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.
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.
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. . . .
32,000 To soldiers . . . 16,000 To God. . . . . .
32 To people . . . . 16,000 To Levites. . . .
320It 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!