By AC
This article addresses objections, assumptions, and assertions regarding Numbers 31:17-18. Gratitude is extended to Islam Critiqued and Sam Shamoun (1, 2, 3) for their insightful explanations, offering varied perspectives. Key points for dismantling these arguments will be emphasized by highlighting passages of scripture from different parts of the Bible. The approach advocates for reading the Bible in context, avoiding misinterpretations and manipulations often employed by those lacking literary comprehension or intent on deceit.
Here is the passage (verse 17-18) with context.
- “Then Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Take full vengeance for the sons of Israel on the Midianites; afterward you will be gathered to your people.” 3 And Moses spoke to the people, saying, “Arm men from among you for the war, that they may go against Midian to execute Yahweh’s vengeance on Midian. 4 One thousand from each tribe of all the tribes of Israel you shall send to the war.” 5 So there were furnished from the thousands of Israel, one thousand from each tribe, twelve thousand armed for war. 6 And Moses sent them, one thousand from each tribe, to the war, and Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest, to the war with them, and the holy vessels and the trumpets for the alarm in his hand. 7 So they made war against Midian, just as Yahweh had commanded Moses, and they killed every male. 8 They killed the kings of Midian along with the rest of their slain: Evi and Rekem and Zur and Hur and Reba, the five kings of Midian; they also killed Balaam the son of Beor with the sword. 9 And the sons of Israel captured the women of Midian and their little ones; and all their cattle and all their flocks and all their goods they plundered. 10 Then they burned all their cities where they lived and all their camps with fire. 11 And they took all the spoil and all the loot, both of man and of beast. 12 And they brought the captives and the loot and the spoil to Moses and to Eleazar the priest and to the congregation of the sons of Israel, to the camp at the plains of Moab, which are by the Jordan opposite Jericho. 13 And Moses and Eleazar the priest and all the leaders of the congregation went out to meet them outside the camp. 14 And Moses was angry with the officers of the army, the commanders of thousands and the commanders of hundreds, who had come from service in the war. 15 So Moses said to them, “Have you spared all the women? 16 Behold, these caused the sons of Israel, through the word of Balaam, to act unfaithfully against Yahweh in the matter of Peor, so the plague was among the congregation of Yahweh. 17 So now, kill every male among the little ones, and kill every woman who has known man intimately. 18 But all the girls who have not known man intimately, spare for yourselves.” – Numbers 31:1-18 (LSB)
With all this in mind we will now break down the passage. Certain obvious points need to be addressed regarding the preceding text. It is important to recognize that individuals who manipulate the Holy Bible might insert interpretations that are not actually present.
Assumptions
- Midianites were completely destroyed and every little male child was killed.
- The women were killed for no reason.
- The little girl virgins were forced upon sexually by the Israelite men
Let’s begin by examining the reasons behind Israel’s attack on the Midianites. The background for this conflict is outlined in Numbers 22-25, leading up to the warfare described in Numbers 31. We’ll delve into addressing assumptions 1 and 2 using scripture. (some context)
Answering Assumption 1
“Midianites were completely destroyed and every little male child was killed”
It’s assumed that the Midianites were all destroyed based on the strong language. However the Bible contains hyperbolic language, which is an extreme exaggeration language used by the writers to emphasize their points strongly. This was common in the ancient near east world. Here are some examples:
Merneptah Stele
The text you’re referring to is from the Merneptah Stele, also known as the Israel Stele, which is an ancient Egyptian inscription dating back to around 1208 BC. It commemorates the military victories of Pharaoh Merneptah, and it contains the earliest known mention of Israel outside the Bible. The relevant part of the inscription reads:
“Israel is laid waste, its seed is no more.” – Clarke, P. (2013). The Stele of Merneptah—Assessment of the final ‘Israel’ strophe and its implications for chronology. Journal of Creation, 27(1), 49-54. Page 2. (command/ctrl + F type: Israel is laid waste )]
This statement was made in the context of Pharaoh Merneptah’s campaigns in Canaan, and it implies that Israel had already been established as a people or entity during this time. The statement suggests that Israel was completely destroyed, but we know this wasn’t the case. It’s an example of hyperbolic language used to make a strong point. It’s similar to how, after a football game, you might say to your friend, “We destroyed you!” No one would take that literally to mean the opposing team was physically harmed or killed; it’s just a way to emphasize a decisive victory.
