Numbers 31:15 (KJV)

What does Numbers 31:15 mean?

Numbers 31:15 records Moses questioning the Israelite soldiers about why they allowed all the Midianite women to live after a battle. Moses is confronting them for not carrying out the destruction as completely as he expected.

In this scene, Moses is speaking directly to the officers who returned from fighting the Midianites. The context is a military campaign where the Israelites were commanded to strike against Midian. Moses’s question shows his concern that the soldiers spared the women, who, in the broader story, had previously played a role in leading Israel into sin.

The Hebrew behind Numbers 31:15

• "Saved" (חָיָה, chayah): This word means to keep alive or preserve life. Moses’s use of this word highlights that the soldiers made a conscious choice to let the women live, rather than killing them in battle.
• "Women" (נָשִׁים, nashim): This word specifically refers to adult females. The focus on women here is significant because, in the story, they were seen as having influenced the Israelites negatively in the past.

Why Numbers 31:15 matters

• Numbers 31:15 clarifies that Moses was not just concerned with the outcome of the battle, but also with obedience to the specific instructions given about whom to spare or destroy.
• The verse highlights the seriousness with which Moses viewed the threat posed by the Midianite women, connecting back to earlier chapters where they were involved in leading Israel astray.
• This question from Moses sets up the following verses, where he gives further instructions about what should be done, helping the reader understand the flow and gravity of the narrative.