Numbers 31
Lutheran reading notes
In Numbers chapter 31, the story continues to develop the theme of Israel’s wilderness journey and preparation for the promised land. Lutheran interpretation often highlights how the events reveal humanity’s need for God’s grace and the reliability of God's promises. The chapter illustrates both the reality of human weakness and the faithfulness of God who works through history.
1
And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
Numbers 31:1 highlights pilgrimage and testing with emphasis on law, gospel, grace, and faith.
2
Avenge the children of Israel of the Midianites: afterward shalt thou be gathered unto thy people.
Numbers 31:2 highlights pilgrimage and testing with emphasis on law, gospel, grace, and faith.
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.
Numbers 31:3 highlights pilgrimage and testing with emphasis on law, gospel, grace, and faith.
4
Of every tribe a thousand, throughout all the tribes of Israel, shall ye send to the war. {Of...: Heb. A thousand of a tribe, a thousand of a tribe}
Numbers 31:4 highlights pilgrimage and testing with emphasis on law, gospel, grace, and faith.
5
So there were delivered out of the thousands of Israel, a thousand of {every} tribe, twelve thousand armed for war.
Numbers 31:5 highlights pilgrimage and testing with emphasis on law, gospel, grace, and faith.
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.
Numbers 31:6 highlights pilgrimage and testing with emphasis on law, gospel, grace, and faith.
7
And they warred against the Midianites, as the LORD commanded Moses; and they slew all the males.
Numbers 31:7 highlights pilgrimage and testing with emphasis on law, gospel, grace, and faith.
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.
Numbers 31:8 highlights pilgrimage and testing with emphasis on law, gospel, grace, and faith.
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.
Numbers 31:9 highlights pilgrimage and testing with emphasis on law, gospel, grace, and faith.
10
And they burnt all their cities wherein they dwelt, and all their goodly castles, with fire.
Numbers 31:10 highlights pilgrimage and testing with emphasis on law, gospel, grace, and faith.
11
And they took all the spoil, and all the prey, {both} of men and of beasts.
Numbers 31:11 highlights pilgrimage and testing with emphasis on law, gospel, grace, and faith.
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.
Numbers 31:12 highlights pilgrimage and testing with emphasis on law, gospel, grace, and faith.
13
And Moses, and Eleazar the priest, and all the princes of the congregation, went forth to meet them without the camp.
Numbers 31:13 highlights pilgrimage and testing with emphasis on law, gospel, grace, and faith.
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. {battle: Heb. host of war}
Numbers 31:14 highlights pilgrimage and testing with emphasis on law, gospel, grace, and faith.
15
And Moses said unto them, Have ye saved all the women alive?
Numbers 31:15 highlights pilgrimage and testing with emphasis on law, gospel, grace, and faith.
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.
Numbers 31:16 highlights pilgrimage and testing with emphasis on law, gospel, grace, and faith.
17
Now therefore kill every male among the little ones, and kill every woman that hath known man by lying with him. {him: Heb. a male}
Numbers 31:17 highlights pilgrimage and testing with emphasis on law, gospel, grace, and faith.
18
But all the women children, that have not known a man by lying with him, keep alive for yourselves.
Numbers 31:18 highlights pilgrimage and testing with emphasis on law, gospel, grace, and faith.
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.
Numbers 31:19 highlights pilgrimage and testing with emphasis on law, gospel, grace, and faith.
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. {that...: Heb. instrument, or, vessel of skins}
Numbers 31:20 highlights pilgrimage and testing with emphasis on law, gospel, grace, and faith.
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;
Numbers 31:21 highlights pilgrimage and testing with emphasis on law, gospel, grace, and faith.
22
Only the gold, and the silver, the brass, the iron, the tin, and the lead,
Numbers 31:22 highlights pilgrimage and testing with emphasis on law, gospel, grace, and faith.
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.
Numbers 31:24 highlights pilgrimage and testing with emphasis on law, gospel, grace, and faith.
25
And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
Numbers 31:25 highlights pilgrimage and testing with emphasis on law, gospel, grace, and faith.
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: {that...: Heb. of the captivity}
Numbers 31:26 highlights pilgrimage and testing with emphasis on law, gospel, grace, and faith.
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:
Numbers 31:27 highlights pilgrimage and testing with emphasis on law, gospel, grace, and faith.
