Numbers Chapter 31
Vengeance on Midian
A. The command to destroy the Midianites and its fulfillment.
1. (Numbers 31:1–2) God commands Israel to take vengeance on the Midianites.
“And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, Take vengeance on the Midianites for the children of Israel. Afterward you shall be gathered to your people.”
a. Take vengeance on the Midianites:
The Midianites were a nomadic people who often roamed throughout the deserts of Sinai, the Negev, and the Transjordan. They were at times associated with Moab, particularly in this context, where they had united with the Moabites to entice Israel into sin. This command for vengeance came directly from the Lord as retribution for their role in leading Israel into sexual immorality and idolatry through the counsel of Balaam, as recorded in Numbers 25.
The Midianites had struck at the heart of Israel’s covenant relationship with God, and their attack was not military but moral and spiritual. By corrupting Israel through idolatry and immorality, they provoked divine wrath, and this campaign was the Lord’s judgment executed through His people.
b. Take vengeance:
The concept of vengeance is often misunderstood, as it seems contrary to the loving nature of God. However, divine vengeance is not an act of personal spite or uncontrolled anger; it is the outworking of God’s perfect justice. The Scriptures affirm that vengeance belongs to God alone.
As it is written in Deuteronomy 32:35, “Vengeance is Mine, and recompense; their foot shall slip in due time; for the day of their calamity is at hand, and the things to come hasten upon them.” Likewise, Romans 12:19 declares, “Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, ‘Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,’ says the Lord.”
God’s vengeance is not driven by cruelty but by holiness. It ensures that evil is punished and righteousness is vindicated. The evil comes when men take vengeance into their own hands. In Israel’s case, they were commanded to act as instruments of God’s justice, a role unique to them as a theocratic nation. No believer today is authorized to act in that capacity, as the Church is not a theocracy but the spiritual Body of Christ. Today, God has ordained civil government as His minister of justice:
“For he is God’s minister to you for good. But if you do evil, be afraid; for he does not bear the sword in vain; for he is God’s minister, an avenger to execute wrath on him who practices evil” (Romans 13:4).
Therefore, when lawful authorities execute justice against wrongdoing, it is not inconsistent with God’s nature but an extension of His ordained order.
c. Afterward you shall be gathered:
The Lord told Moses that this campaign would precede his death: “Afterward you shall be gathered to your people.” This statement reveals that Moses’ death was imminent but not immediate. God, in His mercy, prepared Moses for his departure. Being “gathered to your people” signifies more than burial; it reflects the continued existence of the soul beyond death. Moses would soon join Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the place of the righteous dead, awaiting the resurrection promised by God.
2. (Numbers 31:3–5) Moses organizes the army to battle Midian.
“So Moses spoke to the people, saying, Arm some of yourselves for war, and let them go against the Midianites to take vengeance for the Lord on Midian. A thousand from each tribe of all the tribes of Israel you shall send to the war. So there were recruited from the divisions of Israel one thousand from each tribe, twelve thousand armed for war.”
Moses relayed God’s command with urgency and precision. The number of men sent—one thousand from each tribe—symbolized unity among the twelve tribes of Israel. The battle was not for personal gain but as an act of vengeance “for the Lord.” The emphasis on vengeance being “for the Lord” clarifies that this was divine retribution, not human revenge.
The army, though relatively small compared to Israel’s total population, went forth under divine commission. Their victory would not depend on military size or strategy but on obedience to the Word of God. This army was not simply avenging their nation but defending God’s holiness and the purity of His people.
3. (Numbers 31:6–11) The battle fought, Midian defeated, and spoil taken.
“Then Moses sent them to the war, one thousand from each tribe; he sent them to the war with Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest, with the holy articles and the signal trumpets in his hand. And they warred against the Midianites, just as the Lord commanded Moses, and they killed all the males. They killed the kings of Midian with the rest of those who were killed: Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur, and Reba, the five kings of Midian. Balaam the son of Beor they also killed with the sword. And the children of Israel took the women of Midian captive, with their little ones, and took as spoil all their cattle, all their flocks, and all their goods. They also burned with fire all the cities where they dwelt, and all their forts. And they took all the spoil and all the booty; of man and beast.”
a. He sent them to war with Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest, with the holy articles and the signal trumpets in his hand:
Phinehas, the zealous priest who had previously turned back God’s wrath in Numbers 25 by slaying Zimri and the Midianite woman, again led with courage and faith. His presence ensured that the battle was conducted under the authority and holiness of God. The “holy articles” likely included elements of the tabernacle, perhaps the silver trumpets mentioned in Numbers 10:8–10, which were used to signal divine movement and victory. This illustrates that the battle was not merely military but sacred, fought under God’s banner.
