Numbers 31: Reckoning with Midian
Israel wages war against Midian for the seduction at Peor, and the spoil is purified and divided before the Lord.
Numbers 31 (WEB)
1 Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,
2 “Avenge the children of Israel for the Midianites. Afterward you shall be gathered to your people.”
3 Moses spoke to the people, saying, “Arm men from among you for the war, that they may go against Midian, to execute Yahweh’s vengeance on Midian.
4 Of every tribe one thousand, throughout all the tribes of Israel, you shall send to the war.”
5 So there were delivered, out of the thousands of Israel, a thousand of every tribe, twelve thousand armed for war.
6 Moses sent them, one thousand of every tribe, to the war, them and Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest, to the war, with the vessels of the sanctuary and the trumpets for the alarm in his hand.
7 They fought against Midian, as Yahweh commanded Moses. They killed every male.
8 They killed the kings of Midian with the rest of their slain: Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur, and Reba, the five kings of Midian. They also killed Balaam the son of Beor with the sword.
9 The children of Israel took the women of Midian captive with their little ones; and all their livestock, all their flocks, and all their goods, they took as plunder.
10 All their cities in the places in which they lived, and all their encampments, they burnt with fire.
11 They took all the captives, and all the plunder, both of man and of animal.
12 They brought the captives, and the prey, and the plunder, to Moses, and to Eleazar the priest, and to the congregation of the children of Israel, to the camp at the plains of Moab, which are by the Jordan at Jericho.
13 Moses, and Eleazar the priest, and all the princes of the congregation, went out to meet them outside of the camp.
14 Moses was angry with the officers of the army, the captains of thousands and the captains of hundreds, who came from the service of the war.
15 Moses said to them, “Have you saved all the women alive?
16 Behold, these caused the children of Israel, through the counsel of Balaam, to commit trespass against Yahweh in the matter of Peor, and so the plague was among the congregation of Yahweh.
17 Now therefore kill every male among the little ones, and kill every woman who has known man by lying with him.
18 But all the girls, who have not known man by lying with him, keep alive for yourselves.
19 “Encamp outside of the camp seven days. Whoever has killed any person, and whoever has touched any slain, purify yourselves on the third day and on the seventh day, you and your captives.
20 As to every garment, and all that is made of skin, and all work of goats’ hair, and all things made of wood, you shall purify yourselves.”
21 Eleazar the priest said to the men of war who went to the battle, “This is the statute of the law which Yahweh has commanded Moses:
22 however the gold, and the silver, the brass, the iron, the tin, and the lead,
23 everything that may withstand the fire, you shall make to go through the fire, and it shall be clean; nevertheless it shall be purified with the water for impurity. All that doesn’t withstand the fire you shall make to go through the water.
24 You shall wash your clothes on the seventh day, and you shall be clean. Afterward you shall come into the camp.”
25 Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,
26 “Count the plunder that was taken, both of man and of animal, you, and Eleazar the priest, and the heads of the fathers’ households of the congregation;
27 and divide the plunder into two parts: between the men skilled in war, who went out to battle, and all the congregation.
28 Levy a tribute to Yahweh of the men of war who went out to battle: one soul of five hundred; of the persons, of the cattle, of the donkeys, and of the flocks.
29 Take it from their half, and give it to Eleazar the priest, for Yahweh’s wave offering.
30 Of the children of Israel’s half, you shall take one drawn out of every fifty, of the persons, of the cattle, of the donkeys, and of the flocks, of all the livestock, and give them to the Levites, who perform the duty of Yahweh’s tabernacle.”
31 Moses and Eleazar the priest did as Yahweh commanded Moses.
32 Now the plunder, over and above the booty which the men of war took, was six hundred seventy-five thousand sheep,
33 and seventy-two thousand head of cattle,
34 and sixty-one thousand donkeys,
35 and thirty-two thousand persons in all, of the women who had not known man by lying with him.
36 The half, which was the portion of those who went out to war, was in number three hundred thirty-seven thousand five hundred sheep:
37 and Yahweh’s tribute of the sheep was six hundred seventy-five.
