Numbers 31:30-42

30 "From the sons of Israel's half, you shall take one drawn out of every fifty of the persons, of the cattle, of the donkeys and of the sheep, from all the animals, and give them to the Levites who ¹keep charge of the tabernacle of the LORD."

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

32 Now the booty that remained from the spoil which the men of war had plundered was 675,000 * * * * * * sheep,

33 and 72,000 * * cattle,

34 and 61,000 * * donkeys,

35 and of human beings, of the women who had not known man intimately *, all the persons were 32,000 * *.

36 The half, the portion of those who went out to war, was as follows: the number of sheep was 337,500 * * * * * * * *,

37 and the LORD'S levy of the sheep was 675 * * *;

38 and the cattle were 36,000 *, from which the LORD'S levy was 72 *;

39 and the donkeys were 30,500 * * *, from which the LORD'S levy was 61 *;

40 and the human beings were 16,000 * *, from whom the LORD'S levy was 32 * persons.

41 Moses gave the levy which was the LORD'S offering to Eleazar the priest, just ²as the LORD had commanded Moses.

42 As for the sons of Israel's half, which Moses separated from the men who had gone to war -

Numbers 31:30-42 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.

Cross References

• 1. Num 3:7, 8, 25, 26, 31, 36, 37; Numbers 18:3, 4
• 2. Numbers 5:9, 10; Numbers 18:19

Footnotes

• [a] Lit "people"
• [b] Lit "by lying with a man"
• [c] Or "divided"