Commentaria in Numeros
27. AND THOU SHALT DIVIDE THE SPOIL EQUALLY BETWEEN THEM THAT FOUGHT, etc., AND THE REST OF THE MULTITUDE.—Note: Neither Moses nor Phinees, the leader of the war, arrogate to themselves the better part of the spoil, but it is all divided among the soldiers: “It becomes,” indeed, “leaders to carry off glory, soldiers money from victory,” says Cato. Whence Scipio, when, Carthage and other cities having been taken, he had enriched his soldiers more than any general, at his death left from so many victories and riches no more than thirty-three pounds of silver and two of gold, says Plutarch.
Note secondly, that when he says, “thou shalt divide equally,” it is to be understood not so that as much fall to those who remained in the camp, and were far from the hazard and peril of war, as to the soldiers who by their peril and labour won the victory: but so that all who remained in the camp, taken together, have as much as those few have who fought it out, namely that one half of the spoil fall to the soldiers who fought; the other half fall to the rest who remained in the camp. Wherefore from this half each one remaining in the camp, as being in a very great number, had far less than the soldiers who fought had from their half: for these were far fewer in number, and therefore each shared far more largely in his half of the spoil. Moreover, out of each half some were offered to the Lord, that is to the priests and Levites, as follows.
Do thou, father, take in hand the sacred things and the ancestral Penates. For me, come forth from so great a war and recent slaughter, it is sin to touch them, until I have washed in the living stream.
You will say: It is a law of war that the lot be equal for him who goes to the war, and for him who stays by the baggage, as is said in 1 I answer: This law was ordained later by David, and, as is said in the same place, it was a custom. Secondly, this law has no place here; for it is understood of those and of the case where both equally undergo the hazard and peril of war, as when, for example, one part, stronger and more numerous, goes to the battle, the other, weaker and of smaller number (as is wont), guards the baggage. For then this part, as well as that, goes into peril, and must await and sustain the enemy’s assault. But here only the few who went to the battle underwent peril. For all the rest remaining in the camp, being in a very great number, did not fear so small an enemy, and consequently went into no peril. So Abulensis.
28. THOU SHALT SEPARATE A PART FOR THE LORD.—God here commands, verse 28, first, that the soldiers out of their half of the spoil give to Him, that is, to Eleazar and the priests, one soul, that is one animal in five hundred, as well of men as of oxen, asses and sheep. Whence from this part of this spoil there fell to the priests 675 sheep, 72 oxen, 61 asses, and 32 virgins.
Secondly, that the Israelites who had remained in the camp, out of their half, give to the Levites one animal in fifty.
29. AND THOU SHALT GIVE IT TO ELEAZAR,—that he may thence distribute a part to Ithamar and the other lesser priests. For these ought no less than the Levites to be partakers of the spoil; but the rest he should keep for himself, as high priest. We see a like thing in chapter xvi, FIRSTFRUITS,—that is, oblation; for in Hebrew it is theruma.
49 and 50. THERE WAS NOT ONE MISSING (fallen in the battle): FOR THIS CAUSE WE OFFER IN THE DONARIES OF THE LORD, EVERY ONE WHAT HE COULD FIND OF GOLD IN THE SPOIL.—Behold, here each offers to God all the gold and the golden vessels that they had taken. The cause follows.
50. THAT THOU MAYEST PRAY.—This was a secondary and accessory cause of the offering of the gold; for the primary was that they might show themselves grateful to God, who had given them this wholly bloodless victory. So all nations have attributed victory to God, and therefore have dedicated the spoils of enemies, or their arms, to their gods.
Aristomenes, in that battle which he fought successfully against the Lacedaemonians, when, victory won, he had come to Delphi, found there the shield which he had lost in the battle, and again dedicated it in the same temple. Pausanias writes that he saw this shield, in the Messenian affairs.
Leocritus the Athenian, when he had first attacked with his men the town of Piraeus and at the same time stormed it, dedicated his shield with solemn rite to Jupiter the Liberator, with an inscription of his name and of the glorious deed. So Pausanias, book I.
The Philistines hung the arms of King Saul, slain by them, in the temple of Astaroth, 1 Kings xxxi, 10.
