Numbers 31:7
New International Version
They fought against Midian, as the LORD commanded Moses, and killed every man.

New Living Translation
They attacked Midian as the LORD had commanded Moses, and they killed all the men.

English Standard Version
They warred against Midian, as the LORD commanded Moses, and killed every male.

Berean Standard Bible
Then they waged war against Midian, as the LORD had commanded Moses, and they killed every male.

King James Bible
And they warred against the Midianites, as the LORD commanded Moses; and they slew all the males.

New King James Version
And they warred against the Midianites, just as the LORD commanded Moses, and they killed all the males.

New American Standard Bible
So they made war against Midian, just as the LORD had commanded Moses, and they killed every male.

NASB 1995
So they made war against Midian, just as the LORD had commanded Moses, and they killed every male.

NASB 1977
So they made war against Midian, just as the LORD had commanded Moses, and they killed every male.

Legacy Standard Bible
So they made war against Midian, just as Yahweh had commanded Moses, and they killed every male.

Amplified Bible
They made war against Midian, just as the LORD had commanded Moses, and they killed every male.

Christian Standard Bible
They waged war against Midian, as the LORD had commanded Moses, and killed every male.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
They waged war against Midian, as the LORD had commanded Moses, and killed every male.

American Standard Version
And they warred against Midian, as Jehovah commanded Moses; and they slew every male.

Contemporary English Version
The Israelites fought against the Midianites, just as the LORD had commanded Moses. They killed all the men,

English Revised Version
And they warred against Midian, as the LORD commanded Moses; and they slew every male.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
They went to war against Midian, as the LORD commanded Moses, and killed every man.

Good News Translation
They attacked Midian, as the LORD had commanded Moses, and killed all the men,

International Standard Version
They fought against the Midianites just as the LORD had commanded Moses, killing every man.

Majority Standard Bible
Then they waged war against Midian, as the LORD had commanded Moses, and they killed every male.

NET Bible
They fought against the Midianites, as the LORD commanded Moses, and they killed every male.

New Heart English Bible
They warred against Midian, as the LORD commanded Moses; and they killed every male.

Webster's Bible Translation
And they warred against the Midianites, as the LORD commanded Moses; and they slew all the males.

World English Bible
They fought against Midian, as Yahweh commanded Moses. They killed every male.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
And they war against Midian, as YHWH has commanded Moses, and slay every male;

Young's Literal Translation
And they war against Midian, as Jehovah hath commanded Moses, and slay every male;

Smith's Literal Translation
And they will go forth against Midian as Jehovah commanded Moses; and they killed every male.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And when they had fought against the Madianites and had overcome them, they slew all the men.

Catholic Public Domain Version
And when they had fought against the Midianites and had prevailed, they killed all the men.

New American Bible
They waged war against the Midianites, as the LORD had commanded Moses, and killed every male.

New Revised Standard Version
They did battle against Midian, as the LORD had commanded Moses, and killed every male.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And they warred against Midian, as the LORD commanded Moses; and they slew all the males.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And they were strengthened against Midian, as LORD JEHOVAH commanded Moshe, and they killed every male.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
And they warred against Midian, as the LORD commanded Moses; and they slew every male.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And they set themselves in array against Madian, as the Lord commanded Moses; and they slew every male.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Vengeance on Midian
6And Moses sent the thousand from each tribe into battle, along with Phinehas son of Eleazar the priest, who took with him the vessels of the sanctuary and the trumpets for signaling. 7Then they waged war against Midian, as the LORD had commanded Moses, and they killed every male. 8Among the slain were Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur, and Reba—the five kings of Midian. They also killed Balaam son of Beor with the sword.…

Cross References
Deuteronomy 20:13-14
When the LORD your God has delivered it into your hand, you must put every male to the sword. / But the women, children, livestock, and whatever else is in the city—all its spoil—you may take as plunder, and you shall use the spoil of your enemies that the LORD your God gives you.

Joshua 6:21
With the edge of the sword they devoted to destruction everything in the city—man and woman, young and old, oxen, sheep, and donkeys.

1 Samuel 15:3
Now go and attack the Amalekites and devote to destruction all that belongs to them. Do not spare them, but put to death men and women, children and infants, oxen and sheep, camels and donkeys.’”

Judges 21:10-11
So the congregation sent 12,000 of their most valiant men and commanded them: “Go and put to the sword those living in Jabesh-gilead, including women and children. / This is what you are to do: Devote to destruction every male, as well as every female who has had relations with a man.”

1 Kings 20:42
And the prophet said to the king, “This is what the LORD says: ‘Because you have let slip from your hand the man I had devoted to destruction, your life will be exchanged for his life, and your people for his people.’”

2 Kings 3:24-25
But when the Moabites came to the camp of Israel, the Israelites rose up and attacked them, and they fled before them. So the Israelites invaded their land and struck down the Moabites. / They destroyed the cities, and each man threw stones on every good field until it was covered. They stopped up every spring and cut down every good tree. Only Kir-haraseth was left with stones in place, but men with slings surrounded it and attacked it as well.

2 Chronicles 20:23
The Ammonites and Moabites rose up against the inhabitants of Mount Seir, devoting them to destruction. And when they had finished off the inhabitants of Seir, they helped to destroy one another.

Isaiah 13:15-18
Whoever is caught will be stabbed, and whoever is captured will die by the sword. / Their infants will be dashed to pieces before their eyes, their houses will be looted, and their wives will be ravished. / Behold, I will stir up against them the Medes, who have no regard for silver and no desire for gold. ...

Jeremiah 50:21
Go up against the land of Merathaim, and against the residents of Pekod. Kill them and devote them to destruction. Do all that I have commanded you,” declares the LORD.

