Bible Strands
1 Chronicles 5:21
They seized the livestock of the Hagrites—50,000 camels, 250,000 sheep, and 2,000 donkeys. They also took 100,000 captives,
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — The Chronicler writes this account for the post-exilic community, summarizing the transjordanian campaigns of Reuben, Gad, and half-Manasseh. The passage records the immediate aftermath of a battle where the tribes seized enemy resources after God delivered the Hagrites into their hands.
The words — The Hebrew verb וַ/יִּשְׁבּ֣וּ (va/i.yish.Bu) literally means "and they took captive," denoting the seizure of prisoners and spoil. This verb directly executes the divine delivery described in the preceding verse, shifting the narrative from prayer to material acquisition.
The thread — The Chronicler's inventory of captives and livestock parallels Numbers 31:35, which records 32,000 captive women after the Midianite campaign. Revelation 18:13 later lists cattle and sheep among the commercial goods traded in a judged city, using similar economic terminology to mark either divine judgment or worldly commerce.
Why it lands — The text requires the reader to acknowledge that military victory and resource seizure are presented as direct consequences of the tribes crying out to God. It demands a clear distinction between the historical record of acquisition and any assumption that such material gain constitutes personal merit.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
And they took away their cattle; of their camels fifty thousand, and of sheep two hundred and fifty thousand, and of asses two thousand, and of men an hundred thousand.
Cross-references
- Numbers 31:35 and 32,000 women who had not slept with a man.
- Revelation 18:13 of cinnamon, spice, incense, myrrh, and frankincense; of wine, olive oil, fine flour, and wheat; of cattle, sheep, horses, and carriages; of bodies and souls of slaves.