25 Then the Lord spoke to Moses , saying , 26 "You and Eleazar the priest and the heads of the fathers' households of the congregation take a count of the booty that was captured , both of man and of animal ; 27 and divide the booty between the warriors who went out to battle and all the congregation . 28 " Levy a tax for the Lord from the men of war who went out to battle , one in five hundred of the persons and of the cattle and of the donkeys and of the sheep ; 29 take it from their half and give it to Eleazar the priest , as an offering to the Lord . 30 "From the sons of Israel's half , you shall take one drawn out of every fifty of the persons , of the cattle , of the donkeys and of the sheep , from all the animals , and give them to the Levites who keep charge of the tabernacle of the Lord ." 31 Moses and Eleazar the priest did just as the Lord had commanded Moses . 32 Now the booty that remained from the spoil which the men of war had plundered was 675,000 e e e e e e sheep , 33 and 72,000 e e cattle , 34 and 61,000 e e donkeys , 35 and of human beings , of the women who had not known man intimately e , all the persons were 32,000 e e . 36 The half , the portion of those who went out to war , was as follows: the number of sheep was 337,500 e e e e e e e e , 37 and the Lord'S levy of the sheep was 675 e e e ; 38 and the cattle were 36,000 e , from which the Lord'S levy was 72 e ; 39 and the donkeys were 30,500 e e e , from which the Lord'S levy was 61 e ; 40 and the human beings were 16,000 e e , from whom the Lord'S levy was 32 e persons . 41 Moses gave the levy which was the Lord'S offering to Eleazar the priest , just as the Lord had commanded Moses . 42 As for the sons of Israel's half , which Moses separated from the men who had gone to war - 43 now the congregation's half was 337,500 e e e e e e e e sheep , 44 and 36,000 e e cattle , 45 and 30,500 e e e donkeys , 46 and the human beings were 16,000 e e - 47 and from the sons of Israel's half , Moses took one drawn out of every fifty , both of man and of animals , and gave them to the Levites , who kept charge of the tabernacle of the Lord , just as the Lord had commanded Moses .
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Numbers 31:25-47
Commentary on Numbers 31:25-47
(Read Numbers 31:25-47)
Whatever we have, God justly claims a part. Out of the people's share God required one in fifty, but out of the soldiers' share only one in five hundred. The less opportunity we have of honouring God with personal services, the more should we give in money or value.