b. And they warred against the Midianites:
The Israelites executed the command precisely “as the Lord commanded Moses.” All the males were slain, as was the custom of warfare in that era, and the women and children were taken captive. The destruction of the Midianite strongholds and the seizure of their livestock and goods fulfilled the complete divine judgment. The burning of their cities symbolized total eradication of their corrupting influence.
c. Balaam the son of Beor they also killed with the sword:
This brief statement carries immense weight. Balaam, who once appeared as a prophet for hire, met the end he had earned. Despite his knowledge of the true God, he counseled the Midianites to corrupt Israel for profit, revealing a heart that valued money over righteousness. His death fulfilled divine justice.
Jude 1:11 warns believers against “the error of Balaam for profit,” referring to those who compromise God’s truth for material gain. Likewise, 2 Peter 2:15 condemns those “who have forsaken the right way and gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Beor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness.” Balaam desired to “die the death of the righteous” (Numbers 23:10), yet he had no desire to live the life of the righteous. In the end, he perished with the enemies of God, a stark warning that worldly gain obtained at the expense of truth always leads to ruin.
B. The Division of the Spoil
1. (Numbers 31:12–20) Moses is angry when Israel keeps the women of Midian following the attack against Midian.
“Then they brought the captives, the booty, and the spoil to Moses, to Eleazar the priest, and to the congregation of the children of Israel, to the camp in the plains of Moab by the Jordan, across from Jericho. And Moses, Eleazar the priest, and all the leaders of the congregation, went to meet them outside the camp. But Moses was angry with the officers of the army, with the captains over thousands and captains over hundreds, who had come from the battle. And Moses said to them: Have you kept all the women alive? Look, these women caused the children of Israel, through the counsel of Balaam, to trespass against the Lord in the incident of Peor, and there was a plague among the congregation of the Lord. Now therefore, kill every male among the little ones, and kill every woman who has known a man intimately. But keep alive for yourselves all the young girls who have not known a man intimately. And as for you, remain outside the camp seven days; whoever has killed any person, and whoever has touched any slain, purify yourselves and your captives on the third day and on the seventh day. Purify every garment, everything made of leather, everything woven of goats’ hair, and everything made of wood.”
a. Have you kept the women alive?
Moses’ anger was righteous, for the soldiers had spared the very women who had previously caused Israel’s downfall at Peor. These women were responsible for leading Israel into both sexual immorality and idolatry through Balaam’s treacherous counsel. Moses understood that sparing them placed Israel at risk of repeating the same sin. Their mercy toward the wrong people revealed a blindness to spiritual danger.
This shows that sin, especially that which is seductive and spiritually corrupting, must be dealt with decisively. The most dangerous enemies of God’s people are not always external armies but the subtle temptations that weaken spiritual integrity. Proverbs 5:3–5 warns, “For the lips of an immoral woman drip honey, and her mouth is smoother than oil; but in the end she is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a two-edged sword. Her feet go down to death, her steps lay hold of hell.” Israel’s sin with the Midianite women had already brought devastating consequences, including the death of twenty-four thousand by plague (Numbers 25:9). Moses was determined that such corruption would not be allowed to threaten them again.
i. Christians are often deceived by things that appear harmless but are spiritually destructive. Just as Israel viewed these women as non-threatening, believers today can tolerate influences that slowly draw them away from God — immoral entertainment, idolatrous pursuits, or worldly ideologies. These are more dangerous than external persecution because they erode holiness from within.
ii. While many Christians focus on external threats such as government oppression or cultural hostility, the true danger often lies in the compromise tolerated within the Church. The Apostle Paul warned in 2 Corinthians 6:14–17, “Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness?... Therefore, Come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord.” The corruption tolerated within God’s people destroys purity faster than any outside attack.
b. Keep alive for yourselves all the young girls who have not known a man intimately:
Those who had not participated in the sexual immorality and idolatry were spared. This distinction was both moral and practical. The young girls represented innocence and the potential for a new beginning, free from the spiritual corruption that had defined the Midianite women who seduced Israel.
c. Every male among the little ones:
Even the male children were to be put to death. Though harsh to modern sensibilities, this command reflected the realities of ancient warfare. In that culture, young males would grow up with the obligation to avenge their fathers’ deaths and perpetuate Midian’s idolatrous culture. If left alive, they would one day rise against Israel. God’s command ensured that Midian’s sin and hostility toward Him would not revive in another generation.
