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Numbers 31:27

Old Testament Law (Torah) ASV (1901)

What does Numbers 31:27 say?

The American Standard Version records this verse as: “and divide the prey into two parts: between the men skilled in war, that went out to battle, and all the congregation.” Read the surrounding verses and the named sources below before drawing broader conclusions.

The verse

and divide the prey into two parts: between the men skilled in war, that went out to battle, and all the congregation.
Numbers 31:27 — American Standard Version

Context — Numbers 31

American Standard Version (1901) — public domain. Click any verse for its study page.
24And ye shall wash your clothes on the seventh day, and ye shall be clean; and afterward ye shall come into the camp.
25And Jehovah spake unto Moses, saying,
26Take the sum of the prey that was taken, both of man and of beast, thou, and Eleazar the priest, and the heads of the fathers` [houses] of the congregation;
27and divide the prey into two parts: between the men skilled in war, that went out to battle, and all the congregation.
28And levy a tribute unto Jehovah of the men of war that went out to battle: one soul of five hundred, [both] of the persons, and of the oxen, and of the asses, and of the flocks:
29take it of their half, and give it unto Eleazar the priest, for Jehovah`s heave-offering.
30And of the children of Israel`s half, thou shalt take one drawn out of every fifty, of the persons, of the oxen, of the asses, and of the flocks, [even] of all the cattle, and give them unto the Levites, that keep the charge of the tabernacle of Jehovah.
← Numbers 31:26Numbers 31:28 →
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What do historical commentaries say?

John Gill's Exposition
John Gill (1697–1771) · Exposition of the Old and New Testament · 18th-century historical commentary
“And divide the prey into two parts, etc.] Into two equal parts, both the number of the people and of the cattle, when taken: between them that took the war upon them, and went out to battle; the soldiers; and by this it appears that they went voluntarily and cheerfully: and between all the congregation; so that the part of them that went to battle, and of those that stayed in the camp, were alike, and which in process of time became a statute and ordinance, (<093024>1 Samuel 30:24,25 <196812> Psalm 68:12).”
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Wesley's Explanatory Notes
John Wesley (1703–1791) · Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament and Old Testament notes · 18th-century historical commentary
“Two parts - The congregation hath some share, because the warriors went in the name of all, and because all having been injured by the Midianites, all were to have some share in the reparations: but the warriors who were but 12000, have a far greater share than their brethren, because they underwent greater pains and dangers. Numbers 31:29”
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Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge
R. A. Torrey and contributors · The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge · Cross-reference reference work
“two parts: Jos 22:8; Sa1 30:4, Sa1 30:24, Sa1 30:25; Psa 68:12 Numbers 31:28”
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Related study paths

Read Numbers 31 in contextBrowse Hebrew word studiesOpen this verse in the study reader

Sources and verification