Numbers 31:53 — Word Study
WLCאַנְשֵׁי֙ הַצָּבָ֔א בָּזְז֖וּ אִ֥ישׁ לֽוֹ׃
BSAof the soldiersʼîysh [men of war, warriors] had taken plunderbâzaz■ [spoiled, seized, booty, spoil]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| אַנְשֵׁי֙ | [the] men of | Noun common, masculine plural construct |
| הַצָּבָ֔א | the army | Particle, noun common masculine singular absolute |
| בָּזְז֖וּ | they had taken plunder | Verb, Qal, perfect third person common plural |
| אִ֥ישׁ | everyone | Noun common, masculine singular absolute |
| לֽוֹ׃ | for himself | Preposition, suffix |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | Each of the soldiers had taken plunder for himself. |
| KJV | (For the men of war had taken spoil, every man for himself.) |
| ASV | (For the men of war had taken booty, every man for himself.) |
| YLT | (the men of the host have spoiled each for himself); |
| WEB | The men of war had taken booty, every man for himself. |
| BBE | (For every man of the army had taken goods for himself in the war.) |
Translations agree on the meaning of the verse, with no significant differences noted.
The structure is straightforward, with a main clause followed by a prepositional phrase indicating personal ownership.
6 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Trapp, Cambridge & more — read them ›
clause
verbבָּזַז
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 31:53
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 Spoils of Wargenerated
Numbers 31:53 describes the soldiers' actions after a successful military campaign. Each soldier took plunder for himself, highlighting the personal gain from their efforts in battle. This verse emphasizes the individual responsibility and entitlement of the soldiers to the spoils, which is a common practice in ancient warfare, as seen in other biblical accounts.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Deuteronomy 20:14 | But the women, children, livestock, and whatever else is in the city—all its spoil—you may take as plunder, and you shall use the spoil of your enemies that the LORD your God gives you. |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 1 reference, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — אִישׁ, 'an.Sheigenerated
The word אִישׁ ('ish) refers to a man or individual, often implying a male person. In this context, it emphasizes the soldiers as distinct individuals who participated in the military action. The parsing indicates it is a common noun in the masculine singular form, showing that it can refer to any man, not just a warrior.
This term is frequently used in the Bible to denote human beings in general, contrasting them with divine beings or animals. Here, it underscores the personal nature of the soldiers' actions, as each one is responsible for taking plunder.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
Translations agree that each soldier took plunder for himself, with the BSB, KJV, ASV, YLT, WEB, and BBE all reflecting this meaning.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The finite verb בָּזְז֖וּ (they had taken plunder) governs the main clause, with the subject being the noun phrase אַנְשֵׁי הַצָּבָ֔א (the men of the army) and the prepositional phrase אִ֥ישׁ לֽוֹ (for himself) indicating the personal ownership of the plunder.
The structure highlights the collective action of the soldiers while also emphasizing individual agency in claiming the spoils.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates אִישׁ as ἕκαστος (each), which emphasizes the individual nature of the soldiers' actions. This choice reflects the same focus on personal entitlement found in the Hebrew.
The verb בָּזְז֖וּ is rendered in a way that maintains the sense of taking plunder, aligning closely with the Hebrew meaning.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Numbers 31:53 tells us that each soldier took plunder for himself after the battle. This means that the soldiers were able to keep what they earned, which was a common practice in warfare. The verse emphasizes that each man had a right to his share.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
It indicates that after the battle, every soldier was entitled to keep the spoils they had earned, reflecting a common practice in ancient military campaigns.
This emphasis highlights personal responsibility and entitlement in the context of warfare, showing that each soldier's contribution was recognized.
Similar practices are noted throughout the Old Testament, where soldiers or victors in battle are allowed to take spoils, reflecting the customs of ancient warfare.
It teaches about the consequences of conflict and the distribution of rewards, illustrating how victories in battle come with personal gain.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- How do I view the rewards of my own efforts in life?
- In what ways can I ensure that I recognize the contributions of others around me?
- What does this verse teach about individual responsibility in a group setting?
- How can I apply the principle of rightful ownership in my own life?
