who returned from the battle.

"Have you allowed all the women to live?" he asked them.

"They were the ones who followed Balaam's advice^(x) and enticed the Israelites to be unfaithful to the Lord in the Peor incident,^(y) so that a plague^(z) struck the Lord 's people.

Now kill all the boys. And kill every woman who has slept with a man,^(aa)

but save for yourselves every girl who has never slept with a man.

"Anyone who has killed someone or touched someone who was killed^(ab) must stay outside the camp seven days.^(ac) On the third and seventh days you must purify yourselves^(ad) and your captives.

Purify every garment^(ae) as well as everything made of leather, goat hair or wood.^(af)"

Then Eleazar the priest said to the soldiers who had gone into battle,^(ag) "This is what is required by the law that the Lord gave Moses:

Gold, silver, bronze, iron,^(ah) tin, lead

and anything else that can withstand fire must be put through the fire,^(ai) and then it will be clean. But it must also be purified with the water of cleansing.^(aj) And whatever cannot withstand fire must be put through that water.

On the seventh day wash your clothes and you will be clean.^(ak) Then you may come into the camp.^(al)"

The Lord said to Moses,

"You and Eleazar the priest and the family heads^(am) of the community are to count all the people^(an) and animals that were captured.^(ao)

Divide^(ap) the spoils equally between the soldiers who took part in the battle and the rest of the community.

From the soldiers who fought in the battle, set apart as tribute for the Lord ^(aq) one out of every five hundred, whether people, cattle, donkeys or sheep.

Take this tribute from their half share and give it to Eleazar the priest as the Lord 's part.

From the Israelites' half, select one out of every fifty, whether people, cattle, donkeys, sheep or other animals. Give them to the Levites, who are responsible for the care of the Lord 's tabernacle.^(ar)"

So Moses and Eleazar the priest did as the Lord commanded Moses.

The plunder remaining from the spoils^(as) that the soldiers took was 675,000 sheep,

72,000 cattle,

61,000 donkeys

and 32,000 women who had never slept with a man.

The half share of those who fought in the battle was: 337,500 sheep,

of which the tribute for the Lord ^(at) was 675;

36,000 cattle, of which the tribute for the Lord was 72;

30,500 donkeys, of which the tribute for the Lord was 61;

16,000 people, of whom the tribute for the Lord was 32.

Moses gave the tribute to Eleazar the priest as the Lord 's part,^(au) as the Lord commanded Moses.^(av)

The half belonging to the Israelites, which Moses set apart from that of the fighting men—

the community's half—was 337,500 sheep,

36,000 cattle,

30,500 donkeys

and 16,000 people.

From the Israelites' half, Moses selected one out of every fifty people and animals, as the Lord commanded him, and gave them to the Levites, who were responsible for the care of the Lord 's tabernacle.

Then the officers^(aw) who were over the units of the army—the commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds—went to Moses

and said to him, "Your servants have counted^(ax) the soldiers under our command, and not one is missing.^(ay)

So we have brought as an offering to the Lord the gold articles each of us acquired—armlets, bracelets, signet rings, earrings and necklaces—to make atonement for ourselves^(az) before the Lord ."

Moses and Eleazar the priest accepted from them the gold—all the crafted articles.

All the gold from the commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds that Moses and Eleazar presented as a gift to the Lord weighed 16,750 shekels.^[a]

Each soldier had taken plunder^(ba) for himself.

Moses and Eleazar the priest accepted the gold from the commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds and brought it into the tent of meeting^(bb) as a memorial^(bc) for the Israelites before the Lord .

The Transjordan Tribes

The Reubenites and Gadites, who had very large herds and flocks,^(a) saw that the lands of Jazer^(b) and Gilead^(c) were suitable for livestock.^(d)

So they came to Moses and Eleazar the priest and to the leaders of the community,^(e) and said,

"Ataroth,^(f) Dibon,^(g) Jazer,^(h) Nimrah,⁽ⁱ⁾ Heshbon,^(j) Elealeh,^(k) Sebam,^(l) Nebo^(m) and Beon⁽ⁿ⁾—

the land the Lord subdued^(o) before the people of Israel—are suitable for livestock,^(p) and your servants have livestock.

If we have found favor in your eyes," they said, "let this land be given to your servants as our possession. Do not make us cross the Jordan.^(q)"

Moses said to the Gadites and Reubenites, "Should your fellow Israelites go to war while you sit here?

