DAWN
Daily Arts Web Nucleus
Discover the Arts! Each day a different image from the Literary, Performing, or Visual Arts representing a portion of Scripture plus an explanation with links 2017 June 9
Triumphal Arch with Bearers of the Spoils of War (1648)
Pieter de Grebber (c. 1600 - 1652 / 1653)
Dutch Golden Age Baroque Style
Huis ten Bosch, The Hague, Netherlands
Image Source: Web Gallery of Art
SPECIAL NOTE:
[ I will again be working through the Scriptures from Genesis to Revelation. I will be adding links, resources, images, and the like, upgrading the former work-through which began with the 2013-10-12 posting which can be found, along with the full Genesis to Revelation postings, in the Archive Page. Postings will be at midnight Eastern Time, as I am able. However, no chapters will be skipped, even though a posting may be late. And all postings will be housed in the Archive Page. ]
Explanation: Numbers 31 contains the account of the triumph of Israel over Midian and the death of Balaam. The LORD told Moses to avenge Israelites of the Midianites. So Moses sent 12,000 men to war (1,000 from each tribe) led by Phinehas with the "holy instruments" and the trumpets (Numbers 10) which were made for calling assemblies and battles. (The "holy instruments" may be the silver trumpets mentioned in this verse or perhaps the ark and the items on the garments of Eliezer the High Priest). In the war they slew five Midianite kings; and they slew Balaam, who apparently was helping the five kings. They then took captives and spoil and brought everything back to the camp of Israel (1-12).
However, Moses and Aaron chided them for saving some whom they were supposed to kill -- namely the male children and all the women except the virgins. After doing this they were to purify themselves and then return to the camp (13-20).
Also, they were allowed to keep anything which could be purified by fire, such as gold, silver, brass, iron, tin, and lead. Anything that could not survive a fire was to be cleansed by water. And after these purifications they would be allowed to come back into the camp (21-24).
Rules were then given for the division of plunder. The JFB Commentary has a useful chart (see its comments on verses 32-47) concerning these matters (25-47).
The leaders reported that they had not lost a man in the war, so they brought a voluntary offering to God (48-54).
[ Sermons: Robert S Rayburn. J Ligon Duncan III. Various. ]
[ Illustration: Today's painting depicts the spoils of war. Similar spoils were taken by the Israelites, as described in Numbers 31. ]
RESOURCES
PLEASE NOTE: Use the resources on this and other sites thoughtfully, particularly the commentaries and encyclopedias. I have attempted to list conservative, scholarly resources. However, some providers use liberal or liberal-influenced commentaries such as the Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (in Bible Hub). Such commentaries are undoubtedly included by the provider for the wealth of useful information and comments which they provide. By consulting several commentaries, it should be fairly easy to sort out the wheat from the chaff. If, however, you would like personal assistance, write to me at AD LIB ARTS EMAIL.
[ THEMATICALLY AND CHRONOLOGICALLY RELATED SCRIPTURES: Numbers 31: [1] Numbers 25:16-18; Numbers 27:13; Numbers 5:16; 2 Peter 2:21; Deuteronomy 23:3-4.
[6] Numbers 14:44; Numbers 10:9; Ephesians 6:13.
[8] Numbers 25:15; Numbers 23:10; Micah 6:8.
[10] Joshua 13:21; Numbers 5:8.
[18] Deuteronomy 21:10-14.
[27] Joshua 22:8; 1 Samuel 30:24-25.
[52] Judges 8:26. -- From Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers ]
[ CHRONOLOGY: GENERAL. Patriarchs (Traditional). Judges # 1. Judges # 2. Kings # 1. Kings # 2. Prophets # 1. Prophets # 2. NT # 1. NT # 2. NT # 3. ]
[ MAPS: Maps # 1. Maps # 2. Maps # 3. Maps # 4. Maps # 5. ]
[ COMMENTARIES, ETC: GENERAL: Bible Study Tools; Bible Hub: Study Light; Blue Letter Bible // PSALMS: Monergism: Precept Austin: The Treasury of David; John Gill; John Calvin - Volumes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
[ MUSIC: GENERAL: The Cyber Hymnal // PSALMS: Genevan Psalter (Instrumental). VARIOUS ARTISTS: Micha'el Ben David. Sons of Korah. Fernando Ortega. Janet Isaac Morrison. Music of the Bible Revealed - Suzanne Haik-Vantoura. Dr. David Erb. Gregorian Chants. ]
HARMONY OF THE LAW
HEBREW AND GREEK INTERLINEAR BIBLES
Pentateuch Detailed Outline:
Genesis Detailed Outline:
Exodus Detailed Outline:
Leviticus Detailed Outline
Old Testament Offerings Chart
Numbers Detailed Outline
Numbers 31
NUMBERS (COVENANT INSTRUCTION CONTINUES: LAWS OF COMMUNITY LIFE)
Note: "It is the only age in the Bible in which miracle is a daily fact of life."
