Numbers 31

“And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,” Naming Moses keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

“Avenge the children of Israel of the Midianites: afterward shalt thou be gathered unto thy people.” Naming Avenge and Israel keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

“And Moses spake unto the people, saying, Arm some of yourselves unto the war, and let them go against the Midianites…” Naming Arm and Midian keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

“Of every tribe a thousand, throughout all the tribes of Israel, shall ye send to the war.” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.

“So there were delivered out of the thousands of Israel, a thousand of every tribe, twelve thousand armed for war.” This line supplies a reason, result, or conclusion. It should stay attached to the claim or action that gives it meaning.

“And Moses sent them to the war, a thousand of every tribe, them and Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest, to the…” The number thousand makes the report concrete. Ask whether it measures time, people, distance, repetition, or completeness before deciding what weight it carries.

“And they warred against the Midianites, as the LORD commanded Moses; and they slew all the males.” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.

“And they slew the kings of Midian, beside the rest of them that were slain; namely, Evi, and Rekem, and Zur, and Hur…” The number five makes the report concrete. Ask whether it measures time, people, distance, repetition, or completeness before deciding what weight it carries.

“And the children of Israel took all the women of Midian captives, and their little ones, and took the spoil of all…” Naming Israel and Midian keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

“And they burnt all their cities wherein they dwelt, and all their goodly castles, with fire.” The line’s distinctive content terms include burnt, castles, cities. Its relationship to verses 9 and 11 shows what work it does in this passage.

“And they took all the spoil, and all the prey, both of men and of beasts.” The line’s distinctive content terms include beasts, both, prey. Its relationship to verses 10 and 12 shows what work it does in this passage.

“And they brought the captives, and the prey, and the spoil, unto Moses, and Eleazar the priest, and unto the…” Naming Eleazar and Israel keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

“And Moses, and Eleazar the priest, and all the princes of the congregation, went forth to meet them without the camp.” Naming Eleazar and Moses keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

“And Moses was wroth with the officers of the host, with the captains over thousands, and captains over hundreds, which…” Naming Moses keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

“And Moses said unto them, Have ye saved all the women alive?” The question slows the passage down. Notice who is being pressed to answer, what the question assumes, and whether the next lines provide a response.

“Behold, these caused the children of Israel, through the counsel of Balaam, to commit trespass against the LORD in the…” Naming Balaam and Israel keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

“Now therefore kill every male among the little ones, and kill every woman that hath known man by lying with him.” The line’s distinctive content terms include kill, known, little. Its relationship to verses 18 shows what work it does in this passage.

“But all the women children, that have not known a man by lying with him, keep alive for yourselves.” The line’s distinctive content terms include alive, children, keep. Its relationship to verses 17 and 19 shows what work it does in this passage.

“And do ye abide without the camp seven days: whosoever hath killed any person, and whosoever hath touched any slain…” The number seven makes the report concrete. Ask whether it measures time, people, distance, repetition, or completeness before deciding what weight it carries.

“And purify all your raiment, and all that is made of skins, and all work of goats’ hair, and all things made of wood.” The line’s distinctive content terms include goats, hair, purify. Its relationship to verses 19 and 21 shows what work it does in this passage.

“And Eleazar the priest said unto the men of war which went to the battle, This is the ordinance of the law which the…” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.

“Only the gold, and the silver, the brass, the iron, the tin, and the lead,” Naming Only keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

“Every thing that may abide the fire, ye shall make it go through the fire, and it shall be clean: nevertheless it…” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.

“And ye shall wash your clothes on the seventh day, and ye shall be clean, and afterward ye shall come into the camp.” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.

“And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,” Naming Moses keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

“Take the sum of the prey that was taken, both of man and of beast, thou, and Eleazar the priest, and the chief fathers…” Naming Eleazar and Take keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

“And divide the prey into two parts; between them that took the war upon them, who went out to battle, and between all…” The number two makes the report concrete. Ask whether it measures time, people, distance, repetition, or completeness before deciding what weight it carries.

“And levy a tribute unto the LORD of the men of war which went out to battle: one soul of five hundred, both of the…” The number one makes the report concrete. Ask whether it measures time, people, distance, repetition, or completeness before deciding what weight it carries.