Here are other examples from Copan, Paul. Is God a Moral Monster? Making Sense of the Old Testament God. Baker Books, 2011, pp. 171-172.
The knowing ancient Near Eastern reader recognized this as hyperbole; the accounts weren’t understood to be literally true.* This language, Egyptologist Kenneth Kitchen observes, has misled many Old Testament scholars in their assessments of the book of Joshua; some have concluded that the language of wholesale slaughter and total occupation-which didn’t (from all other indications) actually take place-proves that these accounts are falsehoods.
But ancient Near Eastern accounts readily used “utterly/completely destroy” and other obliteration language even when the event didn’t literally happen that way. Here’s a sampling
- Egypt’s Tuthmosis III (later fifteenth century) boasted that “the numerous army of Mitanni was overthrown within the hour, annihilated totally, like those (now) not existent.” In fact, Mitanni’s forces lived on to fight in the fifteenth and fourteenth centuries BC.
- Hittite king Mursilli II (who ruled from 1322-1295 BC) recorded making
“Mt. Asharpaya empty (of humanity)” and the “mountains of Tarikar-imu empty (of humanity).” - The “Bulletin” of Ramses II tells of Egypt’s less-than-spectacular victories in Syria (around 1274 BC). Nevertheless, he announces that he slew “the entire force” of the Hittites, indeed “all the chiefs of all the countries,” disregarding the “millions of foreigners,” which he considered “chaff.”
- In the Merneptah Stele (ca. 1230 BC), Rameses II’s son Merneptah announced, “Israel is wasted, his seed is not,” another premature declaration.
- Moab’s king Mesha (840/830 BC) bragged that the Northern Kingdom of “Israel has utterly perished for always,” which was over a century premature. The Assyrians devastated Israel in 722 BC.
- The Assyrian ruler Sennacherib (701-681 BC) used similar hyperbole:
“The soldiers of Hirimme, dangerous enemies, I cut down with the sword; and not one escaped.”
Here are some Biblical articles by Gary Amirault and Kyle Butt, M.Div. Understanding this aspect will be significant for later discussion. An examination of Judges 6:1-3, not all the Midianites were completely eradicated, suggesting hyperbolic language.
- “Then the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD. So the LORD delivered them into the hand of Midian for seven years, 2 and the hand of Midian prevailed against Israel. Because of the Midianites, the children of Israel made for themselves the dens, the caves, and the strongholds which are in the mountains. 3 So it was, whenever Israel had sown, Midianites would come up; also Amalekites and the people of the East would come up against them.” – Judges 6:1-3 (NKJV)
As you can see, the Midianite race was not entirely annihilated; they survived beyond the events described in Numbers 31. Logically, it is implausible that all the men and boys were wiped out. The span of approximately 200-250 years between Numbers 31 and Judges 6 underscores this continuity. In Judges 6:1-3, the Midianites were capable of subjugating the Israelites for seven years, indicating their enduring military strength, which consisted of men.
It is important to remember that ancient times were marked by constant warfare. As modern readers of the Bible, our perspective is shaped by contemporary norms, making it easy to misinterpret these events due to our limited understanding. While the consequences of war are typically grim regardless of the era, this does not alter the inherent morality, as God remains constant (Malachi 3:6). His wisdom far surpasses ours (Isaiah 55:8-9).
Moses commanded the execution of “all male infants” (Numbers 31:17). This indicates that while the young girls were spared and protected, the boys were put to death. Moses implemented this command, irrespective of any specific divine directive from God mentioned in the text. The command in verses 1-3, completed in verse 7, pertained only to selected adult males ready for war from both parties. The text has hyper-linguistic language when it says “they killed every male” in verse 7. We know that all men weren’t killed, but rather the Midianite men of war. The male children are mentioned in verse 9 as the “little ones” and in verse 17. Based on the context of verses 1-7, it was the Midianite men of war who were killed, not the male children. If the young males had been included in the initial battle, Moses would not have later issued a separate command for their execution.
