Numbers 31:39

Study note

Setting — Moses addresses the military commanders and the Israelite camp to finalize the distribution of spoils after the campaign against Midian. He records the exact inventory of captured animals and captives to establish the division.

The words — The Hebrew מִכְסָם (mikh.Sam) denotes a fixed tax or tribute, while חֲמֹרִים (cha.mo.Rim) specifies donkeys as the subject. The text literally states that the tribute to Yahweh from the donkeys was one out of every fifty.

The thread — This identical allocation structure appears in Numbers 31:38 for cattle and in Numbers 31:40 for people. Each category applies the same proportional ratio to set apart a portion for Yahweh.

Why it lands — The verse demands precise accounting of war gains before any human distribution occurs. It requires the reader to recognize that the text establishes a fixed, non-negotiable portion for God before the rest is allocated.

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.