What does Number 31:17-18 mean?

[4gold]

In the Christianity and Apologetics Forum, there is a debate, as to the meaning of a specific text of Scripture, Numbers 31:17-18:

17Now therefore kill every male among the little ones, and kill every woman that hath known man by lying with him.

18But all the women children, that have not known a man by lying with him, keep alive for yourselves.

Moses commands all the women and children to be killed, except for the virgin women, which he commands to "keep alive for yourselves."

Moses spares the lives of the little girls, even though it is in violation of God's command earlier in the chapter.

Is God giving a moral Commandment by ordering that all the women and children, even the innocent ones, be killed?

Is there any moral justification for this behavior?

[twobitsmedia]

In the Christianity and Apologetics Forum, there is a debate, as to the meaning of a specific text of Scripture, Numbers 31:17-18:

17Now therefore kill every male among the little ones, and kill every woman that hath known man by lying with him.

18But all the women children, that have not known a man by lying with him, keep alive for yourselves.

Moses commands all the women and children to be killed, except for the virgin women, which he commands to "keep alive for yourselves."

Moses spares the lives of the little girls, even though it is in violation of God's command earlier in the chapter.

Is God giving a moral Commandment by ordering that all the women and children, even the innocent ones, be killed?

Is there any moral justification for this behavior?

I would say, to begin with, that only kind of command that God can give is moral.

[john_anthony_gonzalez]

In the Christianity and Apologetics Forum, there is a debate, as to the meaning of a specific text of Scripture, Numbers 31:17-18:

17Now therefore kill every male among the little ones, and kill every woman that hath known man by lying with him.

18But all the women children, that have not known a man by lying with him, keep alive for yourselves.

Moses commands all the women and children to be killed, except for the virgin women, which he commands to "keep alive for yourselves."

Moses spares the lives of the little girls, even though it is in violation of God's command earlier in the chapter.

Is God giving a moral Commandment by ordering that all the women and children, even the innocent ones, be killed?

Is there any moral justification for this behavior?

in number 31:12-24 When the victors made their way back to the encampments of Israel, they found not praise but anger. Have you kept all the women alive: The key to Moses' anger is the sinfulness of the women. These women had caused Israel to sin, as they had been counseled by Balaam, Balaam had been slain, along with the kings of notables of the people. Now the women and their male children needed to be killed as well. Only the young girls who were still virgins were to be kept alive, for only they were probably innocent of the sexual sins of their mothers. Since this was a holy war, the soldiers and their possessions needed to go through extraordinary purification rites.

God didnt command it Moses did, and it was because the woman cause the children of Israel to sin. in the OT the punishment for sin was usually death depending on what it was. in the NT the punishment for sin is now spiritual death (losing relationship with God)