However, all the girls who have not known a man intimately, keep alive for yourselves.
Parallel translations
- WEB But all the girls, who have not known man by lying with him, keep alive for yourselves.
- KJV But all the women children, that have not known a man by lying with him, keep alive for yourselves.
- BSB but spare for yourselves every girl who has never had relations with a man.
- NKJV But keep alive for yourselves all the young girls who have not known a man intimately.
- NLT Only the young girls who are virgins may live; you may keep them for yourselves.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
The young girls who had not known a man were to be kept alive and spared.
Overview
Those who had no part in the seduction at Peor were preserved, showing the judgment was targeted rather than indiscriminate. Within ancient society they would be incorporated into Israel, subject to its laws protecting captives. Even in severe judgment, distinctions of guilt and innocence were observed, reflecting God's justice.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 5
- Deut 21:10–14When you go out to battle against your enemies, and Yahweh your God delivers them into your hands, and you carry them away captive,
- Lev 25:44“‘As for your male and your female slaves, whom you may have; of the nations that are around you, from them you may buy male and female slaves.
- Deut 20:14but the women, the little ones, the livestock, and all that is in the city, even all its plunder, you shall take for plunder for yourself. You may use the plunder of your enemies, which Yahweh your God has given you.
- 2 Chr 28:8–10The children of Israel carried away captive of their brothers two hundred thousand, women, sons, and daughters, and took also away much plunder from them, and brought the plunder to Samaria.
- Isa 14:2The peoples will take them, and bring them to their place. The house of Israel will possess them in Yahweh’s land for servants and for handmaids. They will take as captives those whose captives they were; and they shall rule over their oppressors.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
In the wilderness Christ is the water from the rock, the bronze serpent lifted up that the dying might look and live (John 3:14), and the star and scepter that Balaam saw rising out of Jacob.
How Numbers 31:18 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.