1Jahve promluvil k Mojžíšovi a řekl: 2„Naplň pomstu Izraelitů na Madianitech. Pak budeš přibrán ke svým příbuzným.“ 3Mojžíš promluvil k lidu takto: „Ať se někteří z vás vyzbrojí k Jahvovu tažení proti Madianu, aby se Madianu splatila mzda Jahvovy pomsty. 4Vypravíte do pole tisíc mužů za každý izraelský kmen.“ 5Ty tisíce z Izraele, po tisíci na kmen, poskytly dvanáct tisíc mužů vyzbrojených k tažení. 6Mojžíš je vypravil do pole, po tisíci za kmen, a připojil k nim syna kněze Eleazara Pinchase s posvátnými předměty a trubkami k pokřikům. 7Podnikli tažení proti Madianu, jak to Jahve nařídil Mojžíšovi, a zabili všechny mužského pohlaví. 8Kromě toho zabili krále Madianu Eviho, Rekema, Sura, Chura a Rebu, pět madianských králů: rovněž zabili mečem Beorova syna Balaama. 9Izraelité odvedli do zajetí ženy Madianitů s jejich malými dětmi, uloupili všechen jejich dobytek, všechna jejich stáda a všechen jejich majetek. 10Zapálili města, která oni obývali, a také jejich tábořiště. 11Pak vzali všechnu svou kořist, vše, co zajali, zvířata i lidi, 12přivedli zajatce, lup i kořist Mojžíšovi a knězi Eleazarovi a celé obci Izraelitů až do tábora v moabských stepích, které leží u Jordánu poblíž Jericha. 13Mojžíš, kněz Eleazar a všechna knížata obce jim vyšli z tábora vstříc. 14Mojžíš se rozhněval na vojevůdce, náčelníky tisíců a náčelníky stovek, kteří se vraceli z té válečné výpravy. 15Řekl jim: „Proč jste nechali naživu všechny ženy? 16Ony byly na Balaamovu radu pro Izraelity příčinou nevěry vůči Jahvovi ve věci Peoru. Odtud ta pohroma, jež řádila v Jahvově obci. 17Zabijte tedy všechny děti mužského pohlaví. Zabijte také všechny ženy, které poznaly muže a sdílely jeho lože. 18Nechte naživu jen malé dívky, které nesdílely mužovo lože, a ty ať jsou vaše. 19A vy, kteří jste někoho zabili nebo jste se dotkli nějaké mrtvoly, tábořte sedm dní mimo tábor. Třetího a sedmého dne očistěte sebe i své zajatce; 20očistěte také veškerý oděv, všechny kožené předměty, všechny tkaniny z kozí srsti, všechny dřevěné předměty.“ 21Kněz Eleazar řekl bojovníkům, kteří se vraceli z onoho tažení: „Hle, článek Zákona, jejž Jahve předepsal Mojžíšovi. 22Ale zlato, stříbro, bronz, železo, cín, olovo, 23vše, co může vejít do ohně, necháte projít ohněm a bude to čisté; ale očištěno to bude teprve očistnými vodami. A vše, co nemůže vejít do ohně, ponoříte do vody.“ 24Sedmého dne si vyperete oděv a budete čistí. Potom se smíte navrátit do tábora. 25Jahve promluvil k Mojžíšovi a řekl: 26„Spolu s knězem Eleazarem a náčelníky rodin obce spočti lup a zajatce, lidi i zvířata. 27Potom rozdělíš lup na polovinu mezi bojovníky, kteří podnikli tažení, a celek obce. 28Jako dávku pro Jahva vyzdvihneš z podílu bojovníků, kteří podnikli tažení, po jednom z pěti set z lidí, ze skotu, z oslů i z bravu. 29Vezmeš to z té poloviny, která jim připadá, a dáš to knězi Eleazarovi jako vyzdvižení pro Jahva. 30Z poloviny, která připadá Izraelitům, vezmeš po jednom z padesáti z lidí, ze skotu, z oslů a z bravu, ze všech zvířat, a dáš to Leviovcům, kteří mají na starosti Jahvův Příbytek.“ 31Mojžíš a kněz Eleazar udělali, jak to Jahve přikázal Mojžíšovi. 32A lup, zbytek kořisti, kterou uloupil oddíl, jenž vytáhl do pole, obnášel šest set sedmdesát pět tisíc kusů bravu, 33sedmdesát dva tisíce kusů skotu, 34šedesát jeden tisíc oslů, 35a pokud šlo o lidi, o ženy, které nesdílely mužovo lože, celkem třicet dva tisíce osob. 36Polovina z toho byla přidělena těm, kteří podnikli tažení, tedy tři sta třicet sedm tisíc pět set kusů bravu, 37z toho šest set sedmdesát pět jako dávka pro Jahva, 38třicet šest tisíc kusů skotu, z toho sedmdesát dva jako dávka pro Jahva, 39třicet tisíc pět set oslů, z toho šedesát jeden jako dávka pro Jahva, 40a šestnáct tisíc osob, z toho třicet dvě jako dávka pro Jahva. 41Mojžíš dal dávku vyzdviženou pro Jahva knězi Eleazarovi, jak to Jahve nařídil Mojžíšovi. 42Pokud jde o polovinu, která připadla Izraelitům a kterou Mojžíš oddělil od poloviny bojovníků, 43tato polovina, podíl obce, obnášela tři sta třicet sedm tisíc pět set kusů bravu, 44třicet šest tisíc kusů skotu, 45třicet tisíc pět set oslů 46a šestnáct tisíc osob. 47Z této poloviny, podílu Izraelitů, vzal Mojžíš po jednom z padesáti z lidí i ze zvířat a dal je Leviovcům, kteří mají na starosti Jahvův Příbytek, jak to Jahve nařídil Mojžíšovi. 