New International Version
Numbers 31:18
18but save for yourselves every girl who has never slept with a man.
Numbers 31:18 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)But all the women children, that have not known a man by lying with him, keep alive for yourselves.
- English Standard Version (ESV)But all the young girls who have not known man by lying with him keep alive for yourselves.
- New King James Version (NKJV)But keep alive for yourselves all the young girls who have not known a man intimately.
- New Living Translation (NLT)Only the young girls who are virgins may live; you may keep them for yourselves.
Context of Numbers 31:18
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. 17Now kill all the boys. And kill every woman who has slept with a man, but save for yourselves every girl who has never slept with a man. 19“Anyone who has killed someone or touched someone who was killed must stay outside the camp seven days. On the third and seventh days you must purify yourselves and your captives. 20Purify every garment as well as everything made of leather, goat hair or wood.”
Read all of Numbers 31Numbers 31:18 word by word
וְכֹל֙ הַטַּ֣ף בַּנָּשִׁ֔ים אֲשֶׁ֥ר לֹא־יָדְע֖וּ מִשְׁכַּ֣ב זָכָ֑ר הַחֲי֖וּ לָכֶֽם׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
Cross-references for Numbers 31:18
- Numbers 21:10The Israelites moved on and camped at Oboth.
- Leviticus 25:44“ ‘Your male and female slaves are to come from the nations around you; from them you may buy slaves.
- Deuteronomy 20:14As for the women, the children, the livestock and everything else in the city, you may take these as plunder for yourselves. And you may use the plunder the Lord your God gives you from your enemies.
- Deuteronomy 21:10When you go to war against your enemies and the Lord your God delivers them into your hands and you take captives,
- 2 Chronicles 28:8The men of Israel took captive from their fellow Israelites who were from Judah two hundred thousand wives, sons and daughters. They also took a great deal of plunder, which they carried back to Samaria.
- Isaiah 14:2Nations will take them and bring them to their own place. And Israel will take possession of the nations and make them male and female servants in the Lord’s land. They will make captives of their captors and rule over their oppressors.
Commentaries on Numbers 31:18
- 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. 17-18Only young, virgin women were to be spared. They were allowed to live because they had not taken part in the 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 31:18
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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