Numbers 31:39 — Word Study
WLCוַחֲמֹרִ֕ים שְׁלֹשִׁ֥ים אֶ֖לֶף וַחֲמֵ֣שׁ מֵא֑וֹת וּמִכְסָ֥ם לַֽיהוָ֖ה אֶחָ֥ד וְשִׁשִּֽׁים׃
BSA{} 30,500shᵉlôwshîym donkeyschămôwr [asses, male donkeys] including a tributemekeç [tax, offering] to the LORDYᵉhôvâh [Yehovah, the supreme God] of 61ʼechâd [one and sixty]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| וַחֲמֹרִ֕ים | and donkeys | Conjunction, noun common both plural absolute |
| שְׁלֹשִׁ֥ים | [were] thirty | Adj |
| אֶ֖לֶף | thousand | |
| וַחֲמֵ֣שׁ | and five | Conjunction |
| מֵא֑וֹת | hundred | |
| וּמִכְסָ֥ם | and tax their | Conjunction, noun common masculine singular construct, suffix |
| לַֽיהוָ֖ה | for Yahweh | Preposition, noun proper |
| אֶחָ֥ד | [was] one | Adj |
| וְשִׁשִּֽׁים׃ | and sixty | Conjunction |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | 30,500 donkeys, including a tribute to the LORD of 61, |
| KJV | And the asses were thirty thousand and five hundred; of which the LORD’s tribute was threescore and one. |
| ASV | And the asses were thirty thousand and five hundred; of which Jehovah’s tribute was threescore and one. |
| YLT | and the asses [are] thirty thousand and five hundred, and their tribute to Jehovah [is] one and sixty; |
| WEB | The donkeys were thirty thousand five hundred, of which Yahweh’s tribute was sixty-one. |
| BBE | The number of asses was thirty thousand, five hundred, of which the Lord's part was sixty-one. |
Where they part company is מִכְסָ֥ם — see How Translations Differ.
The main clause presents the count of donkeys, with a subordinate phrase detailing the tribute to the LORD.
2 commentators on this verse
Jamieson, Cambridge & more — read them ›
clause
subjectחֲמוֹר
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
Every word here is used elsewhere in the Old Testament.
Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.
Deep Study — Numbers 31:39
Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.
Context — The Census of the Midianitesgenerated
Numbers 31:39 describes the results of a census taken after a battle against the Midianites, detailing the livestock captured, including donkeys. This verse emphasizes the importance of giving a tribute to the LORD, reflecting the practice of dedicating a portion of spoils to God as a sign of gratitude and recognition of His sovereignty.
Cross References
The Key Word — חֲמוֹר, va.cha.mo.Rimgenerated
The word חֲמוֹר (chamor) specifically refers to a male donkey. It is derived from a root meaning 'to be red' or 'dun', highlighting the animal's reddish-brown color. This term is consistently used in the Hebrew Bible to denote this particular animal, emphasizing its role in agricultural and transport contexts.
In this verse, the mention of donkeys indicates their value as livestock, serving both practical and economic purposes in ancient Israelite society. The use of the plural form underscores the significant number of these animals involved in the tribute.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
This study reads the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, so the BSB is the wording every comparison below is made against.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The main clause is governed by the noun phrase חֲמֹרִ֕ים, and donkeys, which introduces the subject of the count. Following this, a series of numeral phrases detail the specific quantities: thirty thousand, five hundred, and including a tribute.
The structure emphasizes the total count of livestock and the tribute to the LORD as a single coherent statement, with the noun phrase leading the description of the quantities involved.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
In the Septuagint, the Hebrew חֲמוֹר is rendered as ὄνοι (onoi), which is the standard Greek term for donkeys. This choice maintains the specific reference to the animal, consistent with the Hebrew.
The translation of מִכְסָ֥ם as τέλος (telos) indicates a broader interpretation of tribute as a fee or tax, which aligns with the context of offerings made to God.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Numbers 31:39 lists 30,500 donkeys and includes a tribute to the LORD of 61. This verse is part of a larger account detailing the spoils from a battle and the importance of dedicating a portion to God.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
The tribute represents a portion of the spoils dedicated to the LORD, highlighting the Israelites' obligation to honor God with their gains.
Donkeys were valuable for transportation and agriculture, making their count significant in assessing the wealth and resources of the community.
This verse is part of a systematic record of the livestock taken after the battle, showing the organizational structure of the Israelite community and their accountability to God.
