What is the meaning of Numbers 31:38? 36,000 cattle “36,000 cattle” (Numbers 31:38) is not a rough guess; it is an exact head-count of the animals taken from Midian and assigned to the fighting men. • The figure highlights how completely God delivered the enemy into Israel’s hands, just as He said He would in Deuteronomy 20:4. • Earlier totals in Numbers 31:32–34 show more livestock remained for the congregation, but this portion—36,000—belonged to the soldiers themselves. • God’s care is evident in the sheer abundance: victory brought tangible provision, echoing Proverbs 10:22, “The blessing of the LORD makes a person rich, and He adds no sorrow with it.” including a tribute to the LORD of 72 From the soldiers’ 36,000 cattle, “the LORD’s tribute was seventy-two” (Numbers 31:38). • Moses had just ordered, “Levy a tribute for the LORD… one out of every five hundred” (Numbers 31:28); 72 is exactly one-five-hundredth of 36,000. • The tribute went to Eleazar the priest (Numbers 31:29), signifying that the best and first belong to God, a principle already laid down in Exodus 13:12 and reinforced in Proverbs 3:9. • The ratio kept the soldiers’ reward generous while ensuring that worship and thanksgiving came first. • Setting aside this portion publicly acknowledged that every victory, and every herd behind it, was the Lord’s doing (Psalm 44:3). summary Numbers 31:38 records a literal count: 36,000 head of cattle captured by Israel’s army, with 72 of them set apart for the Lord in obedient gratitude. The verse spotlights God’s abundant provision, the soldiers’ tangible reward, and a built-in reminder that every success calls for an offering back to the One who made it possible. |
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