¹sn This lengthy chapter records the mobilization of the troops (vv. 1-5), the war itself (vv. 6-13), the death of the captive women (vv. 14-18), the purification of the nations (vv. 19-24), and the distribution of the spoils (vv. 25-54). For more detail, see G. W. Coats, “Moses in Midian,” JBL 92 (1973): 3-10; and W. J. Dumbrell, “Midian—a Land or a League?” VT 25 (1975): 323-37.
²tn The imperative is followed by its cognate accusative to stress this vengeance. The Midianites had attempted to destroy Israel with their corrupt pagan practices, and now will be judged. The accounts indicate that the effort by Midian was calculated and evil.
³sn The war was commanded by the Lord and was to be divine vengeance on the Midianites. So it was holy war. No Israelites then could take spoils in this—it was not a time for plunder and aggrandizement. It was part of the judgment of God upon those who would destroy or pervert his plan and his people.
⁴sn This would be the last major enterprise that Moses would have to undertake. He would soon die and “be gathered to his people” as Aaron was.
⁵tn The Niphal imperative, literally “arm yourselves,” is the call to mobilize the nation for war. It is followed by the jussive, “and they will be,” which would then be subordinated to say “that they may be.” The versions changed the verb to a Hiphil, but that is unnecessary: “arm some of yourselves.”
⁶tn Heb “give.”
⁷sn Some commentators argue that given the size of the nation (which they reject) the small number for the army is a sign of the unrealistic character of the story. The number is a round number; but it is also a holy war, and God would give them the victory. They are beginning to learn here, and at Jericho, and later against these Midianites under Gideon, that God does not want or need a large army in order to obtain victory.
⁸tn The Hebrew text uses the idiom that these “were in his hand,” meaning that he had the responsibility over them.
⁹sn It is not clear what articles from the sanctuary were included. Tg. Ps.-J. adds (interpretively) “the Urim and Thummim.”
¹⁰sn Many modern biblical scholars assume that this passage is fictitious. The text says that they killed every male, but Judges accounts for the Midianites. The texts can be harmonized rather simply—they killed every Midianite who was in the battle. Midianite tribes and cities dotted the whole region, but that does not mean Israel went and killed every single one of them. There apparently was a core of Midianites whom Balaam had influenced to pervert Israel.
¹¹sn Here again we see that there was no unified empire, but Midianite tribal groups.
¹²sn And what was Balaam doing among the Midianites? The implication is strong. This pagan diviner had to submit to the revealed will of God in the oracles, but he nonetheless could be hired. He had been a part of the attempt to destroy Israel that failed; he then apparently became part of the plan, if not the adviser, to destroy them with sexual immorality and pagan ritual.
¹³tn Heb “burned with fire.”
¹⁴tn The ban applied to the encampments and forts of this group of Midianite tribes living in the region of Moab.
¹⁵tn The word “River” is not in the Hebrew text, but has been supplied in the translation for clarity.
¹⁶tn Again this expression, “the Jordan of Jericho,” is used. It describes the intended location along the Jordan River, the Jordan next to or across from Jericho.
map For the location of Jericho see Map5-B2; Map6-E1; Map7-E1; Map8-E3; Map10-A2; Map11-A1.
¹⁷tn The verb is the Piel perfect of the word hayah (hyj), “to live.” In the Piel stem it must here mean “preserve alive,” or “allow to live,” rather than make alive.
¹⁸tn Heb “every male among the little ones.”
sn The command in holy war to kill women and children seems in modern times a terrible thing to do (and it was), and something they ought not to have done. But this criticism fails to understand the situation in the ancient world. The entire life of the ancient world was tribal warfare, necessitating warfare. God’s judgment is poured out on whole groups of people who act with moral abandonment and in sinful pursuit. See E. J. Young, My Servants the Prophets, 24; and G. Wenham, The Enigma of Evil.
¹⁹tn Heb “every woman who has known [a] man by lying with a man.”
²⁰tn The Hebrew indicates they would be female children, making the selection easy.
²¹tn Heb “who have not known [a] man by lying with a man.”
²²sn Many contemporary scholars see this story as fictitious, composed by the Jews during the captivity. Accordingly, the spoils of war here indicate the wealth of the Jews in captivity, which were then to be given to the Levites and priests for the restoration of the sanctuary in Jerusalem. The returning Jews had the same problem as the earlier ones (if they existed!), and that was to gain a foothold in the land. This kind of reconstruction of the account is contrived and subjective—there is no hard evidence for it. And if this was the intent of a later writer, he surely could have been clearer than making up such a story.
²³sn These verses are a reminder that taking a life, even if justified through holy war, still separates one from the holiness of God. It is part of the violation of the fallen world, and only through the ritual of purification can one be once again made fit for the presence of the Lord.
²⁴sn Purification by fire is unique to this event. Making these metallic objects “pass through the fire” was not only a way of purifying (burning off impurities), but it seems to be a dedicatory rite as well to the Lord and his people. The aspect of passing through the fire is one used by these pagans for child sacrifice.
²⁵tn The idiom here is “take up the head,” meaning take a census, or count the totals.
²⁶tn The verb is the Hiphil, “you shall cause to be taken up.” The perfect with vav continues the sequence of the instructions. This raised offering was to be a tax of one-fifth of one percent for the Lord.
²⁷tn Heb “people.”
²⁸tn Heb “had plundered.”
²⁹sn Here again we encounter one of the difficulties of the book, the use of the large numbers. Only twelve thousand soldiers fought the Midianites, but they brought back this amount of plunder, including 32,000 girls. Until a solution for numbers in the book can be found, or the current translation confirmed, one must remain cautious in interpretation.
³⁰tn The word “numbered” has been supplied in the translation for clarity.
³¹tn Heb “soul.”
³²tn Heb “the men who were fighting.”
³³tn Heb “to Moses”; the proper name has been replaced by the pronoun (“him”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.
³⁴tn Heb “lifted up the head.”
³⁵tn Heb “in our hand.”
³⁶tn Heb “our souls.”
³⁷sn The expression here may include the idea of finding protection from divine wrath, which is so common to Leviticus; but it may also be a thank offering for the fact that their lives had been spared.
³⁸sn Or about 420 imperial pounds.
³⁹tn The Hebrew text does not repeat the word “commanders” here, but it is implied.
⁴⁰tn The purpose of the offering was to remind the Lord to remember Israel. But it would also be an encouragement for Israel as they remembered the great victory.