The number 61 refers to the specific amount of tribute given to the LORD, indicating the practice of offering a portion of captured wealth as a sign of devotion.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- What does it mean to dedicate a portion of our gains to God in our lives today?
- How can we recognize the value of resources in our own lives, similar to how donkeys were valued in ancient Israel?
- In what ways can we ensure that we honor God with what we have been given?
- How does understanding the context of this verse enhance our view of God's provision?
Commentators on this verse — 2 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Numbers 31:39 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryAnd the half, which was the portion of them that went out to war, was in number three hundred thousand and seven and thirty thousand and five hundred sheep: No JFB commentary on these verses.
Read Robert Jamieson on Numbers 31 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges25–54. The apportionment of the spoil. Those who fought and those who remained behind were to receive equal shares. This was an ancient custom, which was traced to the action of David (1 Samuel 30:24 f.). But before the appropriation by individuals, a religious tax was to be paid. The fighters were to pay from their share 1/500th to the priests, and the others 1/50th to the Levites. Such a tax is not mentioned elsewhere in the O.T., but perhaps, like the foregoing regulation, it had an ancient custom behind it. Mohammed, whose religion was ultimately based on the O.T., enjoined a similar tax of 1/5th (Koran viii. 42, cited by Gray).
Read Cambridge on Numbers 31 →The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company
Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.
Modern formal
30,500 donkeys, including a tribute to the LORD of 61,
The donkeys were thirty thousand five hundred, of which Yahweh’s tribute was sixty-one.
30,500 donkeys, including a tribute to the LORD of 61,
The donkeys were 30,500, of which the Lord’s tribute was 61.
Tyndale line
And the asses were thirty thousand and five hundred; of which the LORD’s tribute was threescore and one.
And the asses were thirty thousand and five hundred; of which Jehovah’s tribute was threescore and one.
And the asses were thirty thousand and five hundred; of which the LORD’S tribute was threescore and one.
And the asses were thirty thousand and five hundred; of which the LORD'S tribute was sixty one.
And the asses were thirtie thousande and fiue hundreth, whereof the Lordes tribute was three score and one:
Strictly literal
and the asses were thirty thousand five hundred, and the tribute thereof for Jehovah, sixty-one;
and the asses [are] thirty thousand and five hundred, and their tribute to Jehovah [is] one and sixty;
and the donkeys [are] thirty thousand and five hundred, and their tribute to YHWH [is] sixty-one;
And the asses were thirty thousand and five hundred; and the tribute thereof unto the Lord was sixty and one.
The donkeys were 30,500 from which Yahweh's part was sixty-one.
From the Latin
Out of the thirty thousand five hundred asses, sixty-one asses:
Simplified
30,500 donkeys, with a Lord's contribution of 61,
The number of asses was thirty thousand, five hundred, of which the Lord's part was sixty-one.
Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.
The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank
This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.
Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.
The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran
The Masoretic Text records the number of donkeys as 30,500, with a tribute to the LORD of 61. The Septuagint agrees with the Masoretic Text in terms of the number of donkeys and the tribute, matching all nine words in a word-by-word correspondence, although its structure and articles differ. The Samaritan Pentateuch also agrees with the Masoretic Text word for word, confirming the same figures and tribute. Overall, there is a consensus among these witnesses regarding this verse.
וַחֲמֹרִ֕ים שְׁלֹשִׁ֥ים אֶ֖לֶף וַחֲמֵ֣שׁ מֵא֑וֹת וּמִכְסָ֥ם לַֽיהוָ֖ה אֶחָ֥ד וְשִׁשִּֽׁים׃
9 of the 9 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.
וחמרים שׁלשׁים אלף וחמשׁ מאות ומכסם ליהוה אחד ושׁשׁים
Agrees with the Masoretic Text here, word for word.
Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.
The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with
This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.
Lexicons — every word in Numbers 31:39
One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.
Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.
חֲמוֹר (chamor) refers to a male donkey, derived from a root meaning 'to be red' or 'dun.' The term is consistently translated as 'ass' or 'donkey' across various lexicons, indicating its specific reference to this animal in the Old Testament.
חֲמוֹר n.m. (he)-ass
base
H2543 חֲמוֹר (he)-ass
2543 chamowr kham-ore'
or (shortened) chamor {kham-ore}; from 2560; a male ass (from
its dun red):--(he)ass.
see HEBREW for 02560
חֲמוֹר (cha.mor) — donkey.
