2
Numbers 31:2
英文原文
The Midianites - The Moabites are not included. It would thus seem that it was the Midianites, and they only, who deliberately set themselves to work the corruption of Israel.
3
Numbers 31:3
「在米甸人身上為耶和華報仇」——這場對付米甸人的戰爭不是一場普通的戰爭。與其說是戰爭，不如說是對一個罪孽深重的民族執行神的判決。
無疑，米甸人當中有許多人就他們與以色列的關係而言，本身是無辜的。然而，統治者們蓄意採納了巴蘭害以色列的計謀，他們的命令也被臣民過於輕易地遵行了。因此，這罪是全民族的，報應也不能小於此。
然而，不可把經文中交給以色列人的使命理解為普遍的殺戮許可。他們沒有殺或留的任意裁量權。他們受了毫不留情地滅絕的命令，而當他們顯出退縮的跡象時，就被重新召回到這任務上（Numbers 31:14）。在這件事和類似的事上，他們別無選擇，只能履行神的命令；這是神對罪之忿怒一次可畏卻無疑有益的彰顯，正如後來迦南人的被殺戮一樣；也是將來罪與罪人從祂國度中被滅絕的預表。
英文原文
Avenge the Lord of Midian - The war against the Midianites was no ordinary war. It was indeed less a war than the execution of a divine sentence against a most guilty people.
Doubtless there were many among the Midianites who were personally guiltless as regards Israel. But the rulers deliberately adopted the counsel of Balaam against Israel, and their behests had been but too readily obeyed by their subjects. The sin therefore was national, and the retribution could be no less so.
But the commission of the Israelites in the text must not be conceived as a general license to slay. They had no discretion to kill or to spare. They were bidden to exterminate without mercy, and brought back to their task Numbers 31:14 when they showed signs of flinching from it. They had no alternarive in this and similar matters except to fulfill the commands of God; an awful but doubtless salutary manifestation, as was afterward the slaughter of the Canaanites, of God's wrath against sin; and a type of the future extermination of sin and sinners from His kingdom.
5
Numbers 31:5
「被交出來」——或譯作「被點選派出」。
英文原文
Were delivered - Or, "were told off."
6
Numbers 31:6
非尼哈——他因在心利與哥斯比一事上的作為（對照 Numbers 25:7-13），被標明為統領這次遠征的合適人選。
「帶著聖所的器皿和號筒」——或更恰當地譯作：「帶著聖所的器皿，就是號筒」；因為這裏所指定的器皿，似乎就是號筒本身。
英文原文
Phinehas - He was marked out as the fitting director of the expedition by his conduct (compare Numbers 25:7-13) in the matter of Zimri and Cozbi.
With the holy instruments, and the trumpets - Or rather, "with the holy instruments, to wit, the trumpets," for the trumpets themselves seem to be the instruments intended.
8
Numbers 31:8
「他們又殺了……那些被殺的……」——應譯作：「除了在陣上被殺的人以外，他們又把米甸的眾王殺了，就是……」。由此看來，除了這五個在戰後被殺的王以外，似乎還有別的米甸王戰死陣中。這裏提到的五個族長，是亞摩利王西宏的藩屬（Joshua 13:21）。
英文原文
And they slew ... were slain ... - Render: And the kings of Midian they put to death, beside those that fell in the battle; namely, etc. From which it would seem that beside these five, put to death after the battle, there were other Midianite kings who perished fighting. The five chieftains here mentioned were vassals of Sihon the Amorite Joshua 13:21.
10
Numbers 31:10
「美好的城堡」——與其如此理解，不如照 Genesis 25:16 的先例，將此詞譯作「村莊」。這詞源於意為「一排」或「一行」的希伯來語 טוּר（tûr；參 Ezekiel 46:23），大概指那些以石頭逐層堆疊、上覆帳棚布料建成的簡陋居所群；阿拉伯人至今仍使用這類居所，而在有關法軍阿爾及利亞戰役的記述中，它們常以「杜阿爾」（douars）之名被提及。這些居所通常排列成圓形。參 Numbers 11:35 的「哈洗錄」（Hazeroth）一詞。
英文原文
Goodly castles - Rather, both here and in Genesis 25:16, hamlets. The word is derived from a word טוּר ṭûr,) signifying "a row" or "range" (compare Ezekiel 46:23); and probably indicates those collections of rude dwellings, made of stones piled one on another and covered with tent-cloths, which are used by the Arabs to this day; and which are frequently mentioned as douars in narratives of the French campaigns in Algeria. These dwellings would be formed usually in a circle. See the word "Hazeroth," in Numbers 11:35.
11
Numbers 31:11
「擄物」指俘虜和牲畜；「掠物」則指飾品和其他財物。
英文原文
The "prey" refers to the captives and live-stock: the "spoil" to the ornaments and other effects.
16
Numbers 31:16
「使……得罪」——更按字面直譯，是「成了以色列眾子對耶和華不忠的緣由（或誘因）」。
英文原文
Caused ... to commit trespass - More literally, "became to the children of Israel for a cause (or, incitement) of treachery to the Lord."
