John Calvin Commentary Numbers 31:3

"And Moses spake unto the people, saying, Arm ye men from among you for the war, that they may go against Midian, to execute Jehovah`s vengeance on Midian." — Numbers 31:3 (ASV)

And Moses spoke to the people. There is no doubt that Moses delivered the commands which he had received from God. Although, therefore, it is stated²⁰⁵ that only ten thousand went out to the war, yet the facts themselves demonstrate that the number, as well as the mode of warfare, was prescribed by God.

Indeed, it would have been reckless of Moses to attack such a large people with so small a band. He would have deservedly suffered the penalty for his rashness if he had attempted it on his own initiative. However, because God’s command had preceded it, he successfully concluded the matter, which had been properly and rightly undertaken.

Nor can it be questioned that God desired by this test to prove the faith of His people. For, according to human understanding, it was foolish to endanger themselves without cause. The objection was obvious: it was by no means advisable, when six hundred thousand men were available, to assign the task of waging such a perilous war to so few.

Therefore, just as God later destroyed the great army of the Midianites with only four hundred men under the leadership of Gideon, so also under the hand of Moses, He sent out only one thousand from every tribe for the destruction of that nation. The tribe of Zebulun alone could have provided five times as many soldiers as God took from the whole people.

In this way, then, they proved their faith when, relying on the aid of God alone, they did not hesitate to boldly advance against their enemies. The event itself demonstrated God’s grace more fully than if they had fought with all their forces, for then it would have been believed that the Midianites were defeated by the sheer number of men.

Therefore, as the people showed their obedience by quick compliance, they learned from the outcome that there is nothing better than to submit ourselves to God and to leave the prospect of success so completely in His hand that our confidence may depend solely on Him.

So that no tribe would boast over the others, each was commanded to provide the same number of soldiers. Moreover, Phinehas was sent with them, not so much to engage personally with the enemy or to be their General, but rather so that he might rule and control their minds as God’s messenger and interpreter. They were to be kept in the fear of God and inspired with the expectation of victory. Therefore, God’s priest was their leader, so that the war might be a holy one. The silver trumpets served the same purpose; in obedience to the Law, as we have seen elsewhere,²⁰⁶ the Levites were accustomed to sound them, so that it might be clear that their battles were not fought without the will and authority of heaven. Among “the holy instruments,” some commentators, in my opinion rightly, include the Ark of the Covenant.

²⁰⁵ “Combien doncques qu’il n’y est rien exprime d’avantage, sinon que, etc.;” although, therefore, nothing more is stated than that, etc. — Fr.

²⁰⁶ See ante, on on Numbers 10:2, , vol. 2, p. 104..