The Division Between the Men of War, Yahweh (the Priests), the People and the Levites (Numbers 31:32-47).
The assessing and dividing of the spoils follows a sequential pattern rather than the usual chiastic pattern.
a The sum of the prey assessed (Numbers 31:32-35).
b Sum of the half which belongs to the soldiers and to Yahweh's tribute (Numbers 31:36-40).
c Yahweh's tribute given to Eleazar the Priest (Numbers 31:41).
a The congregation's half divided from the men that warred (Numbers 31:42).
b Sum of the half which belongs to the congregation (Numbers 31:43-46).
c The Levites share given to the Levites (Numbers 31:47).
‘Now the prey, over and above the booty which the men of war took, was six hundred 'eleph and seventy 'eleph and five 'eleph sheep, and threescore and twelve 'eleph oxen, and threescore and one 'eleph asses, and thirty and two 'eleph persons in all, of the women who had not known man by lying with him.'
The prey was now assessed. There were six hundred and seventy five units (flocks?) of sheep, seventy two units (herds?) of oxen, sixty one units (herds) of asses, and of young women there were young women from thirty two families.
‘And the half, which was the portion of those who went out to war, was in number three hundred thousand and thirty thousand and seven thousand and five hundred sheep.'
Thus for the men who went to war there were three hundred and thirty seven and a half flocks of sheep to be distributed.
‘And Yahweh's tribute of the sheep was six hundred and threescore and fifteen.'
And Yahweh's tribute was one out of every five half flocks, namely six smaller groups, three small groupings and some odd ones over.
‘And the oxen were thirty and six thousand, of which Yahweh's tribute was threescore and twelve.'
Of the oxen there were thirty six herds for the fighting men, of which Yahweh's tribute was three small groupings and odd ones over.
‘And the asses were thirty thousand and five hundred, of which Yahweh's tribute was threescore and one.'
Of the asses there thirty and a half herds. Yahweh received three small groupings and one over.
‘And the persons were sixteen thousand; of whom Yahweh's tribute was thirty and two persons.'
Of the young women there were women from sixteen families, and Yahweh's tribute three small groups and two persons.
‘And Moses gave the tribute, which was Yahweh's heave-offering, to Eleazar the priest, as Yahweh commanded Moses.'
And Moses gave Yahweh's contribution to Eleazar the Priest as Yahweh had commanded him.
‘And of the children of Israel's half, which Moses divided off from the men who warred,'
They then moved on to assessing the half set aside to be divided among the children of Israel as a whole.
‘(Now the congregation's half was three hundred thousand and thirty thousand, seven thousand and five hundred sheep, and thirty and six thousand oxen, and thirty thousand and five hundred asses, and sixteen thousand persons),'
Their share also was three hundred and thirty seven flocks, and a smaller group, of sheep, thirty six herds of oxen, thirty herds and a smaller group of asses, and young women from sixteen ‘families'.
‘even of the children of Israel's half, Moses took one drawn out of every fifty, both of man and of beast, and gave them to the Levites, who kept the charge of the tabernacle of Yahweh, as Yahweh commanded Moses.'
And out of their half one out of every smaller grouping was given to the Levites, because they kept the charge of the Dwellingplace of Yahweh, just as Yahweh had commanded Moses.