48 Then the men in authority over the thousands of the army, the captains of thousands and captains of hundreds, came to Moses, 49 And said to him, Your servants have taken note of the number of all the fighting-men under our orders, and every one is present; 50 And we have here an offering for the Lord from what every man took in the war, ornaments of gold, leg-chains and arm-rings, finger-rings, ear-rings, and neck-ornaments, to make our souls free from sin before the Lord. 51 So Moses and Eleazar the priest took the gold from them, even all the worked ornaments. 52 And the gold which the captains of thousands and captains of hundreds gave, as an offering to be lifted up before the Lord, came to sixteen thousand, seven hundred and fifty shekels. 53 (For every man of the army had taken goods for himself in the war.) 54 Then Moses and Eleazar the priest took the gold given by the captains of thousands and captains of hundreds, and took it into the Tent of meeting, to be a sign in memory of the children of Israel before the Lord.
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Numbers 31:48-54
Commentary on Numbers 31:48-54
(Read Numbers 31:48-54)
The success of the Israelites had been very remarkable, so small a company overcoming such multitudes, but it was still more wonderful that not one was slain or missing. They presented the gold they found among the spoils, as an offering to the Lord. Thus they confessed, that instead of claiming a reward for their service, they needed forgiveness of much that had been amiss, and desired to be thankful for the preservation of their lives, which might justly have been taken away.