New International Version
Numbers 31:16
16“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.
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.
- 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.
- New Living Translation (NLT)“These are the very ones who followed Balaam’s advice and caused the people of Israel to rebel against the Lord at Mount Peor. They are the ones who caused the plague to strike the Lord’s people.
Context of Numbers 31:16
14Moses was angry with the officers of the army—the commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds—who returned from the battle. 15“Have you allowed all the women to live?” he asked them. “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. 17Now kill all the boys. And kill every woman who has slept with a man, 18but save for yourselves every girl who has never slept with a man.
Read all of Numbers 31Numbers 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 24:14Now I am going back to my people, but come, let me warn you of what this people will do to your people in days to come.”
- Numbers 25:1While Israel was staying in Shittim, the men began to indulge in sexual immorality with Moabite women,
- Proverbs 23:27for an adulterous woman is a deep pit, and a wayward wife is a narrow well.
- Ecclesiastes 7:26I find more bitter than death the woman who is a snare, whose heart is a trap and whose hands are chains. The man who pleases God will escape her, but the sinner she will ensnare.
- 2 Peter 2:15They have left the straight way and wandered off to follow the way of Balaam son of Bezer, who loved the wages of wickedness.
- Revelation 2:14Nevertheless, I have a few things against you: There are some among you who hold to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to entice the Israelites to sin so that they ate food sacrificed to idols and committed sexual immorality.
- Numbers 25:18They treated you as enemies when they deceived you in the Peor incident involving their sister Kozbi, the daughter of a Midianite leader, the woman who was killed when the plague came as a result of that incident.”
- Deuteronomy 4:3You saw with your own eyes what the Lord did at Baal Peor. The Lord your God destroyed from among you everyone who followed the Baal of Peor,
- Joshua 22:17Was not the sin of Peor enough for us? Up to this very day we have not cleansed ourselves from that sin, even though a plague fell on the community of the Lord!
- Numbers 25:9but those 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
In the dictionaries
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
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