And the beeves were thirty and six thousand; of which the LORD’s tribute was threescore and twelve.
Parallel translations
- WEB The cattle were thirty-six thousand; of which Yahweh’s tribute was seventy-two.
- BSB 36,000 cattle, including a tribute to the LORD of 72,
- NKJV The cattle were thirty-six thousand, of which the Lord’s tribute was seventy-two.
- NASB the cattle were thirty-six thousand, from which the Lord’s tribute tax was seventy-two;
- NLT 36,000 cattle, of which 72 were the Lord’s share;
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
The soldiers' cattle numbered thirty-six thousand, of which seventy-two were the Lord's tribute.
Overview
The same proportion was applied to the cattle, giving God His appointed share. The consistent application of the law shows scrupulous obedience. Each tribute affirmed Israel's dependence on the Lord and gratitude for His gifts.
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Christ at the center
In the wilderness Christ is the water from the rock, the bronze serpent lifted up that the dying might look and live (John 3:14), and the star and scepter that Balaam saw rising out of Jacob.
How Numbers 31:38 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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