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In Numbers 31, Israel is commanded to kill every Midianite except the virgin women. Judges 21 describes the same command against Jabesh Gilead, one of Israel's own cities, killing all but the virgins to provide wives for the tribe of Benjamin.
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2500 BCE
1000+ CE
Numbers 31:17
Hebrew Bible
16 Look, these people through the counsel of Balaam caused the Israelites to act treacherously against the Lord in the matter of Peor—which resulted in the plague among the community of the Lord! 17 Now therefore kill every boy, and kill every woman who has been intimate with a man in bed. 18 But all the young women who have not experienced a man’s bed will be yours. 19 “Any of you who has killed anyone or touched any of the dead, remain outside the camp for seven days; purify yourselves and your captives on the third day, and on the seventh day.
Judges 21:11
Hebrew Bible
10 So the assembly sent 12,000 capable warriors against Jabesh Gilead. They commanded them, “Go and kill with your swords the inhabitants of Jabesh Gilead, including the women and little children. 11 Do this: Exterminate every male, as well as every woman who has experienced a man’s bed. But spare the lives of any virgins.” So they did as instructed. 12 They found among the inhabitants of Jabesh Gilead 400 young girls who were virgins who had never been intimate with a man in bed. They brought them back to the camp at Shiloh in the land of Canaan. 13 The entire assembly sent messengers to the Benjaminites at the cliff of Rimmon and assured them they would not be harmed.
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Notes and References
"... The war against Jabesh-gilead. The Israelite army had taken an oath at Mizpah (20.1, 3) not to marry their daughters to the Benjaminites and to put to death those who did not join in the battle. In order to rehabilitate the remnant of Benjamin, it was necessary to find them wives. Investigation revealed that Jabesh-gilead had not joined the war; therefore it was decided to smite its inhabitants apart from the virgins, and the result was leaving 400 maidens from Jabesh-gilead for those left from Benjamin. This story, which condemns Jabesh-gilead, relates to the story of Israel’s war against the Midianites at the time of the wanderings in the desert (Numbers ch 31), which combines condemnation of Midian and taking their women captive. The story thus reflects negatively on Jabesh-gilead which, according to the traditions preserved in Samuel, was closely affiliated with Saul (1 Samuel 31.11-13; 2 Samuel 2.4-7; etc.) ..."
Berlin, Adele
The Jewish Study Bible Featuring the JPS Tanakh Translation
(p. 556) Oxford University Press, 2014
* The use of references are not endorsements of their contents. Please read the entirety of the provided reference(s) to understand the author's full intentions regarding the use of these texts.
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