Numbers 31:15
13 And Moses, Eleazar the priest, and all the leaders of the congregation went to meet them outside the camp.
14 But Moses was angry with the officers of the army—the commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds—who were returning from the battle.
“Have you spared all the women?” he asked them.
16 “Look, these women caused the sons of Israel, through the counsel of Balaam, to turn unfaithfully against the LORD at Peor, so that the plague struck the congregation of the LORD.
17 So now, kill all the boys, as well as every woman who has had relations with a man,
Here the Bible tells a story about someone else. Ask yourself what it can say to us today. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.
Compare
- BSB
- “Have you spared all the women?” he asked them.
- KJV
- And Moses said unto them, Have ye saved all the women alive?
- WEB
- Moses said to them, “Have you saved all the women alive?
- ASV
- And Moses said unto them, Have ye saved all the women alive?
- DARBY
- and Moses said to them, Have ye saved all the women alive?
- BLB
- And Moses said to them, “Have you⁺ kept alive every female?
- ÅB
- Og Moses sa til dem: Har dere latt alle kvinner leve?
- OTB
- Han sa til dem: "Har dere spart alle kvinnene?
- B1930
- Og Moses sa til dem: Har I latt alle kvinner leve?
Study notes (Tyndale)
Original text and word study
Cross references
1 Samuel 15:3
Now go and attack the Amalekites and devote to destruction all that belongs to them. Do not spare them, but put to death men and women, children and infants, oxen and sheep, camels and donkeys.’”
Read in contextDeuteronomy 2:34
At that time we captured all his cities and devoted to destruction the people of every city, including women and children. We left no survivors.
Read in contextJeremiah 48:10
Cursed is the one who is remiss in doing the work of the LORD, and cursed is he who withholds his sword from bloodshed.
Read in contextPsalms 137:8–9
O Daughter of Babylon, doomed to destruction, blessed is he who repays you as you have done to us.
Read in contextJoshua 10:40
So Joshua conquered the whole region—the hill country, the Negev, the foothills, and the slopes, together with all their kings—leaving no survivors. He devoted to destruction everything that breathed, just as the LORD, the God of Israel, had commanded.
Read in contextEzekiel 9:6
Slaughter the old men, the young men and maidens, the women and children; but do not go near anyone who has the mark. Now begin at My sanctuary.” So they began with the elders who were before the temple.
Read in contextJoshua 11:14
The Israelites took for themselves all the plunder and livestock of these cities, but they put all the people to the sword until they had completely destroyed them, not sparing anyone who breathed.
Read in contextJoshua 8:25
A total of twelve thousand men and women fell that day—all the people of Ai.
Read in context