d. Purify every garment, everything made of leather, everything woven of goats’ hair, and everything made of wood:
Everything that came from the Midianites had to be cleansed. This extended to personal belongings, garments, and goods. Purification was necessary before anything could be incorporated into the camp of Israel. Contact with death, bloodshed, and the pagan world required cleansing through ritual purification before reentering fellowship with God.
i. This principle carries over spiritually for believers today. Many desire to take the “spoils” of the world — such as music, art, literature, and technology — and use them for God’s purposes. This can be valuable when done with discernment, but it requires purification. Some things can be redeemed and used for the glory of God, while others cannot be cleansed and must be rejected. As 1 Thessalonians 5:21–22 teaches, “Test all things; hold fast what is good. Abstain from every form of evil.”
2. (Numbers 31:21–24) The purification of the spoil.
“Then Eleazar the priest said to the men of war who had gone to the battle, This is the ordinance of the law which the Lord commanded Moses: Only the gold, the silver, the bronze, the iron, the tin, and the lead, everything that can endure fire, you shall put through the fire, and it shall be clean; and it shall be purified with the water of purification. But all that cannot endure fire you shall put through water. And you shall wash your clothes on the seventh day and be clean, and afterward you may come into the camp.”
a. Everything that can endure fire, you shall put through the fire, and it shall be clean:
All the material spoil—metals, garments, and goods—had to be purified before it could be brought into the camp. Those items that could withstand fire were to be passed through fire as a means of cleansing. Fire, in Scripture, often symbolizes divine testing and purification. This ensured that nothing defiled or corrupted remained among the people of God.
b. Fire… and it shall be purified with the water of purification:
Those items that could not endure fire were to be purified through water, representing cleansing and renewal. God’s pattern for purification often involves both the fire of trials and the washing of His Word.
i. When God refines His people through suffering or discipline, it serves the same purpose as fire refining metal. Job expressed this truth when he said, “When He has tested me, I shall come forth as gold” (Job 23:10). Just as the refiner knows that gold is pure when he can see his reflection in it, so God continues refining His people until His image is clearly seen in them.
ii. The washing of water points to the sanctifying work of the Word of God. Ephesians 5:26 declares, “That He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word.” Through Scripture, the believer is continually cleansed from the defilement of the world and restored to holiness.
This process of purification—by fire and water—illustrates how God sanctifies His people. The trials of life and the ministry of the Word both serve the same divine purpose: to make His people clean and fit for His presence.
3. (Numbers 31:25–54) The spoil is divided among the soldiers and the nation at large.
“Now the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: Count up the plunder that was taken, of man and beast, you and Eleazar the priest and the chief fathers of the congregation, and divide the plunder into two parts, between those who took part in the war, who went out to battle, and all the congregation. And levy a tribute for the Lord on the men of war who went out to battle: one of every five hundred of the persons, the cattle, the donkeys, and the sheep; take it from their half, and give it to Eleazar the priest as a heave offering to the Lord. And from the children of Israel’s half you shall take one of every fifty, drawn from the persons, the cattle, the donkeys, and the sheep, from all the livestock, and give them to the Levites who keep charge of the tabernacle of the Lord. So Moses and Eleazar the priest did as the Lord commanded Moses. The booty remaining from the plunder, which the men of war had taken, was six hundred and seventy-five thousand sheep, seventy-two thousand cattle, sixty-one thousand donkeys, and thirty-two thousand persons in all, of women who had not known a man intimately. And the half, the portion for those who had gone out to war, was in number three hundred and thirty-seven thousand five hundred sheep, and the Lord’s tribute of the sheep was six hundred and seventy-five. The cattle were thirty-six thousand, of which the Lord’s tribute was seventy-two. The donkeys were thirty thousand five hundred, of which the Lord’s tribute was sixty-one. The persons were sixteen thousand, of which the Lord’s tribute was thirty-two persons. So Moses gave the tribute which was the Lord’s heave offering to Eleazar the priest, as the Lord commanded Moses. And from the children of Israel’s half, which Moses separated from the men who fought, now the half belonging to the congregation was three hundred and thirty-seven thousand five hundred sheep, thirty-six thousand cattle, thirty thousand five hundred donkeys, and sixteen thousand persons; and from the children of Israel’s half Moses took one of every fifty, drawn from man and beast, and gave them to the Levites, who kept charge of the tabernacle of the Lord, as the Lord commanded Moses. Then the officers who were over thousands of the army, the captains of thousands and captains of hundreds, came near to Moses; and they said to Moses, Your servants have taken a count of the men of war who are under our command, and not a man of us is missing. Therefore we have brought an offering for the Lord, what every man found of ornaments of gold: armlets and bracelets and signet rings and earrings and necklaces, to make atonement for ourselves before the Lord. So Moses and Eleazar the priest received the gold from them, all the fashioned ornaments. And all the gold of the offering that they offered to the Lord, from the captains of thousands and captains of hundreds, was sixteen thousand seven hundred and fifty shekels. (The men of war had taken spoil, every man for himself.) And Moses and Eleazar the priest received the gold from the captains of thousands and of hundreds, and brought it into the tabernacle of meeting as a memorial for the children of Israel before the Lord.”