Commentators on this verse — 6 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Numbers 31:53 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleFor the men of war had taken spoil, every man for himself. And which he kept for himself, and did not deliver in with the prey or booty, which was brought to Moses and Eleazar, the sum of which was
Read John Gill on Numbers 31 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryAnd the officers which were over thousands of the host, the captains of thousands, and captains of hundreds, came near unto Moses: Officers ... said ... there lacketh not one man of us.
Read Robert Jamieson on Numbers 31 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsNumbers 31:53 ([For] the men of war had taken spoil, every man for himself.)Ver. 53. For the men of war had taken spoil.] And kept what they caught to themselves. The Turks, when they had taken Constantinople, wondered at the wealth thereof - which the citizens would not be drawn to part with for their own preservation - and were so enriched therewith, that it is a proverb amongst them at this day, if any grow suddenly rich, to say, "He hath been at the sacking of Constantinople." Turk. Hist., 347.
Read John Trapp 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 →Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the BibleThis verse seems to imply that the soldiers, as distinct from the officers (compare Numbers 31:49), did not make any offering from their plunder.
Read Albert Barnes on Numbers 31 →Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the Bible53. The men of war — The common soldiers seem not to have contributed to this memorial offering. Possibly all the golden booty was a perquisite of the officers, and the privates took the less valuable spoil.
Read Daniel Denison Whedon 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
Each of the soldiers had taken plunder for himself.
The men of war had taken booty, every man for himself.
Each of the soldiers had taken plunder for himself.
Each soldier had taken plunder for himself.
Tyndale line
(For the men of war had taken spoil, every man for himself.)
(For the men of war had taken booty, every man for himself.)
(For the men of war had taken booty, every man for himself.)
(For the men of war had taken spoil, every man for himself.)
(For the men of warre had spoyled, euery man for him selfe)
Strictly literal
(The men of war had taken spoil each one for himself.)
(the men of the host have spoiled each for himself);
(the men of the host have each taken spoil for himself);
The men of the army had taken spoil, every man for himself.
Each soldier had taken plunder, each man for himself.
From the Latin
For that which every one had taken in the booty was his own.
Simplified
(The men who had fought in the battle had each taken plunder for himself.)
(For every man of the army had taken goods for himself in the war.)
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, Septuagint, Samaritan Pentateuch, and the Dead Sea Scrolls all agree on the wording of this verse, confirming the soldiers took plunder for themselves without any significant variations.
אַנְשֵׁי֙ הַצָּבָ֔א בָּזְז֖וּ אִ֥ישׁ לֽוֹ׃
5 of the 5 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.
אנשׁי הצבא בזזו אישׁ לו
Agrees with the Masoretic Text here, word for word.
אנשי הצבא בזזו איש ל׳ו
5 words on the leather.
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 31:53
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.
אֱנוֹשׁ (enowsh) refers to man or mankind, often used in a poetic context. It denotes a mortal individual, distinguishing humans from more dignified terms for man. The word encompasses both singular and collective meanings, indicating people or persons in general. Its Aramaic equivalent is אֱנָשׁ (e.nash), also meaning 'man'.
אֱנוֹשׁ n.m. man, mankind, mostly poet.
of individ.
coll. men
man, mankind
base
H582 אֱנוֹשׁ man, mankind, mostly poet.
582 'enowsh en-oshe'
from 605; properly, a mortal (and thus differing from the
more dignified 120); hence, a man in general (singly or
collectively):--another, X (blood-)thirsty, certain,
chap(-man); divers, fellow, X in the flower of their age,
husband, (certain, mortal) man, people, person, servant, some
( X of them), + stranger, those, + their trade. It is often
unexpressed in the English versions, especially when used in
apposition with another word . Compare 376.
see HEBREW for 0605
see HEBREW for 0120
see HEBREW for 0376
אֱנוֹשׁ (e.nosh) — human.
1) man, mortal man, person, mankind
1a) of an individual
1b) men (collective)
1c) man, mankind
Aramaic equivalent: e.nash (אֱנָשׁ "man" H0606)
HNcmpc — Noun common · masculine plural constructHNcmpc
ov:
(1) In Anglo-Saxon, had the meaning "from," "away from" (as the strengthened form "off" has still), and was not used for genitive or possessive relations, these being expressed by special case-forms. In the Norman period, however, "of" was taken to represent the French de (a use well developed by the time of Chaucer), and in the Elizabethan period both senses of "of" were in common use. But after about 1600 the later force of the word became predominant, and in the earlier sense (which is now practically obsolete) it was replaced by other prepositions. In consequence the King James Version (and in some cases the Revised Version (British and American)) contains many uses of "of" that are no longer familiar--most of them, to be sure, causing no difficulty, but there still being a few responsible for real obscurities.