“Take it of their half, and give it unto Eleazar the priest, for an heave offering of the LORD .” Naming Eleazar and Take keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

“And of the children of Israel’s half, thou shalt take one portion of fifty, of the persons, of the beeves, of the…” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.

“And Moses and Eleazar the priest did as the LORD commanded Moses.” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.

“And the booty, being the rest of the prey which the men of war had caught, was six hundred thousand and seventy…” The number six makes the report concrete. Ask whether it measures time, people, distance, repetition, or completeness before deciding what weight it carries.

“And threescore and twelve thousand beeves,” The number twelve makes the report concrete. Ask whether it measures time, people, distance, repetition, or completeness before deciding what weight it carries.

“And threescore and one thousand asses,” The number one makes the report concrete. Ask whether it measures time, people, distance, repetition, or completeness before deciding what weight it carries.

“And thirty and two thousand persons in all, of women that had not known man by lying with him.” The number thirty makes the report concrete. Ask whether it measures time, people, distance, repetition, or completeness before deciding what weight it carries.

“And the half, which was the portion of them that went out to war, was in number three hundred thousand and seven and…” The number three makes the report concrete. Ask whether it measures time, people, distance, repetition, or completeness before deciding what weight it carries.

“And the LORD’s tribute of the sheep was six hundred and threescore and fifteen.” The number six makes the report concrete. Ask whether it measures time, people, distance, repetition, or completeness before deciding what weight it carries.

“And the beeves were thirty and six thousand; of which the LORD’s tribute was threescore and twelve.” The number thirty makes the report concrete. Ask whether it measures time, people, distance, repetition, or completeness before deciding what weight it carries.

“And the asses were thirty thousand and five hundred; of which the LORD’s tribute was threescore and one.” The number thirty makes the report concrete. Ask whether it measures time, people, distance, repetition, or completeness before deciding what weight it carries.

“And the persons were sixteen thousand; of which the LORD’s tribute was thirty and two persons.” The number thousand makes the report concrete. Ask whether it measures time, people, distance, repetition, or completeness before deciding what weight it carries.

“And Moses gave the tribute, which was the LORD’s heave offering, unto Eleazar the priest, as the LORD commanded Moses.” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.

“And of the children of Israel’s half, which Moses divided from the men that warred,” Naming Israel and Moses keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

“(Now the half that pertained unto the congregation was three hundred thousand and thirty thousand and seven thousand…” The number three makes the report concrete. Ask whether it measures time, people, distance, repetition, or completeness before deciding what weight it carries.

“And thirty and six thousand beeves,” The number thirty makes the report concrete. Ask whether it measures time, people, distance, repetition, or completeness before deciding what weight it carries.

“And thirty thousand asses and five hundred,” The number thirty makes the report concrete. Ask whether it measures time, people, distance, repetition, or completeness before deciding what weight it carries.

“And sixteen thousand persons;)” The number thousand makes the report concrete. Ask whether it measures time, people, distance, repetition, or completeness before deciding what weight it carries.

“Even of the children of Israel’s half, Moses took one portion of fifty, both of man and of beast, and gave them unto…” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.

“And the officers which were over thousands of the host, the captains of thousands, and captains of hundreds, came near…” Naming Moses keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

“And they said unto Moses, Thy servants have taken the sum of the men of war which are under our charge, and there…” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.

“We have therefore brought an oblation for the LORD , what every man hath gotten, of jewels of gold, chains, and…” The line’s distinctive content terms include LORD, atonement, bracelets. Its relationship to verses 49 and 51 shows what work it does in this passage.

“And Moses and Eleazar the priest took the gold of them, even all wrought jewels.” Naming Eleazar and Moses keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

“And all the gold of the offering that they offered up to the LORD , of the captains of thousands, and of the captains…” The number thousand makes the report concrete. Ask whether it measures time, people, distance, repetition, or completeness before deciding what weight it carries.

“(For the men of war had taken spoil, every man for himself.)” The line’s distinctive content terms include spoil, taken. Its relationship to verses 52 and 54 shows what work it does in this passage.

“And Moses and Eleazar the priest took the gold of the captains of thousands and of hundreds, and brought it into the…” Naming Eleazar and Israel keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.