48 Then the officers who were over the thousands of the army , the captains of thousands and the captains of hundreds , approached Moses , 49 and they said to Moses , "Your servants have taken a census of men of war who are in our charge , and no man of us is missing . 50 "So we have brought as an offering to the Lord what each man found , articles of gold , armlets and bracelets , signet rings , earrings and necklaces , to make atonement for ourselves before the Lord ." 51 Moses and Eleazar the priest took the gold from them, all kinds of wrought articles . 52 All the gold of the offering which they offered up to the Lord , from the captains of thousands and the captains of hundreds , was 16,750 e e e e e shekels . 53 The men of war had taken booty , every man for himself. 54 So Moses and Eleazar the priest took the gold from the captains of thousands and of hundreds , and brought it to the tent of meeting as a memorial for the sons of Israel before the Lord .
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Numbers 31:48-54
Commentary on Numbers 31:48-54
(Read Numbers 31:48-54)
The success of the Israelites had been very remarkable, so small a company overcoming such multitudes, but it was still more wonderful that not one was slain or missing. They presented the gold they found among the spoils, as an offering to the Lord. Thus they confessed, that instead of claiming a reward for their service, they needed forgiveness of much that had been amiss, and desired to be thankful for the preservation of their lives, which might justly have been taken away.