Numbers 31:41-51

41 And Moses gave the tribute, which was the LORD’s heave offering, unto Eleazar, the priest, as the LORD had commanded Moses.

42 And of the half pertaining to the sons of Israel, which Moses divided from the men that had gone to war,

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

44 and thirty-six thousand oxen

45 and thirty thousand five hundred asses

46 and sixteen thousand persons)

47 of the half, therefore of the sons of Israel, 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 had commanded Moses.

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

49 and they said unto Moses, Thy slaves have taken the sum of the men of war who are under our charge and not one man of us is missing.

50 We have therefore brought an offering for the LORD, each man of what he has found, of vessels of gold, chains, and bracelets, rings, earrings, and tablets, to reconcile our souls before the LORD.

51 And Moses and Eleazar, the priest, took the gold from them, all wrought vessels.

Numbers 31:41-51 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.