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Texts -- Numbers 31:25-54 (NET)

Context
The Distribution of Spoils
31:25 Then the Lord spoke to Moses : 31:26 “You and Eleazar the priest , and all the family leaders of the community , take the sum of the plunder that was captured , both people and animals . 31:27 Divide the plunder into two parts , one for those who took part in the war – who went out to battle – and the other for all the community . 31:28 “You must exact a tribute for the Lord from the fighting men who went out to battle : one life out of five hundred , from the people , the cattle , and from the donkeys and the sheep . 31:29 You are to take it from their half-share and give it to Eleazar the priest for a raised offering to the Lord . 31:30 From the Israelites ’ half-share you are to take one portion out of fifty of the people , the cattle , the donkeys , and the sheep – from every kind of animal – and you are to give them to the Levites , who are responsible for the care of the Lord’s tabernacle .” 31:31 So Moses and Eleazar the priest did as the Lord commanded Moses . 31:32 The spoil that remained of the plunder which the fighting men had gathered was 675,000 sheep , 31:33 72,000 cattle , 31:34 61,000 donkeys , 31:35 and 32,000 young women who had never had sexual intercourse with a man . 31:36 The half-portion of those who went to war numbered 337,500 sheep ; 31:37 the Lord’s tribute from the sheep was 675 . 31:38 The cattle numbered 36,000 ; the Lord’s tribute was 72 . 31:39 The donkeys were 30,500 , of which the Lord’s tribute was 61 . 31:40 The people were 16,000 , of which the Lord’s tribute was 32 people . 31:41 So Moses gave the tribute , which was the Lord’s raised offering , to Eleazar the priest , as the Lord commanded Moses . 31:42 From the Israelites ’ half-share that Moses had separated from the fighting men , 31:43 there were 337,500 sheep from the portion belonging to the community , 31:44 36,000 cattle , 31:45 30,500 donkeys , 31:46 and 16,000 people . 31:47 From the Israelites ’ share Moses took one of every fifty people and animals and gave them to the Levites who were responsible for the care of the Lord’s tabernacle , just as the Lord commanded Moses . 31:48 Then the officers who were over the thousands of the army , the commanders over thousands and the commanders over hundreds , approached Moses 31:49 and said to him , “Your servants have taken a count of the men who were in the battle , who were under our authority , and not one is missing . 31:50 So we have brought as an offering for the Lord what each man found : gold ornaments , armlets , bracelets , signet rings , earrings , and necklaces , to make atonement for ourselves before the Lord .” 31:51 Moses and Eleazar the priest took the gold from them, all of it in the form of ornaments . 31:52 All the gold of the offering they offered up to the Lord from the commanders of thousands and the commanders of hundreds weighed 16,750 shekels . 31:53 Each soldier had taken plunder for himself. 31:54 So Moses and Eleazar the priest received the gold from the commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds and brought it into the tent of meeting as a memorial for the Israelites before the Lord .

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Bible Dictionary

  • BOOTY

    [ebd] captives or cattle or objects of value taken in war. In Canaan all that breathed were to be destroyed (Deut. 20: 16). The "pictures and images" of the Canaanites were to be destroyed also (Num. 33:52). The law of booty as to...
    [isbe] BOOTY - boot'-i (baz and baz): "Booty" is the translation of baz or baz, usually rendered "prey" and "spoil" (Jer 49:32); of malqoach, "prey," "booty" (Nu 31:32, "the booty--the rest of the prey," the Revised Version (Britis...
    [smith] consisted of captives of both sexes, cattle, and whatever a captured city might contain, especially metallic treasures. Within the limits of Canaan no captives were to be made, (20:14,16) beyond these limits, in case of warli...

  • Israel

    [nave] ISRAEL 1. A name given to Jacob, Gen. 32:24-32; 2 Kin. 17:34; Hos. 12:3, 4. 2. A name of the Christ in prophecy, Isa. 49:3. 3. A name given to the descendants of Jacob, a nation. Called also Israelites, and Hebrews, Gen. 4...