The standards which the men of Brescia carried off from the conquered Cremonese are read to be hung in their cathedral church for a perpetual memory of the deed, in Bergomensis, book XII.
The English hung in the temple at Courtrai the gilded spurs of the French slain in the battle of Courtrai. So Aemilianus, book IX.
The Emperor Phocas, the cities of Tarsus and Mopsuestia of the Agarenes having been taken, returning to Constantinople brought with him their gates, and, offering them to God as the firstfruits of his expedition, dedicated them to the temple of St. Sophia.
John Colonna, Cardinal, legate of the Christian army and of an immense fleet under Pope Honorius, stormed in Egypt the very strong city of Heliopolis, and, victor from a doubtful battle, bore to Rome a consecrated trophy, namely the column to which Christ was bound and scourged, which he set up to God in the church of St. Praxedes, as a spoil more precious than all price. So P. Jovius in the Pomp of the Column.
David dedicated to God the sword of Goliath, with which he cut off his very head, and hung it up in the tabernacle of God, 1 Kings xxi, 9.
Finally, the Emperor Titus, admiring the fortifications of Jerusalem and seeing them overcome by himself, said: “Plainly we have fought with God helping,” says Josephus, book VII On the War, chapter xvii; nay he would not be crowned, saying that the crown of this victory was due to God. Hear Philostratus, book VI On the Life of Apollonius: “The neighbouring nations wished to crown him for the victory; but he answered that he was unworthy of such an honour: for he was not the author of such works, but had lent his hands to God, who was showing His wrath against the Jews.”
51. ALL THE GOLD IN DIVERS KINDS,—that is, all the gold melted into divers kinds of vessels. So the Hebrew, Chaldee, Septuagint.
52. WEIGHING SIXTEEN THOUSAND.—The word “weighing” is not in the Hebrew; whence it is plain that it does not here signify a pound, but a weight, namely of sicles; as if to say: Of the spoil there were offered in gold to the weight of sixteen thousand sicles, and 7/50 of a sicle, that is, in all 697 pounds of gold and 22 sicles. So the He-
53. FOR THAT WHICH EVERY ONE HAD TAKEN IN THE SPOIL WAS HIS OWN.—Understand of gold and like things which could be seized and hidden; for other larger things, as men and cattle, were brought into the common stock and divided equally, as was said in verse 25.
54. THEY BROUGHT IT INTO THE TABERNACLE (which was) BEFORE THE LORD,—namely before the ark, the Cherubim and the propitiatory.
Lyranus in this chapter recounts twelve causes on account of which we read in Scripture that war was justly waged. The first is, if war be waged against a land in which God is blasphemed by idolatry, as is had in Deuteronomy xii, 2: “Destroy all the places in which the Gentiles, whom you shall possess, worshipped their gods.” The second, if there be a falling away from the worship of God, Deuteronomy xiii, 12: “If thou shalt hear in one of thy cities some saying,” etc. The third, if temporal fidelity to a lord be abandoned, as is plain from 4 Kings iii, of Joram and Josaphat, who made war against the king of Moab. The fourth, if rebellion be raised; so David, 2 Kings xx, pursued Seba the son of Bochri. The fifth, if a wrongdoer be defended, as is plain from Judges xx, of the war made against Gabaa. The sixth, if a public injury be done to a prince, as is plain from 2 Kings x, of David’s war against the king of Ammon, who had the beards of David’s messengers shaved in contempt of him. The seventh, if one’s own property be reclaimed, as is plain from 2 Kings iii, of David’s war against Isboseth, to reclaim the kingdom which had been given him by God.
The eighth, to repel an enemy, as is plain from 2 Kings vii, of David’s war against the Philistines. The ninth, that an enemy rising up in his own land be attacked, as is plain from Numbers xxi, of the war of the children of Israel against Sehon and Og, kings of the Amorrhites. The tenth, against him by whom an enemy is strengthened, as is plain from 2 Kings viii, of David’s war against Syria of Damascus, because it brought help to Adarezer. The eleventh, that a friend be rescued from enemies, as is plain from Genesis xiv, of Abraham’s war against the kings who had taken captive Lot his nephew. The twelfth, if tyranny be exercised by a ruler; as is plain from book 1 of Machabees, of the war of the Machabees against Antiochus the illustrious. Thus far Lyranus.