Numbers 31:20-30

20 As to every garment, and all that is made of skin, and all work of goats' [hair], and all things made of wood, you shall purify yourselves.

21 El`azar the Kohen said to the men of war who went to the battle, This is the statute of the law which the LORD has commanded Moshe:

22 however the gold, and the silver, the brass, the iron, the tin, and the lead,

23 everything that may abide the fire, you shall make to go through the fire, and it shall be clean; nevertheless it shall be purified with the water for impurity: and all that doesn't withstand the fire you shall make to go through the water.

24 You shall wash your clothes on the seventh day, and you shall be clean; and afterward you shall come into the camp.

25 The LORD spoke to Moshe, saying,

26 Take the sum of the prey that was taken, both of man and of animal, you, and El`azar the Kohen, and the heads of the fathers' [houses] of the congregation;

27 and divide the prey into two parts: between the men skilled in war, who went out to battle, and all the congregation.

28 Levy a tribute to the LORD of the men of war who went out to battle: one soul of five hundred, [both] of the persons, and of the oxen, and of the donkeys, and of the flocks:

29 take it of their half, and give it to El`azar the Kohen, for the LORD's heave-offering.

30 Of the children of Yisra'el's half, you shall take one drawn out of every fifty, of the persons, of the oxen, of the donkeys, and of the flocks, [even] of all the cattle, and give them to the Levites, who keep the charge of the tent of the LORD.

Numbers 31:20-30 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO NUMBERS 31

This chapter contains an order to make war upon Midian, which was accordingly done, Nu 31:1-12, but Moses was wroth, because they saved the women alive, who, through the counsel of Balaam, had been the cause of sin, and of the plague for it in Israel, and therefore orders them, and the male children, to be slain, Nu 31:13-18, and then directs to the purification of the soldiers, their captives and spoil, Nu 31:19-24, and by the command of God an account is taken of the prey, and a division of it made between the soldiers and the congregation, and out of each part a tribute is levied for the Lord, Nu 31:25-31 and the sum of the whole booty is given, Nu 31:32-35 and of the part which belonged to the soldiers, and of the tribute given to the Lord, Nu 31:36-41 and of the part which belonged to the children of Israel, Nu 31:42-47 and besides the above tribute to the Lord, the officers made a voluntary oblation out of their spoil, both by way of gratitude for sparing their lives, and to make atonement for their souls, Nu 31:48-54.