Add parallel Print Page Options

48 Then the officers who were over the thousands of the army, the commanders over thousands and the commanders over hundreds, approached Moses 49 and said to him,[a] “Your servants have taken a count[b] of the men who were in the battle, who were under our authority,[c] and not one is missing. 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[d] before the Lord.”[e] 51 Moses and Eleazar the priest took the gold from them, all of it in the form of ornaments. 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.[f] 53 Each soldier had taken plunder for himself. 54 So Moses and Eleazar the priest received the gold from the commanders of thousands and commanders[g] of hundreds and brought it into the tent of meeting as a memorial[h] for the Israelites before the Lord.

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Numbers 31:49 tn Heb “to Moses”; the proper name has been replaced by the pronoun (“him”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.
  2. Numbers 31:49 tn Heb “lifted up the head.”
  3. Numbers 31:49 tn Heb “in our hand.”
  4. Numbers 31:50 tn Heb “our souls.”
  5. Numbers 31:50 sn The expression here may include the idea of finding protection from divine wrath, which is so common to Leviticus, but it may also be a thank offering for the fact that their lives had been spared.
  6. Numbers 31:52 sn Or about 420 imperial pounds.
  7. Numbers 31:54 tn The Hebrew text does not repeat the word “commanders” here, but it is implied.
  8. Numbers 31:54 tn The purpose of the offering was to remind the Lord to remember Israel. But it would also be an encouragement for Israel as they remembered the great victory.

48 Then (A)the officers who were over the thousands of the army, the commanders of thousands and the commanders of hundreds, came near to Moses 49 and said to Moses, “Your servants have counted the men of war who are under our command, and there is not a man missing from us. 50 And we have brought the Lord's offering, what each man found, articles of gold, armlets and bracelets, signet rings, earrings, and beads, (B)to make atonement for ourselves before the Lord.” 51 And Moses and Eleazar the priest received from them the gold, all crafted articles. 52 And all the gold of the contribution that they presented to the Lord, from the commanders of thousands and the commanders of hundreds, was 16,750 shekels.[a] 53 (C)(The men in the army had each taken plunder for himself.) 54 And Moses and Eleazar the priest received the gold from the commanders of thousands and of hundreds, and brought it into the tent of meeting, (D)as a memorial for the people of Israel before the Lord.

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Numbers 31:52 A shekel was about 2/5 ounce or 11 grams