Why do you discourage the Israelites from crossing over into the land the Lord has given them?^(r)

This is what your fathers did when I sent them from Kadesh Barnea to look over the land.^(s)

After they went up to the Valley of Eshkol^(t) and viewed the land, they discouraged the Israelites from entering the land the Lord had given them.

The Lord 's anger was aroused^(u) that day and he swore this oath:^(v)

‘Because they have not followed me wholeheartedly, not one of those who were twenty years old or more^(w) when they came up out of Egypt^(x) will see the land I promised on oath^(y) to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob^(z)—

not one except Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite and Joshua son of Nun, for they followed the Lord wholeheartedly.'^(aa)

The Lord 's anger burned against Israel^(ab) and he made them wander in the wilderness forty years, until the whole generation of those who had done evil in his sight was gone.^(ac)

"And here you are, a brood of sinners, standing in the place of your fathers and making the Lord even more angry with Israel.^(ad)

If you turn away from following him, he will again leave all this people in the wilderness, and you will be the cause of their destruction.^(ae)"

Then they came up to him and said, "We would like to build pens^(af) here for our livestock^(ag) and cities for our women and children.

But we will arm ourselves for battle^[a] and go ahead of the Israelites^(ah) until we have brought them to their place.^(ai) Meanwhile our women and children will live in fortified cities, for protection from the inhabitants of the land.

We will not return to our homes until each of the Israelites has received their inheritance.^(aj)

We will not receive any inheritance with them on the other side of the Jordan, because our inheritance^(ak) has come to us on the east side of the Jordan."^(al)

Then Moses said to them, "If you will do this—if you will arm yourselves before the Lord for battle^(am)

and if all of you who are armed cross over the Jordan before the Lord until he has driven his enemies out before him^(an)—

then when the land is subdued before the Lord , you may return^(ao) and be free from your obligation to the Lord and to Israel. And this land will be your possession^(ap) before the Lord .^(aq)

"But if you fail to do this, you will be sinning against the Lord ; and you may be sure that your sin will find you out.^(ar)

Build cities for your women and children, and pens for your flocks,^(as) but do what you have promised.^(at)"

The Gadites and Reubenites said to Moses, "We your servants will do as our lord commands.^(au)

Our children and wives, our flocks and herds will remain here in the cities of Gilead.^(av)

But your servants, every man who is armed for battle, will cross over to fight^(aw) before the Lord , just as our lord says."

Then Moses gave orders about them^(ax) to Eleazar the priest and Joshua son of Nun^(ay) and to the family heads of the Israelite tribes.^(az)

He said to them, "If the Gadites and Reubenites, every man armed for battle, cross over the Jordan with you before the Lord , then when the land is subdued before you,^(ba) you must give them the land of Gilead as their possession.^(bb)

But if they do not cross over^(bc) with you armed, they must accept their possession with you in Canaan.^(bd)"

The Gadites and Reubenites answered, "Your servants will do what the Lord has said.^(be)

We will cross over before the Lord into Canaan armed,^(bf) but the property we inherit will be on this side of the Jordan.^(bg)"

Then Moses gave to the Gadites,^(bh) the Reubenites and the half-tribe of Manasseh^(bi) son of Joseph the kingdom of Sihon king of the Amorites^(bj) and the kingdom of Og king of Bashan^(bk)—the whole land with its cities and the territory around them.^(bl)

The Gadites built up Dibon, Ataroth, Aroer,^(bm)

Atroth Shophan, Jazer,^(bn) Jogbehah,^(bo)

Beth Nimrah^(bp) and Beth Haran as fortified cities, and built pens for their flocks.^(bq)

And the Reubenites rebuilt Heshbon,^(br) Elealeh^(bs) and Kiriathaim,^(bt)

as well as Nebo^(bu) and Baal Meon (these names were changed) and Sibmah.^(bv) They gave names to the cities they rebuilt.

The descendants of Makir^(bw) son of Manasseh went to Gilead,^(bx) captured it and drove out the Amorites^(by) who were there.

So Moses gave Gilead to the Makirites,^(bz) the descendants of Manasseh, and they settled there.

Jair,^(ca) a descendant of Manasseh, captured their settlements and called them Havvoth Jair.^[b](cb)

And Nobah captured Kenath^(cc) and its surrounding settlements and called it Nobah^(cd) after himself.^(ce)