Numbers 31:48
New International Version
Then the officers who were over the units of the army—the commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds—went to Moses

New Living Translation
Then all the generals and captains came to Moses

English Standard Version
Then the officers who were over the thousands of the army, the commanders of thousands and the commanders of hundreds, came near to Moses

Berean Standard Bible
Then the officers who were over the units of the army—the commanders of thousands and of hundreds—approached Moses

King James Bible
And the officers which were over thousands of the host, the captains of thousands, and captains of hundreds, came near unto Moses:

New King James Version
Then the officers who were over thousands of the army, the captains of thousands and captains of hundreds, came near to Moses;

New American Standard Bible
Then the officers who were over the thousands of the army, the commanders of thousands and the commanders of hundreds, approached Moses,

NASB 1995
Then the officers who were over the thousands of the army, the captains of thousands and the captains of hundreds, approached Moses,

NASB 1977
Then the officers who were over the thousands of the army, the captains of thousands and the captains of hundreds, approached Moses;

Legacy Standard Bible
Then the officers who were over the thousands of the army, the commanders of thousands and the commanders of hundreds, came near to Moses,

Amplified Bible
Then the officers who were over the thousands of the army, the commanders of thousands and hundreds, approached Moses,

Christian Standard Bible
The officers who were over the thousands of the army, the commanders of thousands and of hundreds, approached Moses

Holman Christian Standard Bible
The officers who were over the thousands of the army, the commanders of thousands and of hundreds, approached Moses

American Standard Version
And the officers that were over the thousands of the host, the captains of thousands, and the captains of hundreds, came near unto Moses;

Contemporary English Version
The army commanders went to Moses

English Revised Version
And the officers which were over the thousands of the host, the captains of thousands, and the captains of hundreds, came near unto Moses:

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Then the officers from the military divisions, the commanders of the companies and battalions of men, came to Moses.

Good News Translation
Then the officers who had commanded the army went to Moses

International Standard Version
Then the officers in charge of thousands of soldiers, the captains of thousands, and the captains of hundreds approached Moses

Majority Standard Bible
Then the officers who were over the units of the army?the commanders of thousands and of hundreds?approached Moses

NET Bible
Then the officers who were over the thousands of the army, the commanders over thousands and the commanders over hundreds, approached Moses

New Heart English Bible
The officers who were over the thousands of the army, the captains of thousands, and the captains of hundreds, came near to Moses;

Webster's Bible Translation
And the officers who were over thousands of the hosts, the captains of thousands, and captains of hundreds, came near to Moses:

World English Bible
The officers who were over the thousands of the army, the captains of thousands, and the captains of hundreds, came near to Moses.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
And the inspectors whom the thousands of the host have (heads of the thousands and heads of the hundreds), draw near to Moses,

Young's Literal Translation
And the inspectors whom the thousands of the host hath, (heads of the thousands and heads of the hundreds), draw near unto Moses,

Smith's Literal Translation
And there will come near to Moses the officers which are over the thousands of the war, captains of thousands and captains of hundreds:
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And when the commanders of the army, and the tribunes and centurions were come to Moses, they said:

Catholic Public Domain Version
And when the leaders of the army, and the tribunes, and the centurions had approached Moses, they said:

New American Bible
Then those who were officers over the contingents of the army, commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds, came up to Moses

New Revised Standard Version
Then the officers who were over the thousands of the army, the commanders of thousands and the commanders of hundreds, approached Moses,
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And the officers who were over thousands of the host, the commanders of thousands and the captains of hundreds came near to Moses;

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And the men who were put in charge over a thousand of the army approached to Moshe, Leaders of a thousand and Leaders of a hundred:
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
And the officers that were over the thousands of the host, the captains of thousands, and the captains of hundreds, came near unto Moses;

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And all those who were appointed to be officers of thousands of the host, captains of thousands and captains of hundreds, approached Moses, and said to Moses,

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Voluntary Offering
48Then the officers who were over the units of the army— the commanders of thousands and of hundreds— approached Moses 49and said, “Your servants have counted the soldiers under our command, and not one of us is missing.…

Cross References
Joshua 22:1-6
Then Joshua summoned the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh / and told them, “You have done all that Moses the servant of the LORD commanded you, and you have obeyed my voice in all that I commanded you. / All this time you have not deserted your brothers, up to this very day, but have kept the charge given you by the LORD your God. ...