48Velitelé tisíců, které podnikly tažení, náčelníci tisíců a náčelníci stovek, přišli za Mojžíšem 49a řekli mu: „Tví služebníci sečetli bojovníky, jež měli pod sebou; ani jeden z nich nechybí. 50Proto každý přinášíme jako obětní dar Jahvovi, co jsme našli ze zlatých věcí, náramky na paže a na zápěstí, prsteny, náušnice, pektorály, to nám poslouží jako usmíření před Jahvem.“ 51Mojžíš a kněz Eleazar od nich to zlato, všechny ty šperky, přijali. 52Toto vyzdvižení zlata od náčelníků tisíců a náčelníků stovek, které vykonali pro Jahva, vyneslo celkem šestnáct tisíc sedm set padesát šekelů. 53Každý bojovník měl svou vlastní kořist pro sebe. 54Ale Mojžíš a kněz Eleazar přijali zlato od náčelníků tisíců a náčelníků stovek a přinesli je do Stanu setkávání, aby bylo připomínkou Izraelitů před Jahvem.
Jamieson Fausset Brown Bible Commentary 1 THE MIDIANITES SPOILED AND BALAAM SLAIN. (Num. 31:1-54)
the Lord spake unto Moses, Avenge the children of Israel of the Midianites--a semi-nomad people, descended from Abraham and Keturah, occupying a tract of country east and southeast of Moab, which lay on the eastern coast of the Dead Sea. They seem to have been the principal instigators of the infamous scheme of seduction, planned to entrap the Israelites into the double crime of idolatry and licentiousness [
Num 25:1-
Num 25:3,
Num 25:17-
Num 25:18] by which, it was hoped, the Lord would withdraw from that people the benefit of His protection and favor. Moreover, the Midianites had rendered themselves particularly obnoxious by entering into a hostile league with the Amorites (
Josh 13:21). The Moabites were at this time spared in consideration of Lot (
Deut 2:9) and because the measure of their iniquities was not yet full. God spoke of avenging "the children of Israel" [
Num 31:2]; Moses spoke of avenging the Lord [
Num 31:3], as dishonor had been done to God and an injury inflicted on His people. The interests were identical. God and His people have the same cause, the same friends, and the same assailants. This, in fact, was a religious war, undertaken by the express command of God against idolaters, who had seduced the Israelites to practise their abominations.
3 Arm some of yourselves--This order was issued but a short time before the death of Moses. The announcement to him of that approaching event [
Num 31:2] seems to have accelerated, rather than retarded, his warlike preparations.
5 there were delivered--that is, drafted, chosen, an equal amount from each tribe, to prevent the outbreak of mutual jealousy or strife. Considering the numerical force of the enemy, this was a small quota to furnish. But the design was to exercise their faith and animate them to the approaching invasion of Canaan.
6 Moses sent . . . Eleazar the priest, to the war--Although it is not expressly mentioned, it is highly probable that Joshua was the general who conducted this war. The presence of the priest, who was always with the army (
Deut 20:2), was necessary to preside over the Levites, who accompanied the expedition, and to inflame the courage of the combatants by his sacred services and counsels.
holy instruments--As neither the ark nor the Urim and Thummim were carried to the battlefield till a later period in the history of Israel, the "holy instruments" must mean the "trumpets" (
Num 10:9). And this view is agreeable to the text, by simply changing "and" into "even," as the Hebrew particle is frequently rendered.
7 they slew all the males--This was in accordance with a divine order in all such cases (
Deut 20:13). But the destruction appears to have been only partial--limited to those who were in the neighborhood of the Hebrew camp and who had been accomplices in the villainous plot of Baal-peor (
Num 25:1-
Num 25:3), while a large portion of the Midianites were absent on their pastoral wanderings or had saved themselves by flight. (Compare
Judg 6:1).
