Numbers 31:43

Study note

Setting — The narrator records the division of war spoils after the campaign against Midian, specifying the portion allocated to the Israelite assembly. This accounting follows the separation of the soldiers’ share and precedes the livestock tally.

The words — מֶחֱצַת (me.che.Tzat) denotes the designated half, while הָ/עֵדָ֖ה (ha./'e.Dah) identifies the corporate congregation as the recipient. The phrasing מִן\־ הַ/צֹּ֑אן (min- ha./Tzon) clarifies that this allocation is drawn specifically from the flock.

The thread — The verse appears as a bracketed accounting detail between the Israelites’ half (Numbers 31:42) and the cattle count (Numbers 31:44). Similar ledger-style divisions of sacred and communal property appear in Exodus 38:26 and Leviticus 27:32.

Why it lands — The text establishes that the congregation receives a fixed, quantified share of the spoils, separate from the warriors’ portion. A reader must account for the precise allocation before applying any principle of communal provision or tithe.

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.