38 The cattle were thirty-six thousand; of which Yahweh’s tribute was seventy-two.
39 The donkeys were thirty thousand five hundred; of which Yahweh’s tribute was sixty-one.
40 The persons were sixteen thousand; of whom Yahweh’s tribute was thirty-two persons.
41 Moses gave the tribute, which was Yahweh’s wave offering, to Eleazar the priest, as Yahweh commanded Moses.
42 Of the children of Israel’s half, which Moses divided off from the men who fought
43 (now the congregation’s half was three hundred thirty-seven thousand five hundred sheep,
44 and thirty-six thousand head of cattle,
45 and thirty thousand five hundred donkeys,
46 and sixteen thousand persons),
47 even of the children of Israel’s half, Moses took one drawn out of every fifty, both of man and of animal, and gave them to the Levites, who performed the duty of Yahweh’s tabernacle; as Yahweh commanded Moses.
48 The officers who were over the thousands of the army, the captains of thousands, and the captains of hundreds, came near to Moses.
49 They said to Moses, “Your servants have taken the sum of the men of war who are under our command, and there lacks not one man of us.
50 We have brought Yahweh’s offering, what every man has gotten, of jewels of gold, armlets, and bracelets, signet rings, earrings, and necklaces, to make atonement for our souls before Yahweh.”
51 Moses and Eleazar the priest took their gold, even all worked jewels.
52 All the gold of the wave offering that they offered up to Yahweh, of the captains of thousands, and of the captains of hundreds, was sixteen thousand seven hundred fifty shekels.
53 The men of war had taken booty, every man for himself.
54 Moses and Eleazar the priest took the gold of the captains of thousands and of hundreds, and brought it into the Tent of Meeting, for a memorial for the children of Israel before Yahweh.
Numbers 31 (KJV)
1 And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,
2 Avenge the children of Israel of the Midianites: afterward shalt thou be gathered unto thy people.
3 And Moses spake unto the people, saying, Arm some of yourselves unto the war, and let them go against the Midianites, and avenge the Lord of Midian.
4 Of every tribe a thousand, throughout all the tribes of Israel, shall ye send to the war.
5 So there were delivered out of the thousands of Israel, a thousand of every tribe, twelve thousand armed for war.
6 And Moses sent them to the war, a thousand of every tribe, them and Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest, to the war, with the holy instruments, and the trumpets to blow in his hand.
7 And they warred against the Midianites, as the Lord commanded Moses; and they slew all the males.
8 And they slew the kings of Midian, beside the rest of them that were slain; namely, Evi, and Rekem, and Zur, and Hur, and Reba, five kings of Midian: Balaam also the son of Beor they slew with the sword.
9 And the children of Israel took all the women of Midian captives, and their little ones, and took the spoil of all their cattle, and all their flocks, and all their goods.
10 And they burnt all their cities wherein they dwelt, and all their goodly castles, with fire.
11 And they took all the spoil, and all the prey, both of men and of beasts.
12 And they brought the captives, and the prey, and the spoil, unto Moses, and Eleazar the priest, and unto the congregation of the children of Israel, unto the camp at the plains of Moab, which are by Jordan near Jericho.
13 And Moses, and Eleazar the priest, and all the princes of the congregation, went forth to meet them without the camp.
14 And Moses was wroth with the officers of the host, with the captains over thousands, and captains over hundreds, which came from the battle.
15 And Moses said unto them, Have ye saved all the women alive?
16 Behold, these caused the children of Israel, through the counsel of Balaam, to commit trespass against the Lord in the matter of Peor, and there was a plague among the congregation of the Lord.
17 Now therefore kill every male among the little ones, and kill every woman that hath known man by lying with him.
18 But all the women children, that have not known a man by lying with him, keep alive for yourselves.
19 And do ye abide without the camp seven days: whosoever hath killed any person, and whosoever hath touched any slain, purify both yourselves and your captives on the third day, and on the seventh day.
20 And purify all your raiment, and all that is made of skins, and all work of goats’ hair, and all things made of wood.
21 And Eleazar the priest said unto the men of war which went to the battle, This is the ordinance of the law which the Lord commanded Moses;
22 Only the gold, and the silver, the brass, the iron, the tin, and the lead,
23 Every thing that may abide the fire, ye shall make it go through the fire, and it shall be clean: nevertheless it shall be purified with the water of separation: and all that abideth not the fire ye shall make go through the water.
