\c To prevent Emulationsor Diviſions. 4 God wbuld ſend no more, though it is apparent that the Midianites were numerous and ſtrong, becauſe he would try and exerciſetheirtruſt in him, and becauſe he would hereby give them an ecaraeſt of their Canaanitiſh Conqueſts.
6 And Moſes ſent them to the war,athouſand of every tribe; them and Phinehas e the ſon of Eleazar the Prieſt cothe war, with the holy inſtruments f, and the trumpets
to blow g in his hand. © Who fed the charge not of the Army, as General, ( an Office never committed to any Prieſt in all the Old Teſtament ) but of rhe Holy: Inſtruments, &c: as is here exprefled, and was alſo ſent to encourage, and quicken, and confirm them in their good enterprize. It is not here mentioned who was the general, whether Joſua, as ſome think, becauſe he is not named amongtit thoſe who went out to meet the returning hoſt, though that might be for other reaſons, or ſome other Prince, nor is it worth while to determine. f Either r the Ark, withithe things belonging to it, which before the building of the Temple, they did ſometimes carry into the War for the encourage- ment of their Army. See Num.14.44. Joſ.6.9. r Sam.4.4. and 14. 18. But why then js it thus 4mbiguouſly expreſſed, ſeing in aJl the other places it is called by its proper Name ? Noris the Ark ever ſo called in Scripture. Or 2. The Trumpets, as it herefollows, the words being thus to be Read, the holy Inſtruments, that u, the Trumpexs : for and is ofc times put exegetically for that is, or to wit, as Gen:13.15. 1 Chron. 21. 12, compared with 2 Sam. 24. 13. Zech. 1. 4. & 9.9; Oc. Or rather 3. The Holy Breaſt-plate, wherein was the Urim and Thummim, whieb was eaſily carried, and uſed, and very uſeful in War upon many emergent occaſions. See 1 Sam. 23.9. and 3o.- 7. £ Which were to be uſed in War as well as in the ſervice of the Tabernacle. See Numb. 10. g. 2 Chron, 13+ 12. 7 Andthey warredagainſt the Midianites, as the Lord commanded Moſes, and they flew * all the males 6. " bþ Namely all whom they took in that war ; Or, all who lived in thoſe parts, forit is probable ( and was then very uſual) (ome colonies of them were ſent forth to remoter places, which therefore had no hand either in their former ſin, or in this preſent ruine, of whom we read afcer this, Juag. 6. And herein they did according to Gods own order concerning ſuch people, Dene. 20. 13. only their fault was, that they did not conſider the ſpecial reaſon and great obligation which they had to invelve the Women in the deſtruction, for which reaſon Moſes blames them afterward, v. 15. 16. 8 And they ſlew the kings of Midian z, belides the reſt of them thatwere ſlain ; namely, * Evi, and Rekem, and Zur k, and Hur, and Reba, five kings of Midian : Balaam
alſo ] the fon of Beor, they flew with the ſword.
5 Called Dukes or Princes of Sihon, Jof. 13. 21. becauſe they were ſubje&rto him while he lived, but upen his death they reſumed their Kingly power. k The Father of Cozbi, Num. 25.15. 10bj. He was gone and returned to his own place, Num: 24:25: which was Aram or Meſopotamia, Num: 23:7. Anſw. Either he did go thitherward, but in bis journey made ſome ſtay in Midian, where he was evertaken by divine vengeance : or underſtanding theſucceſs ofhis wicked counſel lefr with Balaam, in the fin and ſlaughter of the Ifraclites, he retur- ned, partly to enjoy the reputation and reward of his counſel which he had loſtbefore, and partly to employ his Helliſh arts againſt 1/e!, now they were, as he thought forſaken by their God, and expoſed to his malice. Here Balaam dies the death of the wicked, and not of the righteous, as he deſired, Numb. 23. 10.
9 And the children of Iſrael took «# the women of Midian captives, and their little ones, and took the ſpoil of all their cattel, and all their flocks, and all their goods.
4 10 And they burnt all their cities 9» wherein they
ND MM
'were, 1n which ſuch dead Bodies lay, or from the rouch of the Iſra-
B E R S. dwelt, and all their goodly caſtles with fire.
: mn Partly to blot out the name and memory of ſo lewd.and vile a people ; partly left any of the Iſraelites ſhould be tempted to ſettle there, and ſo be diſcouraged in their progreſs to Cana ; and partly left they ſhould be poſlefſed by other people who might prove as bad Neighbours to them as theſe would have been.
11 And they took all the ſpoil, and all the prey bob of men and of beaſts.
12 And they brought the captives and the prey and the ſpoil unts 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 zear Jericho.
13 And Moſes, and Eleazar the Prieſt, and all the Princes of the congeegation went forth to meet them without the camp #.
2 Partly to pur reſpe& upon them, and congratulate with them
for their happy ſucceſs; and partly to prevent the pollutign of the Camp by the untimely entrance of the Warriors into it.
14 And Moſes was wroth with the officers ofthe hoſt 0, with the captains over thouſands, and captains over hundreds, which came from the | battel.
o Becauſe they had ſpared thoſe who were moſt crimina), and who by the law of God and ef Nature were worthy of Death.
I5 And Moſes ſaid unto them, Have ye ſaved * all the women alive ?
of war,
20! 2J;
16 Behold, * theſe cauſed the children of Iſrael, 'z Sam:;;
3:
*Chz25t2; *ch:241, 2 Pet; 2
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 exery male among the little Ones p, and kill every woman ther hath known man q by lying with + him.
? Which they were forbidden to do to other people, Dert.20. 14 except the Canaanites, to whom this people had equalled themſelves by their horrid crimes, and therefoxc it is not ſtrange, nor unjuſt that God, the ſupream Lord of all mens lives, who as he-gives them, ſo may take them away when he pleaſeth, did equal them in the pu- niſhment. 9 Partly for puniſhment, becauſe the guile was general, and though ſome of them only did proſtitute themſelves to the I raelites, yet the reſt made themſelves acceſſory by their confent gr concurrence, or approbation ; and partly, for preventian of the like miſchieffrom ſuct an adulterous generation.
18 Butall the womencchildren that have not known a man r by lying with him, keepalive for your ſelves <.