Numbers 31:42
New International Version
The half belonging to the Israelites, which Moses set apart from that of the fighting men—

New Living Translation
Half of the plunder belonged to the people of Israel, and Moses separated it from the half belonging to the fighting men.

English Standard Version
From the people of Israel’s half, which Moses separated from that of the men who had served in the army—

Berean Standard Bible
From the Israelites’ half, which Moses had set apart from the men who had gone to war,

King James Bible
And of the children of Israel's half, which Moses divided from the men that warred,

New King James Version
And from the children of Israel’s half, which Moses separated from the men who fought—

New American Standard Bible
As for the sons of Israel’s half, which Moses separated from the men who had gone to war—

NASB 1995
As for the sons of Israel’s half, which Moses separated from the men who had gone to war—

NASB 1977
As for the sons of Israel’s half, which Moses separated from the men who had gone to war—

Legacy Standard Bible
As for the sons of Israel’s half, which Moses separated from the men who had gone to war—

Amplified Bible
As for the Israelites’ half, which Moses separated from that of the warriors—

Christian Standard Bible
From the Israelites’ half, which Moses separated from the men who fought,

Holman Christian Standard Bible
From the Israelites’ half, which Moses separated from the men who fought,

American Standard Version
And of the children of Israel's half, which Moses divided off from the men that warred

English Revised Version
And of the children of Israel's half, which Moses divided off from the men that warred,

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Moses took the Israelites' half of the loot from the soldiers.

International Standard Version
From half of the share of the Israelis that Moses had set aside from the soldiers,

Majority Standard Bible
From the Israelites? half, which Moses had set apart from the men who had gone to war,

NET Bible
From the Israelites' half-share that Moses had separated from the fighting men,

New Heart English Bible
Of the children of Israel's half, which Moses divided off from the men who warred

Webster's Bible Translation
And of the children of Israel's half, which Moses divided from the men that warred,

World English Bible
Of the children of Israel’s half, which Moses divided off from the men who fought
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
And of the sons of Israel’s half, which Moses halved from the men who war—

Young's Literal Translation
And of the sons of Israel's half, which Moses halved from the men who war --

Smith's Literal Translation
And from the sons of Israel's half which Moses divided from the men having warred,
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
Out of the half of the children of Israel, which he had separated for them that had been in the battle.

Catholic Public Domain Version
from the one half portion belonging to the sons of Israel, which he had separated from the portion of those who had been in the battle.

New American Bible
As for the Israelites’ half, which Moses had taken from the men who had fought—

New Revised Standard Version
As for the Israelites’ half, which Moses separated from that of the troops,
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And of the children of Israel's half, which Moses divided from the men who had gone out to war,

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
From the half of the children of Israel that Moshe divided to them, of the men that had gone into the army,
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
And of the children of Israel's half, which Moses divided off from the men that warred--

Brenton Septuagint Translation
from the half belonging to the children of Israel, whom Moses separated from the men of war.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Division of the Spoils
41Moses gave the tribute to Eleazar the priest as an offering for the LORD, as the LORD had commanded Moses. 42From the Israelites’ half, which Moses had set apart from the men who had gone to war, 43this half belonged to the congregation: 337,500 sheep,…

Cross References
Joshua 22:8
saying, “Return to your homes with your great wealth, with immense herds of livestock, with silver, gold, bronze, iron, and very many clothes. Divide with your brothers the spoil of your enemies.”

Deuteronomy 20:14
But the women, children, livestock, and whatever else is in the city—all its spoil—you may take as plunder, and you shall use the spoil of your enemies that the LORD your God gives you.

1 Samuel 30:24-25
Who will listen to your proposal? The share of the one who went to battle will match the share of the one who stayed with the supplies. They will share alike.” / And so it has been from that day forward. David established this statute and ordinance for Israel to this very day.

Joshua 11:14
The Israelites took for themselves all the plunder and livestock of these cities, but they put all the people to the sword until they had completely destroyed them, not sparing anyone who breathed.

2 Chronicles 20:25
Then Jehoshaphat and his people went to carry off the plunder, and they found on the bodies an abundance of goods and valuables—more than they could carry away. They were gathering the plunder for three days because there was so much.

Deuteronomy 2:35
We carried off for ourselves only the livestock and the plunder from the cities we captured.

1 Chronicles 26:27-28
They had dedicated some of the plunder from their battles to the repair of the house of the LORD. / Everything that had been dedicated by Samuel the seer, Saul son of Kish, Abner son of Ner, and Joab son of Zeruiah, along with everything else that was dedicated, was under the care of Shelomith and his brothers.

