Take the sum of the prey that was taken, both of man and of beast, thou, and Eleazar the priest, and the chief fathers of the congregation:
Count all the captives and livestock that were captured - you, Eleazar the priest, and the family leaders of the community should do this together.
God is instructing Moses to take an official count of all the people and animals captured in battle, working with the priest and community leaders.
📚 Historical Context
In the book of Numbers, the Israelites were in the wilderness after their exodus from Egypt, and God had commanded them to wage war against the Midianites for leading the people into idolatry and immorality. After their victory, Moses was instructed to organize the counting of the war spoils, including captives and animals, with the help of Eleazar the priest and the tribal leaders to ensure fair distribution as part of God's directives. This process reflected the need for order and accountability in the Israelite camp during their journey to the Promised Land.
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