Lectionary Calendar
Thursday, January 29th, 2026
the Third Week after Epiphany
Attention!
Tired of seeing ads while studying? Now you can enjoy an "Ads Free" version of the site for as little as 10¢ a day and support a great cause!
Click here to learn more!

Read the Bible

The NET Bible®

Numbers 31:5

So a thousand from every tribe, twelve thousand armed for battle in all, were provided out of the thousands of Israel.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Torrey's Topical Textbook - Armies of Israel, the;   Desert, Journey of Israel through the;   Midianites;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Midianites;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Midian;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Gideon;   Midian;   Moab;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Arm;   Midian, Mtdianites;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Midian, Midianites ;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Shittim;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - On to Canaan;   Moses, the Man of God;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Hafṭarah;   Midian and Midianites;   Sidra;  

Parallel Translations

Hebrew Names Version
So there were delivered, out of the thousands of Yisra'el, a thousand of every tribe, twelve thousand armed for war.
King James Version
So there were delivered out of the thousands of Israel, a thousand of every tribe, twelve thousand armed for war.
Lexham English Bible
So theywere assigned from the thousands of Israel, a thousand from each tribe, twelve thousand equipped for battle.
English Standard Version
So there were provided, out of the thousands of Israel, a thousand from each tribe, twelve thousand armed for war.
New Century Version
So twelve thousand men got ready for war, a thousand men from each tribe.
Amplified Bible
So out of the thousands of Israel, a thousand from each tribe were selected, twelve thousand armed for war.
New American Standard Bible
So there were selected from the thousands of Israel, a thousand from each tribe, twelve thousand armed for war.
Geneva Bible (1587)
So there were taken out of the thousands of Israel, twelue thousande prepared vnto warre, of euery tribe a thousand.
Legacy Standard Bible
So there were furnished from the thousands of Israel, one thousand from each tribe, twelve thousand armed for war.
Contemporary English Version
Twelve thousand men were picked from the tribes of Israel, and after they were prepared for battle,
Complete Jewish Bible
So out of the thousands of people in Isra'el, a thousand armed men from each tribe, 12,000 altogether, were mustered for war.
Darby Translation
And there were levied out of the thousands of Israel, a thousand by tribe, twelve thousand armed for war.
Easy-to-Read Version
There will be a total of 12,000 soldiers from the tribes of Israel."
George Lamsa Translation
So there were selected out of the tribes of Israel a thousand men from each tribe, twelve thousand armed for war.
Good News Translation
So a thousand men were chosen from each tribe, a total of twelve thousand men ready for battle.
Christian Standard Bible®
So one thousand were recruited from each Israelite tribe out of the thousands in Israel—twelve thousand equipped for war.
Literal Translation
And a thousand for a tribe were given out of the thousands of Israel, twelve thousand armed ones of the army.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And from amonge the thousandes of Israel they toke one thousande out of euery tribe, euen twolue thousande prepared vnto the battayll.
American Standard Version
So there were delivered, out of the thousands of Israel, a thousand of every tribe, twelve thousand armed for war.
Bible in Basic English
So from the thousands of Israel a thousand were taken from every tribe, twelve thousand men armed for war.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And there were deliuered out of the thousandes of Israel, twelue thousand prepared vnto warre, of euery tribe a thousande.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
So there were delivered, out of the thousands of Israel, a thousand of every tribe, twelve thousand armed for war.
King James Version (1611)
So there were deliuered out of the thousands of Israel, a thousand of euery tribe, twelue thousand armed for warre.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And they numbered of the thousands of Israel a thousand of each tribe, twelve thousands; these were armed for war.
English Revised Version
So there were delivered, out of the thousands of Israel, a thousand of every tribe, twelve thousand armed for war.
Berean Standard Bible
So a thousand men were recruited from each tribe of Israel-twelve thousand armed for war.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And of ech lynage thei yauen a thousynde, that is twelue thousynde of men, redi to batel;
Young's Literal Translation
And there are given out of the thousands of Israel a thousand for a tribe, twelve thousand armed ones of the host;
Update Bible Version
So there were delivered, out of the thousands of Israel, a thousand of every tribe, twelve thousand armed for war.
Webster's Bible Translation
So there were delivered out of the thousands of Israel, a thousand of [every] tribe, twelve thousand armed for war.
World English Bible
So there were delivered, out of the thousands of Israel, a thousand of every tribe, twelve thousand armed for war.
New King James Version
So there were recruited from the divisions of Israel one thousand from each tribe, twelve thousand armed for war.
New Living Translation
So they chose 1,000 men from each tribe of Israel, a total of 12,000 men armed for battle.
New Life Bible
So 1,000 men came from each of the family groups of the thousands of Israel. There were 12,000 ready for war.
New Revised Standard
So out of the thousands of Israel, a thousand from each tribe were conscripted, twelve thousand armed for battle.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And there volunteered out of the thousands of Israel, a thousand of each tribe, - twelve thousand, armed for war.
Douay-Rheims Bible
And they gave a thousand of every tribe, that is to say, twelve thousand men well appointed for battle.
Revised Standard Version
So there were provided, out of the thousands of Israel, a thousand from each tribe, twelve thousand armed for war.
THE MESSAGE
A fighting force of a thousand from each tribe of Israel—twelve thousand in all—was recruited. Moses sent them off to war, a thousand from each tribe, and also Phinehas son of Eleazar, who went as priest to the army, in charge of holy vessels and the signaling bugles.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
So there were furnished from the thousands of Israel, a thousand from each tribe, twelve thousand armed for war.

