Numbers 31:40
And the persons were sixteen thousand; of which the LORD'S tribute was thirty and two persons.
Original Language Analysis
נָֽפֶשׁ׃
persons
H5315
נָֽפֶשׁ׃
persons
Strong's:
H5315
Word #:
1 of 10
properly, a breathing creature, i.e., animal of (abstractly) vitality; used very widely in a literal, accommodated or figurative sense (bodily or ment
אָדָ֔ם
And the persons
H120
אָדָ֔ם
And the persons
Strong's:
H120
Word #:
2 of 10
ruddy i.e., a human being (an individual or the species, mankind, etc.)
שִׁשָּׁ֥ה
were sixteen
H8337
שִׁשָּׁ֥ה
were sixteen
Strong's:
H8337
Word #:
3 of 10
six (as an overplus beyond five or the fingers of the hand); as ordinal, sixth
עָשָׂ֖ר
H6240
עָשָׂ֖ר
Strong's:
H6240
Word #:
4 of 10
ten (only in combination), i.e., -teen; also (ordinal) -teenth
אָ֑לֶף
thousand
H505
אָ֑לֶף
thousand
Strong's:
H505
Word #:
5 of 10
hence (the ox's head being the first letter of the alphabet, and this eventually used as a numeral) a thousand
לַֽיהוָ֔ה
of which the LORD'S
H3068
לַֽיהוָ֔ה
of which the LORD'S
Strong's:
H3068
Word #:
7 of 10
(the) self-existent or eternal; jeho-vah, jewish national name of god
Historical Context
Ancient warfare typically resulted in massacre or enslavement of conquered populations. Israel's selective sparing of virgins (who hadn't participated in Baal-peor seduction) and their regulated treatment represented relative mercy within ancient context. Integration into Levitical households offered protection and community.
Questions for Reflection
- How does God's concern for systematic care of even war captives inform your view of His justice and mercy?
- In what ways does the Old Testament's treatment of captives point forward to Christ's redemption of spiritual captives?
- How should Christians balance God's historical judgments with the New Covenant's universal offer of grace?
Related Resources
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Analysis & Commentary
And the persons were sixteen thousand; of which the LORD'S tribute was thirty and two persons—The Hebrew nephesh adam (נֶפֶשׁ אָדָם, 'souls of men') refers to the 32,000 Midianite virgins taken captive (Numbers 31:35), of whom 32 were given to the Levites. These women became servants in Israel, likely performing domestic tasks for the priesthood. While jarring to modern sensibilities, this passage reveals God's concern even for war captives' systematic care.
Unlike ancient Near Eastern practices where captive women faced abuse or slavery, Israel's Law regulated their treatment (Deuteronomy 21:10-14). The allocation to Levites—who had no land inheritance—provided both labor and potential integration into covenant community through marriage.