- the booty:
- It appears from the enumeration here, that the Israelites, in this war with the Midianites, took 32,000 female prisoners, 61,000 asses, 72,000 beeves, and 675,000 sheep and small cattle; besides the immense number of males who fell in battle, and the women and children who were slain by the divine command ("Now¹ therefore killª° every¹ maleª among the little ones,ª and killª° every¹ womanª that hath knownª° manª by lyingª with him.ª" {Num 31:17}). This booty was divided into equal parts, by which partition a far larger share was justly given to the warriors employed on the expedition, who were only 12,000, than to those, who being equally willing to go, were ordered to stay in the camp. Each party was to give a certain proportion to Jehovah, as their sovereign, in grateful acknowledgment that to him they owed their success. The soldiers to give to the Lord one out of every five hundred persons, beeves, asses, and sheep ("And levyª° a tributeª unto the LORDª of¹¹ the men²¹ of warª which went outª° to battle:ª oneª soulª of fiveª¹ hundred,ª [both] of¹ the persons,ª and of¹ the beeves,ª and of¹ the asses,ª and of¹ the sheep:ª" {Num 31:28}), and the people, who by staying at home risked nothing, and had no fatigue, were to give one out of fifty of each of the above to the Levites, who were far more numerous than the priests ("And of the childrenª of Israel'sª half,ª¹ thou shalt takeª° oneª portionª° of¹ fifty,ª of¹ the persons,ª of¹ the beeves,ª of¹ the asses,ª and of¹ the flocks,ª of all manner¹¹ of beasts,ª and giveª° them unto the Levites,ª which keepª° the chargeª of the tabernacleª of the LORD.ª" {Num 31:30}). It does not appear that a single ox, sheep, or ass, was required by Moses as his portion; or that there was any given to him by the people; and though he had a family as well as others, yet no provision was made for them above the common lot of Levites!
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