Numbers 31:21-54

Instructions about the spoils of war

21 Eleazar the priest said to the men of battle who had gone out to war, "This is the regulation in the Instruction that the LORD commanded Moses:

22 Gold, silver, copper, iron, tin, and lead—

23 anything that can withstand fire—you will put through the fire and it will be clean. It will also be purified with the water of purification. Anything that isn't able to withstand fire, you will immerse in water.

24 You must wash your clothes on the seventh day and you will be clean. Afterward you may enter the camp."

25 The LORD said to Moses:

26 You, Eleazar the priest, and the leaders of the community's households must take an inventory of the valuable property and the captives, both human and animals,

27 and divide the valuable property between the warriors who went into battle and the entire community.

28 You will offer as tribute to the LORD from each warrior who went into battle one living being in five hundred, whether human, oxen, donkeys, or flocks.

29 Take it from the warriors' half and give it to Eleazar the priest as a gift offering to the LORD.

30 But from the Israelites' half you will take one out of every fifty, whether from human, oxen, donkeys, or flock—all the animals. You will give them to the Levites who carry out the duties of the LORD's dwelling.

31 Moses and Eleazar the priest did as the LORD commanded Moses.

32 The valuable property remaining from the spoils of war that the people of the army had taken was 675,000 sheep,

33 72,000 oxen,

34 61,000 donkeys,

35 and 32,000 women who hadn't known a man intimately by sleeping with him.

36 The half-share of those who had gone out to battle numbered 337,500 sheep,

37 of which the LORD's tribute was 675.

38 The oxen were 36,000, of which the LORD's tribute was 72.

39 The donkeys were 30,500, of which the LORD's tribute was 61.

40 Humans were 16,000, of which the LORD's tribute was 32 persons.

41 Moses gave the tribute, a gift offering for the LORD, to Eleazar the priest as the LORD had commanded Moses.

42 As for the half-share of the Israelites that Moses divided from those who had gone out to battle:

43 the community's half-share was 337,500 sheep,

44 36,000 oxen,

45 30,500 donkeys,

46 and 16,000 humans.

47 Moses took from the Israelites' half one out of every fifty, from humans and animals. He gave them to the Levites who carry out the duties of the LORD's dwelling, just as the LORD had commanded Moses.

48 The commanders over the thousands of the army, officers over thousands and officers over hundreds, approached Moses

49 and said to Moses, "Your servants have counted the warriors in our charge and not one of us is missing.

50 We have brought the LORD's offering that each found, gold articles—anklets, bracelets, signet rings, earrings, and necklaces—to seek reconciliation for ourselves before the LORD."

51 Moses and Eleazar the priest took all the gold articles from them.

52 All the gold for the gift offering that was presented to the LORD from the officers of thousands and the officers of hundreds was sixteen thousand seven hundred fifty shekels.

53 Each of the men of battle took spoils of war for himself.

54 Yet Moses and Eleazar the priest also received the gold from the officers of thousands and of hundreds, and they brought it to the meeting tent as a memorial for the Israelites before the LORD.

Numbers 31:21-54 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.