Numbers 31:4
New International Version
Send into battle a thousand men from each of the tribes of Israel.”

New Living Translation
From each tribe of Israel, send 1,000 men into battle.”

English Standard Version
You shall send a thousand from each of the tribes of Israel to the war.”

Berean Standard Bible
Send into battle a thousand men from each tribe of Israel.”

King James Bible
Of every tribe a thousand, throughout all the tribes of Israel, shall ye send to the war.

New King James Version
A thousand from each tribe of all the tribes of Israel you shall send to the war.”

New American Standard Bible
You shall send a thousand from each tribe of all the tribes of Israel to the war.”

NASB 1995
“A thousand from each tribe of all the tribes of Israel you shall send to the war.”

NASB 1977
“A thousand from each tribe of all the tribes of Israel you shall send to the war.”

Legacy Standard Bible
One thousand from each tribe of all the tribes of Israel you shall send to the war.”

Amplified Bible
A thousand [fighting men] from each tribe of all the tribes of Israel you shall send to the war.”

Christian Standard Bible
Send one thousand men to war from each Israelite tribe.”

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Send 1,000 men to war from each Israelite tribe.”

American Standard Version
Of every tribe a thousand, throughout all the tribes of Israel, shall ye send to the war.

Contemporary English Version
Each tribe will send 1,000 men to fight."

English Revised Version
Of every tribe a thousand, throughout all the tribes of Israel, shall ye send to the war.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Send 1,000 men from each of the tribes of Israel."

Good News Translation
From each tribe of Israel send a thousand men to war."

International Standard Version
Send 1,000 men to war from every tribe throughout all of Israel."

Majority Standard Bible
Send into battle a thousand men from each tribe of Israel.”

NET Bible
You must send to the battle a thousand men from every tribe throughout all the tribes of Israel."

New Heart English Bible
Of every tribe one thousand, throughout all the tribes of Israel, you shall send to the war."

Webster's Bible Translation
Of every tribe a thousand, throughout all the tribes of Israel, shall ye send to the war.

World English Bible
You shall send one thousand out of every tribe, throughout all the tribes of Israel, to the war.”
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
one thousand for a tribe—you send one thousand for a tribe, of all the tribes of Israel, to the war.”

Young's Literal Translation
a thousand for a tribe -- a thousand for a tribe, to all the tribes of Israel -- ye do send to the host.'

Smith's Literal Translation
A thousand to a tribe, a thousand to a tribe, for all the tribes of Israel, ye shall send to war.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
Let a thousand men be chosen out of every tribe of Israel to be sent to the war.

Catholic Public Domain Version
Let one thousand men be chosen from each tribe of Israel, who shall be sent to war.”

New American Bible
From each of the tribes of Israel you will send a thousand men to the campaign.”

New Revised Standard Version
You shall send a thousand from each of the tribes of Israel to the war.”
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
Of every tribe, a thousand from each tribe, throughout all the tribes of Israel, you shall send into the army.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
Send one thousand from a tribe of all of the tribes of the children of Israel into the army.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
Of every tribe a thousand, throughout all the tribes of Israel, shall ye send to the war.'

Brenton Septuagint Translation
Send a thousand of each tribe from all the tribes of the children of Israel to set themselves in array.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Vengeance on Midian
3So Moses told the people, “Arm some of your men for war, that they may go against the Midianites and execute the LORD’s vengeance on them. 4Send into battle a thousand men from each tribe of Israel.” 5So a thousand men were recruited from each tribe of Israel—twelve thousand armed for war.…

Cross References
Deuteronomy 20:10-18
When you approach a city to fight against it, you are to make an offer of peace. / If they accept your offer of peace and open their gates, all the people there will become forced laborers to serve you. / But if they refuse to make peace with you and wage war against you, lay siege to that city. ...

Joshua 6:17-21
Now the city and everything in it must be devoted to the LORD for destruction. Only Rahab the prostitute and all those with her in her house will live, because she hid the spies we sent. / But keep away from the things devoted to destruction, lest you yourself be set apart for destruction. If you take any of these, you will set apart the camp of Israel for destruction and bring disaster upon it. / For all the silver and gold and all the articles of bronze and iron are holy to the LORD; they must go into His treasury.” ...

