Numbers 31:15
Numbers 31:15 in Multiple Translations
“Have you spared all the women?” he asked them.
And Moses said unto them, Have ye saved all the women alive?
And Moses said unto them, Have ye saved all the women alive?
And Moses said to them, Why have you kept all the women safe?
“Why did you let all the women live?” he asked them.
And Moses sayde vnto them, What? haue ye saued all the women?
And Moses saith unto them, 'Have ye kept alive every female?
Moses said to them, “Have you saved all the women alive?
And Moses said to them, Have ye saved all the women alive?
Said: Why have you saved the women?
He/I asked them, “Why did you allow the women to live [RHQ]?
Berean Amplified Bible — Numbers 31:15
BAB
Word Study
Hover over any word to see its amplified meaning. Click a word to explore its full definition and translation comparisons.
Amplified text is generated using scripting to tie together English translations for comparison. Always refer to the core BSB translation and original Hebrew/Greek text for accuracy. Anomalies may occur.
Numbers 31:15 Interlinear (Deep Study)
BIB
HEB
וַ/יֹּ֥אמֶר
אֲלֵי/הֶ֖ם
מֹשֶׁ֑ה
הַֽ/חִיִּיתֶ֖ם
כָּל
נְקֵבָֽה
וַ/יֹּ֥אמֶר
ʼâmar
H559
to say
Conj | V-Qal-ConsecImperf-3ms
אֲלֵי/הֶ֖ם
ʼêl
H413
to(wards)
Prep | Suff
מֹשֶׁ֑ה
Môsheh
H4872
Moses
N-proper
הַֽ/חִיִּיתֶ֖ם
châyâh
H2421
to live
Part | V-Piel-Perf-2mp
כָּל
kôl
H3605
all
N-ms
נְקֵבָֽה
nᵉqêbâh
H5347
female
N-fs
Hebrew Word Study
Select any word above to explore its original meaning, root, and usage across Scripture.
Use ← → arrow keys to navigate between words.
Hebrew Word Reference — Numbers 31:15
וַ/יֹּ֥אמֶר
ʼâmar
H559
"to say"
Conj | V-Qal-ConsecImperf-3ms
This Hebrew word means to say or speak, and it's used in many different ways in the Bible. It can mean to command, promise, or think, and it's translated in the KJV as 'answer', 'appoint', or 'command'.
Definition: 1) to say, speak, utter 1a) (Qal) to say, to answer, to say in one's heart, to think, to command, to promise, to intend 1b) (Niphal) to be told, to be said, to be called 1c) (Hithpael) to boast, to act proudly 1d) (Hiphil) to avow, to avouch Aramaic equivalent: a.mar (אֲמַר "to say" H0560)
Usage: Occurs in 4337 OT verses. KJV: answer, appoint, avouch, bid, boast self, call, certify, challenge, charge, [phrase] (at the, give) command(-ment), commune, consider, declare, demand, [idiom] desire, determine, [idiom] expressly, [idiom] indeed, [idiom] intend, name, [idiom] plainly, promise, publish, report, require, say, speak (against, of), [idiom] still, [idiom] suppose, talk, tell, term, [idiom] that is, [idiom] think, use (speech), utter, [idiom] verily, [idiom] yet. See also: Genesis 1:3; Genesis 18:23; Genesis 25:32.
אֲלֵי/הֶ֖ם
ʼêl
H413
"to(wards)"
Prep | Suff
This Hebrew word means 'to' or 'toward', showing direction or movement. It appears in many books, including Genesis and Exodus, to indicate where someone is going. The KJV translates it in various ways, like 'about', 'according to', or 'against'.
Definition: 1) to, toward, unto (of motion) 2) into (limit is actually entered) 2a) in among 3) toward (of direction, not necessarily physical motion) 4) against (motion or direction of a hostile character) 5) in addition to, to 6) concerning, in regard to, in reference to, on account of 7) according to (rule or standard) 8) at, by, against (of one's presence) 9) in between, in within, to within, unto (idea of motion to)
Usage: Occurs in 4205 OT verses. KJV: about, according to, after, against, among, as for, at, because(-fore, -side), both...and, by, concerning, for, from, [idiom] hath, in(-to), near, (out) of, over, through, to(-ward), under, unto, upon, whether, with(-in). See also: Genesis 1:9; Genesis 21:14; Genesis 31:13.
