Moses was angry with the officers of the army, the captains of thousands and the captains of hundreds, who came from the service of the war. Moses said to them, “Have you saved all the women alive? Behold, these caused the children of Israel, through the counsel of Balaam, to commit trespass against Yahweh in the matter of Peor, and so the plague was among the congregation of Yahweh. Now therefore kill every male among the little ones, and kill every woman who has known man by lying with him. But all the girls, who have not known man by lying with him, keep alive for yourselves.
Show the surrounding paragraph
Numbers 31:14-18 sits inside this longer paragraph.
Moses spoke to the people, saying, “Arm men from among you for war, that they may go against Midian, to execute Yahweh’s vengeance on Midian. You shall send one thousand out of every tribe, throughout all the tribes of Israel, to the war.” So there were delivered, out of the thousands of Israel, a thousand from every tribe, twelve thousand armed for war. Moses sent them, one thousand of every tribe, to the war with Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest, to the war, with the vessels of the sanctuary and the trumpets for the alarm in his hand. They fought against Midian, as Yahweh commanded Moses. They killed every male. They killed the kings of Midian with the rest of their slain: Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur, and Reba, the five kings of Midian. They also killed Balaam the son of Beor with the sword. The children of Israel took the women of Midian captive with their little ones; and all their livestock, all their flocks, and all their goods, they took as plunder. All their cities in the places in which they lived, and all their encampments, they burned with fire. They took all the captives, and all the plunder, both of man and of animal. They brought the captives with the prey and the plunder, to Moses, and to Eleazar the priest, and to the congregation of the children of Israel, to the camp at the plains of Moab, which are by the Jordan at Jericho. Moses and Eleazar the priest, with all the princes of the congregation, went out to meet them outside of the camp. Moses was angry with the officers of the army, the captains of thousands and the captains of hundreds, who came from the service of the war. Moses said to them, “Have you saved all the women alive? Behold, these caused the children of Israel, through the counsel of Balaam, to commit trespass against Yahweh in the matter of Peor, and so the plague was among the congregation of Yahweh. Now therefore kill every male among the little ones, and kill every woman who has known man by lying with him. But all the girls, who have not known man by lying with him, keep alive for yourselves.
Parallel Translations
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Moses was angry with the officers of the army, the captains of thousands and the captains of hundreds, who came from the service of the war.
Moses said to them, “Have you saved all the women alive?
Behold, these caused the children of Israel, through the counsel of Balaam, to commit trespass against Yahweh in the matter of Peor, and so the plague was among the congregation of Yahweh.
Now therefore kill every male among the little ones, and kill every woman who has known man by lying with him.
But all the girls, who have not known man by lying with him, keep alive for yourselves.
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And Moses was wroth with the officers of the host, with the captains over thousands, and captains over hundreds, which came from the battle.
And Moses said unto them, Have ye saved all the women alive?
Behold, these caused the children of Israel, through the counsel of Balaam, to commit trespass against the LORD in the matter of Peor, and there was a plague among the congregation of the LORD.
Now therefore kill every male among the little ones, and kill every woman that hath known man by lying with him.
But all the women children, that have not known a man by lying with him, keep alive for yourselves.
Show all 3 translations
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And Moses was wroth with the officers of the host, the captains of thousands and the captains of hundreds, who came from the service of the war.
And Moses said unto them: 'Have ye saved all the women alive?
Behold, these caused the children of Israel, through the counsel of Balaam, to revolt so as to break faith with the LORD in the matter of Peor, and so the plague was among the congregation of the LORD.
Now therefore kill every male among the little ones, and kill every woman that hath known man by lying with him.
But all the women children, that have not known man by lying with him, keep alive for yourselves.
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Contradictions (2)
Questions where the Bible appears to say two different things, with the passages on each side set together.
