Numbers 31:39-49

39 and of thirty thousand asses and five hundred, one and sixty asses; (and of the thirty thousand and five hundred donkeys, sixty-one donkeys were paid as the tribute, or the tax, to the Lord;)

40 (and) of [the] sixteen thousand persons of men, two and thirty persons befelled into the part of the Lord. (and of the sixteen thousand women, that is, the virgins, thirty-two persons were paid as the tribute, or the tax, to the Lord.)

41 And Moses betook the number of the first fruits of the Lord to Eleazar, the priest, as it was commanded to him, (And Moses gave the tribute of the first fruits, or the special contribution, for the Lord, to Eleazar, the priest, as the Lord had commanded him,)

42 of the half part of the sons of Israel, which he parted to them that were in battle. (out of the half portion for the Israelites, which he had separated for them who were in the battle.)

43 And of the half part that befelled to the tother multitude, that is, of three hundred seven and thirty thousand sheep and five hundred, (And out of the half portion that befell to the rest of the people, that is, of the three hundred and thirty-seven thousand and five hundred sheep,)

44 and of six and thirty thousand oxen, (and of the thirty-six thousand oxen,)

45 and of thirty thousand asses and five hundred, (and of the thirty thousand and five hundred donkeys,)

46 and of sixteen thousand women, (and of the sixteen thousand virgins,)

47 Moses took the fiftieth head, and he gave them to the deacons, that (stood) watch in the tabernacle of the Lord, as the Lord commanded. (Moses took the fiftieth of each, and he gave them to the Levites, who kept charge of the Tabernacle of the Lord, as the Lord commanded.)

48 And when the princes of the host, and the tribunes, and the centurions had nighed to Moses, [And when the princes of the host were gone to Moses, and the leaders of thousands, and rulers of hundreds,] (And then the leaders of the army, the tribunes, and the centurions, came to Moses,)

49 they said, We thy servants have told, (or totalled,) the number of fighters, which we had under our hand, or power, and soothly not one failed; (and they said, We thy servants have counted up again the number of the fighters, that we have under our command, and not one of them is missing;)

Numbers 31:39-49 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.