Moses appears to have made this decision independently, as God’s directive for vengeance (Hebrew: נָקָם – naqam) had already been fulfilled in verse 7. This vengeance was specifically directed against the Midianite people, particularly the adults who had willfully acted with hostility toward Israel and threatened their survival. Killing young males describes what Moses did and is not a prescription from God to Moses, but a description. In the Bible Christians belive that the Bible is the inspired word of God (2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:21). The Bible often records uncomfortable or embarrassing details about human behavior, not to prescribe actions, but to present an honest and truthful account of events. These moments serve as a reminder of human fallibility and God’s sovereignty, highlighting that even in the midst of sin and brokenness, God’s plan and purposes prevail. Here are a couple of key examples: Lot and His Daughters (Genesis 19:30-38) or The Disciples Fleeing While Women Stayed at the Cross (Matthew 26:56, John 19:25-27).
How God Views Children
God holds children in high regard, and there is evidence suggesting that babies and children go to be with the LORD due to their innocence, pure faith of heart, and their lack of understanding (James 4:17).
New Testament
- “At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them and said, ‘Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me.'” – Matthew 18:1-5 (ESV)
- “But Jesus said, ‘Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.'” – Matthew 19:14 (ESV)
- “16 But Jesus called them to him, saying, “Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God. 17 Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.”
- – Luke 18:16-17 (ESV)
- “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” – Mark 5:8 (ESV)
- “36 And he took a child and put him in the midst of them, and taking him in his arms, he said to them, 37 “Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me, and whoever receives me, receives not me but him who sent me.” – Mark 9:36-37 (ESV)
- “And they were bringing children to him that he might touch them, and the disciples rebuked them. But when Jesus saw it, he was indignant and said to them, ‘Let the children come to me; do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God. Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.’ And he took them in his arms and blessed them, laying his hands on them.” – Mark 10:13-16 (ESV)
- “16 David therefore sought God on behalf of the child. And David fasted and went in and lay all night on the ground. 17 And the elders of his house stood beside him, to raise him from the ground, but he would not, nor did he eat food with them. 18 On the seventh day the child died. And the servants of David were afraid to tell him that the child was dead, for they said, “Behold, while the child was yet alive, we spoke to him, and he did not listen to us. How then can we say to him the child is dead? He may do himself some harm.” 19 But when David saw that his servants were whispering together, David understood that the child was dead. And David said to his servants, “Is the child dead?” They said, “He is dead.” 20 Then David arose from the earth and washed and anointed himself and changed his clothes. And he went into the house of the LORD and worshiped. He then went to his own house. And when he asked, they set food before him, and he ate. 21 Then his servants said to him, “What is this thing that you have done? You fasted and wept for the child while he was alive; but when the child died, you arose and ate food.” 22 He said, “While the child was still alive, I fasted and wept, for I said, ‘Who knows whether the LORD will be gracious to me, that the child may live?’ 23 But now he is dead. Why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he will not return to me.” 2 Samuel 12:16-23 (ESV)
Old Testament
- “Behold, children are a gift of Yahweh, The fruit of the womb is a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, So are the children of one’s youth. How blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them; They will not be ashamed When they speak with enemies in the gate.” – Psalm 127:3-5 (LSB)
- “For You formed my inward parts; You wove me in my mother’s womb. I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Wonderful are Your works, And my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from You, When I was made in secret, And intricately woven in the depths of the earth; Your eyes have seen my unshaped substance; And in Your book all of them were written The days that were formed for me, When as yet there was not one of them.” – Psalm 139:13-16 (LSB)
Answering Assumption 2
“The women were killed for no reason.”
Israel was lured by the Moabite and Midianite women to engage in sexual rituals and worship the idol god Baal. God expressed anger towards the Israelite men for their transgressions. This behavior risked Isrealites development spiritually. Shifting Israelites towards the worship of other gods like Baal. YHWH swiftly intervened to halt the spread of this ideology among the Israelites through warfare.
- “And Israel remained at Shittim, and the people began to play the harlot with the daughters of Moab. 2 Indeed they called the people to the sacrifices of their gods, and the people ate and bowed down to their gods. 3 So Israel joined themselves to Baal of Peor, and the anger of Yahweh burned against Israel. 4 And Yahweh said to Moses, “Take all who are the heads of the people and execute them in broad daylight before Yahweh, so that the burning anger of Yahweh may turn away from Israel.” 5 So Moses said to the judges of Israel, “Each of you kill his men who have joined themselves to Baal of Peor.”
