Numbers 31 · Verse 7

Numbers 31:7

And they warred against the Midianites, as the Lord commanded Moses; and they slew all the males.
Numbers 31:7, King James Version

Numbers 31:7 in other translations

BSBThen they waged war against Midian, as the LORD had commanded Moses, and they killed every male.
WEBThey fought against Midian, as the LORD commanded Moses. They killed every male.
ASVAnd they warred against Midian, as Jehovah commanded Moses; and they slew every male.
YLTAnd they war against Midian, as Jehovah hath commanded Moses, and slay every male;
DARBYAnd they warred against Midian, as Jehovah had commanded Moses, and slew all the males.
BBEAnd they made war on Midian, as the Lord gave orders to Moses; and they put to death every male.
WebsterAnd they warred against the Midianites, as the LORD commanded Moses; and they slew all the males.

What does Numbers 31:7 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
7. 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).

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Numbers 31:7-12
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 cities and castles, and returned to the camp.

Matthew Henry, 1706 · public domain

Numbers 31:7 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וַֽיִּצְבְּאוּ֙vai.yitz.be.'Uand they waged warH6633
עַל\־'al-onH5921
מִדְיָ֔ןmid.YanMidianH4080
כַּאֲשֶׁ֛רka.'a.Sherjust asH834
צִוָּ֥הtzi.Vahhe had commandedH6680
יְהוָ֖הYah.wehYahwehH3068
אֶת\־'et-<obj.>H853
מֹשֶׁ֑הmo.ShehMosesH4872
וַיַּֽהַרְג֖וּvai.ya.har.Guand they killedH2026
כָּל\־kol-everyH3605
זָכָֽר\׃za.KharmaleH2145

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Numbers 31:7

  • 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 Kings 11:15-16

    For it came to pass, when David was in Edom, and Joab the captain of the host was gone up to bury the slain, after he had smitten every male in Edom; (For six months did Joab remain there with all Israel, until he had cut off every male in Edom:)

  • 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.

  • Judges 6:1-2

    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. And the hand of Midian prevailed against Israel: and because of the Midianites the children of Israel made them the dens which are in the mountains, and caves, and strong holds.

  • 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: But the women, and the little ones, and the cattle, and all that is in the city, even all the spoil thereof, shalt thou take unto thyself; and thou shalt eat the spoil of thine enemies, which the Lord thy God hath given thee.

  • Judges 6:33

    Then all the Midianites and the Amalekites and the children of the east were gathered together, and went over, and pitched in the valley of Jezreel.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
all.
De 20:13,14; Jud 21:11; 1Sa 27:9; 1Ki 11:15,16
the males.
Jud 6:1,2,33

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Numbers 31:6

    And Moses sent them to the war, a thousand of every tribe, them and Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest, to the war, with the holy instruments, and the trumpets to blow in his hand.

  • Numbers 31:7

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

  • Numbers 31:8

    And they slew the kings of Midian, beside the rest of them that were slain; namely, Evi, and Rekem, and Zur, and Hur, and Reba, five kings of Midian: Balaam also the son of Beor they slew with the sword.

Read all of Numbers 31

Numbers 31:7 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Y pelearon contra Madián, como Jehová lo mandó á Moisés, y mataron á todo varón.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Et ils firent la guerre contre Madian, comme l’ Éternel l’avait commandé à Moïse, et ils tuèrent tous les mâles.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Und sie stritten wider Midian, so wie Jehova dem Mose geboten hatte, und töteten alles Männliche.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Cumque pugnassent contra Madianitas atque vicissent, omnes mares occiderunt,