(he) ass
Conj | N-cp — Conjunction · noun common both plural absoluteHC/Ncbpa
שְׁלֹשִׁים (*shlowshiym*) means 'thirty' and can also refer to 'thirtieth' as an ordinal number. It is an indeclinable noun and is derived from the root word for 'three.' The entries indicate that it is used in various contexts, but there are no significant disagreements among the lexicons.
שְׁלֹשִׁים (very seldom שְׁלוֹשִׁים, שְׁלֹשִׁם) 174 n.indecl. thirty
bef. n. sg.
as ordin.
base
H7970 שְׁלֹשִׁים (very seldom שְׁלוֹשִׁים, שְׁלֹשִׁם) n. indecl. thirty . bef. n. sg.
. as ordin.
7970 shlowshiym shel-o-sheem'
or shloshiym {shel-o-sheem'}; multiple of 7969; thirty; or
(ordinal) thirtieth:--thirty, thirtieth. Compare 7991.
see HEBREW for 07969
see HEBREW for 07991
שְׁלֹשִׁים (she.lo.shim) — thirty.
thirty, thirtieth
Aramaic equivalent: te.la.tin (תְּלָתִין "thirty" H8533)
Adj — AdjHAcmpa
אֶ֫לֶף (eleph) means 'thousand' in Hebrew. It can refer to the numeral itself or denote a company or clan, particularly a group of men under one leader. The word is built from the concept of a thousand, and it is associated with the ox's head, which is the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet.
אֶ֫לֶף n.m. thousand
base
H505 אֶ֫לֶף thousand
505 'eleph eh'-lef
prop, the same as 504; hence (the ox's head being the first
letter of the alphabet, and this eventually used as a numeral)
a thousand:--thousand.
see HEBREW for 0504
אֶ֫לֶף (e.leph) — thousand.
: thousand
1) a thousand
1a) as numeral
2) a thousand, company
2a) as a company of men under one leader, troops
אֶ֫לֶף (e.leph) — thousand: clan.
: clan
1) a thousand
1a) as numeral
2) a thousand, company
2a) as a company of men under one leader, troops
HAcbsa — HAcbsa
thou'-zand ('eleph; chilioi).
See NUMBER.
חָמֵשׁ (chamesh) means 'five' in Hebrew. It serves as both a cardinal number and can indicate a multiple of five when combined with another number. The word also has an ordinal form, 'fifth.' The entries consistently define this numeral without any noted disagreement.
חָמֵשׁ, חֲמִשָּׁה 342 n.m. and f. five
base
H2568 חָמֵשׁ, חֲמִשָּׁה five
2568 chamesh khaw-maysh'
masculine chamishshah {kham-ish-shaw}; a primitive numeral;
five:--fif(-teen), fifth, five (X apiece).
חָמֵשׁ (cha.mesh) — five.
1) five
1a) five (cardinal number)
1b) a multiple of five (with another number)
1c) fifth (ordinal number)
HC/Acbsc — ConjunctionHC/Acbsc
fiv (chamesh; pente).
See NUMBER.
מֵאָה (me'ah) means 'hundred' in Hebrew. It can refer to a simple number, a component of a larger number, or a fraction representing one one-hundredth. The entries consistently describe its use as a numeral without significant disagreement.
מֵאָה 583 n.f. hundred
as simple number
as part of larger number
a hundredth part
base
H3967 מֵאָה hundred . as simple number
. as part of larger number
. a hundredth part
3967 me'ah may-aw'
or metyah {may-yaw'}; properly, a primitive numeral; a
hundred; also as a multiplicative and a
fraction:--hundred((-fold), -th), + sixscore.
מֵאָה (me.ah) — hundred.
1) hundred
1a) as simple number
1b) as part of larger number
1c) as a fraction-one one-hundredth (1/100)
Aramaic equivalent: me.ah (מְאָה "hundred" H3969)
HAcfpa — HAcfpa
hun'-dred (me'-ah; hekaton).
See NUMBER.
מֶ֫כֶס (mekec) refers to a computation or assessment, often related to tribute or tax. The term likely derives from a root meaning to enumerate. It encompasses the idea of a proportion to be paid, as seen in various contexts in the Old Testament.
מֶ֫כֶס n.m. computation, proportion to be paid, tax
base
H4371 מֶ֫כֶס
4371 mekec meh'-kes
probably from an unused root meaning to enumerate; an
assessment (as based upon a census):--tribute.
מֶ֫כֶס (me.khes) — tribute.
computation, proportion to be paid, tribute, tax
Conj | N-ms | Suff — Conjunction · noun common masculine singular construct · suffixHC/Ncmsc/Sp3mp
יְהֹוָה (ye.ho.vah) is the proper name of the God of Israel, often rendered as Jehovah or the Lord. It signifies the self-existent or eternal nature of God. The name is closely associated with the revelation to Moses in Exodus 3:12-15 and is used in conjunction with other terms to denote sacred places. Some scholars suggest it derives from a root meaning 'to bring into being.'
יהוה c. 6823 i.e. יַהְוֶה n.pr.dei Yahweh, the proper name of the God of Israel—(1. MT יְהֹוָה 6518 (Qr אֲדֹנָי), or יֱהֹוִה 305 (Qr אֱלֹהִים) 2. Many recent scholars explain יַהְוֶה as Hiph. of הוה (= היה) the one bringing into being, life-giver)
יהוה is not used by E in Gn, but is given Ex 3:12-15 as the name of the God who revealed Himself to Moses at Horeb
יהוה is used with אלהים and suffixes, especially in D
the phrase † אֲנִי יהוה is noteworthy
יהוה is also used with several predicates, to form sacred names of holy places of Yahweh
base
H3068 יהוה i.e. יַהְוֶה n. pr. dei Yahweh, the proper name of the God of Israel
3068 Yhovah yeh-ho-vaw'
from 1961; (the) self-Existent or Eternal; Jehovah, Jewish
national name of God:--Jehovah, the Lord. Compare 3050, 3069.
see HEBREW for 01961
see HEBREW for 03050
see HEBREW for 03069
יְהֹוָה (ye.ho.vah) — LORD.
Jehovah = "the existing One"
1) the proper name of the one true God
1a) unpronounced except with the vowel pointings of a.do.na (אֲדֹנָי "Lord" H0136)
יְהֹוָה (ye.ho.vah) — The Lord.
Another name of ye.ru.sha.laim (יְרוּשָׁלִַ֫ם, יְרוּשְׁלֵם "Jerusalem" H3389)
יְהֹוָה (ye.ho.vah) — (Jerusalem of) the Lord.
Combined with ye.ru.sha.laim (יְרוּשָׁלִַ֫ם, יְרוּשְׁלֵם "Jerusalem" H3389)
Prep | N-proper — Preposition · noun properHR/Npt
אֶחָד (echad) means 'one' and is derived from a numeral. It encompasses meanings such as each, every, a certain, and can serve as an indefinite article. It is also used as an ordinal to denote 'first' and appears in various combinations, including eleven. The entries consistently emphasize its numerical and qualitative aspects.
אֶחָד 972 adj.num. one
one
= each, every
= a certain
= indef. art.
only, & (fem.) once
one … another, one … the other
as ordinal first
in combin.
base
H259 אֶחָד one . one
. = each, every
. = a certain
. = indef. art.
. only, & (fem.) once
. one … another, one … the other
. as ordinal first
. in combin.
259 'echad ekh-awd'
a numeral from 258; properly, united, i.e. one; or (as an
ordinal) first:--a, alike, alone, altogether, and,
any(-thing), apiece, a certain, (dai-)ly, each (one), +
eleven, every, few, first, + highway, a man, once, one, only,
other, some, together,
see HEBREW for 0258
אֶחָד (e.chad) — one.
1) one (number)
1a) one (number)
1b) each, every
1c) a certain
1d) an (indefinite article)
1e) only, once, once for all
1f) one...another, the one...the other, one after another, one by one
1g) first
1h) eleven (in combination), eleventh (ordinal)
Adj — AdjHAcfsa
wun.
See NUMBER.
שִׁשִּׁים (shishshiym) means 'sixty' in Hebrew. It is a numeral derived from the root associated with the number 8337. The term is used in various contexts in the Old Testament to denote the quantity of sixty, also referred to as 'three score.' There is an Aramaic equivalent, שִׁתִּין (shit.tin), which also means sixty.
שִׁשִּׁים 59 n.indecl. sixty
base
H8346 שִׁשִּׁים sixty
8346 shishshiym shish-sheem'
multiple of 8337; sixty:--sixty, three score.
see HEBREW for 08337
שִׁשִּׁים (shish.shim) — sixty.
sixty, three score
Aramaic equivalent: shit.tin (שִׁתִּין "sixty" H8361)
HC/Acmpa — ConjunctionHC/Acmpa
siks'-ti (shishshim; hexekonta).
See NUMBER.