a. Divide the plunder into two parts, between those who took part in the war, who went out to battle, and all the congregation:
After the victory over Midian, God commanded that the spoils of war be divided equally between the twelve thousand soldiers who went to battle and the rest of the nation who stayed behind. This was a remarkable and just arrangement, teaching the principle that all God’s people share in the blessings of victory, even if only some directly participate in the battle.
This same principle is echoed in 1 Samuel 30:24–25, when David declared, “For who will heed you in this matter? But as his part is who goes down to the battle, so shall his part be who stays by the supplies; they shall share alike.” God’s design prevents arrogance among the victorious and resentment among those who did not fight. It ensures unity and fairness within the covenant community.
In the ancient world, it was customary for the spoils of war to belong exclusively to the soldiers. But God’s command ensured that Israel would not become like the surrounding nations, whose armies often turned into marauding bands of looters. God’s people were not to be pirates but stewards, recognizing that all victory comes from Him.
The soldiers received their share, yet the congregation also benefited, showing that every Israelite shared in God’s blessing. This division also safeguarded against pride or covetousness, reminding them that it was not their might that brought victory, but the Lord’s hand. As Deuteronomy 8:17–18 warns, “Then you say in your heart, My power and the might of my hand have gained me this wealth. And you shall remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth.”
b. And levy a tribute for the Lord on the men of war who went out to battle:
God also required that a portion of the spoil be dedicated as a heave offering to Him. From the soldiers’ share, one out of every five hundred items — whether people, cattle, donkeys, or sheep — was to be given to Eleazar the priest. From the congregation’s share, one out of every fifty was to be given to the Levites, who served in maintaining the tabernacle.
This division demonstrated two key principles. First, even in triumph, Israel was reminded that all success belonged to God, and therefore, He must receive the first portion. Second, the act of giving to both the priesthood and the Levites supported the spiritual life of the nation. Those who ministered in holy things were provided for from the fruit of Israel’s victories, symbolizing that every earthly blessing must contribute to God’s glory and the upkeep of His service.
This offering to the Lord sanctified the victory. Even though the spoils were lawfully gained, they had to be consecrated through giving, so that the people would not grow greedy or forget that every victory came through divine favor.
c. Then the officers who were over thousands of the army… said to Moses, Your servants have taken a count of the men of war who are under our command, and not a man of us is missing:
This declaration was extraordinary. Out of twelve thousand men who went into battle, not one was lost. Such a result could only be attributed to divine protection. The officers recognized that the preservation of every soldier was a miraculous act of God, not human skill. Their gratitude led them to bring a voluntary offering to the Lord as thanksgiving.
d. Therefore we have brought an offering for the Lord, what every man found of ornaments of gold:
Each officer brought from his personal portion of the spoil — bracelets, earrings, armlets, and other gold ornaments — to make an atonement before the Lord. This was not atonement for sin in the sense of forgiveness, but an acknowledgment of God’s mercy and preservation in battle. The offering was a token of gratitude and humility before the Lord.
The total gold offered amounted to sixteen thousand seven hundred and fifty shekels, a significant quantity. This was given voluntarily and brought into the tabernacle as a memorial before the Lord, signifying both the faithfulness of God and the obedience of His people.
Even after judgment and war, God’s holiness remained central. The people’s gratitude and offering served as a continual reminder that every victory, every possession, and every life preserved must return in praise to Him. The spoils of battle were not to be consumed in self-glory, but consecrated for the worship of the Lord, reinforcing the truth expressed in Proverbs 3:9–10: “Honor the Lord with your possessions, and with the firstfruits of all your increase; so your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will overflow with new wine.”
