Numbers 31:31

And Moses and Eleazar the priest took the gold of them,.... For it seems the several things before mentioned were all of gold:

even all wrought jewels; or "vessels of work" (h) or wrought vessels, or instruments, "chains, bracelets", &c. which were all of gold, and curiously wrought.

(h) "vas operis", Montanus.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

The booty, viz., "the rest of the booty, which the men of war had taken," i.e., all the persons taken prisoners that had not been put to death, and all the cattle taken as booty that had not been consumed during the march home, amounted to 675,000 head of small cattle, 72,000 oxen, 61,000 asses, and 32,000 maidens. Each half, therefore, consisted of 337,500 head of small cattle, 36,000 oxen, 30,500 asses, and 16,000 maidens (Num 31:36 and Num 31:43-46). Of the one half the priests received 675 head of small cattle, 72 oxen, 61 asses, and 32 maidens for Jehovah; and these Moses handed over to Eleazar, in all probability for the maintenance of the priests, in the same manner as the tithes (Num 18:26-28, and Lev 27:30-33), so that they might put the cattle into their own flocks (Num 35:3), and slay oxen or sheep as they required them, whilst they sold the asses, and made slaves of the gifts; and not in the character of a vow, in which case the clean animals would have had to be sacrificed, and the unclean animals, as well as the human beings, to be redeemed (Lev 27:2-13). Of the other half, the Levites received the fiftieth part (Num 31:43-47), that is to say, 6750 head of small cattle, 720 oxen, 610 asses, and 320 girls. The וגו מחצית ("the half," etc.), in Num 31:42, is resumed in Num 31:47, and the enumeration of the component parts of this half in Num 31:43-46 is to be regarded as parenthetical.

Keil & Delitzsch — Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament (1861–1891) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API. (Old Testament only.)

AND MOSES AND ELEAZAR THE PRIEST DID AS THE ETERNAL COMMANDED MOSES. The reason why it does not mention the princes [i.e., the heads of the fathers’ houses of the congregation, although in Verse 26 it said that they were to be present at the counting and division of the spoils] is because it is self-understood that they did as Moses commanded them, since he was their ruler, although in the matter of counting the people it does say, These are those that were numbered, which Moses and Aaron numbered, ‘and the princes of Israel.” Perhaps the reason [for not using such an expression] here is that G-d commanded that [the heads of] the fathers’ houses of the congregation should be present [at the counting and distributing of the spoils] because it involved monetary matters, so that the people would not suspect Eleazar of taking for himself more than he was entitled to; therefore this commandment [to include the heads of the congregation] was an optional matter [for their benefit], and they said: “Far be it from us! For he [Eleazar] is the messenger of the Eternal, and there is no need for us to be there.”

Ramban (Nachmanides) on the Tanakh — English translation: “Commentary on the Torah by Ramban (Nachmanides). Translated and annotated by Charles B. Chavel. New York, Shilo Pub. House, 1971-1976” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.