New International Version
Numbers 31:7
7They fought against Midian, as the Lord commanded Moses, and killed every man.
Numbers 31:7 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And they warred against the Midianites, as the Lord commanded Moses; and they slew all the males.
- English Standard Version (ESV)They warred against Midian, as the Lord commanded Moses, and killed every male.
- New King James Version (NKJV)And they warred against the Midianites, just as the Lord commanded Moses, and they killed all the males.
- New Living Translation (NLT)They attacked Midian as the Lord had commanded Moses, and they killed all the men.
Context of Numbers 31:7
5So twelve thousand men armed for battle, a thousand from each tribe, were supplied from the clans of Israel. 6Moses sent them into battle, a thousand from each tribe, along with Phinehas son of Eleazar, the priest, who took with him articles from the sanctuary and the trumpets for signaling. They fought against Midian, as the Lord commanded Moses, and killed every man. 8Among their victims were Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur and Reba—the five kings of Midian. They also killed Balaam son of Beor with the sword. 9The Israelites captured the Midianite women and children and took all the Midianite herds, flocks and goods as plunder.
Read all of Numbers 31Numbers 31:7 word by word
וַֽיִּצְבְּאוּ֙ עַל־מִדְיָ֔ן כַּאֲשֶׁ֛ר צִוָּ֥ה יְהוָ֖ה אֶת־מֹשֶׁ֑ה וַיַּֽהַרְג֖וּ כָּל־זָכָֽר׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
Cross-references for Numbers 31:7
- Deuteronomy 20:13When the Lord your God delivers it into your hand, put to the sword all the men in it.
- Judges 21:11“This is what you are to do,” they said. “Kill every male and every woman who is not a virgin.”
- 1 Samuel 27:9Whenever David attacked an area, he did not leave a man or woman alive, but took sheep and cattle, donkeys and camels, and clothes. Then he returned to Achish.
- 1 Kings 11:15Earlier when David was fighting with Edom, Joab the commander of the army, who had gone up to bury the dead, had struck down all the men in Edom.
- Judges 6:1The Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord, and for seven years he gave them into the hands of the Midianites.
Commentaries on Numbers 31:7
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 7-12Verses 7-12 The Israelites slew the Kings of Midian. They slew Balaam. God's overruling providence brought him thither, and their just vengeance found him. Had he himself rightly believed what he had said of the happy state of Israel, he would not have thus herded with the enemies of Israel. The Midianites' wicked wiles were Balaam's projects: it was just that he should perish with them, Ho 4:5. They took the women and children captives. They burnt their…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 7The Israelites killed all of the Midianite men in the particular groups they attacked from their camp in the plains of Moab (31:12). They did not destroy all the Midianites who were part of the larger Midianite alliance (compare Judges 6–8). The number of animals and virgins mentioned in Numbers 31:32–35 shows that the 12,000 Hebrews fought a large enemy army.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 77. they slew all the males--This was in accordance with a divine order in all such cases (De 20:13). But the destruction appears to have been only partial--limited to those who were in the neighborhood of the Hebrew camp and who had been accomplices in the villainous plot of Baal-peor (Nu 25:1-3), while a large portion of the Midianites were absent on their pastoral wanderings or had saved themselves by flight. (Compare Jud 6:1).Read the comment
Topics related to Numbers 31:7
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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