Cross-references (37)
- Numbers 25:1-9 (v16) Israel stayed in Shittim; and the people began to play the prostitute with the daughters of Moab; for they called the people to the…
- 2 Peter 2:15 (v16) forsaking the right way, they went astray, having followed the way of Balaam the son of Beor, who loved the wages of wrongdoing;
- Revelation 2:14 (v16) But I have a few things against you, because you have there some who hold the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to throw a stumbling…
- Deuteronomy 4:3 (v16) Your eyes have seen what Yahweh did because of Baal Peor; for Yahweh your God has destroyed all the men who followed Baal Peor from among…
- Joshua 22:17 (v16) Is the iniquity of Peor too little for us, from which we have not cleansed ourselves to this day, although there came a plague on the…
Show all 36 cross-references
- Numbers 24:14 (v16) Now, behold, I go to my people. Come, I will inform you what this people shall do to your people in the latter days.”
- Deuteronomy 21:10-14 (v18) When you go out to battle against your enemies, and Yahweh your God delivers them into your hands and you carry them away captive, and see…
- 1 Samuel 15:3 (v15) Now go and strike Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and don’t spare them; but kill both man and woman, infant and nursing…
- Deuteronomy 20:16-18 (vv15, 17) But of the cities of these peoples that Yahweh your God gives you for an inheritance, you shall save alive nothing that breathes; but you…
- Leviticus 25:44 (v18) “ ‘As for your male and your female slaves, whom you may have from the nations that are around you, from them you may buy male and female…
- Numbers 25:18 (v16) for they harassed you with their wiles, wherein they have deceived you in the matter of Peor, and in the incident regarding Cozbi, the…
- Deuteronomy 2:34 (v15) We took all his cities at that time, and utterly destroyed every inhabited city, with the women and the little ones. We left no one…
- Deuteronomy 7:2 (v17) and when Yahweh your God delivers them up before you, and you strike them, then you shall utterly destroy them. You shall make no covenant…
- Deuteronomy 20:14 (v18) but the women, the little ones, the livestock, and all that is in the city, even all its plunder, you shall take for plunder for yourself.…
- Judges 21:11-12 (v17) This is the thing that you shall do: you shall utterly destroy every male, and every woman who has lain with a man.” They found among the…
- 2 Chronicles 28:8-10 (v18) The children of Israel carried away captive of their brothers two hundred thousand women, sons, and daughters, and also took away much…
- Proverbs 23:27 (v16) For a prostitute is a deep pit; and a wayward wife is a narrow well.
- Jeremiah 48:10 (v15) “Cursed is he who does the work of Yahweh negligently; and cursed is he who keeps back his sword from blood.
- Exodus 32:19 (v14) As soon as he came near to the camp, he saw the calf and the dancing. Then Moses’ anger grew hot, and he threw the tablets out of his…
- Exodus 32:22 (v14) Aaron said, “Don’t let the anger of my lord grow hot. You know the people, that they are set on evil.
- Leviticus 10:16 (v14) Moses diligently inquired about the goat of the sin offering, and, behold, it was burned. He was angry with Eleazar and with Ithamar, the…
- Numbers 12:3 (v14) Now the man Moses was very humble, more than all the men who were on the surface of the earth.
- Numbers 31:48 (v14) The officers who were over the thousands of the army, the captains of thousands, and the captains of hundreds, came near to Moses.
- Deuteronomy 20:13 (v15) When Yahweh your God delivers it into your hand, you shall strike every male of it with the edge of the sword;
- Joshua 6:21 (v15) They utterly destroyed all that was in the city, both man and woman, both young and old, and ox, sheep, and donkey, with the edge of the…
- Joshua 8:25 (v15) All that fell that day, both of men and women, were twelve thousand, even all the people of Ai.
- Joshua 10:40 (v15) So Joshua struck all the land, the hill country, the South, the lowland, the slopes, and all their kings. He left no one remaining, but he…
- Joshua 11:14 (v15) The children of Israel took all the plunder of these cities, with the livestock, as plunder for themselves; but every man they struck with…
- 1 Samuel 15:13-14 (v14) Samuel came to Saul; and Saul said to him, “You are blessed by Yahweh! I have performed the commandment of Yahweh.” Samuel said, “Then what…
- 1 Kings 20:42 (v14) He said to him, “Yahweh says, ‘Because you have let go out of your hand the man whom I had devoted to destruction, therefore your life will…
- 2 Kings 13:19 (v14) The man of God was angry with him, and said, “You should have struck five or six times. Then you would have struck Syria until you had…
- Psalms 137:8-9 (v15) Daughter of Babylon, doomed to destruction, he will be happy who repays you, as you have done to us. Happy shall he be, who takes and…
- Ecclesiastes 7:26 (v16) I find more bitter than death the woman whose heart is snares and traps, whose hands are chains. Whoever pleases God shall escape from her;…
- Isaiah 14:2 (v18) The peoples will take them, and bring them to their place. The house of Israel will possess them in Yahweh’s land for servants and for…
- Ezekiel 9:6 (v15) Kill utterly the old man, the young man, the virgin, little children and women; but don’t come near any man on whom is the mark. Begin at…
- Ephesians 4:26 (v14) “Be angry, and don’t sin.” Don’t let the sun go down on your wrath,
36 distinct cross-references across this passage (37 total citations).