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:
Numbers 31:28 highlights pilgrimage and testing with emphasis on law, gospel, grace, and faith.
29
Take {it} of their half, and give it unto Eleazar the priest, {for} an heave offering of the LORD.
Numbers 31:29 highlights pilgrimage and testing with emphasis on law, gospel, grace, and faith.
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. {flocks: or, goats}
31
And Moses and Eleazar the priest did as the LORD commanded Moses.
Numbers 31:31 highlights pilgrimage and testing with emphasis on law, gospel, grace, and faith.
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,
Numbers 31:32 highlights pilgrimage and testing with emphasis on law, gospel, grace, and faith.
33
And threescore and twelve thousand beeves,
Numbers 31:33 highlights pilgrimage and testing with emphasis on law, gospel, grace, and faith.
34
And threescore and one thousand asses,
Numbers 31:34 highlights pilgrimage and testing with emphasis on law, gospel, grace, and faith.
35
And thirty and two thousand persons in all, of women that had not known man by lying with him.
Numbers 31:35 highlights pilgrimage and testing with emphasis on law, gospel, grace, and faith.
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:
Numbers 31:36 highlights pilgrimage and testing with emphasis on law, gospel, grace, and faith.
37
And the LORD'S tribute of the sheep was six hundred and threescore and fifteen.
Numbers 31:37 highlights pilgrimage and testing with emphasis on law, gospel, grace, and faith.
38
And the beeves {were} thirty and six thousand; of which the LORD'S tribute {was} threescore and twelve.
Numbers 31:38 highlights pilgrimage and testing with emphasis on law, gospel, grace, and faith.
39
And the asses {were} thirty thousand and five hundred; of which the LORD'S tribute {was} threescore and one.
Numbers 31:39 highlights pilgrimage and testing with emphasis on law, gospel, grace, and faith.
40
And the persons {were} sixteen thousand; of which the LORD'S tribute {was} thirty and two persons.
Numbers 31:40 highlights pilgrimage and testing with emphasis on law, gospel, grace, and faith.
41
And Moses gave the tribute, {which was} the LORD'S heave offering, unto Eleazar the priest, as the LORD commanded Moses.
Numbers 31:41 highlights pilgrimage and testing with emphasis on law, gospel, grace, and faith.
42
And of the children of Israel's half, which Moses divided from the men that warred,
Numbers 31:42 highlights pilgrimage and testing with emphasis on law, gospel, grace, and faith.
43
(Now the half {that pertained unto} the congregation was three hundred thousand and thirty thousand {and} seven thousand and five hundred sheep,
Numbers 31:43 highlights pilgrimage and testing with emphasis on law, gospel, grace, and faith.
44
And thirty and six thousand beeves,
Numbers 31:44 highlights pilgrimage and testing with emphasis on law, gospel, grace, and faith.
45
And thirty thousand asses and five hundred,
Numbers 31:45 highlights pilgrimage and testing with emphasis on law, gospel, grace, and faith.
46
And sixteen thousand persons;)
Numbers 31:46 highlights pilgrimage and testing with emphasis on law, gospel, grace, and faith.
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.
Numbers 31:47 highlights pilgrimage and testing with emphasis on law, gospel, grace, and faith.
48
And the officers which {were} over thousands of the host, the captains of thousands, and captains of hundreds, came near unto Moses:
Numbers 31:48 highlights pilgrimage and testing with emphasis on law, gospel, grace, and faith.
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. {charge: Heb. hand}
Numbers 31:49 highlights pilgrimage and testing with emphasis on law, gospel, grace, and faith.
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. {gotten: Heb. found}
Numbers 31:50 highlights pilgrimage and testing with emphasis on law, gospel, grace, and faith.
51
And Moses and Eleazar the priest took the gold of them, {even} all wrought jewels.
Numbers 31:51 highlights pilgrimage and testing with emphasis on law, gospel, grace, and faith.
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. {offering: Heb. heave offering}
Numbers 31:52 highlights pilgrimage and testing with emphasis on law, gospel, grace, and faith.
53
({For} the men of war had taken spoil, every man for himself.)
Numbers 31:53 highlights pilgrimage and testing with emphasis on law, gospel, grace, and faith.
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 31:54 highlights pilgrimage and testing with emphasis on law, gospel, grace, and faith.