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 officers of the army, the commanders of the companies and battalions, who were returning from battle. 15“Why did you let all the women live?” he asked them. “Remember, they were the ones who followed Balaam’s advice and caused the Israelites to be unfaithful to the Lord in the incident that took place at Peor. The Lord’s community experienced a plague at that time. 17So kill all the Midianite boys and every Midianite woman who has gone to bed with a man. 18But save for yourselves every girl who has never gone to bed with a man.

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 24:14Even though I’m going back to my people, I’ll give you some advice. I’ll tell you what these people will do to your people in the days to come.”
• Numbers 25:1While Israel was staying at Shittim, the men began to have sex with Moabite women
• Proverbs 23:27A prostitute is a deep pit. A loose woman is a narrow well.
• Ecclesiastes 7:26I find that a woman whose thoughts are ⌞like⌟ traps and snares is more bitter than death itself. Even her hands are ⌞like⌟ chains. Whoever pleases God will escape her, but she will catch whoever continues to sin.
• 2 Peter 2:15These false teachers have left the straight path and wandered off to follow the path of Balaam, son of Beor. Balaam loved what his wrongdoing earned him.
• Revelation 2:14But I have a few things against you: You have among you those who follow what Balaam taught Balak. Balak trapped the people of Israel by ⌞encouraging⌟ them to eat food sacrificed to idols and to sin sexually.
• Numbers 25:18because they treated you as enemies. They plotted to trick you in the incident that took place at Peor. They used their sister Cozbi, daughter of a Midianite leader, who was killed on the day of the plague caused by the incident at Peor.”
• Deuteronomy 4:3With your own eyes you saw what the Lord did at Baal Peor. The Lord your God destroyed everyone among you who worshiped the god Baal while you were at Peor.
• Joshua 22:17Does the sin we committed at Peor mean nothing to us anymore? Didn’t we cleanse ourselves from it? Because of that sin there was a plague on the Lord’s congregation!
• Numbers 25:9However, 24,000 people died from that plague.

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