22
Numbers 31:22
「銅」——當譯作「紫銅」。見 Genesis 4:22 註釋。這節經文的可貴之處，在於它顯明這麼早的時期已有多種金屬用於日常生活。這一切金屬，在出埃及的年代之前許多個世紀，就已在埃及普遍使用。
英文原文
Brass - Render copper. See Genesis 4:22 note. The verse is curious as illustrating the variety of metals in use at this early date for domestic purposes. All these metals were common in Egypt centuries before the date of the Exodus.
29
Numbers 31:29
「舉祭」——宜簡單譯作「供物」，比較 Numbers 18:24。這裏譯作「舉祭」的詞所源自的那個動詞，在 Numbers 31:28 中正確地譯作「徵收」。
英文原文
An heave-offering - Render simply an offering, and compare Numbers 18:24. The verb from which the word here rendered "heave-offering" is derived, is rightly translated "levy" in Numbers 31:28.
32
Numbers 31:32
對照 Numbers 31:11；本節宜譯作：「還有那些擄物——就是打仗的人所奪掠物之外的活擄獲——……」等。「掠物」在 Numbers 31:50 另有描述。
本節及以下數節所記擄獲的羊、牛、驢和人的數目，都以千位整數的約數列出。因此，取自那一半之五百分之一的「耶和華的貢物」（Numbers 31:29、Numbers 31:37-38 等），也同樣得出整齊的數目。牲畜與個人飾物數量之鉅，正是米甸人的特色；及至士師時代他們侵犯以色列時，他們的財富仍屬同一類（Judges 6:5；Judges 8:24 及以下經文）。貝都因人雖然過着粗獷的遊牧生活，直到今日仍保留着祖傳對華美飾物的喜好。
英文原文
Compare Numbers 31:11, and render "And the prey" (i. e., the live prey) "in addition to the spoil which the men of war seized, etc." The "spoil" is described in Numbers 31:50.
The number of sheep, beeves, asses, and persons taken is given in this and following verses in round thousands. Hence, the Lord's tribute (Numbers 31:29, Numbers 31:37-38, etc.), being the 500th part of the half, comes out also in round numbers. The enormous amount both of live stock and of personal ornament was characteristic of the Midianites. When they invaded Israel in the days of the Judges, their wealth was still of the same kind (Judges 6:5; Judges 8:24 ff). The Bedouins, notwithstanding their wild nomadic life, retain their ancestral love of finery to the present day.
49
Numbers 31:49
經文沒有提及米甸人曾有絲毫抵抗。以色列人在這件事上，並在所有參戰者俱都保全的事上，看見了耶和華在這工作中與他們同在的憑據；因此才有 Numbers 31:50 的甘心祭物。
英文原文
There is no mention of any resistance on the part of the Midianites. The Israelites saw in this and in the preservation of all those engaged, proofs that the Lord had been with them in the work, and hence, the free-will oblation of Numbers 31:50.
50
Numbers 31:50
「鏈子」其實是「臂鐲」（2 Samuel 1:10）。「戒指」是戴在指頭上的環，或印戒指；「佩飾」則是掛在頸項上佩戴的飾物（Exodus 35:22）。
「在耶和華面前為我們的生命贖罪」——對照 Exodus 30:11-16。這贖罪不是為任何特定的過犯而設（那需要獻上流血的祭），而是像出埃及記數點人數時所繳的半舍客勒一樣（同處所引），乃是承認自己領受了不配得的憐憫。這些憐憫若不加以承認，便會給生命帶來罪咎。
英文原文
The "chains" were "armlets" 2 Samuel 1:10. The "rings" were "finger-rings," or "seal-rings;" and the "tablets" were worn suspended from the neck Exodus 35:22.
To make an atonement for our souls before the Lord - Compare Exodus 30:11-16. The atonement was not for any special offence committed (which would have called for a sacrifice of blood-shedding), but rather like the half-shekel given at the census in the Book of Exodus (loc. cite), was an acknowledgment of having received undeserved mercies. These, if unacknowledged, would have entailed guilt on the soul.
52
Numbers 31:52
這祭物的價值約合英幣兩萬鎊。
英文原文
The value of the offering was about 20,000 British pounds.
53
Numbers 31:53
這節經文似乎暗示，士兵們——有別於軍官（對照 Numbers 31:49）——沒有從他們的擄物中獻上任何祭物。當然，除了金子以外，還有許多以較不貴重材料製成的戰利品；見 Numbers 31:20、Numbers 31:22。
英文原文
This verse seems to imply that the soldiers, as distinct from the officers (compare Numbers 31:49), did not make any offering from their plunder. Of course besides the gold there would be much spoil of less precious materials; see Numbers 31:20, Numbers 31:22.
「米甸人」——摩押人不包括在內。由此看來,蓄意設謀敗壞以色列的,乃是米甸人,而且惟獨他們。