- 6 Then behold, one of the sons of Israel came and brought near to his brothers a Midianite woman, in the sight of Moses and in the sight of all the congregation of the sons of Israel, while they were weeping at the doorway of the tent of meeting. 7 And Phinehas the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, saw it, so he arose from the midst of the congregation and took a spear in his hand, 8 and he went after the man of Israel into the tent and pierced both of them through, the man of Israel and the woman, through the body. Then the plague on the sons of Israel was checked. 9 So those who died by the plague were 24,000.” – Numbers 25:1-9
God’s punishment of the Moabite and Midianite women, as well as the Israelite men, was a direct response to their leading Israel into idolatry through sexual rituals to Baal. The women enticed the men of Israel to commit both sexual immorality and idol worship, threatening the nation’s covenant relationship with God. In response, God’s judgment required capital punishment for those involved, purging the community of corruption. Phinehas’ act of zeal in killing the Israelite man and the Midianite woman symbolized the restoration of holiness and halted the plague, demonstrating that God’s justice was necessary to preserve His people from further judgment.
The Midianites worshiped both Baal and Yahweh, but that wasn’t always the case. They used to worship Yahweh alone, as seen through Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, who was a Midianite priest and recognized Yahweh’s supremacy after hearing of Israel’s deliverance from Egypt (Exodus 18:1-12). However, over time, the Midianites became corrupted by the Moabites and began introducing other gods into their worship alongside Yahweh. This is evident in Numbers 25:1-3, where the Midianites, along with the Moabites, led Israel into idolatry and sexual immorality by worshiping Baal of Peor. Through the counsel of Balaam, the Israelites were further led into sin (Numbers 31:16). Moses’ father-in-law, Jethro, and his wife, Zipporah, were both Midianites (Exodus 2:15-21), indicating that at one point, the Midianites had a closer association with Yahweh.
The Midianites trace their lineage back to Abraham, as Midian is listed as one of the sons born to him through his wife Keturah (Genesis 25:1-2). Therefore, the Midianites share in the broader Abrahamic lineage, though they later diverged into idolatry, influenced by their association with the Moabites.
- “And Abraham again took a wife, and her name was Keturah. And she bore to him Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah.”- Genesis 25:1-2 (LSB)
The Midianites are examples of what Israel could have become. Potential corruption risked leading Israel down a path of idol worship, notably towards Baal.
Answering Assumption 3
“The little girl virgins were forced upon sexually by the Israelite men”
Here is the standard: Rape is unequivocally condemned in the Bible. Captives of war were not to be mistreated or violated, and sexual relations were only considered appropriate after an individual had reached post-pubescent maturity. Rape is explicitly condemned in Deuteronomy 22:25-27. In ancient times, protocols were established for the treatment of women during and after wartime, acknowledging the inevitability of conflict. Traditionally, women were not combatants, leading Israel to implement protective measures for foreign women to ensure their dignity and well-being (Deuteronomy 21:10-14). In Ezekiel 16:1-14, Jerusalem is metaphorically portrayed as a girl maturing into a woman under the guidance of God’s divine word. It states that a woman is considered sexually mature once she has fully undergone puberty (post-pubescent).
Rape Condemned
- 25 “But if in the open country a man meets a young woman who is betrothed, and the man seizes her and lies with her, then only the man who lay with her shall die. 26 But you shall do nothing to the young woman; she has committed no offense punishable by death. For this case is like that of a man attacking and murdering his neighbor, 27 because he met her in the open country, and though the betrothed young woman cried for help there was no one to rescue her.” – Deuteronomy 22:25-27 (NKJV)
- If there are questions about Deuteronomy 22:28-29, please refer to further resources such as this article and accompanying YouTube video.
