Numbers 31:49

_AND THE OFFICERS WHICH WERE OVER THOUSANDS OF THE HOST, THE CAPTAINS OF THOUSANDS, AND CAPTAINS OF HUNDREDS, CAME NEAR UNTO MOSES:_ 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 Israelite soldier, was an astonishing miracle; and, so clearly betokening the direct interposition of heaven, might well awaken the liveliest feelings of grateful acknowledgment to God for the preservation of "our souls" х_ `AL_ (H5921) _ NAPSHITEEYNUW_ (H5315)] - our lives (Psalms 44:2). The oblation they brought for the Lord 'was partly an atonement,' or reparation for their error (Numbers 31:14), because it could not possess

48-54 The success of the Israelites had been very remarkable, so small a company overcoming such multitudes, but it was still more wonderful that not one was slain or missing. They presented the gold they found among the spoils, as an offering to the Lord. Thus they confessed, that instead of claiming a reward for their service, they needed forgiveness of much that had been amiss, and desired to be thankful for the preservation of their lives, which might justly have been taken away....

There is no mention of any resistance on the part of the Midianites. The Israelites saw in this and in the preservation of all those engaged, proofs that the Lord had been with them in the work, and hence, the free-will oblation of Numbers 31:50....

AND THEY SAID UNTO MOSES,.... Gave the following relation to him, which is a very surprising one: THY SERVANTS HAVE TAKEN THE SUM OF THE MEN OF WAR WHICH ARE UNDER OUR CHARGE; since the war with Midian was over, they had mustered the several companies under their command, such as had thousands, and those that had hundreds: AND THERE LACKETH NOT ONE MAN OF US; which is a most amazing and unheard of thing, that in waging war with a whole nation, slaying all their males, sacking and burning so many cities, plundering the inhabitants of their substance, taking and carrying off such a vast number of captives, yet not one should fall by the sword of the enemy, or by any disease or accident whatever, but all to a man should return to the camp of Israel again; this is not to be paralleled in any history....

7. THE WAR AGAINST THE MIDIANITES CHAPTER 31 _ 1. The command to fight Midian (Numbers 31:1)_ 2. The war (Numbers 31:7) 3. The cleansing (Numbers 31:13) 4. The spoil taken (Numbers 31:25) 5. The oblation of the officers (Numbers 31:48) War is commanded next by the Lord. The Lord said to Moses, “Avenge the children of Israel of the Midianites; afterward shalt thou be gathered to thy people.” This is, therefore, the last thing in the official life of Moses. This war against Midian had been com

THE DIVISION OF THE BOOTY. The principle of equal division between those who went forth to fight, and those who remained in the camp was observed by David (1 Samuel 30:22), who seems to have been the first to establish such a rule. The tax of ⅟? 500 of the combatants'share for the priests and of ⅟? 50 of the residue for the Levites is not elsewhere mentioned. NUMBERS 31:50. ANKLE CHAINS: the use of these made the steps of the wearers short and tripping (Isaiah 3:16 *, Isaiah 3:20). But some translate bracelets (_cf._ 2 Samuel 1:10),

_The apportionment of the spoil_. Those who fought and those who remained behind were to receive equal shares. This was an ancient custom, which was traced to the action of David (1 Samuel 30:24 f.). But before the appropriation by individuals, a religious tax was to be paid. The fighters were to pay from their share 1/500th to the priests, and the others 1/50th to the Levites. Such a tax is not mentioned elsewhere in the O.T., but perhaps, like the foregoing regulation, it had an ancient custom behind it. Mohammed, whose religion was ultimately based on the O.T., enjoined a similar tax of 1/5th (_Koran_viii. 42, cited by Gray)....

DISCOURSE: 181 DESTRUCTION OF THE MIDIANITES Numbers 31:48. _And the officers which were over thousands of the host, the captains of thousands and captains of hundreds, came near unto Moses: 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. We have therefore brought an oblation for the Lord, what every man hath gotten, of jewels of gold, chains, and bracelets, rings, ear-rings, and tablets, to make an atonement for our souls before the Lord._ NUMBERLESS are the occasions on which we are led to admire the condescension of God towards his chosen servants: and one of considerable importance occurs in the chapter before us. He had doomed Moses to die in the wilderness without ever setting his foot upon the promised land: and the time was nearly come for the execution of the sentence

THE OFFICERS WHICH WERE OVER THOUSANDS, &C.— After their return from war, the officers of the army made a muster of the soldiery to see what number they had lost. Three kinds of officers are distinguished: 1. Those who had the command of several _thousands_ as the generals and lieutenant-generals. 2. Those who were over _a thousand_ men each, as our colonels. 3. Centurions, or captains. Upon this muster they found, that not one man had fallen in the battle, Numbers 31:49. A surprising victory, which abundantly shewed the immediate hand of God! See Exodus 14:14; Exodus 23:22,Genesis 5:3. We find in prophane history some similar

D. DIVISION OF THE BOOTY vv. 25-54 TEXT Numbers 31:25. And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, 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: 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. 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: 29. Take it of their half, and give it unto Eleazar the priest, for a heave offering of the Lord. 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 given them unto the Levites, Which keep the charge of the tabe