Numbers 31
Biblical chapter narrating Israelite war against Midianites.
Numbers 31, known to scholars like Israel Knohl and Dennis T. Olson as the War against the Midianites, is the thirty-first chapter of the Book of Numbers—the fourth book of the Pentateuch, or Torah, which is sacred in Judaism and Christianity. The events take place in the southern Transjordanian areas of Moab and Midian, where the Israelites, led by Moses and Phinehas, launch an attack on the Midianites. The Israelite forces kill all the men, including five kings and the prophet Balaam, burn the Midianite settlements, and take women, children, and livestock as captives. Moses then orders the execution of all male children and any women who had sexual relations with men, while the virgin girls are kept alive for the Israelites. The spoils from the war are divided among Eleazar, the Levitical priesthood, the soldiers, and Yahweh. This chapter has generated considerable scholarly and religious debate over its authorship, meaning, and ethical implications, and it is closely linked to Numbers 25.
Regarding authorship, most modern biblical scholars believe the Torah reached its current form after the Exile (after about 520 BCE), drawing on earlier written and oral traditions as well as contemporary political and geographical factors. Numbers itself is a Priestly redaction of a non-Priestly original. Scholars generally see the references to Midianites in Numbers 22–24 as later Priestly (P) additions. They also agree that Numbers 25:1–5 contains an earlier version of the story involving Moabite women, where Israelite leaders are punished by judges. This earlier account was later expanded with Numbers 25:6–18, which shifts focus to Midianite women and Phinehas’ priesthood, possibly borrowing from Psalm 106:28–31. These additions, along with the mention of a Midianite in a Moabite story in chapter 25, may reflect a later editor’s effort to link Moab and Midian. Martin Noth argued that the author of chapter 31 likely knew the combined non-P/P text (including the Moabite–Midianite connection) in chapter 25 and probably the entire composite Pentateuch, meaning Numbers 31 was written wholly or partly by an author later than standard P. Israel Knohl (1995) contended that Numbers 31 belongs to the Holiness Code (H), added later to the Priestly source. He pointed to shared content, such as purification themes in Numbers 5:1–4, chapter 19, and 31:19–24, and linguistic parall
- field
- Biblical narrative / Priestly redaction
- known_for
- War against the Midianites, killing of captives, division of spoils
- part_of
- Book of Numbers, Torah, Hebrew Bible (Old Testament)
- scholarly_designation
- War against the Midianites (Knohl, Olson)
- associated_figures
- Moses, Phinehas, Eleazar, Balaam
Lore & Background
Numbers 31 is set after the Israelites encamp on the plains of Moab, across from Jericho. Yahweh instructs Moses to take revenge on the Midianites, as previously commanded in Numbers 25:16–18. Moses sends 12,000 soldiers (1,000 from each tribe) under Phinehas to attack Midian. They kill all Midianite men, including five kings and the sorcerer Balaam, burn their towns and camps, and take captive the women, children, and livestock. The Israelites suffer zero casualties. Moses then orders the killing of all male captives and women who have had sex with men, sparing only virgin girls for the soldiers. The spoils—675,000 sheep, 72,000 cattle, 61,000 donkeys, and 32,000 virgin women—are divided between soldiers, civilians, the Levites, and Yahweh. Ritual purification follows.
Reader's Guide
Numbers 31 is a focal point of scholarly and religious controversy regarding authorship, meaning, and ethics. Most modern biblical scholars believe the Torah reached its present form in the post-Exilic period (after c. 520 BCE) based on pre-existing traditions. Numbers is a Priestly redaction of a non-Priestly original. Martin Noth argued the author of chapter 31 likely knew the combined non-P/P(H) text of chapter 25 and the entire composite Pentateuch, placing its composition later than regular P. Israel Knohl (1995) argued Numbers 31 is part of the Holiness code (H), later added to the Priestly source, citing similarities in content (purification) and linguistics with other Holiness School texts. Some scholars think the added text was written when the priestly line of Phinehas' descendants was being challenged. The scholarly consensus is that this war did not take place as narrated; there probably never was an invasion of Canaan by all Israelites escaping slavery in Egypt. Israelite culture likely emerged from the wider Canaanite culture.
Did You Know?
- Scholars such as Israel Knohl and Dennis T. Olson name Numbers 31 the War against the Midianites.
- The chapter reports that the Israelites suffered zero casualties in the war.
- The spoils included 675,000 sheep, 72,000 cattle, 61,000 donkeys, and 32,000 virgin women.
- Martin Noth argued the author of Numbers 31 likely knew the entire composite Pentateuch.
More in War in mythology 1-20
Spotted an error? Know more?
This is a living reference — every entry is fact-audited, and reader corrections feed straight into our audit queue. Suggest an edit · See this site's audit record