Rules of War Regarding Woman
- 10 “When you go out to war against your enemies, and the LORD your God gives them into your hand and you take them captive, 11 and you see among the captives a beautiful woman, and you desire to take her to be your wife, 12 and you bring her home to your house, she shall shave her head and pare her nails. 13 And she shall take off the clothes in which she was captured and shall remain in your house and lament her father and her mother a full month. After that you may go in to her and be her husband, and she shall be your wife. 14 But if you no longer delight in her, you shall let her go where she wants. But you shall not sell her for money, nor shall you treat her as a slave, since you have humiliated her.” – Deuteronomy 21:10-14 (NKJV)
The Bible Teaches Post-Pubescent Sexual Maturity
- “Again the word of the LORD came to me, saying, 2 “Son of man, cause Jerusalem to know her abominations, 3 and say, ‘Thus says the Lord God to Jerusalem: “Your birth and your nativity are from the land of Canaan; your father was an Amorite and your mother a Hittite. 4 As for your nativity, on the day you were born your navel cord was not cut, nor were you washed in water to cleanse you; you were not rubbed with salt nor wrapped in swaddling cloths. 5 No eye pitied you, to do any of these things for you, to have compassion on you; but you were thrown out into the open field, when you yourself were loathed on the day you were born. 6 “And when I passed by you and saw you struggling in your own blood, I said to you in your blood, ‘Live!’ Yes, I said to you in your blood, ‘Live!’ 7 I made you thrive like a plant in the field; and you grew, matured, and became very beautiful. Your breasts were formed, your hair grew, but you were naked and bare. 8 “When I passed by you again and looked upon you, indeed your time was the time of love; so I spread My wing over you and covered your nakedness. Yes, I swore an oath to you and entered into a covenant with you, and you became Mine,” says the Lord God. 9 “Then I washed you in water; yes, I thoroughly washed off your blood, and I anointed you with oil. 10 I clothed you in embroidered cloth and gave you sandals of badger skin; I clothed you with fine linen and covered you with silk. 11 I adorned you with ornaments, put bracelets on your wrists, and a chain on your neck. 12 And I put a jewel in your nose, earrings in your ears, and a beautiful crown on your head. 13 Thus you were adorned with gold and silver, and your clothing was of fine linen, silk, and embroidered cloth. You ate pastry of fine flour, honey, and oil. You were exceedingly beautiful, and succeeded to royalty. 14 Your fame went out among the nations because of your beauty, for it was perfect through My splendor which I had bestowed on you,” says the Lord God.” Ezekiel 16:1-14 (NKJV)
- “36 But if any man think that he behaveth himself uncomely toward his virgin, if she pass the flower of her age, and need so require, let him do what he will, he sinneth not: let them marry.” – 1 Corinthians 7:36 (KJV)
With all this in mind, the Bible clearly prohibits sexual relations with underage females, the rape of women, and the mistreatment or rape of female captives of war. Nowhere in Numbers 31:18 does it suggest that the young girls were taken for sexual purposes. Instead, they were spared and integrated into the Israelite community because they had not participated in the sinful actions of the older women, as seen in Numbers 25:1-3, 6. These young girls would have matured and, in time, become eligible for marriage. This stands in contrast to the grown women, who had led Israel into sin. video.
You Can’t Mistreat Foreigners
Here are verses that show show you can’t mistreat foreigners: Exodus 22:21; 23:9; Leviticus 19:10, 33-37; 23:22; 24:19-22; 25:35-36; Numbers 9:14, 15:16; Deuteronomy 1:16-17; 10:18-21; 14:28-29; 23:7-8, 15-16; 27:19; Job 31:32; Zechariah 7:8-10
These are pretty general verses that can or are referring to foreigners. That Israel is not to mistreat them.
Muslim Objections Answered
When Muslims bring up Numbers 31:17-18, specifically verse 18 where it says:
”But all the girls who have not known man intimately, spare for yourselves.”
They distort and remove this verse from its immediate context, making it convey a meaning that isn’t present. In addition, they misinterpret the text, inserting words and an interpretation that simply do not exist. Islam Critiqued (Time stamp: 3:48).
”But all the girls who have not known man intimately, spare for yourselves. [So that you may rape them, and treating them as sex slaves.]”
So why state “known man intimately” if it doesn’t mean to have sexual intercourse with them later. It’s because that phrase in the statement is referencing the context of Numbers 25:1-6. Because the young girls were innocent and had not committed any wrongdoing, unlike the adult Moabite and Midianite women, it would be illogical for the Israelite men to take them as sex captives, thereby committing sexual immorality. After all, it was sexual immorality that sparked the entire conflict in the first place.
As you can see, nowhere in the text does it suggest they had sex with the young girls. In fact, when considering everything the Bible says on this topic, including passages from the Torah (such as Deuteronomy 21:10-14 and 22:25-27), it becomes clear that there were specific laws and regulations for Israel to follow. The word “Deuteronomy” itself means “second law,” so these principles were well known to Israel.
