Numbers 31:39-49

39 And the asses were thirty thousand and five hundred, of which the LORD'S tribute was threescore and one.

40 And the persons were sixteen thousand, of which the LORD'S tribute was thirty and two persons.

41 And Moses gave the tribute which was the LORD'S heave offering unto Eleazar the priest, as the LORD commanded Moses.

42 And of the children of Israel's half, which Moses divided from the men who warred

43 (now the half that pertained unto the congregation was three hundred thousand and thirty thousand and seven thousand and five hundred sheep,

44 and thirty and six thousand beeves,

45 and thirty thousand asses and five hundred,

46 and sixteen thousand persons),

47 even of the children of Israel's half, Moses took one portion of fifty, both of man and of beast, and gave them unto the Levites, who kept the charge of the tabernacle of the LORD, as the LORD commanded Moses.

48 And the officers who were over thousands of the host, the captains of thousands and captains of hundreds, came near Moses;

49 and they said unto Moses, "Thy servants have taken the count of the men of war who are under our charge, and there lacketh not one man of us.

Numbers 31:39-49 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.