Attributed commentary excerpt
Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge on Numbers 31:32
A historical reference excerpt for this verse. Read it alongside the biblical text and other available sources.
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
R. A. Torrey and contributors · Cross-reference reference work
Source: BibleWord.ai's local reference edition of this named work.
the booty: It appears from the enumeration here, that the Israelites, in this war with the Midianites, took 32,000 female prisoners, 61,000 asses, 72,000 beeves, and 675,000 sheep and small cattle; besides the immense number of males who fell in battle, and the women and children who were slain by the divine command ( Num 31:17). This booty was divided into equal parts, by which partition a far larger share was justly given to the warriors employed on the expedition, who were only 12,000, than to those, who being equally willing to go, were ordered to stay in the camp. Each party was to give a certain proportion to Jehovah, as their sovereign, in grateful acknowledgment that to him they owed their success. The soldiers to give to the Lord one out of every five hundred persons, beeves, asses, and sheep ( Num 31:28), and the people, who by staying at home risked nothing, and had no fatigue, were to give one out of fifty of each of the above to the Levites, who were far more numerous than the priests ( Num 31:30). The booty, its division among the soldiers and people, and the proportion given by each to the Lord and to the Levites, will be seen at one view by the following table: Offering Recipients OfferingTypes To Soldiers To God To People To Levites TotalOfferings Sheep 337,500 675 337,500 6,750 675,000 Beeves 36,000 72 36,000 720 72,000 Asses 30,500 61 30,500 610 61,000 Persons 16,000 32 16,000 320 32,000 It does not appear that a single ox, sheep, or ass, was required by Moses as his portion; or that there was any given to him by the people; and though he had a family as well as others, yet no provision was made for them above the common lot of Levites! Numbers 31:41
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