The Meaning of Numbers 31:30 Explained

Numbers 31:30

KJV: And of the children of Israel's half, thou shalt take one portion of fifty, of the persons, of the beeves, of the asses, and of the flocks, of all manner of beasts, and give them unto the Levites, which keep the charge of the tabernacle of the LORD.

YLT: 'And from the sons of Israel's half thou dost take one possession out of fifty, of man, of the herd, of the asses, and of the flock, of all the cattle, and thou hast given them to the Levites keeping the charge of the tabernacle of Jehovah.'

Darby: And of the children of Israel's half, thou shalt take one portion of fifty, of the persons, of the oxen, of the asses, and of the small cattle, of every kind of beasts, and thou shalt give them unto the Levites, who keep the charge of the tabernacle of Jehovah.

ASV: And of the children of Israel's half, thou shalt take one drawn out of every fifty, of the persons, of the oxen, of the asses, and of the flocks, even of all the cattle, and give them unto the Levites, that keep the charge of the tabernacle of Jehovah.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And of the children  of Israel's  half,  thou shalt take  one  portion  of fifty,  of the persons,  of the beeves,  of the asses,  and of the flocks,  of all manner of beasts,  and give  them unto the Levites,  which keep  the charge  of the tabernacle  of the LORD. 

What does Numbers 31:30 Mean?

Context Summary

Numbers 31:21-54 - The Disposition Of The Spoils Of War
This law, which subjected the victors to a whole week of separation and to special purification, instead of an immediate welcome into the camp, was intended to wean the Hebrews from the practice of war, giving them a higher standard than that of surrounding nations. Thus God educates us, by placing before us an ever higher standard, as we are able to obey it. It is easy to say hard things against this treatment of Midian, but extermination is sometimes the only way to safety.
For us the lesson is one of rigid separation. Some may be able to stand God's searching fire; but others cannot bear that flame. Yet these may not go altogether free. See Numbers 31:23. As strangers and pilgrims we must abstain from fleshly lusts. God demands our holiness, but discriminates in the method of producing it. [source]

Chapter Summary: 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

What do the individual words in Numbers 31:30 mean?

And from half the sons of Israel you shall take one portion of every fifty drawn from the persons of the cattle the donkeys and the sheep from all the livestock and give them to the Levites who keep charge of the tabernacle of Yahweh
וּמִמַּחֲצִ֨ת בְּנֵֽי־ יִשְׂרָאֵ֜ל תִּקַּ֣ח ׀ אֶחָ֣ד ׀ אָחֻ֣ז מִן־ הַחֲמִשִּׁ֗ים מִן־ הָאָדָ֧ם מִן־ הַבָּקָ֛ר הַחֲמֹרִ֥ים וּמִן־ הַצֹּ֖אן מִכָּל־ הַבְּהֵמָ֑ה וְנָתַתָּ֤ה אֹתָם֙ לַלְוִיִּ֔ם שֹׁמְרֵ֕י מִשְׁמֶ֖רֶת מִשְׁכַּ֥ן יְהוָֽה

וּמִמַּחֲצִ֨ת  And  from  half 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-m, Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: מַחֲצִית  
Sense: half, middle.
בְּנֵֽי־  the  sons 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
יִשְׂרָאֵ֜ל  of  Israel 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יִשְׂרָאֵל  
Sense: the second name for Jacob given to him by God after his wrestling with the angel at Peniel.
תִּקַּ֣ח ׀  you  shall  take 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, second person masculine singular
Root: יָקַח 
Sense: to take, get, fetch, lay hold of, seize, receive, acquire, buy, bring, marry, take a wife, snatch, take away.
אֶחָ֣ד ׀  one 
Parse: Number, masculine singular
Root: אֶחָד  
Sense: one (number).
אָחֻ֣ז  portion 
Parse: Verb, Qal, QalPassParticiple, masculine singular
Root: אָחוּז 
Sense: grasp, take hold, seize, take possession.
מִן־  of  every 
Parse: Preposition
Root: מִן 
Sense: from, out of, on account of, off, on the side of, since, above, than, so that not, more than.
הַחֲמִשִּׁ֗ים  fifty 
Parse: Article, Number, common plural
Root: חֲמִשִּׁים 
Sense: fifty.
מִן־  drawn  from 
Parse: Preposition
Root: מִן 
Sense: from, out of, on account of, off, on the side of, since, above, than, so that not, more than.
הָאָדָ֧ם  the  persons 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: אָדָם 
Sense: man, mankind.
הַבָּקָ֛ר  the  cattle 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: בָּקָר  
Sense: cattle, herd, oxen, ox.
הַחֲמֹרִ֥ים  the  donkeys 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: חֲמֹור 
Sense: (he)ass.
הַצֹּ֖אן  the  sheep 
Parse: Article, Noun, common singular
Root: צֹאן  
Sense: small cattle, sheep, sheep and goats, flock, flocks.
מִכָּל־  from  all 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
הַבְּהֵמָ֑ה  the  livestock 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: בְּהֵמָה  
Sense: beast, cattle, animal.
וְנָתַתָּ֤ה  and  give 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, second person masculine singular
Root: יָתַן 
Sense: to give, put, set.
לַלְוִיִּ֔ם  to  the  Levites 
Parse: Preposition-l, Proper Noun, masculine plural
Root: לֵוִי  
Sense: the descendants of Levi, the 3rd son of Jacob by Leah.
שֹׁמְרֵ֕י  who  keep 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine plural construct
Root: שָׁמַר  
Sense: to keep, guard, observe, give heed.
מִשְׁמֶ֖רֶת  charge 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: מִשְׁמֶרֶת  
Sense: guard, charge, function, obligation, service, watch.
מִשְׁכַּ֥ן  of  the  tabernacle 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: מִשְׁכָּן  
Sense: dwelling place, tabernacle.
יְהוָֽה  of  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.