  • ABEL-SHITTIM

    [isbe] ABEL-SHITTIM - a'-bel-shit'-tim ('abhel ha-shiTTim, "the meadow of the Acacias"): The name appears only in Nu 33:49; but the name Shittim is used to denote the same locality (Nu 25:1; Josh 2:1; 3:1; Mic 6:5). The name always...

  • Spoils

    [nave] SPOILS Of war, Gen. 14:11, 12; Num. 31:9, 10; Deut. 2:35. Divided between the combatants and non-combatants of the Israelites, including priests and Levites, Num. 31:25-54; 1 Sam. 30:24. Dedicated to the Lord, 1 Sam. 15:15...

  • MOSES

    [isbe] MOSES - mo'-zez, mo'-ziz (mosheh; Egyptian mes, "drawn out," "born"; Septuagint Mouse(s)). The great Hebrew national hero, leader, author, law-giver and prophet. I. LIFE 1. Son of Levi 2. Foundling Prince 3. Friend of the Pe...

  • Midianites

    [nave] MIDIANITES Descendants of Midian, son of Abraham by Keturah, Gen. 25:1, 2, 4; 1 Chr. 1:32, 33. Called Ishmaelites, Gen. 37:25, 28; Judg. 8:24. Were merchantmen, Gen. 37:28. Buy Joseph and sell him to Potiphar, Gen. 37:28,...

  • Wars of the Lord, The Book of the

    [ebd] (Num. 21:14, 15), some unknown book so called (comp. Gen. 14:14-16; Ex. 17:8-16; Num. 14:40-45; 21:1-3, 21-25, 33-35; 31. The wars here recorded might be thus designated).

  • BALAAM

    [isbe] BALAAM - ba'-lam bil`am, "devourer"): The son of Beor, from a city in Mesopotamia called Pethor, a man possessing the gift of prophecy, whose remarkable history may be found in Nu 22:2 through 24:25; compare Num 31:8,16; Dt ...

  • Priest

    [smith] The English word is derived from the Greek presbyter , signifying an "elder" (Heb. cohen). Origin. --The idea of a priesthood connects itself in all its forms, pure or corrupted, with the consciousness, more or less distinct ...
    [nave] PRIEST. Before Moses Melchizedek, Gen. 14:18; Heb. 5:6, 10, 11; 6:20; 7:1-21. Jethro, Ex. 2:16. Priests in Israel before the giving of the law, Ex. 19:22, 24. Called angel, Eccl. 5:6. Mosaic Ex. 28:1-4; 29:9, 44; Num....

  • Armies

    [nave] ARMIES Who of the Israelites were subject to service in, Num. 1:2, 3; 26:2; 2 Chr. 25:5; who were exempt from service in, Num. 1:47-50; 2:33; Deut. 20:5-9; Judg. 7:3. Enumeration of Israel's military forces, Num. 1:2, 3; 26...

  • Servant

    [nave] SERVANT Distinguished as bond servant, who was a slave, and hired servant. Bond Laws of Moses concerning, Ex. 21:1-11, 20, 21, 26, 27, 32; Lev. 19:20-22; 25:6, 10, 35-55; Deut. 15:12, 14, 18; 24:7. Kidnapping forbidden, D...

  • SLAVE; SLAVERY

    [isbe] SLAVE; SLAVERY - slav, slav'-er-i: 1. Acquiring of Slaves 2. Hebrews as War Captives 3. Freedom of Slaves 4. Rights of Slaves 5. Rights of Slave Masters 6. The New Testament Conception LITERATURE The origin of the term "slav...

  • TAX; TAXING

    [isbe] TAX; TAXING - taks, taks'-ing: I. INTRODUCTION 1. General Considerations 2. Limits of the Discussion II. TAXES IN ISRAEL UNDER SELF-GOVERNMENT 1. In the Earliest Period 2. Under the Theocracy; in the Period of the Judges 3. ...

  • METALS

    [smith] The Hebrews, in common with other ancient nations, were acquainted with nearly all the metals known to modern metallurgy, whether as the products of their own soil or the results of intercourse with foreigners. One of the ear...

