* 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. (ver. 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
acknowledgement 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, (ver. 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. (ver.
30.) The booty, its division among the soldiers and people,
and the proportion given by each to the Lord and to the
Levites, will be seen at one view by the following table:--
Sheep . . . . 675,000
To soldiers . . . 337,500
To God. . . . . . 675
To people . . . . 337,500
To Levites. . . . 6,750
Beeves. . . . 72,000
To soldiers . . . 36,000
To God. . . . . . 72
To people . . . . 36,000
To Levites. . . . 720
Asses . . . . 61,000
To soldiers . . . 30,500
To God. . . . . . 61
To people . . . . 30,500
To Levites. . . . 610
Persons . . . 32,000
To soldiers . . . 16,000
To God. . . . . . 32
To people . . . . 16,000
To Levites. . . . 320
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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