Verse (Click for Chapter) 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 Berean Literal Bible And the officers who were over thousands of the army, captains of the thousands and captains of the hundreds, came near to 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, Berean Annotated Bible Then the officers who were over the units of the army—the commanders of thousands and of hundreds—approached Moses (drawn out) 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 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: Majority Text Translations Majority Standard BibleThen the officers who were over the units of the army—the commanders of thousands and of hundreds—approached 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 VersionAnd the inspectors whom the thousands of the host have (heads of the thousands and heads of the hundreds), draw near to Moses, Berean Literal Bible And the officers who were over thousands of the army, captains of the thousands and captains of the hundreds, came 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 BibleAnd 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 BibleAnd 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 1917And 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 Offering48Then 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 Then the officers who were over the units of the army— 1 Chronicles 27:1 This is the list of the Israelites—the heads of families, the commanders of thousands and of hundreds, and their officers who served the king in every matter concerning the divisions on rotating military duty each month throughout the year. There were 24,000 men in each division: 2 Chronicles 25:5 Then Amaziah gathered the people of Judah and assigned them according to their families to commanders of thousands and of hundreds. And he numbered those twenty years of age or older throughout Judah and Benjamin and found 300,000 chosen men able to serve in the army, bearing the spear and shield. 2 Samuel 18:1 Then David reviewed his troops and appointed over them commanders of thousands and of hundreds. the commanders of thousands and of hundreds— Deuteronomy 1:15 So I took the leaders of your tribes, wise and respected men, and appointed them as leaders over you—as commanders of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens, and as officers for your tribes. Exodus 18:25 So Moses chose capable men from all Israel and made them heads over the people as leaders of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens. Exodus 18:21 Furthermore, select capable men from among the people—God-fearing, trustworthy men who are averse to dishonest gain. Appoint them over the people as leaders of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens. approached Moses Numbers 36:1 Now the family heads of the clan of Gilead son of Machir son of Manasseh, one of the clans of Joseph, approached Moses and the leaders who were the heads of the Israelite families and addressed them, Numbers 27:2 the entrance to the Tent of Meeting, stood before Moses, Eleazar the priest, the leaders, and the whole congregation, and said, Exodus 34:31 But Moses called out to them; so Aaron and all the leaders of the congregation returned to him, and Moses spoke to them. 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. 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: Jump to Previous Approached Army Captains Commanders Heads Host Hosts Hundreds Inspectors Moses Officers Thousands UnitsJump to Next Approached Army Captains Commanders Heads Host Hosts Hundreds Inspectors Moses Officers Thousands UnitsNumbers 31 1. The Midianites are spoiled, and Balaam slain13. 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 approached Moses Persons / Places / Events 1. MosesThe 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 AccountabilityThe 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. Bible Study Questions and Answers 1. What is the meaning of Numbers 31:48?2. How does Numbers 31:48 demonstrate accountability among Israelite leaders after battle? 3. What lessons on stewardship can we learn from the leaders' actions in Numbers 31:48? 4. How does Numbers 31:48 connect to the concept of giving in 2 Corinthians 9:7? 5. In what ways can we apply the leaders' example of responsibility in our lives today? 6. How does Numbers 31:48 encourage us to reflect on our own integrity and honesty? 7. Why did God command the Israelites to take spoils in Numbers 31:48? 8. How does Numbers 31:48 align with the concept of a loving God? 9. What is the historical context of the events in Numbers 31:48? 10. What are the top 10 Lessons from Numbers 31? 11. Why does God allow genocides to happen, including those commanded in the Bible (Numbers 31:17-18)? 12. Numbers 31 compared to earlier laws in Exodus and Leviticus: Why does this narrative's approach to warfare seem inconsistent with other divine commandments? 13. Numbers 21:8-9 - Why would God command Moses to create a bronze serpent, seemingly at odds with prohibitions against idol-making in Exodus 20? 14. Numbers 31:7-18: How can the command to kill non-virgin women and boys be reconciled with claims of a compassionate God? What Does Numbers 31:48 Mean Then• The word marks a decisive moment following the completion of the Midianite campaign (Numbers 31:1-7). • It signals a transition from battle to reflection, just as “Then the LORD said to Noah” ushers in a new phase after judgment (Genesis 8:15-17). • Scripture consistently places divine order in time: after obedience comes accounting (Luke 17:10). the officers who were over the units of the army • These men held real battlefield authority; they were not merely symbolic figures (Joshua 8:33). • God’s people function under defined leadership—an idea first modeled when He set chiefs over tribes (Exodus 18:21-24). • Their willingness to step forward underscores accountability: “Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they keep watch over your souls” (Hebrews 13:17). the commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds • Israel’s military was organized in exact numbers—thousands, hundreds, fifties, tens—showing God values structure (Deuteronomy 1:15). • The dual mention reveals that both higher and lower ranks shared the same conviction; gratitude and reverence are not confined to top leadership (1 Samuel 30:24-25). • The officers soon testify that not one soldier was missing (Numbers 31:49), affirming divine protection promised in Deuteronomy 20:4. approached Moses • Coming to Moses meant coming before God’s appointed mediator (Exodus 19:3-7). • Their approach was voluntary, mirroring future leaders who would “come to David” to recognize his rule (2 Samuel 5:1-3). • They brought an offering of gold as “atonement for ourselves before the LORD” (Numbers 31:50), echoing the principle that victory should lead to worship, not self-glory (Psalm 115:1). summary Numbers 31:48 captures a pivotal, literal moment: after God grants Israel a flawless victory, every level of leadership steps forward in unified accountability and gratitude. Their orderly approach to Moses models reverence for God’s appointed authority, acknowledgment of His protection, and the impulse to worship through voluntary offering. The verse reminds believers today that when God delivers, leaders and people alike should hasten to give Him the glory, recognizing His hand in every triumph. Hebrew Then the officersהַפְּקֻדִ֕ים (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 Links Numbers 31:48 NIVNumbers 31:48 NLT Numbers 31:48 ESV Numbers 31:48 NASB Numbers 31:48 KJV Numbers 31:48 BibleApps.com Numbers 31:48 Biblia Paralela Numbers 31:48 Chinese Bible Numbers 31:48 French Bible Numbers 31:48 Catholic Bible OT Law: Numbers 31:48 The officers who were over the thousands (Nu Num.) |
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