26 'Take up the sum of the prey of the captives, among man and among beast, thou, and Eleazar the priest, and the heads of the fathers of the company; 27 and thou hast halved the prey between those handling the battle who go out to the host and all the company; 28 and thou hast raised a tribute to Jehovah from the men of war, who go out to the host, one body out of five hundred, of man, and of the herd, and of the asses, and of the flock; 29 from their half ye do take, and thou hast given to Eleazar the priest—the heave-offering of Jehovah. 30 'And from the sons of Israel's half thou dost take one possession out of fifty, of man, of the herd, of the asses, and of the flock, of all the cattle, and thou hast given them to the Levites keeping the charge of the tabernacle of Jehovah.' 31 And Moses doth—Eleazar the priest also—as Jehovah hath commanded Moses. 32 And the prey, the residue of the spoil which the people of the host have spoiled, is of the flock six hundred thousand, and seventy thousand, and five thousand; 33 and of the herd two and seventy thousand; 34 and of asses one and sixty thousand; 35 and of human beings—of the women who have not known the lying of a male—all the persons 'are' two and thirty thousand. 36 And the half—the portion of those who go out into the host—the number of the flock is three hundred thousand, and thirty thousand, and seven thousand and five hundred. 37 And the tribute to Jehovah of the sheep is six hundred five and seventy; 38 and the herd 'is' six and thirty thousand, and their tribute to Jehovah 'is' two and seventy; 39 and the asses 'are' thirty thousand and five hundred, and their tribute to Jehovah 'is' one and sixty; 40 and the human beings 'are' sixteen thousand, and their tribute to Jehovah 'is' two and thirty persons. 41 And Moses giveth the tribute—Jehovah's heave-offering—to Eleazar the priest, as Jehovah hath commanded Moses. 42 And of the sons of Israel's half, which Moses halved from the men who war— 43 and the company's half is, of the flock three hundred thousand, and thirty thousand, seven thousand and five hundred; 44 and of the herd six and thirty thousand; 45 and of asses thirty thousand and five hundred; 46 and of human beings sixteen thousand— 47 Moses taketh from the sons of Israel's half the one possession from the fifty, of man and of beast, and giveth them to the Levites keeping the charge of the tabernacle of Jehovah, as Jehovah hath commanded Moses.
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Numbers 31:26-47
Commentary on Numbers 31:25-47
(Read Numbers 31:25-47)
Whatever we have, God justly claims a part. Out of the people's share God required one in fifty, but out of the soldiers' share only one in five hundred. The less opportunity we have of honouring God with personal services, the more should we give in money or value.