1Hospodin promluvil k Mojžíšovi: 2Jistě pomsti syny Izraele na Midjáncích; potom budeš připojen ke svému lidu. 3Mojžíš promluvil k lidu: Vyzbrojte mezi sebou muže pro válečné tažení, aby padli na Midjánce a vykonali na Midjáncích Hospodinovu pomstu. 4Pošlete na válečné tažení vždy po tisíci mužích z pokolení za každé izraelské pokolení. 5Tak bylo vybráno z izraelských rodů tisíc za pokolení, dvanáct tisíc vojenských ozbrojenců. 6Mojžíš je poslal na válečné tažení, tisíc za pokolení, a s nimi Pinchasa, syna Eleazarova, jako kněze na válečném tažení, který s sebou měl posvátné předměty a poplašné trubky. 7Nato vytáhli do boje proti Midjáncům, jak přikázal Hospodin Mojžíšovi, a pobili všechny mužského pohlaví. 8Kromě jiných pobitých zabili midjánské krále Evího, Rekema, Súra, Chúra a Rebu a také Bileáma, syna Beórova, zabili mečem. 9Synové Izraele zajali midjánské ženy, jejich malé děti, všechen jejich dobytek i všechna jejich stáda a uloupili všechen jejich majetek. 10Všechna jejich města, v místech kde sídlili, a všechna jejich hradiště spálili ohněm. 11Pobrali všechnu kořist a všechen lup z lidí i z dobytka. 12Přivedli zajatce, lup a kořist k Mojžíšovi, ke knězi Eleazarovi a k pospolitosti synů Izraele do tábora v moábských stepích u Jordánu naproti Jerichu. 13Mojžíš, kněz Eleazar a všichni předáci pospolitosti jim vyšli naproti ven za tábor. 14Mojžíš se rozhněval na ustanovené nad vojskem, velitele nad tisíci a velitele nad sty, kteří přicházeli z válečného tažení. 15Mojžíš jim řekl: Vy jste nechali naživu všechny ženy? 16Vždyť to byly ony, kdo podle Bileámova slova podnítily syny Izraele k věrolomnosti vůči Hospodinu v Peórově záležitosti, takže na Hospodinovu pospolitost dopadla rána. 17Nyní proto zabijte všechny chlapce mezi dětmi a zabijte všechny ženy, které poznaly soulož s mužem. 18Všechny mladé ženy, které nepoznaly soulož s mužem, nechte naživu pro sebe. 19Vy pak se po sedm dní utábořte venku za táborem. Každý, kdo někoho zabil, a každý, kdo se dotkl zabitého, se bude třetího a sedmého dne očišťovat od hříchu, vy i vaši zajatci. 20Očistěte od hříchu všechny oděvy, všechny kožené předměty, vše vyrobené z kozí srsti a všechny dřevěné předměty. 21Kněz Eleazar řekl vojákům, kteří vytáhli do boje: Toto je ustanovení zákona, které přikázal Hospodin Mojžíšovi: 22Ovšem zlato, stříbro, bronz, železo, cín a olovo, 23všechny věci, které procházejí ohněm, provedete ohněm a budou čisté; avšak musí být očištěny od hříchu očistnou vodou. Všechno, co neprochází ohněm, provedete vodou. 24Sedmého dne vyperete šaty a budete čistí. Potom smíte vejít do tábora. 25Hospodin řekl Mojžíšovi: 26Ty s knězem Eleazarem a s předáky rodů pospolitosti učiň soupis zajatého lupu, lidí i dobytka 27a rozděl lup mezi ty, kteří se zapojili do boje a vytáhli na válečné tažení, a mezi celou pospolitost. 28Vyber dávku pro Hospodina: Od bojovníků, kteří vytáhli na válečné tažení, po jednom z pěti set — z lidí, ze skotu, z oslů a z ovcí; 29vezměte to z jejich poloviny a dej to knězi Eleazarovi jako Hospodinův dar pozdvihování. 30A z té poloviny pro syny Izraele vezmi po jednom z padesáti, z lidí, ze skotu, z oslů a z ovcí, ze všeho dobytka, a dej to Lévijcům, kteří konají službu v Hospodinově příbytku. 31Mojžíš a kněz Eleazar učinili tak, jak přikázal Hospodin Mojžíšovi. 32Zbytek lupu z kořisti, kterou ukořistil válečný lid, byl: šest set sedmdesát pět tisíc ovcí, 33sedmdesát dva tisíc býků, 34šedesát jeden tisíc oslů 35a lidí, žen, které nepoznaly soulož s mužem, celkem třicet dva tisíc. 36Poloviční podíl těch, kteří vytáhli na válečné tažení, byl tento počet: tři sta třicet sedm tisíc pět set ovcí 37a dávka z ovcí pro Hospodina byla šest sto sedmdesát pět; 38býků bylo třicet šest tisíc a dávka z nich pro Hospodina sedmdesát dva; 39oslů bylo třicet tisíc pět set a dávka z nich pro Hospodina šedesát jeden; 40lidí bylo šestnáct tisíc a dávka z nich pro Hospodina byla třicet dva. 41Mojžíš dal dávku jako Hospodinův dar pozdvihování knězi Eleazarovi tak, jak přikázal Hospodin Mojžíšovi. 42Z poloviny pro syny Izraele, kterou Mojžíš oddělil od části pro muže, kteří vytáhli do boje 43— tato polovina pro pospolitost byla: tři sta třicet sedm tisíc pět set ovcí, 44třicet šest tisíc býků, 45třicet tisíc pět set oslů 46a šestnáct tisíc lidí 47— z této poloviny pro syny Izraele vzal Mojžíš po jednom z padesáti, z lidí i z dobytka, a dal to Lévijcům, kteří konají službu v Hospodinově příbytku, tak jak přikázal Hospodin Mojžíšovi. 48Ustanovení, kteří byli nad vojenskými oddíly, velitelé nad tisíci a velitelé nad sty, přistoupili k Mojžíšovi 49a řekli Mojžíšovi: Tvoji otroci učinili soupis bojovníků, kteří jsou pod naším velením, a nikdo z nás nechybí. 50Přinesli jsme Hospodinův obětní dar, každý to, co našel: zlaté předměty, spony a náramky, pečetní prsteny, náušnice a řetízky k vykonání obřadu smíření za nás před Hospodinem. 51Mojžíš a kněz Eleazar od nich vzali to zlato, všelijaké umně vyrobené předměty. 52Všechno zlato od velitelů nad tisíci a velitelů nad sty, které přinesli jako dar pozdvihování Hospodinu, vážilo šestnáct tisíc sedm set padesát šekelů. 53Vojáci loupili každý pro sebe. 54Mojžíš a kněz Eleazar vzali to zlato od velitelů nad tisíci a nad sty a přinesli ho do stanu setkávání jako připomínku synů Izraele před Hospodinem.
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.
