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[159]
Now Moses sent an army against the land of Midian, for the causes
forementioned, in all twelve thousand, taking an equal number out of every
tribe, and appointed Phineas for their commander; of which Phineas we
made mention a little before, as he that had guarded the laws of the Hebrews,
and had inflicted punishment on Zimri when he had transgressed them. Now
the Midianites perceived beforehand how the Hebrews were coming, and would
suddenly be upon them: so they assembled their army together, and fortified
the entrances into their country, and there awaited the enemy's coming.
When they were come, and they had joined battle with them, an immense multitude
of the Midianites fell; nor could they be numbered, they were so very many:
and among them fell all their kings, five in number, viz. Evi, Zur, Reba,
Hur, and Rekem, who was of the same name with a city, the chief and capital
of all Arabia, which is still now so called by the whole Arabian nation,
Arecem, from the name of the king that built it; but is by the Greeks
called Petra. Now when the enemies were discomfited, the Hebrews
spoiled their country, and took a great prey, and destroyed the men that
were its inhabitants, together with the women; only they let the virgins
alone, as Moses had commanded Phineas to do, who indeed came back, bringing
with him an army that had received no harm, and a great deal of prey; fifty-two
thousand beeves, seventy-five thousand six hundred sheep, sixty thousand
asses, with an immense quantity of gold and silver furniture, which the
Midianites made use of in their houses; for they were so wealthy, that
they were very luxurious. There were also led captive about thirty-two
thousand virgins. 1
So Moses parted the prey into parts, and gave one fiftieth part to Eleazar
and the two priests, and another fiftieth part to the Levites; and distributed
the rest of the prey among the people. After which they lived happily,
as having obtained an abundance of good things by their valor, and there
being no misfortune that attended them, or hindered their enjoyment of
that happiness.
1 The slaughter of all the Midianite women that had prostituted themselves to the lewd Israelites, and the preservation of those that had not been guilty therein; the last of which were no fewer than thirty-two thousand, both here and Numbers 31:15-17, 35, 40, 46, and both by the particular command of God; are highly remarkable, and show that, even in nations otherwise for their wickedness doomed to destruction, the innocent were sometimes particularly and providentially taken care of, and delivered from that destruction; which directly implies, that it was the wickedness of the nations of Canaan, and nothing else, that occasioned their excision. See Genesis 15;16; 1 Samuel 15:18, 33; Apost. Constit. B. VIII. ch. 12. p. 402. In the first of which places, the reason of the delay of the punishment of the Amorites is given, because "their iniquity was not yet full." In the secured, Saul is ordered to go and "destroy the sinners, the Amalekites;" plainly implying that they were therefore to be destroyed, because they were sinners, and not otherwise. In the third, the reason is given why king Agag was not to be spared, viz. because of his former cruelty: "As thy sword hath made the (Hebrew) women childless, so shall thy mother be made childless among women by the Hebrews." In the last place, the apostles, or their amanuensis Clement, gave this reason for the necessity of the coming of Christ, that "men had formerly perverted both the positive law, and that of nature; and had cast out of their mind the memory of the Flood, the burning of Sodom, the plagues of the Egyptians, and the slaughter of the inhabitants of Palestine," as signs of the most amazing impenitence and insensibility, under the punishments of horrid wickedness.
Flavius Josephus. The Works of Flavius Josephus. Translated by. William Whiston, A.M. Auburn and Buffalo. John E. Beardsley. 1895.
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