Ezekiel 9:5-7
And as I listened, He said to the others, “Follow him through the city and start killing; do not show pity or spare anyone! / Slaughter the old men, the young men and maidens, the women and children; but do not go near anyone who has the mark. Now begin at My sanctuary.” So they began with the elders who were before the temple. / Then He told them, “Defile the temple and fill the courts with the slain. Go forth!” So they went out and began killing throughout the city.

Matthew 5:21-22
You have heard that it was said to the ancients, ‘Do not murder’ and ‘Anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ / But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to his brother, ‘Raca,’ will be subject to the Sanhedrin. But anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be subject to the fire of hell.

Luke 19:27
And these enemies of mine who were unwilling for me to rule over them, bring them here and slay them in front of me.’”

Romans 13:4
For he is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not carry the sword in vain. He is God’s servant, an agent of retribution to the wrongdoer.

2 Corinthians 10:4-6
The weapons of our warfare are not the weapons of the flesh. Instead, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. / We demolish arguments and every presumption set up against the knowledge of God; and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. / And we will be ready to punish every act of disobedience, as soon as your obedience is complete.

Ephesians 6:12
For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this world’s darkness, and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.


Treasury of Scripture

And they warred against the Midianites, as the LORD commanded Moses; and they slew all the males.

all

Deuteronomy 20:13,14
And when the LORD thy God hath delivered it into thine hands, thou shalt smite every male thereof with the edge of the sword: …

Judges 21:11
And this is the thing that ye shall do, Ye shall utterly destroy every male, and every woman that hath lain by man.

1 Samuel 27:9
And David smote the land, and left neither man nor woman alive, and took away the sheep, and the oxen, and the asses, and the camels, and the apparel, and returned, and came to Achish.

the male

Judges 6:1,2,33
And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD: and the LORD delivered them into the hand of Midian seven years…

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Numbers 31
1. The Midianites are spoiled, and Balaam slain
13. Moses is angry with the officers, for saving the women alive
19. How the soldiers, with their captives and spoil, are to be purified
25. The proportion in which the prey is to be divided
48. The voluntary offering unto the treasure of the Lord














Then they waged war
The phrase "waged war" in Hebrew is "צָבָא" (tsaba), which conveys the idea of engaging in battle or warfare. This term is often used in the Old Testament to describe the organized and divinely sanctioned military actions of Israel. The context here is one of obedience to divine command, emphasizing that this was not a war of human ambition but a fulfillment of God's directive. The Israelites' actions were a continuation of the spiritual and physical battles that characterized their journey to the Promised Land, symbolizing the ongoing struggle against sin and idolatry.

against Midian
The Midianites were descendants of Abraham through Keturah, as noted in Genesis 25:1-2. Historically, they were a nomadic people who often interacted with the Israelites, sometimes as allies, but more frequently as adversaries. The Midianites' involvement in leading Israel into idolatry and immorality (Numbers 25) set the stage for this divine judgment. This conflict underscores the biblical theme of separation from sin and the necessity of purging evil influences to maintain holiness among God's people.

as the LORD had commanded Moses
This phrase highlights the divine authority behind the Israelites' actions. The Hebrew word for "commanded" is "צִוָּה" (tsavah), indicating a direct order from God. Moses, as the mediator of God's will, faithfully relayed this command to the people. This obedience to divine instruction is a recurring theme in the Pentateuch, illustrating the importance of following God's will precisely. It serves as a reminder of the covenant relationship between God and Israel, where blessings and protection are contingent upon obedience.

and they killed every male
The phrase "killed every male" reflects the completeness of the judgment executed upon Midian. In ancient Near Eastern warfare, the killing of males was a common practice to prevent future retaliation and to dismantle the societal structure of the enemy. This action, while harsh by modern standards, was part of the divine justice system in the Old Testament, where God's holiness and the need to eradicate sin were paramount. It serves as a sobering reminder of the seriousness of sin and the lengths to which God will go to preserve the sanctity of His people.

(7) They slew all the males.--The reference appears to be to those who were engaged in the war. The words do not refer to the whole of the male population, as appears from Numbers 31:17; and it is probable that many of the Midianites who were not engaged in the war withdrew from the scene of conflict. The reference in this verse, unless the words are inserted proleptically, seems to be to the whole of the adult males who fell into the hands of the Israelites during the war.



Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Then they waged war
וַֽיִּצְבְּאוּ֙ (way·yiṣ·bə·’ū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 6633: To wage war, serve

against
עַל־ (‘al-)
Preposition
Strong's 5921: Above, over, upon, against

Midian,
מִדְיָ֔ן (miḏ·yān)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 4080: Midian -- a son of Abraham and Keturah, also his descendants and the region where they settled

as
כַּאֲשֶׁ֛ר (ka·’ă·šer)
Preposition-k | Pronoun - relative
Strong's 834: Who, which, what, that, when, where, how, because, in order that

the LORD
יְהוָ֖ה (Yah·weh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel

had commanded
צִוָּ֥ה (ṣiw·wāh)
Verb - Piel - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 6680: To lay charge (upon), give charge (to), command, order

Moses,
מֹשֶׁ֑ה (mō·šeh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 4872: Moses -- a great Israelite leader, prophet and lawgiver

and killed
וַיַּֽהַרְג֖וּ (way·ya·har·ḡū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 2026: To smite with deadly intent

every
כָּל־ (kāl-)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3605: The whole, all, any, every

male.
זָכָֽר׃ (zā·ḵār)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 2145: Remembered, a male


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OT Law: Numbers 31:7 They warred against Midian as Yahweh commanded (Nu Num.)
Numbers 31:6
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