OF, preposition ov. [Gr.]
1. From or out of; proceeding from, as the cause, source, means, author or agent bestowing.
I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered to you. 1 Corinthians 11:1.
For it was of the Lord to harden their hearts. Joshua 11:1.
It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed.
Lamentations 3:1.
The whole disposing thereof is of the Lord. Proverbs 16:1.
Go, inquire of the Lord for me. 2 Chronicles 34:2.
That holy thing that shall be born of thee. Luke 1:1.
Hence of is the sign of the genitive case, the case that denotes production; as the son of man, the son proceeding from man, produced from man. This is the primary sense, although we now say, produced by man. 'Part of these were slain; ' that is, a number separate, for part denotes a division; the sense then is, a number from or out of the whole were slain. So also, 'some of these were slain; ' that is…
The Hebrew word צָבָא (*tsaba'*) primarily means 'army' or 'warfare,' encompassing organized groups for battle, divine hosts, and even celestial bodies. It can also refer to service or duty in a military context. The term appears in various forms, including צְבָאוֹת (*tsaba'ot*), which denotes the 'hosts' of the Lord, particularly in relation to God's role in warfare.
צָבָא 485 n.m. army, war, warfare
army, host
war, warfare, service
service
צְבָאוֹת, in name of י׳ as God of war, prob. first in time of warlike David (some connect with sacred ark, but ark older)
base
H6635a צָבָא army, war, warfare . army, host
. war, warfare, service
. service
H6635b צְבָאוֹת army, war, warfare . army, host
. war, warfare, service
. service
. צְבָאוֹת, in name of י׳ as God of war, prob. first in time of warlike David (some connect with sacred ark, but ark older)
6635 tsaba' tsaw-baw'
or (feminine) tsbadah {tseb-aw-aw'}; from 6633; a mass of
persons (or figuratively, things), especially reg. organized
for war (an army); by implication, a campaign, literally or
figuratively (specifically, hardship, worship):--appointed
time, (+) army, (+) battle, company, host, service, soldiers,
waiting upon, war(-fare).
see HEBREW for 06633
צָבָא (tsa.va) — army.
: army
1) that which goes forth, army, war, warfare, host
1a) army, host
1a1) host (of organised army)
1a2) host (of angels)
1a3) of sun, moon, and stars
1a4) of whole creation
1b) war, warfare, service, go out to war
1c) service
צָבָא (tsa.va) — Hosts.
The Hosts (of the Lord)
Another name of ye.ho.vah (יהוה "LORD" H3068G)
צָבָא (tsa.va) — army: war.
: war
1) that which goes forth, army, war, warfare, host
1a) army, host
1a1) host (of organised army)
1a2) host (of angels)
1a3) of sun, moon, and stars
1a4) of whole creation
1b) war, warfare, service, go out to war
1c) service
צָבָא (tsa.va) — army: duty.
: duty
1) that which goes forth, army, war, warfare, host
1a) army, host
1a1) host (of organised army)
1a2) host (of angels)
1a3) of sun, moon, and stars
1a4) of whole creation
1b) war, warfare, service, go out to war
1c) service
HTd/Ncmsa — Particle · noun common masculine singular absoluteHTd/Ncmsa
ar'-mi (chayil, "army," tsabha', "host," ma`arakhah, "army in battle array" gedhudh, "troop"):
1. The First Campaign of History
2. In the Wilderness
3. The Times after the Conquest
4. In the Early Monarchy
5. From the Time of Solomon Onward
6. Organization of the Hebrew Army
7. The Army in the Field
8. The Supplies of the Army
9. In the New Testament
The Israelites were not a distinctively warlike people and their glory has been won on other fields than those of war. But Canaan, between the Mediterranean and the desert, was the highway of the East and the battle-ground of nations. The Israelites were, by the necessity of their geographical position, often involved in wars not of their own seeking, and their bravery and endurance even when worsted in their conflicts won for them the admiration and respect of their conquerors.