24 And ye shall wash your clothes on the seventh day, and ye shall be clean, and afterward ye shall come into the camp.
25 And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,
26 Take the sum of the prey that was taken, both of man and of beast, thou, and Eleazar the priest, and the chief fathers of the congregation:
27 And divide the prey into two parts; between them that took the war upon them, who went out to battle, and between all the congregation:
28 And levy a tribute unto the Lord of the men of war which went out to battle: one soul of five hundred, both of the persons, and of the beeves, and of the asses, and of the sheep:
29 Take it of their half, and give it unto Eleazar the priest, for an heave offering of the Lord.
30 And of the children of Israel’s half, thou shalt take one portion of fifty, of the persons, of the beeves, of the asses, and of the flocks, of all manner of beasts, and give them unto the Levites, which keep the charge of the tabernacle of the Lord.
31 And Moses and Eleazar the priest did as the Lord commanded Moses.
32 And the booty, being the rest of the prey which the men of war had caught, was six hundred thousand and seventy thousand and five thousand sheep,
33 And threescore and twelve thousand beeves,
34 And threescore and one thousand asses,
35 And thirty and two thousand persons in all, of women that had not known man by lying with him.
36 And the half, which was the portion of them that went out to war, was in number three hundred thousand and seven and thirty thousand and five hundred sheep:
37 And the Lord’s tribute of the sheep was six hundred and threescore and fifteen.
38 And the beeves were thirty and six thousand; of which the Lord’s tribute was threescore and twelve.
39 And the asses were thirty thousand and five hundred; of which the Lord’s tribute was threescore and one.
40 And the persons were sixteen thousand; of which the Lord’s tribute was thirty and two persons.
41 And Moses gave the tribute, which was the Lord’s heave offering, unto Eleazar the priest, as the Lord commanded Moses.
42 And of the children of Israel’s half, which Moses divided from the men that warred,
43 (Now the half that pertained unto the congregation was three hundred thousand and thirty thousand and seven thousand and five hundred sheep,
44 And thirty and six thousand beeves,
45 And thirty thousand asses and five hundred,
46 And sixteen thousand persons;)
47 Even of the children of Israel’s half, Moses took one portion of fifty, both of man and of beast, and gave them unto the Levites, which kept the charge of the tabernacle of the Lord; as the Lord commanded Moses.
48 And the officers which were over thousands of the host, the captains of thousands, and captains of hundreds, came near unto Moses:
49 And they said unto Moses, Thy servants have taken the sum of the men of war which are under our charge, and there lacketh not one man of us.
50 We have therefore brought an oblation for the Lord, what every man hath gotten, of jewels of gold, chains, and bracelets, rings, earrings, and tablets, to make an atonement for our souls before the Lord.
51 And Moses and Eleazar the priest took the gold of them, even all wrought jewels.
52 And all the gold of the offering that they offered up to the Lord, of the captains of thousands, and of the captains of hundreds, was sixteen thousand seven hundred and fifty shekels.
53 (For the men of war had taken spoil, every man for himself.)
54 And Moses and Eleazar the priest took the gold of the captains of thousands and of hundreds, and brought it into the tabernacle of the congregation, for a memorial for the children of Israel before the Lord.
Numbers 31 (ASV)
1 And Jehovah spake unto Moses, saying,
2 Avenge the children of Israel of the Midianites: afterward shalt thou be gathered unto thy people.
3 And Moses spake unto the people, saying, Arm ye men from among you for the war, that they may go against Midian, to execute Jehovah’s vengeance on Midian.
4 Of every tribe a thousand, throughout all the tribes of Israel, shall ye send to the war.
5 So there were delivered, out of the thousands of Israel, a thousand of every tribe, twelve thousand armed for war.
6 And Moses sent them, a thousand of every tribe, to the war, them and Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest, to the war, with the vessels of the sanctuary and the trumpets for the alarm in his hand.
7 And they warred against Midian, as Jehovah commanded Moses; and they slew every male.
8 And they slew the kings of Midian with the rest of their slain: Evi, and Rekem, and Zur, and Hur, and Reba, the five kings of Midian: Balaam also the son of Beor they slew with the sword.
9 And the children of Israel took captive the women of Midian and their little ones; and all their cattle, and all their flocks, and all their goods, they took for a prey.
10 And all their cities in the places wherein they dwelt, and all their encampments, they burnt with fire.
11 And they took all the spoil, and all the prey, both of man and of beast.
12 And they brought the captives, and the prey, and the spoil, unto Moses, and unto Eleazar the priest, and unto the congregation of the children of Israel, unto the camp at the plains of Moab, which are by the Jordan at Jericho.
13 And Moses, and Eleazar the priest, and all the princes of the congregation, went forth to meet them without the camp.
14 And Moses was wroth with the officers of the host, the captains of thousands and the captains of hundreds, who came from the service of the war.
