Numbers 31:4

4 (Out) Of each lineage be chosen a thousand men of Israel, that shall be sent (in)to battle.

Numbers 31:4 Meaning and Commentary

Numbers 31:4

Of every tribe a thousand
So that the whole number of those that were armed were 12,000 as after given:

throughout all the tribes of Israel;
this is observed, as Jarchi thinks, to comprehend the tribe of Levi, which in some cases was left out of the account:

shall ye send to the war;
to fight with Midian.

Numbers 31:4 In-Context

2 Venge thou first the sons of Israel of (the) Midianites, and so thou shalt be gathered to thy people. (First take thou vengeance for the Israelites upon the Midianites, and then thou shalt be gathered to thy people, that is, thou shalt die.)

3 And anon Moses said, Arm ye (some) men of you to battle, that be able to take of the Midianites the vengeance of the Lord. (And at once Moses said to the people, Arm ye some men of you for battle, so that we can take the vengeance of the Lord upon the Midianites.)

4 (Out) Of each lineage be chosen a thousand men of Israel, that shall be sent (in)to battle.

5 And of each lineage they gave a thousand, that is, twelve thousand of men, ready to battle; (And so from each tribe they gave a thousand men, that is, twelve thousand men in all, ready for battle;)

6 which Moses sent forth with Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the priest. And Moses betook to them [the] holy vessels, and trumps to make sound (and the trumpets with which to sound the battle-cry).