---
title: "Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible · Volume 1: Genesis to Jeremiah"
author: "Adam Clarke"
languages: [en]
shelf: "Commentaries"
section: 179 of 914
url: https://scriptura.si/works/adam-clarke-commentary-volume-1-genesis-to-jeremiah/179/
cite: "Adam Clarke, Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible · Volume 1: Genesis to Jeremiah, section 179. Scriptura (scriptura.si), https://scriptura.si/works/adam-clarke-commentary-volume-1-genesis-to-jeremiah/179/"
---

# Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible · Volume 1: Genesis to Jeremiah

*Adam Clarke*

Clarke's learned notes on the Hebrew and Greek, verse by verse, from Genesis to Revelation: volume 1 of 2.

## 179. Numbers · 28 of 34

Source: https://scriptura.si/works/adam-clarke-commentary-volume-1-genesis-to-jeremiah/179/ · cite a paragraph as https://scriptura.si/works/adam-clarke-commentary-volume-1-genesis-to-jeremiah/179/#p-N

### Verse 35

[¶1] On the eighth day ye shall have a solemn assembly - This among the Jews was esteemed the chief or high day of the feast, though fewer sacrifices were offered on it than on the others; the people seem to have finished the solemnity with a greater measure of spiritual devotion, and it was on this day of the feast that our blessed Lord called the Jews from the letter to the spirit of the law, proposing himself as the sole fountain whence they could derive the streams of salvation, [Joh 7:37]. On the subject of this chapter see the notes on [Lev 12:1-8] (note), Leviticus 16 (note), Leviticus 23 (note).

### Introduction

[¶3] The law concerning vows of men, [Num 30:1], [Num 30:2]. Of women under age, and in what cases the father may annul them, [Num 30:3-5]. The vows of a wife, and in what cases the husband may annul them, [Num 30:6-8]. The vows of a widow, or divorced woman, in what cases they may be considered either as confirmed or annulled, [Num 30:9-15]. Recapitulation of these ordinances, [Num 30:16].

### Verse 2

[¶5] If a man vow a vow - A vow is a religious promise made to God. Vows were of several kinds: -

[¶6] 1. Of abstinence or humiliation, see [Num 30:13];

[¶7] 2. Of the Nazarite, see Numbers 6;

[¶8] 3. Of giving certain things or sacrifices to the Lord, [Lev 7:16];

[¶9] 4. Of alms given to the poor, see [Deu 23:21].

[¶10] The law in this chapter must have been very useful, as it both prevented and annulled rash vows, and provided a proper sanction for the support and performance of those that were rationally and piously made. Besides, this law must have acted as a great preventive of lying and hypocrisy. If a vow was properly made, a man or woman was bound, under penalty of the displeasure of God, to fulfill it.

### Verse 3

[¶12] In her youth - That is, say the rabbins, under twelve years of age; and under thirteen in case of a young man. Young persons of this age were considered to be under the authority of their parents, and had consequently no power to vow away the property of another. A married woman was in the same circumstances, because she was under the authority of her husband. If however the parents or the husband heard of the vow, and objected to it in the same day in which they heard of it, ([Num 30:5]), then the vow was annulled; or, if having heard of it, they held their peace, this was considered a ratification of the vow.

[¶13] A rash vow was never to be kept; "for," says Philo, and common sense and justice say the same, "he who commits an unjust action because of his vow adds one crime to another,

[¶14] 1. By making an unlawful vow;

[¶15] 2. By doing an unlawful action."

### Verse 12

[¶17] Concerning the bond of her soul - Her life is at stake if she fulfill not the obligation under which she has laid herself.

### Verse 16

[¶19] These are the statutes - It is very probable that this law, like that concerning the succession of daughters, (Numbers 27)., rose from the exigency of some particular case that had just then occurred.

[¶20] Making vows, in almost any case, is a dangerous business; they seldom do any good, and often much evil. He who does not feel himself bound to do what is fit, right, and just, from the standing testimony of God's word, is not likely to do it from any obligation he may lay upon his own conscience. If God's word lack weight with him, his own will prove lighter than vanity. Every man who professes the Christian religion is under the most solemn obligation to devote body, soul, and spirit to God, not only to the utmost extent of his powers, but also as long as he exists. Being baptized, and receiving the sacrament of the Lord's Supper, are additional ratifications of the great, general, Christian vow; but every true follower of Christ should always remember, and frequently renew, his covenant with God.

### Introduction

[¶22] The command of the Lord to make war on the Midianites, [Num 31:1], [Num 31:2]. One thousand men are chosen out of each of the twelve tribes, and sent with Phinehas against the Midianites, [Num 31:3-6]. They slay all the males, [Num 31:7]; their five kings and Balaam, [Num 31:8]. They take all the women captives, with the flocks and goods, [Num 31:9]; burn their cities, and bring away the spoil, [Num 31:10], [Num 31:11]. They bring the captives, etc., to Moses, who is wroth with the officers for sparing the women, who had formerly been the cause of their transgression and punishment, [Num 31:12-16]. He commands all the male children and all the grown up females to be slain, [Num 31:17], [Num 31:18]. How the soldiers were to purify themselves, [Num 31:19], [Num 31:20]; and the different articles taken in war, [Num 31:21-24]. They are commanded to take the sum of the prey, to divide it into two parts; one for the 12,000 warriors, and the other for the rest of the congregation, [Num 31:25-27]. One of 500, both of persons and cattle, of the share of the warriors, to be given to the Lord, [Num 31:28], [Num 31:29]; and one part of fifty, of the people's share, to be given to the Levites, [Num 31:30]. The sum of the prey remaining after the above division; sheep 675,000, beeves 72,000, asses 61,000, young women 32,000, [Num 31:31-35]. How the soldiers' part was divided, [Num 31:36-40]. How the part belonging to the congregation was divided, [Num 31:41-47]. The officers report that they had not lost a man in this war, [Num 31:48], [Num 31:49]. They bring a voluntary oblation to God, of gold and ornaments, [Num 31:50], [Num 31:51]; the amount of which was 16,750 shekels, [Num 31:52], [Num 31:53]. Moses and Eleazar bring the gold into the tabernacle for a memorial, [Num 31:54].

