Numbers 31:4

4 Send 1,000 men from each of the tribes of Israel into 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 "Pay the people of Midian back for what they did to the Israelites. After that, you will join the members of your family who have already died."

3 So Moses said to the people, "Prepare some of your men for battle. They must go to war against Midian. They will carry out the LORD's plan to punish Midian.

4 Send 1,000 men from each of the tribes of Israel into battle."

5 So Moses prepared 12,000 men for battle. There were 1,000 from each tribe. They came from the families of Israel.

6 Moses sent them into battle. He sent 1,000 from each tribe. The priest Phinehas went along with them. Phinehas was the son of Eleazar. Phinehas took some articles from the sacred tent with him. He also took the trumpets. The trumpet blasts would tell the people what to do and when to do it.