Discovery BoxNumbers 31:8-9 
Context31:8 They killed the kings of Midian in addition to those slain – Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur, and Reba – five Midianite kings. 1 They also killed Balaam son of Beor with the sword. 2
31:9 The Israelites took the women of Midian captives along with their little ones, and took all their herds, all their flocks, and all their goods as plunder.
Numbers 31:54
Context31:54 So Moses and Eleazar the priest received the gold from the commanders of thousands and commanders 3 of hundreds and brought it into the tent of meeting as a memorial 4 for the Israelites before the Lord.
1 sn Here again we see that there was no unified empire, but Midianite tribal groups.
2 sn And what was Balaam doing among the Midianites? The implication is strong. This pagan diviner had to submit to the revealed will of God in the oracles, but he nonetheless could be hired. He had been a part of the attempt to destroy Israel that failed; he then apparently became part of the plan, if not the adviser, to destroy them with sexual immorality and pagan ritual.
3 tn The Hebrew text does not repeat the word “commanders” here, but it is implied.
4 tn The purpose of the offering was to remind the