### Verse 2

[¶24] Gathered unto thy people - Where? Not in the grave surely. Moses was gathered with none of them, his burial-place no man ever knew. "But being gathered unto one's people means dying." It does imply dying, but it does not mean this only. The truth is, God considers all those who are dead to men in a state of conscious existence in another world. Therefore he calls himself the God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob; now God is not the God of the dead, but of the living; because all Live to Him, whether dead to men or not. Moses therefore was to be gathered to his people - to enter into that republic of Israel which, having died in the faith, fear, and love of God, were now living in a state of conscious blessedness beyond the confines of the grave. See the note on [Gen 25:8], and [Gen 49:33] (note).

### Verse 3

[¶26] Avenge the Lord of Midian - It was God's quarrel, not their own, that they were now to take up. These people were idolaters; idolatry is an offense against God; the civil power has no authority to meddle with what belongs to Him, without especial directions, certified in the most unequivocal way. Private revenge, extension of territory, love of plunder, were to have no place in this business; the Lord is to be avenged; and through Him the children of Israel, ([Num 31:2]), because their souls as well as their bodies had been well nigh ruined by their idolatry.

### Verse 6

[¶28] A thousand of every tribe - Twelve thousand men in the whole. And Phinehas, the son of Eleazar; some think he was made general in this expedition, but this is not likely. The ark and its contents must proceed to this battle, because the battle was the Lord's, and he dwelt between the cherubim over the ark; and Phinehas, who had before got a grant in the eternal priesthood, was chosen to accompany the ark in place of his father Eleazar, who was probably now too far advanced in years to undergo the fatigue. Who then was general? Joshua, without doubt, though not here mentioned, because the battle being the Lord's, he alone is to have the supreme direction, and all the glory. Besides, it was an extraordinary war, and not conducted on the common principle, for we do not find that peace was offered to the Midianites, and that they refused it; see [Deu 20:10], etc. In such a case only hostilities could lawfully commence; but they were sinners against God; the cup of their iniquity was full, and God thought proper to destroy them. Though a leader there certainly was, and Joshua was probably that leader, yet because God, for the above reason, was considered as commander-in-chief, therefore no one else is mentioned; for it is evident that the sole business of Phinehas was to take care of the holy instruments and to blow with the trumpet.

### Verse 8

[¶30] Balaam - they slew with the sword - This man had probably committed what St. John calls the sin unto death - a sin which God punishes with temporal death, while at the same time he extends mercy to the soul. See the remarks at [Num 24:25] (note).

### Verse 17

[¶32] Kill every male among the little ones - For this action I account simply on the principle that God, who is the author and supporter of life, has a right to dispose of it when and how he thinks proper; and the Judge of all the earth can do nothing but what is right. Of the women killed on this occasion it may be safely said, their lives were forfeited by their personal transgressions; and yet even in this case there can be little doubt that God showed mercy to their souls. The little ones were safely lodged; they were taken to heaven and saved from the evil to come.

### Verse 23

[¶34] The water of separation - The water in which the ashes of the red heifer were mingled; See [Num 8:7] (note), [Num 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.

### Verse 28

[¶36] And levy a tribute unto the Lord - one soul of five hundred, etc. - The person to be employed in the Lord's service, under the Levites - the cattle either for sacrifice, or for the use of the Levites, [Num 31:30]. Some monsters have supposed that one out of every five hundred of the captives was offered in sacrifice to the Lord! but this is abominable. When God chose to have the life of a man, he took it in the way of justice, as in the case of Midianites above, but never in the way of sacrifice.

### Verse 32

[¶38] The booty - It appears from the enumeration here that the Israelites, in this war against the Midianites, took 32,000 female prisoners, 61,000 asses, 72,000 beeves, 675,000 sheep and small cattle; besides the immense number of males who fell in battle, and the women and children who were slain by the Divine command, [Num 31:17]. And it does not appear that in this expedition, a single man of Israel fell! This was naturally to be expected, because the battle was the Lord's, [Num 31:49].

[¶39] As the booty was divided into two equal parts, [Num 31:22], one for the soldiers employed in the expedition, and the other for those who, being equally willing to be employed, were ordered to stay in the camp; so each of the parties in this booty was to give a certain proportion to the Lord. The soldiers to give to the Lord one out of every five hundred persons, beeves, asses, and sheep, [Num 31:28]. The people, who by staying at home risked nothing, and had no fatigue, were to give one out of fifty of the above, [Num 31:30]. The booty, its divisions among the soldiers and people, the proportion given by each to the Lord and to the Levites, will be seen in one view by the following table, which I copy from Houbigant.

[¶40] Total of sheep - 675,000

[¶41] To the soldiers - 337,500

[¶42] To the Lord from the soldiers - 675

[¶43] To the people - 337,500

[¶44] To the Levites from the people - 6,750

[¶45] Total of beeves - 72, 00