8 the kings of Midian--so called, because each was possessed of absolute power within his own city or district; called also dukes or princes of Sihon (
Josh 13:21), having been probably subject to that Amorite ruler, as it is not uncommon in the East to find a number of governors or pachas tributary to one great king.
Zur--father of Cozbi (
Num 25:15).
Balaam also . . . they slew with the sword--This unprincipled man, on his dismissal from Balak, set out for his home in Mesopotamia (
Num 24:25). But, either diverging from his way to tamper with the Midianites, he remained among them without proceeding farther, to incite them against Israel and to watch the effects of his wicked counsel; or, learning in his own country that the Israelites had fallen into the snare which he had laid and which he doubted not would lead to their ruin, he had, under the impulse of insatiable greed, returned to demand his reward from the Midianites. He was an object of merited vengeance. In the immense slaughter of the Midianitish people--in the capture of their women, children, and property and in the destruction of all their places of refuge--the severity of a righteous God fell heavily on that base and corrupt race. But, more than all others, Balaam deserved and got the just reward of his deeds. His conduct had been atrociously sinful, considering the knowledge he possessed, and the revelations he had received, of the will of God. For any one in his circumstances to attempt defeating the prophecies he had himself been the organ of uttering, and plotting to deprive the chosen people of the divine favor and protection, was an act of desperate wickedness, which no language can adequately characterize.
13 Moses, and Eleazar the priest, . . . went forth to meet them without the camp--partly as a token of respect and congratulation on their victory, partly to see how they had executed the Lord's commands, and partly to prevent the defilement of the camp by the entrance of warriors stained with blood.
14 And Moses was wroth with the officers of the host--The displeasure of the great leader, though it appears the ebullition of a fierce and sanguinary temper, arose in reality from a pious and enlightened regard to the best interests of Israel. No order had been given for the slaughter of the women, and in ancient war they were commonly reserved for slaves. By their antecedent conduct, however, the Midianitish women had forfeited all claims to mild or merciful treatment; and the sacred character, the avowed object of the war (
Num 31:2-
Num 31:3), made their slaughter necessary without any special order. But why "kill every male among the little ones"? It was designed to be a war of extermination, such as God Himself had ordered against the people of Canaan, whom the Midianites equalled in the enormity of their wickedness.
19 abide without the camp seven days: whosoever hath killed any person . . . purify both yourselves and your captives--Though the Israelites had taken the field in obedience to the command of God, they had become defiled by contact with the dead. A process of purification was to be undergone, as the law required (
Lev 15:13;
Num 19:9-
Num 19:12), and this purifying ceremony was extended to dress, houses, tents, to everything on which a dead body had lain, which had been touched by the blood-stained hands of the Israelitish warriors, or which had been the property of idolaters. This became a standing ordinance in all time coming (
Lev 6:28;
Lev 11:33;
Lev 15:12).
25 Take the sum of the prey that was taken--that is, of the captives and cattle, which, having been first lumped together according to ancient usage (
Exod 15:9;
Judg 5:30), were divided into two equal parts: the one to the people at large, who had sustained a common injury from the Midianites and who were all liable to serve: and the other portion to the combatants, who, having encountered the labors and perils of war, justly received the largest share. From both parts, however, a certain deduction was taken for the sanctuary, as a thank offering to God for preservation and for victory. The soldiers had greatly the advantage in the distribution; for a five-hundredth part only of their half went to the priest, while a fiftieth part of the congregation's half was given to the Levites.
32 the booty, being the rest of the prey which the men of war had caught--Some of the captives having been killed (
Num 31:17) and part of the cattle taken for the support of the army, the total amount of the booty remaining was in the following proportions:
Prey Total Amount Half to Soldiers Deducted to God Half to Congregation Deducted to Levites
Sheep 675,000 337,500 675 337,500 6,750
Beeves 72,000 36,000 72 36,000 720
Asses 61,000 30,500 61 30,500 610
Persons 32,000 16,000 32 16,000 320
48 officers . . . said . . . there lacketh not one man of us--A victory so signal, and the glory of which was untarnished by the loss of a single Israelitish soldier, was an astonishing miracle. So clearly betokening the direct interposition of Heaven, it might well awaken the liveliest feelings of grateful acknowledgment to God (
Ps 44:2-
Ps 44:3). The oblation they brought for the Lord "was partly an atonement" or reparation for their error (
Num 31:14-
Num 31:16), for it could not possess any expiatory virtue, and partly a tribute of gratitude for the stupendous service rendered them. It consisted of the "spoil," which, being the acquisition of individual valor, was not divided like the "prey," or livestock, each soldier retaining it in lieu of pay; it was offered by the "captains" alone, whose pious feelings were evinced by the dedication of the spoil which fell to their share. There were jewels to the amount of 16,750 shekels, equal to Ł87,869 16s. 5d. sterling.