Cross-references from openbible.info (CC BY 4.0)
Explain this passage (17 sources)
Historical commentary, presented as a primary source — not an endorsement.
Private notes
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Geneva Bible translators 1599 · Public Domain On vv15–17 As though he said, ye ought to have spared…
As though he said, ye ought to have spared none.
Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain.
John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain On vv14, 15, 18 Num 31:14 And Moses was wroth with the officers…
Num 31:14 And Moses was wroth with the officers of the host, [with] the captains over thousands, and captains over hundreds, which came from the battle.
Ver. 14. And Moses was wroth.] For all the joy he could not but be zealous for the Lord of hosts, when he saw the train. Zeal is the cream of all the affections.
John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Matthew Poole 1685 · Public Domain On vv14, 17, 18 Because they had spared those who were most criminal,…
Because they had spared those who were most criminal, and who by the law of God and of nature were worthy of death.
Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
John Gill 1763 · Public Domain On vv14–18 And Moses said unto them, have ye saved all…
And Moses said unto them, have ye saved all the women alive? Which either had been reported to him, or he concluded, by seeing so many with them; and this question is put, not for information, but by way of reproof, and as chiding them for what they had done; for they might have received orders from him to put them to death, when he sent them out; and if so, there was the more reason to be angry with them; or he might conclude they would have done this of themselves, knowing what instruments of mischief these women had been to Israel.
And Moses said unto them, have ye saved all the women alive? Which either had been reported to him, or he concluded, by seeing so many with them; and this question is put, not for information, but by way of reproof, and as chiding them for what they had done; for they might have received orders from him to put them to death, when he sent them out; and if so, there was the more reason to be angry with them; or he might conclude they would have done this of themselves, knowing what instruments of mischief these women had been to Israel.
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Numbers 31:16
num 31:16
num 31:16
num 31:16Behold, these caused the children of Israel, through the counsel of Balaam,.... Who advised the Midianites to send their women into the camp of Israel, and allure them to uncleanness, and so draw them into idolatry, which counsel they followed and it succeeded; for, by this means, they were brought
to commit trespass against the Lord in the matter of Peor; by worshipping Baalpeor, the god of the Moabites and Midianites; whereby they transgressed the commandment of God, which forbid them having and worshipping any other gods besides him, and is a sin highly offensive to him, being greatly derogatory to his honour and glory:
and there was a plague among the congregation of the Lord; for that sin; and in that plague died 24,000 persons, Num 25:9.
John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
John Wesley 1765 · Public Domain On v17 The little ones - Which they were forbidden to…
The little ones - Which they were forbidden to do to other people, Deut. xx, 14, except the Canaanites, to whom this people had equaled themselves by their horrid crimes, and therefore it is not strange, nor unjust, that God, the supreme Lord of all mens lives, who as he gives them, so may take them away when he pleaseth, did equal them in the punishment. Every woman -Partly for punishment, because the guilt was general, and though some of them only did prostitute themselves to the Israelites, yet the rest made themselves accessary by their consent or approbation; and partly, for prevention of the like mischief from such an adulterous generation.
John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.
Adam Clarke 1810 · Public Domain On v17 Verse 17. Kill every male among the little ones]…
Verse 17. Kill every male among the little ones] For this action I account simply on the principle that God, who is the author and supporter of life, has a right to dispose of it when and how he thinks proper; and the Judge of all the earth can do nothing but what is right. Of the women killed on this occasion it may be safely said, their lives were forfeited by their personal transgressions; and yet even in this case there can be little doubt that God showed mercy to their souls. The little ones were safely lodged; they were taken to heaven and saved from the evil to come.
Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Joseph Benson 1811 · Public Domain On vv16–17 Num 31:16. Through the counsel of Balaam — Since…
Num 31:16. Through the counsel of Balaam — Since the Moabites and their associates were taught by Balaam to acknowledge Jehovah to be a very powerful deity, even superior to the gods of other nations, (Num 23:19; Num 24:16,) is it not strange that they should have been induced, by Balaam’s persuasion, rather to entice the Israelites to their idolatry, than with them to embrace the worship of the true God? But the case appears to be that those idolaters considered the God of the Hebrews, not as the supreme God of the universe, but as a mere local deity, who might indeed be superior to other gods, but still was but the tutelary god of the Jews. Now with respect to those tutelary deities, their opinion was, that they required a certain form and manner of worship from their own people, which neglected, they incurred their grievous displeasure. Thus, as the Moabites and their confederates were under a persuasion that they could bring anger upon Israel from Jehovah, by seducing them from his instituted worship, so they might think themselves no less liable to the resentment of Chemosh, Peor, or some other of their own gods, had they adopted the Jewish modes and object of worship, and abandoned their own.
Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Albert Barnes 1834 · Public Domain On v16 Caused ... to commit trespass - More literally, “became…
Caused ... to commit trespass - More literally, “became to the children of Israel for a cause (or, incitement) of treachery to the Lord.”
Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary 1859 · Public Domain On vv15–17 Women. They had received no positive orders respecting them,…
Women. They had received no positive orders respecting them, and it was customary to spare their lives. But these dissolute women had rendered themselves unworthy of such indulgence, (Calmet) and the sight of them raised the just indignation of Moses, who was afraid lest their manners should corrupt the victors. (Haydock)
George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown 1871 · Public Domain On v14 And Moses was wroth with the officers of the…
And Moses was wroth with the officers of the host--The displeasure of the great leader, though it appears the ebullition of a fierce and sanguinary temper, arose in reality from a pious and enlightened regard to the best interests of Israel. No order had been given for the slaughter of the women, and in ancient war they were commonly reserved for slaves. By their antecedent conduct, however, the Midianitish women had forfeited all claims to mild or merciful treatment; and the sacred character, the avowed object of the war (Num 31:2-3), made their slaughter necessary without any special order. But why "kill every male among the little ones"? It was designed to be a war of extermination, such as God Himself had ordered against the people of Canaan, whom the Midianites equalled in the enormity of their wickedness.
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
Daniel D. Whedon 1874 · Public Domain On vv14–17 14. Moses was wroth — The meekest man on…
14. Moses was wroth — The meekest man on earth was, (Num_12:3, note,) under personal abuse, often angry in the interest of justice. The more Godlike a man is, the more capable he is of indignation against sin. Plato compares the man who is not angry against injustice to one who has a withered muscle. Mar_3:5, note.
Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges 1878 · Public Domain On vv15–16 15–18. Commands to complete the destruction of the enemy.…
15–18. Commands to complete the destruction of the enemy. All male children and all women who are not virgins are to be killed in cold blood. This cruel command ascribed to Moses dates from an age when the Jews were approaching their narrowest and hardest state of exclusiveness, when piety consisted in rigid separateness from everything foreign. It need cause no difficulty to Christians who have received the command ‘Love your enemies.’
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers 1878 · Public Domain On vv15, 18 (15) Have ye saved all the women alive?—It was…
(15) Have ye saved all the women alive?—It was the women, as is expressed in the following verse, who had been the cause, at the instigation of Balaam, of the apostacy of the Israelites; and consequently the command to “avenge the Lord of Midiani” implied the punishment of those who had been the instruments employed in the seduction of the Israelites.
A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Pulpit Commentary 1880 · Public Domain On vv14, 16, 18 Officers of the host. Literally, "inspectors." Septuagint, toiv episkopoiv…
Officers of the host. Literally, "inspectors." Septuagint, toiv episkopoiv thv dunamewv .
The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Biblical Illustrator 1887 · Public Domain On v16 The counsel of Balaam.
