👉 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:
Explanation: Okay, let’s break down this passage from Numbers 31:26. It's a really important part of the Old Testament story of Joshua leading the Israelites into Canaan. Here’s what it means in simpler terms: Basically, it’s about accounting for all the animals and people they took during the battle to ensure they were fairly compensated. Here’s a breakdown of each part: “Take the sum of the prey that was taken…” – This means they need to count everything that was stolen or captured during the battle. Think of it as listing all the animals and people they took as plunder. “[both] of man and of beast…” – This is where it gets a little more specific. They’re counting both men (the Israelites) and animals – including horses, oxen, sheep, goats, etc. It's about total numbers. “…thou, and Eleazar the priest, and the chief fathers of the congregation:” - This is where it gets a little more complicated with a specific person named Eleazar (likely a high priest). It’s listing a group of important leaders and officials who were involved in the battle. “Thou” is a formal way of addressing them – meaning "you" – and “Eleazar the Priest” refers to a particular priest or leader. "The chief fathers of the congregation" means these are the most influential and respected men in the religious community, like elders and leaders. What was the purpose? The reason they were counting all this is that they had to pay compensation for the losses they suffered during the battle. It’s a way of ensuring fair distribution of spoils and preventing any potential disputes or accusations. In short, it's a record of how much loot they collected from the enemy – a crucial detail in the story of Joshua’s victory. --- Do you want me to: Explain another verse? Give you a little more context about this passage?
