John Calvin Commentary Numbers 31:48

"And the officers that were over the thousands of the host, the captains of thousands, and the captains of hundreds, came near unto Moses;" — Numbers 31:48 (ASV)

And the officers who were over the thousands. Here we have an example of remarkable gratitude: when the leaders of the army saw that none of their men were lost, they consecrated their spoils of gold and silver to the Lord. By offering the first-fruits, they had already sufficiently testified to their piety and obedience. Indeed, after they had faithfully complied with God’s command, nothing more could have been expected from them. Therefore, their liberality deserves all the more praise, as they obligated themselves with a new and extraordinary vow.

At the same time, Moses magnifies God’s special blessing in bringing every single one of them back safely from this great battle. Surely, since their spoils must have been taken from many villages, it was remarkable that at least a few of them had not been killed even as they moved from one place to another. Therefore, it was more manifest than ever that the war was so successfully concluded under the guidance of God, who had protected the 12,000 men.

Thus, the incredible goodness of God toward His people is celebrated here, as well as the pious declaration of the officers, when it is expressly stated that, after mustering their forces, they had found them all safe, so that there could be no doubt or question about the grace of God. Therefore, in acknowledgment of His wondrous power in preserving the soldiers, they offered as the price of their redemption whatever gold and silver they had taken among the spoils. Moses records the sum so that it may appear more clearly that, in performing this act of homage, it was no insignificant amount of gain that they forwent, for its amount was more than 10,500 livres of French money.²¹¹

But what becomes of the soldiers? While these vows are being paid for their safety, they quietly enjoy their plunder. For there is an implied comparison here, when Moses, after praising the centurions and tribunes, then adds the exception that the spoil which each man had taken was his own. It is indeed amazing that the soldiers, as if they had conquered by themselves and for themselves alone, should have been so ungrateful and base as not to imitate this laudable example. And truly, it often happens that the multitude indulges its baseness without shame, both because it is ignorant of what true nobility is and because the crowd conceals the disgrace. Meanwhile, those in office are reminded to take care that the higher the dignity may be to which they are called, the more eminent should their virtues be.

²¹¹ 16,750 shekels. C.’s calculations are, as far as I have observed, rarely accurate. The equivalent for the shekel in French money, which he professed to adopt, was somewhat more than 14 sous, or 14-20ths of the franc or livre. See calculations are, as far as I have observed, rarely accurate. The equivalent for the shekel in French money, which he professed to adopt, was somewhat more than 14 sous, or 14-20ths of the franc or livre. See ante, vol. 1, p. 483, and , and vol. 3, p 416