And ADONAI (יהוה) spoke to Moshe, saying:
31:2 "Take vengeance on the Midyanites for Benai Yisrael. Afterward you shall be gathered to your people."
31:3 And Moshe spoke to the people, saying, Arm some of yourselves to the war, and let them go against the Midyanites, and avenge ADONAI (יהוה) of Midyan.
31:4 Of every shevet a thousand, throughout all the shevot of Yisrael, shall you send to the war.
31:5 So there were delivered out of the thousands of Yisrael, a thousand of [every] shevet, twelve thousand armed for war.
Tzotzerot (Silver Trumpet)
31:6 And Moshe sent them to the war, 1,000 of [every] shevet, them and Pinchas Ben El`azar ha kohen, to the war, with the kadosh instruments, and tzotzerot hateru'ah in his hand.
31:7 And they warred against Midyan, as ADONAI (יהוה) commanded Moshe; and they slew all the males.
Five Kings of Midyan :- Evi, Rekem. Zur Hur Reva
31:8 And they slew Melakhim Midyan, beside the rest of them that were slain; [namely], Evi, and Rekem, and Zur, and Hur, and Reba, 5 kings of Midyan: Bil'am (בּלעם) also Ben Beor they slew with the sword.
31:9 And benai Yisrael took [all] the women of Midyan captives, and their little ones, and took the spoil of all their cattle, and all their flocks, and all their goods.
31:10 And they burnt all their cities wherein they dwelt, and all their goodly castles, with fire.
31:11 And they took all the spoil, and all the prey, [both] of men and of beasts.
31:12 And they brought the captives, and the prey, and the spoil, to Moshe, and El`azar the kohen, and to the congregation of benai Yisrael, to the camp at the plains of Moav, which [are] by Yarden [near] Yericho.
And Moshe, and El`azar ha kohen, and all the princes of the congregation, went forth to meet them without the camp.
31:14 And Moshe was wroth with the officers of the host, [with] the captains over thousands, and captains over hundreds, which came from the battle.
31:15 And Moshe said to them, Have you saved all the women alive?
31:16 Behold, these caused benai Yisrael, through the counsel of Bil'am (בּלעם) , to commit trespass against ADONAI (יהוה) in the matter of Peor, and there was a plague among the congregation of ADONAI (יהוה).
31:17 Now therefore kill every male among the little ones, and kill every woman that has known man by lying with him.
31:18 But all the women children, that have not known a man by lying with him, keep alive for yourselves.
31:19 And do you abide without the camp seven days: whosoever has killed any person, and whosoever has touched any slain, purify [both] yourselves and your captives on the third day, and on the seventh day.
And purify all [your] raiment, and all that is made of skins, and all work of goats' [hair], and all things made of wood.
31:21 And El`azar ha kohen said to the men of war which went to the battle, This [is] the ordinance of the law which ADONAI (יהוה) commanded Moshe;
31:22 Only the gold, and the silver, the brass, the iron, the tin, and the lead,
31:23 Every thing that may abide the fire, you 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 you shall make go through the water.
31:24 And you shall wash your clothes on the seventh day, and you shall be clean, and afterward you shall come into the camp.
And ADONAI (יהוה) spoke to Moshe, saying:
31:26 "Count up the plunder that was taken—of man and beast—you and El`azar ha kohen and Rashei HaAvot of the congregation;
31:27 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:
31:28 And levy a tribute for ADONAI (יהוה) on the men of war who went out to battle: one of every 500 of the persons, the cattle, the donkeys, and the sheep;
31:29 Take [it] of their half, and give it to El`azar ha kohen, [for] as Terumah heave offering of ADONAI (יהוה).
31:30 And from Benai Yisrael's half you shall take one of every 50, drawn from the persons, the cattle, the donkeys, and the sheep, from all the livestock, and give them to the Leviim who keep charge of mishkan ADONAI (יהוה)."
31:31 And Moshe and El`azar ha kohen did as ADONAI (יהוה) commanded Moshe.
31:32 The remaining plunder taken by the people of the army was 675,000 sheep,
31:33 72,000 cattle,
31:34 61,000 donkeys,
31:35 and 32,000 persons in all, consisting of the women who had never slept with a man.
31:36 The half which was the portion of the soldiers who went out to fight, numbered 337,500 sheep,
31:37 and ADONAI (יהוה)'s tribute of sheep was 675.
31:38 The cattle were 36,000, of which ADONAI (יהוה)'s tribute was 72.
31:39 The donkeys were 30,500, of which ADONAI (יהוה)'s tribute was 61.
31:40 The persons were 16,000, of which ADONAI (יהוה)'s tribute was 32 persons.
31:41 And Moshe gave the tribute, which was the contribution for ADONAI (יהוה), to El`azar ha Kohen, as ADONAI (יהוה) commanded Moshe.
And from Benai Yisrael's half, which Moshe separated from the men who fought—
31:43 now the congregation's half was 337,500 sheep,
31:44 36,000 cattle,
31:45 and 30,500 donkeys,
31:46 and 16,000 persons--
31:47 Even of benai Yisrael's half, Moshe took one portion of 50, [both] of man and of beast, and gave them to the Levi'im, which kept the charge of mishkan ADONAI (יהוה); as ADONAI (יהוה) commanded Moshe.
31:48 And the officers which [were] over thousands of the host, the captains of thousands, and captains of hundreds, came near to Moshe:
31:49 And they said to Moshe, Your servants have taken the sum of the men of war which [are] under our charge, and there lacks not one man of us.
31:50 And we have brought ADONAI (יהוה)'s offering, what each man found, articles of gold, armlets and bracelets, signet rings, earrings, and beads, to make atonement for ourselves before ADONAI (יהוה)."
31:51 And Moshe and El`azar ha kohen took the gold of them, [even] all wrought jewels.
31:52 And all the gold of the contribution that they presented to ADONAI (יהוה), from the commanders of thousands and the commanders of hundreds, was 16,750 shekels.
31:53 ([For] the men of war had taken spoil, every man for himself.)
31:54 And Moshe and El`azar ha kohen took the gold of the captains of thousands and of hundreds, and brought it into the tabernacle of the congregation, [for] a memorial for benai Yisrael before ADONAI (יהוה).
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KENAAN PROFILE AND TIMELINE Midianites The Midianites were mentioned in the Tenakh as a minor group of 'city states' which lay on the southern borders of Edom, along the Gulf of Elath and bordered to their own south by the Arab tribes. The Moavites were nomads (which suggests that their city states were nothing like as established or permanent as those in the north of Kenaan) and they controlled parts of the Arabah, the Negeb, and the Sinai. They are thought to have been connected to the Moavites through their religious practises, but little else seems to be known about them, although one opinion has suggested that they were Arabs rather than Semitics. They are also mentioned in the Qur'an as the Madyans. |
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1230 BC |
Moshe begins to lead the loose confederation of Yisraelite tribes out of Mitzrayim, shortly after his marriage to a Midianite woman, Zipporah Bat Yitro the Midian priest whom he had met in the Sinai. |
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1198 BC |
Moav is defeated and subjugated by the Yisraelites, as are a number of minor city states, including those of the Midianites and various other Canaanite cities. |
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1198 BC |
Balaam |
First-known ruler of the Midianites. |
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1198 BC |
Evi |
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1198 BC |
Rekem |
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1198 BC |
Zur |
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1198 BC |
Hur |
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1198 BC |
Reba |
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1120 BC |
Gideon גּדעון of Yisrael defeats the Midianites after what appears to be an attempt to cattle-rustle and steal crops by the Midianites and their allies, the Amalekites. |
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1080 BC |
Yisrael is subdued by the Midianites to the south (probably only on a very local and temporary basis). |
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