(Richard Elliott Friedman, Commentary on the Torah, [San Francisco]: HarperSanFrancisco, 2001, 421)
True of Exodus through Deuteronomy and up to Joshua 5:12.
{Pentateuch Outline: 14. Generations of Aaron & Moses (Nu 3:1 - Dt 34:12) 1445 - 1406 B.C. Sinai}
2. Resumption of the Journeys [Israel Wanders in the Wilderness] (Nu 10:11 - Nu 36:13) 1445 - 1406 B.C. Sinai & Shittim
b. 3rd Group of Journeys: Kadesh to Ezion-Geber to Kadesh (Nu 15:1 - Nu 20:21) 1445 - 1407 B.C. Sinai
(Numbers does not explicitly mention the start of this Journey, but see Nu 15:32; 16:13; 20:1; Dt 1:46; 2:1 + Nu 33)
(See Chart pp. 815-817 in Davis Dictionary of the Bible, 4th Edition, "Wilderness of the Wandering," pp. 812-817)
c. 4th Group of Journeys: Kadesh to Jordan River (Shittim) - (Nu 20:22 - Nu 36:13) 1407 - 1406 B.C. Sinai & Shittim
1 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
2 Avenge [Avenge with vengeance] the children of Israel of the Midianites: afterward shalt thou be gathered unto thy people.
3 And Moses spake unto the people, saying, Arm some of yourselves unto the war, and let them go against the Midianites, and avenge [give the vengeance of] the LORD of Midian.
4 Of every tribe a thousand [a tribe a thousand, a tribe a thousand], throughout all the tribes of Israel, shall ye send to the war.
5 So there were delivered out of the thousands of Israel, a thousand of every tribe, twelve thousand armed for war.
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.
7 And they warred against the Midianites, as the LORD commanded Moses; and they slew all the males.
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.
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.
10 And they burnt all their cities wherein they dwelt, and all their goodly castles, with fire.
11 And they took all the spoil, and all the prey, both of men and of beasts.
12 And they bought 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.
13 And Moses, and Eleazar the priest, and all the princes of the congregation, went forth to meet them without the camp.
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 [the host of the battle] .
15 And Moses said unto them, Have ye saved all the women alive?
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.
17 Now therefore kill every male among the little ones, and kill every woman that hath known man by lying with him.
18 But all the women children, that have not known a man by lying with him, keep alive for yourselves.
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.
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.
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;
22 Only the gold, and the silver, the brass, the iron, the tin, and the lead,
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.
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 an 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 give them unto the Levites, which keep the charge of the tabernacle of the LORD.
31 And Moses and Eleazar the priest did as the LORD commanded Moses.
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,
33 And threescore and twelve thousand beeves,
34 And threescore and one thousand asses,
35 And thirty and two thousand persons [souls of persons] in all, of women that had not known man by lying with him.
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:
37 And the LORD'S tribute of the sheep was six hundred and threescore and fifteen.
38 And the beeves were thirty and six thousand; of which the LORD'S tribute was threescore and twelve.
39 And the asses were thirty thousand and five hundred; of which the LORD'S tribute was threescore and one.
40 And the persons [souls of persons] were sixteen thousand; of which the LORD'S tribute was thirty and two persons.
41 And Moses gave the tribute, which was the LORD'S heave offering, unto Eleazar the priest, as the LORD commanded Moses.
42 And of the children of Israel's half, which Moses divided from the men that warred,
43 (Now the half that pertained unto the congregation was three hundred thousand and thirty thousand and seven thousand and five hundred sheep,
44 And thirty and six thousand beeves,
45 And thirty thousand asses and five hundred,
46 And sixteen thousand persons [souls of persons];)
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.
48 And the officers which were over thousands of the host, the captains of thousands, and captains of hundreds, came near unto Moses:
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.
50 We have therefore bought 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.
51 And Moses and Eleazar the priest took the gold of them, even all wrought jewels.
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.
53 (For the men of war had taken spoil, every man for himself.)
54 And Moses and Eleazar the priest took the gold of the captains of thousands and of hundreds, and bought it into the tabernacle of the congregation, for a memorial for the children of Israel before the LORD.
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