Joshua 12:7-24
And these are the kings of the land that Joshua and the Israelites conquered beyond the Jordan to the west, from Baal-gad in the Valley of Lebanon to Mount Halak, which rises toward Seir (according to the allotments to the tribes of Israel, Joshua gave them as an inheritance / the hill country, the foothills, the Arabah, the slopes, the wilderness, and the Negev—the lands of the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites): / the king of Jericho, one; the king of Ai, which is near Bethel, one; ...

1 Kings 7:51
So all the work that King Solomon had performed for the house of the LORD was completed. Then Solomon brought in the items his father David had dedicated—the silver, the gold, and the furnishings—and he placed them in the treasuries of the house of the LORD.

2 Kings 14:14
He took all the gold and silver and all the articles found in the house of the LORD and in the treasuries of the royal palace, as well as some hostages. Then he returned to Samaria.

2 Kings 24:13
As the LORD had declared, Nebuchadnezzar also carried off all the treasures from the house of the LORD and the royal palace, and he cut into pieces all the gold articles that Solomon king of Israel had made in the temple of the LORD.

2 Chronicles 36:18
who carried off everything to Babylon—all the articles of the house of God, both large and small, and the treasures of the house of the LORD and of the king and his officials.

Matthew 5:40
if someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well;

Luke 3:14
Then some soldiers asked him, “And what should we do?” “Do not take money by force or false accusation,” he said. “Be content with your wages.”

Acts 2:45
Selling their possessions and goods, they shared with anyone who was in need.


Treasury of Scripture

And of the children of Israel's half, which Moses divided from the men that warred,

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Apart Belonging Children Divided Half Halved Israel Israelites Israel's Kept Moses Separate Separated Served War Warred
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Apart Belonging Children Divided Half Halved Israel Israelites Israel's Kept Moses Separate Separated Served War Warred
Numbers 31
1. The Midianites are spoiled, and Balaam slain
13. Moses is angry with the officers, for saving the women alive
19. How the soldiers, with their captives and spoil, are to be purified
25. The proportion in which the prey is to be divided
48. The voluntary offering unto the treasure of the Lord














From the Israelites’ half
This phrase refers to the portion of the spoils of war that was allocated to the Israelite community. In the Hebrew context, the word for "half" is "חֵצִי" (chetsi), which signifies a division or portion. This division underscores the communal nature of the Israelite society, where resources were shared among the people. Historically, this reflects the theocratic system where God’s laws dictated the distribution of wealth and resources, ensuring that the community as a whole benefited from the victories granted by God.

which Moses had set apart
The act of setting apart, or "הִבְדִּיל" (hibdil) in Hebrew, is significant in the biblical narrative. It denotes a separation for a specific purpose, often for holiness or dedication to God. Moses, as the leader and mediator between God and the Israelites, was responsible for ensuring that the spoils were distributed according to divine instruction. This reflects the broader biblical theme of sanctification, where certain things are consecrated for God’s purposes, highlighting the importance of obedience and reverence in the life of the Israelites.

from the men who had gone to war
This phrase identifies the source of the spoils—the warriors who participated in the battle. The Hebrew term for "men" here is "אַנְשֵׁי" (anshei), which can also mean "people" or "individuals," emphasizing the personal involvement and sacrifice of those who fought. The historical context of this passage is the battle against the Midianites, where the Israelites, under God’s command, executed judgment. This highlights the biblical principle of divine justice and the role of the Israelites as instruments of God’s will. The warriors’ contribution to the victory is acknowledged, yet the distribution of the spoils serves as a reminder that the ultimate victory and provision come from God.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
From
מִן־ (min-)
Preposition
Strong's 4480: A part of, from, out of

the Israelites’
בְּנֵ֣י (bə·nê)
Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 1121: A son

half,
וּמִֽמַּחֲצִ֖ית (ū·mim·ma·ḥă·ṣîṯ)
Conjunctive waw, Preposition-m | Noun - feminine singular construct
Strong's 4276: A halving, the middle

which
אֲשֶׁר֙ (’ă·šer)
Pronoun - relative
Strong's 834: Who, which, what, that, when, where, how, because, in order that

Moses
מֹשֶׁ֔ה (mō·šeh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 4872: Moses -- a great Israelite leader, prophet and lawgiver

had set apart
חָצָ֣ה (ḥā·ṣāh)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 2673: To cut, split in two, to halve

from the men
הָאֲנָשִׁ֖ים (hā·’ă·nā·šîm)
Article | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 376: A man as an individual, a male person

who had gone to war,
הַצֹּבְאִֽים׃ (haṣ·ṣō·ḇə·’îm)
Article | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural
Strong's 6633: To wage war, serve


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OT Law: Numbers 31:42 Of the children of Israel's half which (Nu Num.)
Numbers 31:41
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