New Living Translation
Numbers 31:14
14But Moses was furious with all the generals and captains who had returned from the battle.
Numbers 31:14 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And Moses was wroth with the officers of the host, with the captains over thousands, and captains over hundreds, which came from the battle.
- New International Version (NIV)Moses was angry with the officers of the army—the commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds—who returned from the battle.
- English Standard Version (ESV)And Moses was angry with the officers of the army, the commanders of thousands and the commanders of hundreds, who had come from service in the war.
- New King James Version (NKJV)But Moses was angry with the officers of the army, with the captains over thousands and captains over hundreds, who had come from the battle.
Context of Numbers 31:14
12they brought them all to Moses and Eleazar the priest, and to the whole community of Israel, which was camped on the plains of Moab beside the Jordan River, across from Jericho. 13Moses, Eleazar the priest, and all the leaders of the community went to meet them outside the camp. But Moses was furious with all the generals and captains who had returned from the battle. 15“Why have you let all the women live?” he demanded. 16“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.
Read all of Numbers 31Numbers 31:14 word by word
וַיִּקְצֹ֣ף מֹשֶׁ֔ה עַ֖ל פְּקוּדֵ֣י הֶחָ֑יִל שָׂרֵ֤י הָאֲלָפִים֙ וְשָׂרֵ֣י הַמֵּא֔וֹת הַבָּאִ֖ים מִצְּבָ֥א הַמִּלְחָמָֽה׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And Mosesמֹשֶׁהmôsheh · MosesH4872
- was wrothקָצַףqâtsaph · be angryH7107
- with the officersפָּקַדpâqad · to reckon: overseerH6485
- of the hostחַ֫יִלchayil · armyH2428
- the captainsשַׂרώar · rulerH8269
- over thousandsאֶ֫לֶף'eleph · thousandH505
- over hundredsמֵאָהmê'âh mê'yâh · hundredH3967
- which cameבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): comeH935
- fromצָבָאtsâbâ' tsebâ'âh · army: dutyH6635
- the battleמִלְחָמָהmilchâmâh · battleH4421
Cross-references for Numbers 31:14
- Numbers 12:3(Now Moses was very humble—more humble than any other person on earth.)
- Exodus 32:19When they came near the camp, Moses saw the calf and the dancing, and he burned with anger. He threw the stone tablets to the ground, smashing them at the foot of the mountain.
- Leviticus 10:16Moses then asked them what had happened to the goat of the sin offering. When he discovered it had been burned up, he became very angry with Eleazar and Ithamar, Aaron’s remaining sons.
- 1 Samuel 15:13When Samuel finally found him, Saul greeted him cheerfully. “May the Lord bless you,” he said. “I have carried out the Lord’s command!”
- 1 Kings 20:42The prophet said to him, “This is what the Lord says: Because you have spared the man I said must be destroyed, now you must die in his place, and your people will die instead of his people.”
- 2 Kings 13:19But the man of God was angry with him. “You should have struck the ground five or six times!” he exclaimed. “Then you would have beaten Aram until it was entirely destroyed. Now you will be victorious only three times.”
- Ephesians 4:26And “don’t sin by letting anger control you.” Don’t let the sun go down while you are still angry,
Commentaries on Numbers 31:14
- 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 31:14
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
New Living Translation — © 1996, 2004, 2015 Tyndale House Foundation
Commentaries