King James Version:
(The Lord speaking is red text)
And Eleazar the priest said unto the men of war which went to the battle, This [is] the ordinance of the law which the LORD commanded Moses;
Complete Jewish Bible:
El'azar the cohen said to the soldiers who had gone to the front, "This is the regulation from the Torah which ADONAI has ordered Moshe.
Berean Standard Bible:
Then Eleazar the priest said to the soldiers who had gone into battle, “This is the statute of the law which the LORD has commanded Moses:
American Standard Version:
And Eleazar the priest said unto the men of war that went to the battle, This is the statute of the law which Jehovah hath commanded Moses:
KJV with Strong’s Numbers:
And Eleazar{H499} the priest{H3548} said{H559} unto the men{H582} of war{H6635} which went{H935} to the battle{H4421}, This is the ordinance{H2708} of the law{H8451} which the LORD{H3068} commanded{H6680} Moses{H4872};
Cross-References (KJV):
Numbers 30:16
- These [are] the statutes, which the LORD commanded Moses, between a man and his wife, between the father and his daughter, [being yet] in her youth in her father's house.
Explore This Verse Across Other Resources:
Commentary for Numbers 31:21
Numbers 31:21 is a verse set within the broader context of the Israelites' journey through the wilderness towards the Promised Land. In this chapter, the Israelites are instructed by God to take vengeance on the Midianites for their role in seducing the Israelites into idolatry and immorality, which led to a plague sent by God (Numbers 25).
The verse itself is part of a set of instructions given by Eleazar the priest to the Israelite soldiers after they have returned from battle against the Midianites. Eleazar reminds them of the ordinance that the Lord had commanded Moses, which pertains to the purification rites that must be followed after engaging in warfare. This ordinance includes the purification of themselves and their captives, as well as the handling of the spoils of war, which were to be cleansed and dedicated to the Lord.
The themes present in this verse include divine command, ritual purity, and the distinction between the sacred and the profane. The historical context reflects the strict protocols for re-admission into the camp and the community after contact with the dead or with pagan nations, which was necessary to maintain the holiness of the Israelite camp as the dwelling place of God. The verse underscores the importance of adhering to God's laws in every aspect of life, including warfare, and the role of religious leaders like Eleazar in transmitting and enforcing these divine commands. It also highlights the theocratic nature of Israelite society, where religious and civil authority were deeply intertwined, and military actions were undertaken under divine directive.
*This commentary is produced by Microsoft/WizardLM-2-8x22B AI model
Strong's Numbers and Definitions:
Note: H = Hebrew (OT), G = Greek (NT)
- Strong's Number: H499
There are 123 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: אֶלְעָזָר
Transliteration: ʼElʻâzâr
Pronunciation: el-aw-zawr'
Description: from אֵל and עָזַר; God (is) helper; Elazar, the name of seven Israelites; Eleazar. - Strong's Number: H3548
There are 653 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: כֹּהֵן
Transliteration: kôhên
Pronunciation: ko-hane'
Description: active participle of כָּהַן; literally one officiating, a priest; also (by courtesy) an acting priest (although a layman); chief ruler, [idiom] own, priest, prince, principal officer. - Strong's Number: H559
There are 4434 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: אָמַר
Transliteration: ʼâmar
Pronunciation: aw-mar'
Description: a primitive root; to say (used with great latitude); answer, appoint, avouch, bid, boast self, call, certify, challenge, charge, [phrase] (at the, give) command(-ment), commune, consider, declare, demand, [idiom] desire, determine, [idiom] expressly, [idiom] indeed, [idiom] intend, name, [idiom] plainly, promise, publish, report, require, say, speak (against, of), [idiom] still, [idiom] suppose, talk, tell, term, [idiom] that is, [idiom] think, use (speech), utter, [idiom] verily, [idiom] yet. - Strong's Number: H582
There are 648 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: אֱנוֹשׁ
Transliteration: ʼĕnôwsh
Pronunciation: en-oshe'
Description: from אָנַשׁ; properly, a mortal (and thus differing from the more dignified אָדָם); hence,; a man in general (singly or collectively); another, [idiom] (blood-) thirsty, certain, chap(-man); divers, fellow, [idiom] in the flower of their age, husband, (certain, mortal) man, people, person, servant, some ([idiom] of them), [phrase] stranger, those, [phrase] their trade. It is often unexpressed in the English versions, especially when used in apposition with another word. Compare אִישׁ. - Strong's Number: H6635
There are 463 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: צָבָא
Transliteration: tsâbâʼ
Pronunciation: tsaw-baw'
Description: or (feminine) צְבָאָה; from צָבָא; a mass of persons (or figuratively, things), especially reg. organized forwar (an army); by implication, a campaign, literally or figuratively (specifically, hardship, worship); appointed time, ([phrase]) army, ([phrase]) battle, company, host, service, soldiers, waiting upon, war(-fare). - Strong's Number: H935
There are 2307 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: בּוֹא
Transliteration: bôwʼ
Pronunciation: bo
Description: a primitive root; to go or come (in a wide variety of applications); abide, apply, attain, [idiom] be, befall, [phrase] besiege, bring (forth, in, into, to pass), call, carry, [idiom] certainly, (cause, let, thing for) to come (against, in, out, upon, to pass), depart, [idiom] doubtless again, [phrase] eat, [phrase] employ, (cause to) enter (in, into, -tering, -trance, -try), be fallen, fetch, [phrase] follow, get, give, go (down, in, to war), grant, [phrase] have, [idiom] indeed, (in-) vade, lead, lift (up), mention, pull in, put, resort, run (down), send, set, [idiom] (well) stricken (in age), [idiom] surely, take (in), way. - Strong's Number: H4421
There are 308 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: מִלְחָמָה
Transliteration: milchâmâh
Pronunciation: mil-khaw-maw'
Description: from לָחַם (in the sense of fighting); a battle (i.e. the engagement); generally, war (i.e. warfare); battle, fight(-ing), war(-rior). - Strong's Number: H2708
There are 100 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: חֻקָּה
Transliteration: chuqqâh
Pronunciation: khook-kaw'
Description: feminine of חֹק, and meaning substantially the same; {an enactment; hence, an appointment (of time, space, quantity, labor or usage)}; appointed, custom, manner, ordinance, site, statute. - Strong's Number: H8451
There are 213 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: תּוֹרָה
Transliteration: tôwrâh
Pronunciation: to-raw'
Description: or תֹּרָה; from יָרָה; a precept or statute, especially the Decalogue or Pentateuch; law. - Strong's Number: H3068
There are 5521 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: יְהֹוָה
Transliteration: Yᵉhôvâh
Pronunciation: yeh-ho-vaw'
Description: from הָיָה; (the) self-Existent or Eternal; Jehovah, Jewish national name of God; Jehovah, the Lord. Compare יָהּ, יְהֹוִה. - Strong's Number: H6680
There are 475 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: צָוָה
Transliteration: tsâvâh
Pronunciation: tsaw-vaw'
Description: a primitive root; (intensively) to constitute, enjoin; appoint, (for-) bid, (give a) charge, (give a, give in, send with) command(-er, -ment), send a messenger, put, (set) in order. - Strong's Number: H4872
There are 704 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: מֹשֶׁה
Transliteration: Môsheh
Pronunciation: mo-sheh'
Description: from מָשָׁה; drawing out (of the water), i.e. rescued; Mosheh, the Israelite lawgiver; Moses.