Numbers 31:42 - Of the children of Israel’s half, which Moses divided off from the men who fought
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What does "Numbers 31:42" mean?
Numbers 31 describes a war against the Midianites. After the victory, the spoils were divided into two main portions: one for the fighting men (those who actually went into battle) and one for the rest of the congregation of Israel (those who stayed behind to support them).
Numbers 31:42, "Of the children of Israel’s half, which Moses divided off from the men who fought," refers to the portion of the spoils designated for the rest of the Israelites (not the fighting men). Moses was instructed to divide this half again: a portion of it would be given to the Levites who ministered at the tabernacle.
Here's a breakdown:
"Children of Israel’s half": This refers to the portion of the captured plunder that was given to the entire community of Israel, excluding the soldiers who fought in the battle. This was half of the total spoils captured. The other half went to the fighting men.
"which Moses divided off from the men who fought": This clarifies that Moses was responsible for separating this portion of the spoil from the portion that was given to the soldiers. It emphasizes that this half belonged to the broader community, not just the warriors.
In essence, the verse is stating that the following verses will discuss what happened to the half of the spoils that went to the non-combatant Israelites. The verses following this one detail further how that half was then divided and distributed.
The purpose of this division and distribution was to ensure fairness and to acknowledge the contributions of everyone in the community, not just those who physically fought. It also provided for the Levites, who didn't have land inheritance of their own.
Numbers 31:42 - Of the children of Israel’s half, which Moses divided off from the men who fought
What does "Numbers 31:42" mean?
Numbers 31 describes a war against the Midianites. After the victory, the spoils were divided into two main portions: one for the fighting men (those who actually went into battle) and one for the rest of the congregation of Israel (those who stayed behind to support them).
Numbers 31:42, "Of the children of Israel’s half, which Moses divided off from the men who fought," refers to the portion of the spoils designated for the rest of the Israelites (not the fighting men). Moses was instructed to divide this half again: a portion of it would be given to the Levites who ministered at the tabernacle.
Here's a breakdown:
"Children of Israel’s half": This refers to the portion of the captured plunder that was given to the entire community of Israel, excluding the soldiers who fought in the battle. This was half of the total spoils captured. The other half went to the fighting men.
"which Moses divided off from the men who fought": This clarifies that Moses was responsible for separating this portion of the spoil from the portion that was given to the soldiers. It emphasizes that this half belonged to the broader community, not just the warriors.
In essence, the verse is stating that the following verses will discuss what happened to the half of the spoils that went to the non-combatant Israelites. The verses following this one detail further how that half was then divided and distributed.
The purpose of this division and distribution was to ensure fairness and to acknowledge the contributions of everyone in the community, not just those who physically fought. It also provided for the Levites, who didn't have land inheritance of their own.