Numbers 31:25-54

The People Divide Up What They Had Taken

25 The LORD spoke to Moses. He said,

26 "Here is what you and the priest Eleazar and the family heads of the community must do. You must count all of the people and animals you took.

27 Divide up some of what you took with the soldiers who fought in the battle. Divide up the rest with the others in the community.

28 "Set apart a gift for me. Take something from the soldiers who fought in the battle. Set apart one out of every 500 people, cattle, donkeys, sheep and goats.

29 Take my gift from the soldiers' half. Give it to the priest Eleazar. It is my share.

30 "Also take something from the half that belongs to the people of Israel. Choose one out of every 50 people, cattle, donkeys, sheep, goats or other animals. Give them to the Levites. They are accountable for taking care of my holy tent."

31 So Moses and the priest Eleazar did just as the LORD had commanded Moses.

32 What the soldiers took included 675,000 sheep.

33 There were also 72,000 cattle

34 and 61,000 donkeys.

35 And there were 32,000 women who had never made love to a man.

36 Here is the half that belonged to those who had fought in the battle. There were 337,500 sheep.

37 From among them, the LORD's gift was 675.

38 There were 36,000 cattle. From among them, the LORD's gift was 72.

39 There were 30,500 donkeys. From among them, the LORD's gift was 61.

40 There were 16,000 women. From among them, the LORD's gift was 32.

41 Moses gave the gift to the priest Eleazar. It was the LORD's share. Moses did just as the LORD had commanded him.

42 The other half belonged to the people of Israel. Moses set it apart from what belonged to the fighting men.

43 The community's half was 337,500 sheep,

44 36,000 cattle,

45 30,500 donkeys

46 and 16,000 women.

47 Moses chose one out of every 50 people and animals. He gave them to the Levites. They were accountable for taking care of the LORD's holy tent. Moses did just as the LORD had commanded him.

48 Then the army officers went to Moses. Some of them were the commanders of thousands of men. Others were the commanders of hundreds.

49 All of them said to Moses, "We have counted the soldiers under our command. Not a single one is missing.

50 "So we've brought an offering to the Lord. We've brought the gold articles each of us took in the battle. We've also brought armbands, bracelets, rings, earrings and necklaces. We've brought them to pay for our sin in the sight of the Lord."

51 Moses and the priest Eleazar accepted the beautiful gold articles from the army officers.

52 The gold that was received from the commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds weighed 420 pounds. Moses and Eleazar offered all of it as a gift to the Lord.

53 Each soldier had taken things from the battle for himself.

54 Moses and the priest Eleazar accepted the gold from all of the commanders. They brought it into the Tent of Meeting. It reminded the LORD of the people of Israel.

Numbers 31:25-54 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.