Contextual Overview

1 The Lord spoke to Moses: 2 "Exact vengeance for the Israelites on the Midianites—after that you will be gathered to your people." 3 So Moses spoke to the people: "Arm men from among you for the war, to attack the Midianites and to execute the Lord 's vengeance on Midian. 4 You must send to the battle a thousand men from every tribe throughout all the tribes of Israel." 5 So a thousand from every tribe, twelve thousand armed for battle in all, were provided out of the thousands of Israel. 6 So Moses sent them to the war, one thousand from every tribe, with Phinehas son of Eleazar the priest, who was in charge of the holy articles and the signal trumpets.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Cross-References

Genesis 21:22
At that time Abimelech and Phicol, the commander of his army, said to Abraham, "God is with you in all that you do.
Genesis 31:2
When Jacob saw the look on Laban's face, he could tell his attitude toward him had changed.
Genesis 31:3
The Lord said to Jacob, "Return to the land of your fathers and to your relatives. I will be with you."
Genesis 31:13
I am the God of Bethel, where you anointed the sacred stone and made a vow to me. Now leave this land immediately and return to your native land.'"
Genesis 31:42
If the God of my father—the God of Abraham, the one whom Isaac fears—had not been with me, you would certainly have sent me away empty-handed! But God saw how I was oppressed and how hard I worked, and he rebuked you last night."
Genesis 31:53
May the God of Abraham and the god of Nahor, the gods of their father, judge between us." Jacob took an oath by the God whom his father Isaac feared.
Genesis 32:9
Then Jacob prayed, "O God of my father Abraham, God of my father Isaac, O Lord , you said to me, ‘Return to your land and to your relatives and I will make you prosper.'
Genesis 48:15
Then he blessed Joseph and said, "May the God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked— the God who has been my shepherd all my life long to this day,
Genesis 50:17
‘Tell Joseph this: Please forgive the sin of your brothers and the wrong they did when they treated you so badly.' Now please forgive the sin of the servants of the God of your father." When this message was reported to him, Joseph wept.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

So they were delivered out of the thousands of Israel,....] Several thousands very probably offered themselves voluntarily to go to the war, or however were summoned together on this account, and out of them the following number was delivered of picked and chosen men:

a thousand [of every] tribe, twelve thousand armed for war; which was but a small number to go against so considerable a nation and people; but this was done to show that the war was of the Lord, he would fight the battle, and give them victory, it being the same to him to do it with few as with many; and to encourage the people of Israel to believe the Lord would give them success against their many and powerful enemies in the land of Canaan, on the borders of which they now were.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Were delivered - Or, “were told off.”


 
adsfree-icon
Ads FreeProfile