Numbers 31:19-24

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Numbers 31:13-24

We have here the triumphant return of the army of Israel from the war with Midian, and here, I. They were met with great respect, Num. 31:13. Moses himself, notwithstanding his age and gravity, walked out of the camp to congratulate them on their victory, and to grace the solemnity of their triumphs. Public successes should be publicly acknowledged, to the glory of God, and the encouragement of those that have jeoparded their lives in their country's cause. II. They were severely reproved for... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Numbers 31:19

And do ye abide without the camp seven days ..... Which was the time that anyone that touched a dead body remained unclean, Numbers 19:11 , whosoever hath killed any person ; as most of them if not all must have done; all the males of Midian that fell into their hands being slain by them, that were men grown: and whosoever hath touched any slain ; as they must to strip them of their garments, and take their spoil from them: purify both yourselves and your captives, on the third... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Numbers 31:20

And purify all your raiment ,.... By washing them; and this may intend not so much their own wearing apparel, as the raiment they took off of the dead bodies of the Midianites, since the person that touched a dead body was not obliged to wash his clothes, but the clean person that sprinkled the water of purification on him, Numbers 19:19 , some render the words, "purify yourselves" F4 תתחטאו "purgatote vos", Junius & Tremellius, Piscator; Vid. L'Empereur, Not. ad Kimchii ... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Numbers 31:21

And Eleazar the priest said unto the men of war, which went to the battle ,.... To all the soldiers, officers, and common men: this is the ordinance of the law, which the Lord commanded Moses ; concerning the purification of unclean persons and things, hereby confirming what Moses had said. read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Numbers 31:22

Only the gold, and the silver, the brass, the iron, the tin, and the lead. These are excepted, and, though unclean, are not to be purified by washing, but in another way, by fire, as follows; all these metals were well known in those early times, and were made use of for instruments and vessels of various sorts. read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Numbers 31:23

Every thing that may abide the fire, ye shall make it go through the fire ,.... Either through the smoke of the fire, and so be purified by suffumigation; or be put into the fire itself, where though they might be melted as the above things, yet not consumed as raiment, and vessels of skins, goats' hair, and wood, would be: and it shall be clean ; accounted so: nevertheless, it shall be purified with the water of separation ; with the water mixed with the ashes of the red heifer... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Numbers 31:24

And ye shall wash your clothes on the seventh day ,.... As the leper did, Leviticus 14:9 , and ye shall be clean, and afterward ye shall come into the camp ; into the camp of Israel, into the camp of the Levites, and into the camp of God, the tabernacle. read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Numbers 31:23

The water of separation - The water in which the ashes of the red heifer were mingled; See Numbers 8:7 ; (note), Numbers 19:2 ; (note), etc. 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. read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Numbers 31:19

Verse 19 19.And do ye abide without the camp seven days. We have elsewhere seen, (209) that, if any one had touched a dead body, he was accounted unclean. Moses, by now extending the ceremony of expiation to lawful homicide, intimates how carefully we ought to abstain from shedding human blood. It was required of the Israelites that they should strenuously advance through the midst of carnage; but, inasmuch as it is in a manner contrary to the order of nature that men should be killed by men,... read more

Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Numbers 31:22

Brass - Render copper. See Genesis 4:22 note. The verse is curious as illustrating the variety of metals in use at this early date for domestic purposes. All these metals were common in Egypt centuries before the date of the Exodus. read more

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