Numbers 31:24-34

24 On the seventh day you are to wash your clothes, and you will be clean; after that you may enter the camp."

25 ADONAI said to Moshe,

26 "Take all the booty, both people and animals, you, El'azar the cohen and the leaders of clans in the community;

27 and divide the booty into two parts: half for the experienced soldiers who went out to battle, and half for the rest of the community.

28 From the portion of the soldiers who went out to battle, levy a tax for ADONAI consisting of one-five-hundredth of the persons, cattle, donkeys and sheep;

29 take it from their half and give it to El'azar the cohen as a portion set apart for ADONAI.

30 From the half that goes to the people of Isra'el, you are to take one-fiftieth of the persons, and of the cattle, donkeys and sheep, that is, of all the livestock; and give them to the L'vi'im taking care of the tabernacle of ADONAI."

31 Moshe and El'azar the cohen did as ADONAI had ordered Moshe.

32 The booty, over and above the portion which the soldiers took, came to 675,000 sheep,

33 72,000 cattle,

34 61,000 donkeys,

Numbers 31:24-34 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.