Num_31:16
The counsel of Balaam.
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The counsel of Balaam
It would seem, then, that this people that was to dwell alone and not be reckoned among the nations had not dwelt alone; and that one man, at least, of the people in whom God had not beheld iniquity nor seen perverseness, had been guilty of the most flagrant iniquity and perverseness. For not only had he, an Israelitish prince, brought the daughter of a Midianitish prince unto his brethren--which was in itself an unlawful act--but he had done this openly and shamelessly, in the sight of Moses, and in the sight of all the congregation of Israel (Num_25:6). But how came it to pass that these Moabites and Midianites, who, only yesterday as it were, displayed such relentless hostility to Israel, should, to-day, be upon such friendly terms with them? How was it that, whereas but yesterday--so to speak--the king of Moab sent princes of Moab and Midian to Balaam, the son of Beor to Pethor in Mesopotamia, entreating him to come and curse the Israelites--sparing nothing to secure this end--these hostile princes are now giving their daughters to the Israelites in the most intimate companionship? Surely there must be some treachery in this proceeding! And so it seemed there was. Balaam, after his repulse by Balak, had fled, not to his own land, but to Midian, the confederate of Moab; and, not daring to curse the people himself, had suggested to the Midianites a method of leading them into iniquity, as a means of bringing a curse on them from God. And this new scheme had propitiated Balak, who had been so fiercely enraged against Balaam, and who now consulted (Mic_6:5) with Balaam; who counselled (Num_31:16) this expedient of mischief. So the matter came out upon the death of Balaam, and so is it explained in my text.
1. Balaam plainly committed this crime with his eyes open to the wrong be was doing. Out of his own mouth we may judge him. In a moment of prophetic inspiration he protested to Balak that his eyes were open; that he had heard the words of God, and knew the knowledge of the Most High. Balaams sin, then, was committed knowingly, consciously, wilfully. He was not overtaken in a fault. He set himself to do wickedly.
2. And he was influenced to take this course by the meanest of motives. He loved the wages of unrighteousness.
3. And if anything could have aggravated the meanness of the motive that influenced Balaam in betraying Israel, it was the baseness of the method he adopted to accomplish that design. God had revealed to him, in prophetic insight, the secret of Israels greatness and strength. And Balaam used the very inspiration which God gave him to injure, fatally, Gods own chosen people. And the cowardice of his procedure was in keeping with its baseness. He would not touch Israel himself. He dare not utter a word against them; but be could whisper suggestions of evil into the ears of others, that they might execute the diabolical design. (W. Roberts.)
Balaams devilish policy
This policy was fetched from the bottom of hell. It is not for lack of desire that I curse not Israel; thou dost not more wish their destruction, than I do thy wealth and honour; but so long as they hold firm with God, there is no sorcery against Jacob: withdraw God from them, and they shall fall alone, and curse themselves; draw them into sin, and thou shalt withdraw God from them. There is no sin more plausible than wantonness. One fornication shall draw in another, and both shall fetch the anger of God after them; their sight shall draw them to lust, their lust to folly, their folly to idolatry; and now God shall curse them for thee unasked. Where Balaam did speak well, there was never any prophet spake more divinely; where he spake ill, there was never any devil spake more desperately. Ill counsel seldom succeedeth not; good seed often falls out of the way, and roots not; but the tares never light amiss. This project of the wicked magician was too prosperous. (Bp. Hall.)
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The Biblical Illustrator, edited by Joseph S. Exell (c. 1880s–1900s) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
unfoldingWord translationNotes 2017 · CC BY-SA 4.0 On vv16, 18 This word is used here to draw the audience's…
Look
This word is used here to draw the audience's attention to what is said next. AT: "Listen" (See: Idiom)
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slept with a man
had sexual relations with a man (See: Euphemism)
translationWords
Balaam
sin
Yahweh
Peor
plague
had relations with
unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.
Tyndale Open Study Notes 2022 · CC BY-SA 4.0 On vv14, 17 31:14-16 Moses was furious: God had commanded total destruction,…
31:14-16 Moses was furious: God had commanded total destruction, but the Midianite women who had followed Balaam’s advice and were largely responsible for the apostasy of Baal-peor had wrongly been given clemency.
Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.