15 And Moses said unto them, Have ye saved all the women alive?
16 Behold, these caused the children of Israel, through the counsel of Balaam, to commit trespass against Jehovah in the matter of Peor, and so the plague was among the congregation of Jehovah.
17 Now therefore kill every male among the little ones, and kill every woman that hath known man by lying with him.
18 But all the women-children, that have not known man by lying with him, keep alive for yourselves.
19 And encamp ye without the camp seven days: whosoever hath killed any person, and whosoever hath touched any slain, purify yourselves on the third day and on the seventh day, ye and your captives.
20 And as to every garment, and all that is made of skin, and all work of goats’ hair, and all things made of wood, ye shall purify yourselves.
21 And Eleazar the priest said unto the men of war that went to the battle, This is the statute of the law which Jehovah hath commanded Moses:
22 howbeit the gold, and the silver, the brass, the iron, the tin, and the lead,
23 everything that may abide the fire, ye shall make to go through the fire, and it shall be clean; nevertheless it shall be purified with the water for impurity: and all that abideth not the fire ye shall make to go through the water.
24 And ye shall wash your clothes on the seventh day, and ye shall be clean; and afterward ye shall come into the camp.
25 And Jehovah spake unto Moses, saying,
26 Take the sum of the prey that was taken, both of man and of beast, thou, and Eleazar the priest, and the heads of the fathers’ houses of the congregation;
27 and divide the prey into two parts: between the men skilled in war, that went out to battle, and all the congregation.
28 And levy a tribute unto Jehovah of the men of war that went out to battle: one soul of five hundred, both of the persons, and of the oxen, and of the asses, and of the flocks:
29 take it of their half, and give it unto Eleazar the priest, for Jehovah’s heave-offering.
30 And of the children of Israel’s half, thou shalt take one drawn out of every fifty, of the persons, of the oxen, of the asses, and of the flocks, even of all the cattle, and give them unto the Levites, that keep the charge of the tabernacle of Jehovah.
31 And Moses and Eleazar the priest did as Jehovah commanded Moses.
32 Now the prey, over and above the booty which the men of war took, was six hundred thousand and seventy thousand and five thousand sheep,
33 and threescore and twelve thousand oxen,
34 and threescore and one thousand asses,
35 and thirty and two thousand persons in all, of the women that had not known man by lying with him.
36 And the half, which was the portion of them that went out to war, was in number three hundred thousand and thirty thousand and seven thousand and five hundred sheep:
37 and Jehovah’s tribute of the sheep was six hundred and threescore and fifteen.
38 And the oxen were thirty and six thousand; of which Jehovah’s tribute was threescore and twelve.
39 And the asses were thirty thousand and five hundred; of which Jehovah’s tribute was threescore and one.
40 And the persons were sixteen thousand; of whom Jehovah’s tribute was thirty and two persons.
41 And Moses gave the tribute, which was Jehovah’s heave-offering, unto Eleazar the priest, as Jehovah commanded Moses.
42 And of the children of Israel’s half, which Moses divided off from the men that warred
43 (now the congregation’s half was three hundred thousand and thirty thousand, seven thousand and five hundred sheep,
44 and thirty and six thousand oxen,
45 and thirty thousand and five hundred asses,
46 and sixteen thousand persons),
47 even of the children of Israel’s half, Moses took one drawn out of every fifty, both of man and of beast, and gave them unto the Levites, that kept the charge of the tabernacle of Jehovah; as Jehovah commanded Moses.
48 And the officers that were over the thousands of the host, the captains of thousands, and the captains of hundreds, came near unto Moses;
49 and they said unto Moses, Thy servants have taken the sum of the men of war that are under our charge, and there lacketh not one man of us.
50 And we have brought Jehovah’s oblation, what every man hath gotten, of jewels of gold, ankle-chains, and bracelets, signet-rings, ear-rings, and armlets, to make atonement for our souls before Jehovah.
51 And Moses and Eleazar the priest took the gold of them, even all wrought jewels.
52 And all the gold of the heave-offering that they offered up to Jehovah, of the captains of thousands, and of the captains of hundreds, was sixteen thousand seven hundred and fifty shekels.
53 (For the men of war had taken booty, every man for himself.)
54 And Moses and Eleazar the priest took the gold of the captains of thousands and of hundreds, and brought it into the tent of meeting, for a memorial for the children of Israel before Jehovah.