מֹשֶׁ֑ה
Môsheh
H4872
"Moses"
N-proper
Moses, the Israelite leader, was born to Amram and Jochebed and led the Exodus from Egypt. He received the law from God and is considered a key figure in the Bible. Moses means 'drawn' in Hebrew.
Definition: A man of the tribe of Levi living at the time of Egypt and Wilderness, first mentioned at Exo.2.10; son of: Amram (H6019) and Jochebed (H3115); brother of: Aaron (H0175) and Miriam (H4813); married to Zipporah (H6855); father of: Gershom (H1647) and Eliezer (H0461H); also called Manasseh at Jdg.18.30(?) § Moses = "drawn" the prophet and lawgiver, leader of the exodus
Usage: Occurs in 704 OT verses. KJV: Moses. See also: Exodus 2:10; Exodus 13:1; Exodus 32:21.
הַֽ/חִיִּיתֶ֖ם
châyâh
H2421
"to live"
Part | V-Piel-Perf-2mp
To live or have life is the meaning of this Hebrew word, which can also mean to revive or be quickened. It is used in the Bible to describe God's power to sustain life and restore people to health, as seen in the stories of the prophets and Jesus' miracles.
Definition: 1) to live, have life, remain alive, sustain life, live prosperously, live for ever, be quickened, be alive, be restored to life or health 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to live 1a1a) to have life 1a1b) to continue in life, remain alive 1a1c) to sustain life, to live on or upon 1a1d) to live (prosperously) 1a2) to revive, be quickened 1a2a) from sickness 1a2b) from discouragement 1a2c) from faintness 1a2d) from death 1b) (Piel) 1b1) to preserve alive, let live 1b2) to give life 1b3) to quicken, revive, refresh 1b3a) to restore to life 1b3b) to cause to grow 1b3c) to restore 1b3d) to revive 1c) (Hiphil) 1c1) to preserve alive, let live 1c2) to quicken, revive 1c2a) to restore (to health) 1c2b) to revive 1c2c) to restore to life
Usage: Occurs in 239 OT verses. KJV: keep (leave, make) alive, [idiom] certainly, give (promise) life, (let, suffer to) live, nourish up, preserve (alive), quicken, recover, repair, restore (to life), revive, ([idiom] God) save (alive, life, lives), [idiom] surely, be whole. See also: Genesis 5:3; 2 Samuel 16:16; Psalms 22:27.
כָּל
kôl
H3605
"all"
N-ms
The Hebrew word for 'all' or 'everything' is used throughout the Bible, like in Genesis 1:31, where God sees all He has made as very good. It encompasses the entirety of something, whether people, things, or situations.
Definition: 1) all, the whole 1a) all, the whole of 1b) any, each, every, anything 1c) totality, everything Aramaic equivalent: kol (כֹּל "all" H3606)
Usage: Occurs in 4242 OT verses. KJV: (in) all (manner, (ye)), altogether, any (manner), enough, every (one, place, thing), howsoever, as many as, (no-) thing, ought, whatsoever, (the) whole, whoso(-ever). See also: Genesis 1:21; Genesis 17:10; Genesis 41:40.
נְקֵבָֽה
nᵉqêbâh
H5347
"female"
N-fs
This Hebrew word means female, referring to a woman, girl, or female animal. It is used in various books, including Genesis and Leviticus, to describe the female sex.
Definition: 1) female 1a) woman, female child 1b) female animal
Usage: Occurs in 22 OT verses. KJV: female. See also: Genesis 1:27; Leviticus 12:5; Jeremiah 31:22.
Study Notes — Numbers 31:15
Show Verse Quote Highlights
- Context
- Cross References
- Numbers 31:15 Summary
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Reflection Questions
- Gill's Exposition on Numbers 31:15
- Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Numbers 31:15
- Trapp's Commentary on Numbers 31:15
- Ellicott's Commentary on Numbers 31:15
- Cambridge Bible on Numbers 31:15
- Whedon's Commentary on Numbers 31:15
- Sermons on Numbers 31:15
Context — Vengeance on Midian
13And Moses, Eleazar the priest, and all the leaders of the congregation went to meet them outside the camp.
14But Moses was angry with the officers of the army—the commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds—who were returning from the battle.
15“Have you spared all the women?” he asked them.
16“Look, these women caused the sons of Israel, through the counsel of Balaam, to turn unfaithfully against the LORD at Peor, so that the plague struck the congregation of the LORD. 17So now, kill all the boys, as well as every woman who has had relations with a man,Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 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.’” |
| 2 | Jeremiah 48:10 | Cursed is the one who is remiss in doing the work of the LORD, and cursed is he who withholds his sword from bloodshed. |
| 3 | Deuteronomy 2:34 | At that time we captured all his cities and devoted to destruction the people of every city, including women and children. We left no survivors. |
| 4 | Joshua 6:21 | At the edge of the sword they devoted to destruction everything in the city—man and woman, young and old, oxen, sheep, and donkeys. |
| 5 | Joshua 10:40 | So Joshua conquered the whole region—the hill country, the Negev, the foothills, and the slopes, together with all their kings—leaving no survivors. He devoted to destruction everything that breathed, just as the LORD, the God of Israel, had commanded. |
| 6 | Deuteronomy 20:16–18 | However, in the cities of the nations that the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance, you must not leave alive anything that breathes. For you must devote them to complete destruction —the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites—as the LORD your God has commanded you, so that they cannot teach you to do all the detestable things they do for their gods, and so cause you to sin against the LORD your God. |
| 7 | Deuteronomy 20:13 | When the LORD your God has delivered it into your hand, you must put every male to the sword. |
| 8 | Ezekiel 9:6 | 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. |
| 9 | Joshua 11:14 | The Israelites took for themselves all the plunder and livestock of these cities, but they put all the people to the sword until they had completely destroyed them, not sparing anyone who breathed. |
| 10 | Joshua 8:25 | A total of twelve thousand men and women fell that day—all the people of Ai. |
Numbers 31:15 Summary
In Numbers 31:15, Moses is asking the officers if they have spared the lives of all the women who were captured in battle. This question shows that Moses is concerned about the Israelites obeying God's commands and not being led astray by the influence of others, as seen in Numbers 31:16. Just like the Israelites, we can be tempted to compromise with the world and disobey God's commands, but we must stand firm in our commitment to God's Word, as encouraged in Joshua 1:7-9 and Psalm 119:11. By studying this verse, we can learn the importance of obeying God's commands and trusting in His provision, as promised in Deuteronomy 31:6 and Hebrews 13:5-6.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why was Moses angry with the officers of the army in Numbers 31:15?
Moses was angry because the officers had spared the women who were responsible for leading the Israelites into idolatry, as seen in Numbers 31:16, which references the event at Peor in Numbers 25:1-9 and the counsel of Balaam in Numbers 22-24.
What does it mean to 'spare' someone in this context?
In this context, to 'spare' someone means to let them live, rather than putting them to death as judgment for their sins, similar to what is described in Deuteronomy 20:16-18 and Joshua 10:28-40.
Is Moses' question in Numbers 31:15 a sign of compassion or condemnation?
Moses' question is a sign of condemnation, as he is upset that the officers did not follow God's instructions to destroy the Midianites, who had led the Israelites into sin, as seen in Numbers 31:16 and supported by Leviticus 18:21-24 and Deuteronomy 18:9-12.
How does this verse relate to the larger story of the Israelites in the wilderness?
This verse is part of the story of the Israelites' journey in the wilderness, where they are learning to obey God's commands and trust in His provision, as seen in Exodus 19:5-6 and Deuteronomy 8:1-5, and this event is a key moment in their growth and development as a nation.
Reflection Questions
- What are some ways that I, like the Israelites, may be tempted to compromise with the world and disobey God's commands?
- How can I, like Moses, stand firm in my commitment to God's Word and not be swayed by the opinions of others, as encouraged in Proverbs 29:25 and 2 Timothy 4:2?
- What are some 'women' in my life that may be leading me away from God, and how can I remove their influence, as warned in 1 Corinthians 15:33 and 2 Corinthians 6:14-18?
- How can I balance justice and mercy in my own life, as Moses is struggling to do in this verse, and as seen in Micah 6:8 and Matthew 23:23?
Gill's Exposition on Numbers 31:15
And Moses said unto them, have ye saved all the women alive?] Which either had been reported to him, or he concluded, by seeing so many with them; and this question is put, not for information, but
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Numbers 31:15
And Moses said unto them, Have ye saved all the women alive? No JFB commentary on these verses.
Trapp's Commentary on Numbers 31:15
Numbers 31:15 And Moses said unto them, Have ye saved all the women alive?Ver. 15. Have ye saved all the women alive.] By whom ye have so lately sinned, and so lately suffered! "Keep thee far from an evil matter," Circa serpentis antrum positus, non eris diu illaesus, saith Isidore. We should take heed how we play about the hole of the asp, or near the den of the cockatrice. Sin and temptation come both under one name in the Lord’ s Prayer. To pray, "Lead us not into temptation," and yet to run upon the occasion of sin, is to thrust a finger into the fire, and then pray not to be burnt. These Israelites should have said to those Midianitish housewives, as those in Isaiah did to their idols, "Get you hence," Avaunt; they should have here been as cautous as they were in other cases. For being forbidden to make covenants with the Gentiles, they also abstained from drinking with them, because that was a ceremony used in striking of covenants, and so it might have drawn them on thereunto. Our dallying with the occasions of sin, doth usually tempt the devil to tempt us.
Ellicott's Commentary on Numbers 31:15
(15) Have ye saved all the women alive?—It was the women, as is expressed in the following verse, who had been the cause, at the instigation of Balaam, of the apostacy of the Israelites; and consequently the command to “avenge the Lord of Midiani” implied the punishment of those who had been the instruments employed in the seduction of the Israelites.
Cambridge Bible on Numbers 31:15
1–18. The utter destruction of every Midianite, with the exception of the virgins who are to be kept as spoil.
Whedon's Commentary on Numbers 31:15
15. All the women — In the gradation of guilt Balaam, Balak, and the princes were first as contrivers of the nefarious scheme to draw Israel into crime, and the women of Midian were second as the agents in its execution.
Sermons on Numbers 31:15
| Sermon | Description | |
|---|---|---|
|
Live Expressed by Art Katz | In this sermon, the speaker discusses the importance of understanding and demonstrating true love, as exemplified by Jesus in his interaction with the rich young ruler in Mark chap |
|
For Such a Time as This by Chuck Smith | This sermon emphasizes the importance of trusting in God's eternal purposes, even when facing circumstances that are difficult to understand. It highlights the need to surrender th |
|
|
David Gaining Strength and Encouragement in the Lord Part 1 by Chuck Smith | In this sermon, Pastor Chuck Smith begins by discussing the closing events of 1 Samuel, which include the death of Saul and his sons at the hands of the Philistines. He then transi |
|
From the Death of Eli to the Death of Saul by Flavius Josephus | Samuel confronts Saul for disobeying God's command to completely destroy the Amalekites, sparing their king and the best of their livestock. Saul's disobedience angers God, leading |
|
Fulfilling Your Calling by Erlo Stegen | In this sermon, the preacher emphasizes the importance of not being lazy or slack in our work, especially when it comes to God's work. He references Matthew 28:19, where Jesus comm |
|
Studies in Romans-08 by William MacDonald | The sermon transcript emphasizes the importance of humility and unity within the body of Christ. It encourages believers to recognize their unique roles and functions within the ch |
|
The Judgment Day by Jonathan Edwards | In this sermon, the preacher discusses the concept of the last trumpet and the resurrection of the dead. He explains that God sent forth his angels with a great sound of a trumpet |