Judges 21:10-12
So the congregation sent 12,000 of their most valiant men and commanded them: “Go and put to the sword those living in Jabesh-gilead, including women and children. / This is what you are to do: Devote to destruction every male, as well as every female who has had relations with a man.” / So they found among the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead four hundred young women who had not had relations with a man, and they brought them to the camp at Shiloh in the land of Canaan.

1 Samuel 15:3
Now go and attack the Amalekites and devote to destruction all that belongs to them. Do not spare them, but put to death men and women, children and infants, oxen and sheep, camels and donkeys.’”

1 Chronicles 5:18-22
The Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh had 44,760 warriors—valiant men who carried the shield and sword, drew the bow, and were trained for battle. / They waged war against the Hagrites, as well as Jetur, Naphish, and Nodab. / And because they cried out to God in battle, they were helped against their enemies, and the Hagrites and all their allies were delivered into their hands. Because they put their trust in God, He answered their prayers. ...

2 Chronicles 20:15-17
And he said, “Listen, all you people of Judah and Jerusalem! Listen, King Jehoshaphat! This is what the LORD says: ‘Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army, for the battle does not belong to you, but to God. / Tomorrow you are to march down against them. You will see them coming up the Ascent of Ziz, and you will find them at the end of the valley facing the Wilderness of Jeruel. / You need not fight this battle. Take up your positions, stand firm, and see the salvation of the LORD on your behalf, O Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid or discouraged. Go out and face them tomorrow, for the LORD is with you.’”

Exodus 17:8-16
After this, the Amalekites came and attacked the Israelites at Rephidim. / So Moses said to Joshua, “Choose some of our men and go out to fight the Amalekites. Tomorrow I will stand on the hilltop with the staff of God in my hand.” / Joshua did as Moses had instructed him and fought against the Amalekites, while Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. ...

Deuteronomy 7:1-2
When the LORD your God brings you into the land that you are entering to possess, and He drives out before you many nations—the Hittites, Girgashites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites, seven nations larger and stronger than you— / and when the LORD your God has delivered them over to you to defeat them, then you must devote them to complete destruction. Make no treaty with them and show them no mercy.

Joshua 8:1-2
Then the LORD said to Joshua, “Do not be afraid or discouraged. Take the whole army with you, and go up and attack Ai. See, I have delivered into your hand the king of Ai, his people, his city, and his land. / And you shall do to Ai and its king as you did to Jericho and its king, except that you may carry off their plunder and livestock for yourselves. Set up an ambush behind the city.”

Judges 7:1-8
Early in the morning Jerubbaal (that is, Gideon) and all the men with him camped beside the spring of Harod. And the camp of Midian was north of them in the valley near the hill of Moreh. / Then the LORD said to Gideon, “You have too many men for Me to deliver Midian into their hands, lest Israel glorify themselves over Me, saying, ‘My own hand has saved me.’ / Now, therefore, proclaim in the hearing of the men: ‘Whoever is fearful and trembling may turn back and leave Mount Gilead.’” So twenty-two thousand of them turned back, but ten thousand remained. ...

1 Samuel 30:1-20
On the third day David and his men arrived in Ziklag, and the Amalekites had raided the Negev, attacked Ziklag, and burned it down. / They had taken captive the women and all who were there, both young and old. They had not killed anyone, but had carried them off as they went on their way. / When David and his men came to the city, they found it burned down and their wives and sons and daughters taken captive. ...

2 Kings 3:18-19
This is a simple matter in the sight of the LORD, and He will also deliver the Moabites into your hand. / And you shall attack every fortified city and every city of importance. You shall cut down every good tree, stop up every spring, and ruin every good field with stones.”

Matthew 10:34-36
Do not assume that I have come to bring peace to the earth; I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. / For I have come to turn ‘a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. / A man’s enemies will be the members of his own household.’