1 Samuel 30:26-31
When David arrived in Ziklag, he sent some of the plunder to his friends, the elders of Judah, saying, “Here is a gift for you from the plunder of the LORD’s enemies.” / He sent gifts to those in Bethel, Ramoth Negev, and Jattir; / to those in Aroer, Siphmoth, and Eshtemoa; ...

2 Chronicles 31:12-19
And they faithfully brought in the contributions, tithes, and dedicated gifts. Conaniah the Levite was the officer in charge of them, and his brother Shimei was second. / Jehiel, Azaziah, Nahath, Asahel, Jerimoth, Jozabad, Eliel, Ismachiah, Mahath, and Benaiah were overseers under the authority of Conaniah and his brother Shimei, by appointment of King Hezekiah and of Azariah the chief official of the house of God. / Kore son of Imnah the Levite, the keeper of the East Gate, was in charge of the freewill offerings given to God, distributing the contributions to the LORD and the consecrated gifts. ...

Nehemiah 10:32-39
We also place ourselves under the obligation to contribute a third of a shekel yearly for the service of the house of our God: / for the showbread, for the regular grain offerings and burnt offerings, for the Sabbath offerings, for the New Moons and appointed feasts, for the holy offerings, for the sin offerings to make atonement for Israel, and for all the duties of the house of our God. / We have cast lots among the priests, Levites, and people for the donation of wood by our families at the appointed times each year. They are to bring it to the house of our God to burn on the altar of the LORD our God, as it is written in the Law. ...

Psalm 68:12
“Kings and their armies flee in haste; she who waits at home divides the plunder.

Isaiah 33:23
Your ropes are slack; they cannot secure the mast or spread the sail. Then an abundance of spoils will be divided, and even the lame will carry off plunder.

Ezekiel 44:28-30
In regard to their inheritance, I am their inheritance. You are to give them no possession in Israel, for I am their possession. / They shall eat the grain offerings, the sin offerings, and the guilt offerings. Everything in Israel devoted to the LORD will belong to them. / The best of all the firstfruits and of every contribution from all your offerings will belong to the priests. You are to give your first batch of dough to the priest, so that a blessing may rest upon your homes.

Malachi 3:8-10
Will a man rob God? Yet you are robbing Me! But you ask, ‘How do we rob You?’ In tithes and offerings. / You are cursed with a curse, yet you—the whole nation—are still robbing Me. / Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in My house. Test Me in this,” says the LORD of Hosts. “See if I will not open the windows of heaven and pour out for you blessing without measure.

Matthew 5:23-24
So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, / leave your gift there before the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift.

Matthew 6:19-21
Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. / But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. / For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Matthew 23:23
Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You pay tithes of mint, dill, and cumin. But you have disregarded the weightier matters of the law: justice, mercy, and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former.

Mark 12:41-44
As Jesus was sitting opposite the treasury, He watched the crowd putting money into it. And many rich people put in large amounts. / Then one poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which amounted to a small fraction of a denarius. / Jesus called His disciples to Him and said, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more than all the others into the treasury. ...

Luke 6:38
Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you.”

Luke 21:1-4
Then Jesus looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the treasury, / and He saw a poor widow put in two small copper coins. / “Truly I tell you,” He said, “this poor widow has put in more than all the others. ...

Acts 4:32-37
The multitude of believers was one in heart and soul. No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they owned. / With great power the apostles continued to give their testimony about the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And abundant grace was upon them all. / There were no needy ones among them, because those who owned lands or houses would sell their property, bring the proceeds from the sales, ...