  • Liberality

    [nave] LIBERALITY. Ex. 22:29, 30 Ex. 13:2, 12. Ex. 23:15 Ex. 34:20. Ex. 25:1-8; Ex. 35:4-29; Ex. 36:3-6; Ex. 38:8; Lev. 19:5 Lev. 22:29; Num. 35:8. Deut. 12:11, 12, 17-19; Deut. 14:27-29; Deut. 15:7-18; Deut. 16:10, 17; Deut. 18:1...

  • Levites

    [nave] LEVITES The descendants of Levi. Set apart as ministers of religion, Num. 1:47-54; 3:6-16; 16:9; 26:57-62; Deut. 10:8; 1 Chr. 15:2. Substituted in the place of the firstborn, Num. 3:12, 41-45; 8:14, 16-18; 18:6. Religious ...

  • Thankfulness

    [nave] THANKFULNESS Jesus set an example of, Matt. 11:25; 26:27; John 11:41. The heavenly host engage in, Rev. 4:9; 7:11, 12; 11:16, 17. Commanded, Psa. 50:14. Should be offered to God, Psa. 50:14; to Christ, 1 Tim. 1:12; throug...

  • TRIBUTE

    [isbe] TRIBUTE - trib'-ut (mac, "tribute," really meaning "forced laborers," "labor gang" (1 Ki 4:6; 9:15,21); also "forced service," "serfdom"; possibly "forced payment" is meant in Est 10:1; the idea contained in the modern word ...

  • Gold

    [isbe] GOLD - gold (zahabh; chrusos): 1. Terms: No metal has been more frequently mentioned in Old Testament writings than gold, and none has had more terms applied to it. Among these terms the one most used is zahabh. The Arabic e...
    [nave] GOLD Exported from Havilah, Gen. 2:11, 12. From Ophir, 1 Kin. 9:28; 10:11; 1 Chr. 29:4; 2 Chr. 8:18; Job 22:24; Tarshish, 1 Kin. 22:48; Parvaim, 2 Chr. 3:6; Sheba, 1 Kin. 10:10; 2 Chr. 9:9; Psa. 72:15; Uphaz, Jer. 10:9. Re...

  • Jericho

    [ebd] place of fragrance, a fenced city in the midst of a vast grove of palm trees, in the plain of Jordan, over against the place where that river was crossed by the Israelites (Josh. 3:16). Its site was near the 'Ain es-Sultan, ...
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Expository Notes on the Bible (Constable)

  • To formulate a statement that summarizes the teaching of this book it will be helpful to identify some of the major revelations in Numbers. These constitute the unique values of the book.The first major value of Numbers is th...
  • I. Experiences of the older generation in the wilderness chs. 1-25A. Preparations for entering the Promised Land from the south chs. 1-101. The first census and the organization of the people chs. 1-42. Commands and rituals t...
  • "Chapters 23 and 24 are two of the brightest chapters in the book of Numbers. Scores of wonderful things are said about Israel, mainly prophetical. The dark sins of the past were forgotten; only happy deliverance from Egypt w...
  • The writer now recorded the fulfillment of God's instructions to Moses that Israel should destroy the Midianites (25:16-18). In this account, the aftermath of the battle receives more attention than the battle itself. Evident...
  • 5:13-15 "Despite Joshua's long military experience he had never led an attack on a fortified city that was prepared for a long siege. In fact, of all the walled cities in Palestine, Jericho was probably the most invincible. T...
  • The main part of the second half of the Book of Joshua dealing with the division of the land ends with the appointment of the Levitical cities (chs. 13-21). The rest of the book deals with settlement in the land (chs. 22-24)....
  • The rest of the chapter describes the distribution of plunder from this battle. The amount of space the writer devoted to this revelation shows that he intended to stress it.David returned to his 200 exhausted followers at th...
  • The writer now focused on the issue of sacrifice."The argument moves a stage further as the author turns specifically to what Christ has done. The sacrifices of the old covenant were ineffectual. But in strong contrast Christ...
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