The Meaning of Numbers 31:6 Explained

Numbers 31:6

KJV: And Moses sent them to the war, a thousand of every tribe, them and Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest, to the war, with the holy instruments, and the trumpets to blow in his hand.

YLT: and Moses sendeth them, a thousand for a tribe, to the host, them and Phinehas son of Eleazar the priest, to the host; and the holy vessels, and the trumpets of the shouting, in his hand.

Darby: And Moses sent them to the war, a thousand by the tribe, them and Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest, to the war, and the holy instruments, even the alarm-trumpets in his hand.

ASV: And Moses sent them, a thousand of every tribe, to the war, them and Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest, to the war, with the vessels of the sanctuary and the trumpets for the alarm in his hand.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And Moses  sent  them to the war,  a thousand  of [every] tribe,  them and Phinehas  the son  of Eleazar  the priest,  to the war,  with the holy  instruments,  and the trumpets  to blow  in his hand. 

What does Numbers 31:6 Mean?

Context Summary

Numbers 31:1-20 - The Destruction Of The Midianites
In reading such a chapter as this we must remember that the Bible is the history of the slow advance of a nation toward the knowledge of God, and its preparation to become one of the greatest of spiritual forces. That process could only be a prolonged one. Only by slow degrees could the grossness of the period be eliminated. Our Lord distinctly said that certain things were allowed for a time because of the hardness of their hearts. See Matthew 19:8. Many times He made the clear distinction between what "they of old" had said and what He said. See Matthew 5:21; Matthew 5:27; Matthew 5:33; Matthew 5:38; Matthew 5:43. The highest law for dealing with our enemies is found in his teachings.
The first steps of purification had to do with the women who might introduce heathen vices into Israelite homes, and the leisurely dealing with spoils and captives, so that passion might have time to cool. [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 31:6 mean?

And sent them Moses a thousand from [each] tribe to the war he sent them and with Phinehas son of Eleazar the priest to the war and with articles the holy and the trumpets signal in his hand
וַיִּשְׁלַ֨ח אֹתָ֥ם מֹשֶׁ֛ה אֶ֥לֶף לַמַּטֶּ֖ה לַצָּבָ֑א אֹ֠תָם וְאֶת־ פִּ֨ינְחָ֜ס בֶּן־ אֶלְעָזָ֤ר הַכֹּהֵן֙ לַצָּבָ֔א וּכְלֵ֥י הַקֹּ֛דֶשׁ וַחֲצֹצְר֥וֹת הַתְּרוּעָ֖ה בְּיָדֽוֹ

וַיִּשְׁלַ֨ח  And  sent 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: שָׁלַח  
Sense: to send, send away, let go, stretch out.
מֹשֶׁ֛ה  Moses 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: מֹשֶׁה  
Sense: the prophet and lawgiver, leader of the exodus.
אֶ֥לֶף  a  thousand 
Parse: Number, masculine singular
Root: אֶלֶף 
Sense: a thousand.
לַמַּטֶּ֖ה  from  [each]  tribe 
Parse: Preposition-l, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מַטֶּה  
Sense: staff, branch, tribe.
לַצָּבָ֑א  to  the  war 
Parse: Preposition-l, Article, Noun, common singular
Root: צָבָא 
Sense: that which goes forth, army, war, warfare, host.
אֹ֠תָם  he  sent  them 
Parse: Direct object marker, third person masculine plural
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
וְאֶת־  and  with 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
פִּ֨ינְחָ֜ס  Phinehas 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: פִּינְחָס  
Sense: son of Eleazar and grandson of Aaron; his zealousness for the Lord averted a plague on Israel and gained him the promise of the Lord of an everlasting priesthood in his family.
בֶּן־  son 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
אֶלְעָזָ֤ר  of  Eleazar 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אֶלְעָזָר  
Sense: Additional Information: Eleazar = “God has helped”.
הַכֹּהֵן֙  the  priest 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: כֹּהֵן  
Sense: priest, principal officer or chief ruler.
לַצָּבָ֔א  to  the  war 
Parse: Preposition-l, Article, Noun, common singular
Root: צָבָא 
Sense: that which goes forth, army, war, warfare, host.
וּכְלֵ֥י  and  with  articles 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: כְּלִי  
Sense: article, vessel, implement, utensil.
הַקֹּ֛דֶשׁ  the  holy 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: קֹדֶשׁ  
Sense: apartness, holiness, sacredness, separateness.
וַחֲצֹצְר֥וֹת  and  the  trumpets 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, feminine plural construct
Root: חֲצֹצְרָה  
Sense: trumpet, clarion.
הַתְּרוּעָ֖ה  signal 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: תְּרוּעָה  
Sense: alarm, signal, sound of tempest, shout, shout or blast of war or alarm or j oy.
בְּיָדֽוֹ  in  his  hand 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, feminine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: יָד  
Sense: hand.