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Numbers 31:9

Old Testament Law (Torah) ASV (1901)

What does Numbers 31:9 say?

The American Standard Version records this verse as: “And the children of Israel took captive the women of Midian and their little ones; and all their cattle, and all their flocks, and all their goods, they took for a prey.” Read the surrounding verses and the named sources below before drawing broader conclusions.

The verse

And the children of Israel took captive the women of Midian and their little ones; and all their cattle, and all their flocks, and all their goods, they took for a prey.
Numbers 31:9 — American Standard Version

Context — Numbers 31

American Standard Version (1901) — public domain. Click any verse for its study page.
6And Moses sent them, a thousand of every tribe, to the war, them and Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest, to the war, with the vessels of the sanctuary and the trumpets for the alarm in his hand.
7And they warred against Midian, as Jehovah commanded Moses; and they slew every male.
8And they slew the kings of Midian with the rest of their slain: Evi, and Rekem, and Zur, and Hur, and Reba, the five kings of Midian: Balaam also the son of Beor they slew with the sword.
9And the children of Israel took captive the women of Midian and their little ones; and all their cattle, and all their flocks, and all their goods, they took for a prey.
10And all their cities in the places wherein they dwelt, and all their encampments, they burnt with fire.
11And they took all the spoil, and all the prey, both of man and of beast.
12And they brought the captives, and the prey, and the spoil, unto Moses, and unto Eleazar the priest, and unto the congregation of the children of Israel, unto the camp at the plains of Moab, which are by the Jordan at Jericho.
← Numbers 31:8Numbers 31:10 →
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What do historical commentaries say?

John Gill's Exposition
John Gill (1697–1771) · Exposition of the Old and New Testament · 18th-century historical commentary
“And the children of Israel took [all] the women of Midian captives, etc.] The word “all” is not in the original text, nor should it be supplied; for if all had been taken, and carried captive, and put to death, as those were afterwards, how could there have been such an increase of the Midianites as there was in some time after this? (see <070601>Judges 6:1-6) but the meaning is, that as many as fell into their hands they took and carried captive: and their little ones; both male and female: and took the spoil of all their cattle, and all their flocks; their oxen and their sheep, and also their asses, as appears by the following account: and all their goods: in their houses, their wealth and…”
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Tyndale Open Study Notes
Tyndale House Publishers · Tyndale Open Study Notes · Modern study notes
“31:9-13 After the battle, the Hebrews began the practice that they sometimes followed throughout the period of conquest and beyond (e.g., Josh 6; 8; 10–11). They destroyed their enemies (sometimes the total population), burned towns, and set aside spoils for their own use or as dedicated to the Lord.”
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Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge
R. A. Torrey and contributors · The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge · Cross-reference reference work
“Num 31:15, Num 31:16; Deu 20:14; Ch2 28:5, Ch2 28:8-10 Numbers 31:10”
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Related study paths

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Sources and verification