Numbers 31:23-33

23 and all that maye abyde ye fyre ye shall make it goo thorow the fyre ad then it is cleane. Neuerthelater it shalbe sprinkled with sprinklinge water. And all yt soffereth not the fyre ye shall make goo thorow the water.

24 And wash youre clothes the seuenth daye and then ye are cleane. And afterwarde come in to the hoste.

25 And the Lorde spake vnto Moses sayenge:

26 take the summe of the praye that was taken both of the weme and of catell thou and Eleazer the preast and the auncient heedes of ye congregacion.

27 And deuyde it in to two parties betwene them that toke the warre vppo the and went out to batayle and all the congregacion.

28 And take a porcion vnto the Lorde of the men of warre whiche went oute to batayle one of fyue hundred of the wemen and of the oxen and of the asses and of the shepe:

29 and ye shall take it of their halfe and geue it vnto Eleazer the preast an heueofferynge vnto the Lorde.

30 And of the halfe of ye childern of Israel take one of fyftye of ye wemen of the oxen of the asses and of the shepe and of all maner of beestes and geue them vnto the leuites which wayte apon ye habitacion of the Lorde.

31 And Moses and Eleazer the preast did as the Lorde commaunded Moses.

32 And ye botye and the praye which the men of warre had caught was .vi. hundred thousande and lxxv. thousande shepe:

33 ad .lxxij. thousande oxen:

Numbers 31:23-33 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.