Numbers 31:22

Study note

Setting — Eleazar the priest addresses the Israelite soldiers after their military campaign, establishing the statutory procedure for purifying the captured spoils. He positions himself as the authoritative interpreter of the divine command regarding the treatment of war booty.

The words — אַ֥ךְ ('akh) translates literally as "only," while הַזָּהָב (ha.zahav), הַכֶּסֶף (ha.kesef), and הַנְּחֹשֶׁת (ha.nechoshet) mean "the gold," "the silver," and "the bronze." These nouns are governed by the direct object marker אֶת־ ('et), precisely delimiting the metals that trigger the subsequent purification protocols.

The thread — This exclusive listing of precious metals recurs in the tabernacle construction mandates of Exodus 25:3-4 and the tithe regulations of Numbers 31:30. The same triad of gold, silver, and bronze appears in the purification rites of Leviticus 6:9 and the consecration of the altar in Exodus 27:2-3.

Why it lands — The text explicitly restricts the immediate purification statute to specific metals before detailing the fire or water procedures. It requires the reader to recognize that divine law operates through precise categorization, demanding obedience to the exact boundaries set for sacred materials.

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.