Treasury of Scripture

And the officers which were over thousands of the host, the captains of thousands, and captains of hundreds, came near to Moses:

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Approached Army Captains Commanders Heads Host Hosts Hundreds Inspectors Moses Officers Thousands Units
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Approached Army Captains Commanders Heads Host Hosts Hundreds Inspectors Moses Officers Thousands Units
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














Then the officers who were over the units of the army
This phrase refers to the military leaders responsible for organizing and leading the Israelite forces. In the context of ancient Israel, the army was structured with a clear hierarchy, reflecting the need for order and discipline in military campaigns. The officers were likely chosen for their leadership skills and experience in battle. This structure is reminiscent of the organization seen in Exodus 18:21, where Moses appoints leaders over groups of thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens, suggesting a consistent approach to leadership and governance.

the commanders of thousands and of hundreds
The mention of "commanders of thousands and of hundreds" indicates a well-organized military system. This hierarchical structure allowed for efficient command and control during military operations. The division into thousands and hundreds suggests a scalable and flexible approach to warfare, which was necessary for the various campaigns the Israelites undertook. This system is also seen in other parts of the Old Testament, such as in 1 Samuel 8:12, where similar military divisions are mentioned, highlighting the continuity of military organization in Israel's history.

approached Moses
The act of approaching Moses signifies the respect and authority Moses held as the leader of the Israelites. Moses was not only a spiritual leader but also a political and military figure, guiding the people through the wilderness and into the Promised Land. This approach indicates a formal communication, likely involving a report or request, reflecting the chain of command and the importance of Moses' role in decision-making. This interaction underscores Moses' central role in the narrative of the Israelites, as seen throughout the Pentateuch, where he serves as the mediator between God and the people, similar to the role of Christ as the mediator in the New Testament (1 Timothy 2:5).

Persons / Places / Events
1. Moses
The leader of the Israelites, chosen by God to lead His people out of Egypt and through the wilderness. In this context, Moses is the one to whom the military leaders report.

2. Officers of the Army
These are the leaders responsible for the divisions of the Israelite army, specifically the commanders of thousands and hundreds. They play a crucial role in the military campaign against the Midianites.

3. Commanders of Thousands and Hundreds
These are the military leaders who have direct command over large and smaller units within the army. Their role is significant in organizing and executing military strategies.

4. The Israelite Army
The collective group of Israelite soldiers who participated in the campaign against the Midianites as commanded by God.

5. Midianites
A people group who were adversaries of Israel. The campaign against them was a direct command from God as a form of judgment for their role in leading Israel into sin.
Teaching Points
Leadership and Accountability
The passage highlights the importance of structured leadership and accountability. The commanders report to Moses, showing a chain of command and responsibility.

Obedience to God's Commands
The military campaign against the Midianites was a direct command from God. This teaches the importance of obedience to God's directives, even in challenging situations.

Stewardship of Resources
The commanders' approach to Moses can be seen as a form of stewardship, ensuring that the resources and outcomes of the campaign are reported and managed properly.

Community and Cooperation
The structure of the army with commanders of thousands and hundreds emphasizes the need for cooperation and unity within the community to achieve common goals.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Then the officers
הַפְּקֻדִ֕ים (hap·pə·qu·ḏîm)
Article | Verb - Qal - QalPassParticiple - masculine plural
Strong's 6485: To visit, to oversee, muster, charge, care for, miss, deposit

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

were over the units
לְאַלְפֵ֣י (lə·’al·p̄ê)
Preposition-l | Number - masculine plural construct
Strong's 505: A thousand

of the army—
הַצָּבָ֑א (haṣ·ṣā·ḇā)
Article | Noun - common singular
Strong's 6635: A mass of persons, reg, organized for, war, a campaign

the commanders
שָׂרֵ֥י (śā·rê)
Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 8269: Chieftain, chief, ruler, official, captain, prince

of thousands
הָאֲלָפִ֖ים (hā·’ă·lā·p̄îm)
Article | Number - masculine plural
Strong's 505: A thousand

and of hundreds—
הַמֵּאֽוֹת׃ (ham·mê·’ō·wṯ)
Article | Number - feminine plural
Strong's 3967: A hundred

approached
וַֽיִּקְרְבוּ֙ (way·yiq·rə·ḇū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 7126: To come near, approach

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


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OT Law: Numbers 31:48 The officers who were over the thousands (Nu Num.)
Numbers 31:47
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