Num 31:15-40 | Clarke

‏ Numbers 31:15-40

Verse 17. Kill every male among the little ones] For this action I account simply on the principle that God, who is the author and supporter of life, has a right to dispose of it when and how he thinks proper; and the Judge of all the earth can do nothing but what is right. Of the women killed on this occasion it may be safely said, their lives were forfeited by their personal transgressions; and yet even in this case there can be little doubt that God showed mercy to their souls. The little ones were safely lodged; they were taken to heaven and saved from the evil to come.

Verse 23. The water of separation] The water in which the ashes of the red heifer were mingled; See Clarke on Nu 8:7; "Nu 19:2", &c. Garments, whether of cloth or skins, were to be washed. Gold, silver, brass, iron, tin, and lead, to pass through the fire, probably to be melted down.

Verse 28. And levy a tribute unto the Lord-one soul of five hundred, &c.] The person to be employed in the Lord's service, under the Levites-the cattle either for sacrifice, or for the use of the Levites, Nu 31:30. Some monsters have supposed that one out of every five hundred of the captives was offered in sacrifice to the Lord! but this is abominable. When God chose to have the life of a man, he took it in the way of justice, as in the case of Midianites above, but never in the way of sacrifice.

Verse 32. The booty] It appears from the enumeration here that the Israelites, in this war against the Midianites, took 32,000 female prisoners, 61,000 asses, 72,000 beeves, 675,000 sheep and small cattle; besides the immense number of males who fell in battle, and the women and children who were slain by the Divine command, Nu 31:17. And it does not appear that in this expedition, a single man of Israel fell! This was naturally to be expected, because the battle was the Lord's, Nu 31:49.

As the booty was divided into two equal parts, Nu 31:22, one for the soldiers employed in the expedition, and the other for those who, being equally willing to be employed, were ordered to stay in the camp; so each of the parties in this booty was to give a certain proportion to the Lord. The soldiers to give to the Lord one out of every five hundred persons, beeves, asses, and sheep, Nu 31:28. The people, who by staying at home risked nothing, and had no fatigue, were to give one out of fifty of the above, Nu 31:30. The booty, its divisions among the soldiers and people, the proportion given by each to the Lord and to the Levites, will be seen in one view by the following table, which I copy from Houbigant.

Total of sheep 675,000 ... / To the soldiers.. 337,500.

| To the people.... 337,500.

..of beeves.... 72,000 ... / To the soldiers.. 36,000.

| To the people.... 36,000.

..of asses..... 61,000 ... / To the soldiers.. 30,500.

| To the people.... 30,500.

..of persons... 32,000 ... / To the soldiers.. 16,000.

| To the people.... 16,000.

.....sheep....... / To the Lord from the soldiers.... 675.

| To the Levites from the people. 6,750.

.....beeves...... / To the Lord from the soldiers.... 72.

| To the Levites from the people... 720.

.....asses....... / To the Lord from the soldiers.... 61.

| To the Levites from the people... 610.

.....persons..... / To the Lord from the soldiers.... 32.

| To the Levites from the people... 320.

In this table the booty is equally divided between the people and the soldiers; a five-hundredth part being given to the Lord, and a fiftieth part to the Levites.