Numbers 31:31-41

31 And Moses doth -- Eleazar the priest also -- as Jehovah hath commanded Moses.

32 And the prey, the residue of the spoil which the people of the host have spoiled, is of the flock six hundred thousand, and seventy thousand, and five thousand;

33 and of the herd two and seventy thousand;

34 and of asses one and sixty thousand;

35 and of human beings -- of the women who have not known the lying of a male -- all the persons [are] two and thirty thousand.

36 And the half -- the portion of those who go out into the host -- the number of the flock is three hundred thousand, and thirty thousand, and seven thousand and five hundred.

37 And the tribute to Jehovah of the sheep is six hundred five and seventy;

38 and the herd [is] six and thirty thousand, and their tribute to Jehovah [is] two and seventy;

39 and the asses [are] thirty thousand and five hundred, and their tribute to Jehovah [is] one and sixty;

40 and the human beings [are] sixteen thousand, and their tribute to Jehovah [is] two and thirty persons.

41 And Moses giveth the tribute -- Jehovah's heave-offering -- to Eleazar the priest, as Jehovah hath commanded Moses.

Numbers 31:31-41 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.