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

14Moses was angry with the leaders and the officers of the army who had come back from the battle against the Midianites. 15Moses said to them, ‘Why have you let all the women live? You should not have done that. These women caused the Israelites to turn against the Lord. They did what Balaam said to them at Peor. As a result, a bad disease killed many of the Lord's people. 17Because of that, kill all the boys, and kill every woman who has had sex with a man. 18But as for the girls who have not had sex with a man, you may keep them for yourselves.’

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 24:14So I will now return to my own people. But listen! Before I go, I will tell you what these Israelites will do to your people in the future.’
• Numbers 25:1The Israelites were staying in Shittim. The men began to have sex with the women from Moab.
• Proverbs 23:27Prostitutes are a dangerous trap for men. Women who are not faithful to their husbands can cause men to fall into danger, like a deep well.
• Ecclesiastes 7:26I learned this: Some women are like a trap that catches animals. Women like that are more dangerous than death. They may pretend to love you. They may hold you in their arms. But really their arms are like chains. They want to catch you, as hunters catch animals. Women like that will easily catch a man who has turned away from God. But a man who pleases God will escape from them.
• 2 Peter 2:15These false teachers have left the way which is good and right. Like Balaam, Beor's son, they have gone the wrong way. Balaam wanted money so much that he did wrong things to get it.
• Revelation 2:14But I have a few things to say against you. Some people among you agree with what Balaam taught long ago. He taught Balak to do a bad thing against God's people. Balak caused the Israelite people to do wrong things. As a result, they ate food that people had given to idols. They also had sex with people who were not their husbands or wives.
• Numbers 25:18They have deceived you and they have become your enemies. They took some of you to worship their god Peor. They used Cozbi to make you do a wrong thing, and she was the daughter of a Midianite leader. Phinehas killed her on the day when the bad disease killed many Israelites at Peor mountain.’
• Deuteronomy 4:3You saw for yourselves what the Lord your God did at Baal-Peor. He killed every person among you who worshipped Baal there.
• Joshua 22:17We did something very bad at Peor. Even now, we have not made it right. The Lord brought a bad disease to punish us as his people.
• Numbers 25:9But 24,000 people had already died as a result of the disease.

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