1. The First Campaign of History:
Army
The Israelites marched out of Egypt in military order (Ex. 13:18, “harnessed;” marg., “five in a rank”). Each tribe formed a battalion, with its own banner and leader (Num. 2:2; 10:14). In war the army was divided into thousands and hundreds under their several captains (Num. 31:14), and also into families (Num. 2:34; 2 Chr. 25:5; 26:12). From the time of their entering the land of Canaan to the time of the kings, the Israelites made little progress in military affairs, although often engaged in warfare. The kings introduced the custom of maintaining a bodyguard (the Gibborim; i.e., “heroes”), and thus the nucleus of…
I. JEWISH ARMY.--Every man above 20 years of age was a soldier, (Numbers 1:3) each tribe formed a regiment, with its own banner and its own leader (Numbers 2:2; 10:14) their positions in the camp or on the march were accurately fixed, Numb. 2; the whole army started and stopped at a given signal, (Numbers 10:5,6) thus they came up out of Egypt ready for the fight. (Exodus 13:18) On the approach of an enemy a conscription was made from the general body, under the direction of a muster-master, (20:5; 2 Kings 25:19) by whom also the officers were appointed. (20:9) The army had then divided into thousands and hundreds under…
בָּזַז (bazaz) is a primitive root meaning to plunder or spoil. It covers actions like robbing, seizing, and being taken as spoil, with forms in Qal (to spoil), Niphal (to be plundered), and Pual (to be taken as spoil). The entries consistently emphasize its focus on acts of taking or seizing by force.
בָּזַז vb. spoil, plunder
Qal spoil
Niph. be spoiled, plundered
Pu. be taken as spoil
base
H962 בָּזַז spoil, plunder
962 bazaz baw-zaz'
a primitive root; to plunder:--catch, gather, (take) for a
prey, rob(-ber), spoil, take (away, spoil), X utterly.
בָּזַז (ba.zaz) — to plunder.
1) to spoil, plunder, prey upon, seize
1a) (Qal) to spoil, plunder, despoil
1b) (Niphal) to be spoiled, plundered
1c) (Pual) to be taken as spoil
V-Qal-Perf-3cp — Verb · Qal · perfect third person common pluralHVqp3cp
The Hebrew word אִישׁ (iysh) means 'man' and can refer to an individual male, a husband, or a human being in general. It encompasses various meanings, including champion and great man, and can also imply 'whosoever' or 'each.' The word is built from a root suggesting existence and is used throughout the Old Testament.
אִישׁ 2166 n.m. man (= vir)
base
H376 אִישׁ man (= vir)
376 'iysh eesh
contracted for 582 (or perhaps rather from an unused root
meaning to be extant); a man as an individual or a male
person; often used as an adjunct to a more definite term (and
in such cases frequently not expressed in
translation):--also, another, any (man), a certain, +
champion, consent, each, every (one), fellow, (foot-,
husband-)man, (good-, great, mighty) man, he, high (degree),
him (that is), husband, man(-kind), + none, one, people,
person, + steward, what (man) soever, whoso(-ever), worthy.
Compare 802.
see HEBREW for 0582
see HEBREW for 0802
אִישׁ (ish) — man.
: man
1) man
1a) man, male (in contrast to woman, female)
1b) husband
1c) human being, person (in contrast to God)
1d) servant
1e) mankind
1f) champion
1g) great man
2) whosoever
3) each (adjective)
אִישׁ (ish) — man: husband.
: husband
1) man
1a) man, male (in contrast to woman, female)
1b) husband
1c) human being, person (in contrast to God)
1d) servant
1e) mankind
1f) champion
1g) great man
2) whosoever
3) each (adjective)
אִישׁ (ish) — man: anyone.
: anyone/someone
1) man
1a) man, male (in contrast to woman, female)
1b) husband
1c) human being, person (in contrast to God)
1d) servant
1e) mankind
1f) champion
1g) great man
2) whosoever
3) each (adjective)
N-mp — Noun common · masculine singular absoluteHNcmsa
וֹ (o) — him.
Personal object pronoun - suffix for propositions and verbs without an object: 3rd person masculine singular
HRd/Sp3ms — Preposition · suffixHRd/Sp3ms