Numbers 31:4

4 Send into battle a thousand men from each tribe of Israel.”

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 “Take vengeance on the Midianites for the Israelites. After that, you will be gathered to your people.”

3 So Moses told the people, “Arm some of your men for war, that they may go against the Midianites and execute the LORD’s vengeance on them.

4 Send into battle a thousand men from each tribe of Israel.”

5 So a thousand men were recruited from each tribe of Israel—twelve thousand armed for war.

6 And Moses sent the thousand from each tribe into battle, along with Phinehas son of Eleazar the priest, who took with him the vessels of the sanctuary and the trumpets for signaling.