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

14But 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. “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. 17So kill all the boys and all the women who have had intercourse with a man. 18Only the young girls who are virgins may live; you may keep them for yourselves.

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 24:14Now I am returning to my own people. But first let me tell you what the Israelites will do to your people in the future.”
• Numbers 25:1While the Israelites were camped at Acacia Grove, some of the men defiled themselves by having sexual relations with local Moabite women.
• Proverbs 23:27A prostitute is a dangerous trap; a promiscuous woman is as dangerous as falling into a narrow well.
• Ecclesiastes 7:26I discovered that a seductive woman is a trap more bitter than death. Her passion is a snare, and her soft hands are chains. Those who are pleasing to God will escape her, but sinners will be caught in her snare.
• 2 Peter 2:15They have wandered off the right road and followed the footsteps of Balaam son of Beor, who loved to earn money by doing wrong.
• Revelation 2:14“But I have a few complaints against you. You tolerate some among you whose teaching is like that of Balaam, who showed Balak how to trip up the people of Israel. He taught them to sin by eating food offered to idols and by committing sexual sin.
• Numbers 25:18because they assaulted you with deceit and tricked you into worshiping Baal of Peor, and because of Cozbi, the daughter of a Midianite leader, who was killed at the time of the plague because of what happened at Peor.”
• Deuteronomy 4:3“You saw for yourself what the Lord did to you at Baal-peor. There the Lord your God destroyed everyone who had worshiped Baal, the god of Peor.
• Joshua 22:17Was our sin at Peor not enough? To this day we are not fully cleansed of it, even after the plague that struck the entire community of the Lord.
• Numbers 25:9but not before 24,000 people had died.

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