Numbers 31:9

The Israelites captured the Midianite women and their children, and they plundered all their herds, flocks, and goods.

Berean Standard Bible

Study note

Setting — The narrative reports the Israelites' actions immediately after slaying the five Midianite kings and Balaam, as they secure the battlefield before destroying the enemy settlements.

The words — The Hebrew וַיִּשְׁבּוּ (va/i.yish.Bu) literally means "and they took captive," while טַפָּם (ta.Pa/m) denotes "their little ones" or dependents.

The thread — This account of taking captives and plundering livestock appears in Deuteronomy 20:14 regarding siege warfare and 2 Chronicles 28:5 as a consequence of divine judgment, while Numbers 31:15 later questions the extent of the women spared.

Why it lands — The text records the systematic seizure of people and property as standard wartime spoils, establishing the factual basis for the subsequent divine inquiry into the treatment of the captives.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Hebrew words

וַיִּשְׁבּ֧וּva/i.yish.Buand/ they took captive בְנֵי־ve.nei-[the] people of יִשְׂרָאֵ֛לYis.ra.'ElIsrael אֶת־'et-<obj.>נְשֵׁ֥יne.Shei[the] women of מִדְיָ֖ןmid.YanMidian וְאֶת־ve./'Etand/ <obj.>טַפָּ֑םta.Pa/mlittle one[s]/ their וְאֵ֨תve./'Etand/ <obj.>כָּל־kol-all בְּהֶמְתָּ֧םbe.hem.Ta/mcattle/ their וְאֶת־ve./'Etand/ <obj.>כָּל־kol-all מִקְנֵהֶ֛םmik.ne./Hemlivestock/ their וְאֶת־ve./'Etand/ <obj.>כָּל־kol-all חֵילָ֖םchei.La/mwealth/ their בָּזָֽזוּ׃ba.Za.zuthey plundered

King James Version

And the children of Israel took all the women of Midian captives, and their little ones, and took the spoil of all their cattle, and all their flocks, and all their goods.

Cross-references

Numbers 31:15 “Have you spared all the women?” he asked them.
Deuteronomy 20:14 But the women, children, livestock, and whatever else is in the city—all its spoil—you may take as plunder, and you shall use the spoil of your enemies that the LORD your God gives you.
2 Chronicles 28:5 So the LORD his God delivered Ahaz into the hand of the king of Aram, who attacked him and took many captives to Damascus. Ahaz was also delivered into the hand of the king of Israel, who struck him with great force.
2 Chronicles 28:8 Then the Israelites took 200,000 captives from their kinsmen—women, sons, and daughters. They also carried off a great deal of plunder and brought it to Samaria.