Numbers 31:16

Numbers 31:16 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)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.
• New International Version (NIV)“They were the ones who followed Balaam’s advice and enticed the Israelites to be unfaithful to the Lord in the Peor incident, so that a plague struck the Lord’s people.
• English Standard Version (ESV)Behold, these, on Balaam's advice, caused the people of Israel to act treacherously against the Lord in the incident of Peor, and so the plague came among the congregation of the Lord.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Look, these women caused the children of Israel, through the counsel of Balaam, to trespass against the Lord in the incident of Peor, and there was a plague among the congregation of the Lord.

Context of Numbers 31:16

14But Moses was angry with the officers of the army, the commanders of thousands and of hundreds, who served in the war. 15And Moses said to them, “Have you let all the women live? Look, these [are the women who] caused the Israelites, by the counsel of Balaam, to trespass against the Lord in the matter of Peor, and so a plague came among the congregation of the Lord. 17Now therefore, kill every male among the children, and kill every woman who is not a virgin. 18But all the young girls who have not known a man intimately, keep alive for yourselves [to marry].

Numbers 31:16 word by word

הֵ֣ן הֵ֜נָּה הָי֨וּ לִבְנֵ֤י יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ בִּדְבַ֣ר בִּלְעָ֔ם לִמְסָר־מַ֥עַל בַּיהוָ֖ה עַל־דְּבַר־פְּע֑וֹר וַתְּהִ֥י הַמַּגֵּפָ֖ה בַּעֲדַ֥ת יְהוָֽה׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Behold, theseהֵנָּהhênnâh · they(fem.)H2007
• causedהָיָהhâyâh · to beH1961
• the childrenבֵּןbên · son: descendant/peopleH1121
• of Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלyiώrâ'êl · IsraelH3478
• through the counselדָּבָרdâbâr · wordH1697
• of Balaamבִּלְעָםbil‛âm · BalaamH1109
• to commitמָסַרmâsar · to commitH4560
• trespassמַ֫עַלma‛al · unfaithfulnessH4604
• against the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
• in the matterדָּבָרdâbâr · word: thingH1697
• of Peorפְּעוֹרpe‛ôr · PeorH6465
• and there was a plagueמַגֵּפָהmaggêphâh · plagueH4046
• among the congregationעֵדָה‛êdâh · congregationH5712

Cross-references for Numbers 31:16

• Numbers 24:14And now, look, I am going to my people; come, I will advise you as to what this people [Israel] will do to your people [Moab] in the days to come.”
• Numbers 25:1Israel settled and remained in Shittim, and the people began to play the prostitute with the women of Moab [by being unfaithful to God].
• Proverbs 23:27For a prostitute is a deep pit, And an immoral woman is a narrow well.
• Ecclesiastes 7:26And I discovered that [of all irrational sins none has been so destructive in beguiling one away from God as immoral women for] more bitter than death is the woman whose heart is [composed of] snares and nets, and whose hands are chains. Whoever pleases God will escape from her, but the sinner will be taken captive by her [evil].
• 2 Peter 2:15Abandoning the straight road [that is, the right way to live], they have gone astray; they have followed the way of [the false teacher] Balaam the son of Beor, who loved the reward of wickedness;
• Revelation 2:14But I have a few things against you, because you have there some [among you] who are holding to the [corrupt] teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, [enticing them] to eat things that had been sacrificed to idols and to commit [acts of sexual] immorality.
• Numbers 25:18for they harass you with their tricks, the tricks with which they have deceived you in the matter [of the Baal] of Peor, and in the matter of Cozbi, the daughter of the leader of Midian, their sister, who was killed on the day of the plague because [of the Baal] of Peor.”
• Deuteronomy 4:3Your eyes have seen what the Lord did at Baal-peor; for all the men who followed [and participated in the worship of] Baal of Peor, the Lord your God destroyed them from among you,
• Joshua 22:17Is the wrongdoing (idolatry) of Peor not enough for us, from which we have not cleansed ourselves to this day, even though the affliction [in which twenty-four thousand died] came on the congregation of the Lord,
• Numbers 25:9Nevertheless, those [Israelites] who died in the plague numbered 24,000.

Commentaries on Numbers 31:16

• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 16Caused … to commit trespass - More literally, “became to the children of Israel for a cause (or, incitement) of treachery to the Lord.”Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 13-18Verses 13-18 The sword of war should spare women and children; but the sword of justice should know no distinction, but that of guilty or not guilty. This war was the execution of a righteous sentence upon a guilty nation, in which the women were the worst criminals. The female children were spared, who, being brought up among the Israelites, would not tempt them to idolatry. The whole history shows the hatefulness of sin, and the guilt of tempting…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 14-16Moses was angry: God had commanded the Israelites to destroy everything. But the Midianite women who had followed Balaam’s advice were allowed to live. These women had played a major role in leading Israel into sin at Baal Peor.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 14-1814-18. 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…Read the comment

Topics related to Numbers 31:16

• Balaam
• Captive
• Sanitation
• War
• Women

In the dictionaries

• Balaam
• Israel
• Peor
• Israel, Israelites
• Jacob, Israel
• Peor, Mount Peor, Baal Peor
• Children of Israel
• Baalpeor
• Prey
• Purify

Commentaries on Numbers 31

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings