Treasury of Scripture
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. 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 God .........
72
To people.......
36,000
To Levites......
720
Asses........61,000
To soldiers.....
30,500
To God..........
61
To people.......
30,500
To Levites......
610
Persons......
32,000
To soldiers.....
16,000
To God..........
32
To people.......
16,000
To Levites......
320
It 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!