Luke 22:36-38
“Now, however,” He told them, “the one with a purse should take it, and likewise a bag; and the one without a sword should sell his cloak and buy one. / For I tell you that this Scripture must be fulfilled in Me: ‘And He was numbered with the transgressors.’ For what is written about Me is reaching its fulfillment.” / So they said, “Look, Lord, here are two swords.” “That is enough,” He answered.

Romans 13:4
For he is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not carry the sword in vain. He is God’s servant, an agent of retribution to the wrongdoer.


Treasury of Scripture

Of every tribe a thousand, throughout all the tribes of Israel, shall you send to the war.

Of every tribe a thousand.

Leviticus 26:8
And five of you shall chase an hundred, and an hundred of you shall put ten thousand to flight: and your enemies shall fall before you by the sword.

Judges 7:2
And the LORD said unto Gideon, The people that are with thee are too many for me to give the Midianites into their hands, lest Israel vaunt themselves against me, saying, Mine own hand hath saved me.

1 Samuel 14:6
And Jonathan said to the young man that bare his armour, Come, and let us go over unto the garrison of these uncircumcised: it may be that the LORD will work for us: for there is no restraint to the LORD to save by many or by few.

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Battle Host Israel Thousand Throughout Tribe Tribes War
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Battle Host Israel Thousand Throughout Tribe Tribes War
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














Send into battle
The phrase "send into battle" indicates a divine command for action. In the Hebrew text, the word used here is "שְׁלַח" (shalach), which means to send or dispatch. This is not merely a suggestion but a directive from God, emphasizing the seriousness and divine authority behind the mission. Historically, this reflects the theocratic nature of Israel, where God directly guided military actions. The Israelites were to act as instruments of divine justice, highlighting the belief that their battles were not just physical but spiritual engagements ordained by God.

a thousand men
The specification of "a thousand men" from each tribe underscores the organized and systematic approach to warfare in ancient Israel. The Hebrew word for thousand, "אֶלֶף" (eleph), can also imply a military unit or clan, suggesting a well-structured force. This number signifies completeness and sufficiency, ensuring that the task at hand is adequately addressed. It reflects the communal responsibility of each tribe to contribute equally to the collective effort, symbolizing unity and shared purpose among the people of Israel.

from each tribe
The phrase "from each tribe" highlights the inclusive nature of the call to arms. The Hebrew term for tribe, "שֵׁבֶט" (shevet), refers to a branch or division of the nation, each with its own identity and leadership. This inclusion of all tribes signifies the collective identity and responsibility of the nation of Israel. It also serves as a reminder of the covenantal relationship between God and the entire nation, where each tribe plays a vital role in fulfilling divine mandates.

of Israel
The designation "of Israel" is crucial, as it identifies the people as descendants of Jacob, who was renamed Israel after wrestling with God. This name carries the connotation of being chosen and set apart for God's purposes. The historical context here is significant, as Israel is not just a political entity but a spiritual community bound by covenant with Yahweh. This identity as God's chosen people is central to their mission and actions, reinforcing their role as agents of divine will in the world.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Send
תִּשְׁלְח֖וּ (tiš·lə·ḥū)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine plural
Strong's 7971: To send away, for, out

into battle
לַצָּבָֽא׃ (laṣ·ṣā·ḇā)
Preposition-l, Article | Noun - common singular
Strong's 6635: A mass of persons, reg, organized for, war, a campaign

a thousand men
אֶ֚לֶף (’e·lep̄)
Number - masculine singular
Strong's 505: A thousand

from each
לְכֹל֙ (lə·ḵōl)
Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3605: The whole, all, any, every

tribe
מַטּ֣וֹת (maṭ·ṭō·wṯ)
Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 4294: A staff, rod, shaft, branch, a tribe

of Israel.”
יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל (yiś·rā·’êl)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3478: Israel -- 'God strives', another name of Jacob and his desc


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OT Law: Numbers 31:4 Of every tribe one thousand throughout all (Nu Num.)
Numbers 31:3
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