The command for the Israelites to destroy the Midianites is found in Numbers 31:17-18, which says “Now therefore, kill every male among the little ones, and kill every woman who has known man by lying with him. But all the young girls who have not known man by lying with him keep alive for yourselves.” This was part of God’s command for Israel to take vengeance on the Midianites for their role in leading Israel into apostasy and idolatry. Understanding the background and context is important for properly interpreting this difficult passage.
Background on Israel, Moab and Midian
Earlier in Numbers, the Israelites were encamped on the plains of Moab near the end of their wilderness wanderings (Numbers 22:1). The king of Moab, Balak, was afraid of Israel and entered into an arrangement with the Midianite prophet Balaam to curse Israel (Numbers 22:4-7). When Balaam was unable to curse Israel, he counseled Balak to send Moabite and Midianite women to seduce the Israelite men into sexual immorality and idolatry (Numbers 31:16). This strategy worked, and God’s anger burned against Israel because of their unfaithfulness, eventually resulting in a plague that killed 24,000 Israelites (Numbers 25:1-9).
God’s Command for Vengeance
After dealing with the sin and plague in Israel, the Lord commanded Moses to gather an army and “take vengeance on the Midianites” for their role in turning Israel away from the Lord (Numbers 31:2). The army was gathered, and they defeated the Midianites, killing their kings and taking plunder (Numbers 31:7-12).
When the army returned, Moses was angry that the women had been kept alive, since they were the primary instigators of the apostasy at Baal-peor. So he commanded them to kill all the male children so that they could not grow up to follow their fathers, as well as any women who were not virgins, presuming they may have participated in the immorality (Numbers 31:14-18). The young virgin girls were allowed to live so that they could be integrated into Israel.
Difficult Questions
There are several difficult questions that are raised by this passage:
- Why kill the male children who were not personally guilty?
- Why kill any of the women, even those who led others into immorality?
- What does it mean that the young virgins would be kept alive “for yourselves”? Were they forced into marriage/sexual slavery?
There are a few principles that help provide a framework for understanding:
1. All people deserve God’s judgment for sin
According to the Bible, all people are sinners and guilty before a holy God (Romans 3:23). Even the young male children, though not guilty of the specific sins of seduction and idolatry, were still sinners and deserved God’s judgment. As the sovereign judge, God has the right to execute judgment and vengeance on sinners as He sees fit. All mortal life is a gracious gift from God, not an inherent right.
2. The judgment was an act of holy war
The attack on Midian was not a normal war between nations or people groups. Rather, it was an act of judgment by God’s chosen nation on those who sought to undermine God’s purposes. Midian attempted to lead God’s people away from Him, so God directed Israel to deal with them harshly. Severe judgment was often connected with holy war in the Old Testament.
3. Judgment on earth foreshadows final judgment
The judgment on the Midianites gives a picture of God’s ultimate vengeance against all who oppose Him and lead others into sin. While difficult to understand or accept, it points forward to the final judgment when God will punish evil and separate all unrighteousness from His presence. The harshness of Midian’s judgment reminds us of the severity of rebelling against God.
4. Life and death are in God’s hands
As noted earlier, life is a gift from God, not an inherent right. He gives life, and has the right to take it anytime according to His purposes. The killing of the Midianites, as harsh as it seems, served God’s greater purposes of judging sin and protecting His people from spiritual corruption.
5. God’s ways are higher than our ways
God sees and knows all things, and often acts in ways that seem troubling or even inscrutable to us as finite humans with limited perspectives. His ways are higher than our ways (Isaiah 55:8-9). Romans 11:33-36 declares:
Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways! “For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor? Or who has given a gift to him that he might be repaid?” For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.
We must humbly acknowledge God’s perfect holiness, justice and knowledge in all His acts.
Difficult Details
The details about killing the male children and non-virgin women, and keeping the young virgin women alive “for yourselves” are indeed troubling. Some observations:
1. Non-virgins judged for willful sin
The women who were not virgins would have likely been willing participants in the immorality and idolatry used to seduce Israel. They were not innocent victims, but deliberate agents of evil.
2. Justice was common in the culture
The ancient Near Eastern culture was based on family/clan loyalty and honor. Judgment on an entire family or people group for the sins of their leaders was not unusual. The judgment seems harsh by modern standards, but made sense in their cultural context.
3. Virgins could be assimilated
Young virgin girls could be adopted into Israelite families and assimilated into the nation, both culturally and spiritually. They were not guilty personally and so could be spared.
4. Complexities of war and justice
In the thick of battle and its aftermath, processes of justice were necessarily more blunt and less precise. The girl’s virginity may have been known via their youth, or through common cultural indicators.
5. Uncertain meaning of “kept for yourselves”
This phrase is admittedly ambiguous. Some propose it means forced marriage/rape, while others see it as lawful marriage. The passage itself does not clarify, so caution is advised in interpreting it. Ancient culture often had unsavory practices that seem unethical to modern sensibilities.
Conclusion
The destruction of Midian was the severe but just judgment of God on a people that attempted to undermine His purposes. The details are difficult for us to fully comprehend. Yet we can trust the perfect righteousness of God, knowing He is loving, just, and morally pure in all His ways. His judgments reveal the seriousness of sin and point us to the salvation offered in Jesus Christ.