Numbers 31 - Introduction

P.

The sacred war against Midian

The narrative in this chapter is of a peculiar character. It belongs to a late date in Hebrew Biblical literature, when the practice was becoming common of conveying religious instruction by means of narrative. One form of narrative uttered with a purely religious or moral purpose was the Parable, of which a few instances are found in the O.T., and many in the New. But another form, which was very common in post-Biblical literature, is known as the Midrash. -The Midrash may be defined as an imaginative development of a thought or theme suggested by Scripture, especially a didactic or homiletic exposition, or an edifying religious story" (Driver). It is certain that such stories existed within the period of the O.T., for there are two references to them (2 Chronicles 13:22; 2 Chronicles 24:27 R.V. -commentary"). The Midrashreferred to in these passages was probably a writing which emphasized the religious truths underlying the narratives of the kings by enlarging upon the narratives themselves in an imaginative manner. They were not intended to be, in any strict sense, historical, though they introduced historical personages and events. The present chapter has all the appearance of a Midrash. The writer wishes to convey three pieces of instruction which he felt to be important: (1) the victorious success which should ideally attend a holy war, waged against an enemy who had enticed Israel into grievous sin (Numbers 31:1); (2) the purification necessary after contact with the dead (Numbers 31:19); (3) the right method of dividing the spoil (Numbers 31:25). In each case he develops a thought or theme suggested by Scripture: (1) is based on Numbers 25:6-9; (2) on ch. 19; (3) probably on 1 Samuel 30:24 f. It is not unlikely that the story as a whole is based on a real historical tradition of a fight with Midian, but the numbers of the slain and of the spoil are alone enough to shew that in its present form it is imaginative and ideal.