Summary
Yahweh tells Moses to avenge Israel on the Midianites, after which he will be gathered to his people. A thousand men from each tribe, twelve thousand armed for war, go out under Phinehas with the holy vessels and the trumpets, and they defeat Midian, killing its kings and also Balaam, whose counsel had led Israel into sin at Peor. The soldiers return with captives and plunder, but Moses is angry to find the women who had seduced Israel spared, since it was through them that the plague came. He gives sober commands, then directs that everyone who fought or touched the slain remain outside the camp seven days for purification, and that the metal spoil be passed through fire and the water for impurity to be cleansed. The plunder is carefully counted and divided in two between the soldiers and the congregation, with a tribute levied for the Lord from each portion, given to Eleazar and to the Levites. Finally the officers report that not one of their men was lost in battle, and in gratitude they bring all the gold they had taken as an offering to make atonement for their souls, which Moses places in the Tent of Meeting as a memorial before Yahweh. The chapter sobers us with the cost of sin and warfare while showing God's people responding to deliverance with thanksgiving and worship.
Main Characters
- Moses — Israel's leader who directs the campaign against Midian, calls for purification, and oversees the just division of the spoil.
- Phinehas — The priest who leads the army with the holy vessels and trumpets, carrying forward his earlier zeal against the sin of Peor.
- Eleazar the priest — The high priest who instructs the soldiers in the law of purification and receives the Lord's tribute from the spoil.
- Balaam — The diviner whose counsel had ensnared Israel at Peor, now killed among the Midianites by the sword.
Key Verse
Numbers 31:50 (WEB)
We have brought Yahweh’s offering, what every man has gotten, of jewels of gold, armlets, and bracelets, signet rings, earrings, and necklaces, to make atonement for our souls before Yahweh.”
Lessons Learned
- Sin that leads others astray carries a heavy reckoning before a holy God.
- God's people are to be kept distinct and purified, even in the aftermath of conflict.
- What belongs to the Lord must be set apart first, before what is shared among the people.
- Deliverance and preservation should move us to grateful worship and offering.
- The recognition that we need atonement remains, even in victory.
- Seduction into sin is judged. The reckoning with Midian recalls how “these caused the children of Israel… to commit trespass against Yahweh in the matter of Peor” (Numbers 31:16, WEB). Leading others into sin is no small thing before God.
- God's people pursue purity. Soldiers and spoil alike must be cleansed and purified before returning to the camp (Numbers 31:19-24, WEB). Holiness is to mark God's people even after battle.
- The Lord's portion comes first. A tribute is levied “to Yahweh” from both the soldiers' and the people's share (Numbers 31:28-30, WEB). God's claim on what he gives is honored before anything else.
- Gratitude responds with offering. Having lost not one man, the officers bring gold “to make atonement for our souls before Yahweh” (Numbers 31:50, WEB). Preservation moves the grateful heart to worship.
- Why does God direct this reckoning with Midian, and how does it connect to the events at Peor in chapter 25?
- What is the significance of the elaborate purification required of the soldiers and the spoil?
- Why is a tribute set apart for the Lord before the rest of the plunder is divided?
- How do the officers respond to discovering that not one of their men was lost, and what does this teach us?
- How do you respond when God preserves or delivers you—do you pause to give thanks and to honor him?
- Midian had deliberately drawn Israel into idolatry and immorality through the counsel of Balaam, bringing the plague at Peor (31:16; 25:1-9, 16-18). The campaign is presented as God's reckoning with those who led his people into deadly sin. It underscores how seriously God regards the corruption of his people. This is a sobering, difficult chapter; help the group hold it within the whole canon and the holiness of God.
- Even a war fought at God's command leaves the people needing cleansing; contact with death and the spoil rendered them unclean (31:19-24). The purification reminds Israel that they are a holy people who cannot simply absorb the ways and goods of the nations without being set apart to the Lord.
- Setting apart the Lord's tribute first acknowledges that the victory and the spoil came from him (31:28-30). Giving God the first portion confesses his ownership and provision before the people enjoy their share. It orders gratitude rightly—God first, then ourselves.
- Astonished that not a single man was missing, the officers bring all their gold as an atonement offering and act of thanks (31:48-50). Their response shows that genuine deliverance leads not to boasting but to humble, grateful worship that gives back to God.
- This is a personal-application question. Invite members to recall times God protected or rescued them and whether they paused to thank and honor him. As leader, encourage a habit of returning to God in gratitude, even amid life's harder and more sobering chapters.