On the other hand, Muslims face a dilemma. The Quran acknowledges the wars of Moses and fighting in general from the Israelites. Which means that if they interpret Numbers 31:17-18 as involving sexual relations with young girls, they are implying that Allah condoned these acts. Thus, there would be no legitimate grounds to object to what happened, based on their own religious text.
- “O my people! Remember Allah’s favour unto you, how He placed among you prophets, and He made you kings, and gave you that (which) He gave not to any (other) of (His) creatures. 21 O my people! Go into the holy land which Allah hath ordained for you. Turn not in flight, for surely ye turn back as losers. 22 They said: O Moses! Lo! a giant people (dwell) therein and lo! we go not in till they go forth from thence. When they go forth from thence, then we will enter (not till then). 23 Then out spake two of those who feared (their Lord, men) unto whom Allah had been gracious: Enter in upon them by the gate, for if ye enter by it, lo! ye will be victorious. So put your trust (in Allah) if ye are indeed believers. 24 They said: O Moses! We will never enter (the land) while they are in it. So go thou and thy Lord and fight! We will sit here. 25 He said: My Lord! I have control of none but myself and my brother, so distinguish between us and the wrong-doing folk. 26 (Their Lord) said: For this the land will surely be forbidden them for forty years that they will wander in the earth, bewildered. So grieve not over the wrongdoing folk.” – S. 5:20-26, Pickthall
- 246 Hast thou not seen the chiefs of the Children of Israel after Moses, how they said unto a prophet whom they had: Appoint for us a king and we will fight in Allah’s way? He said: Would ye then refrain from fighting if fighting were prescribed for you? They said: Why should we not fight in Allah’s way when we have been driven from our dwellings with our children? But when fighting was prescribed for them, they turned away, all save a few of them. Allah is Aware of evil-doers. S. 2:246, Pickthall
Below is a Hadith confirm Moses military expedition from (Sahih al-Bukhari, Volume 4, Book 53, Number 353). The bold and italicized sections are mine (AC)
Narrated Abu Huraira: The Prophet said, “A prophet amongst the prophets carried out a holy military expedition, so he said to his followers, ‘Anyone who has married a woman and wants to consummate the marriage, and has not done so yet, should not accompany me; nor should a man who has built a house but has not completed its roof; nor a man who has sheep or she camels and is waiting for the birth of their young ones.’” This part conflates Moses’ instruction in (Deuteronomy 20:5-7).
“So, the prophet carried out the expedition and when he reached that town at the time or nearly at the time of the ‘Asr prayer, he said to the sun, ‘O sun! You are under Allah’s Order and I am under Allah’s Order. O Allah! Stop it (i.e. the sun) from setting.’ It was stopped till Allah made him victorious.” This is conflated from Joshua’s request for the sun to stop in (Joshua 10:12-13).
“Then he collected the booty and the fire came to burn it, but it did not burn it. He said (to his men), ‘Some of you have stolen something from the booty. So one man from every tribe should give me a pledge of allegiance by shaking hands with me.’ (They did so and) the hand of a man got stuck over the hand of their prophet. Then that prophet said (to the man), ‘The theft has been committed by your people. So all the persons of your tribe should give me the pledge of allegiance by shaking hands with me.’ The hands of two or three men got stuck over the hand of their prophet and he said, ‘You have committed the theft.’ Then they brought a head of gold like the head of a cow and put it there, and the fire came and consumed the booty.” This part confuses the story of Achan’s theft and judgment in (Joshua 7).
The Prophet added: “Then Allah saw our weakness and disability, so he made booty legal for us.” This contrasts with God’s command to destroy everything in certain cities in (Deuteronomy 20:16-18) and (Joshua 6).
In this Hadith, Muhammad conflates several biblical stories, including Moses’ instruction in (Deuteronomy 20:5-7) and Joshua’s expeditions against Ai and the king of Jerusalem in (Joshua 7) and (Joshua 10). (Sahih al-Bukhari, Volume 4, Book 53, Number 353) ArticlePlease study this series of articles related to war, showing the Hypocrisy of Muslims if they quote 1 Samuel 15:3 or any other wars in the Bible: part 1, part 1b & part 2.
With all this in mind, the Bible makes it clear that you can not have sex without underage females, rape women and rape female captives of war. Nowhere in Numbers 31:18 does it say that they had sex with the young girls or were kept for that purpose. They were incorporated into the Israelite lifestyle and were not killed, because they didn’t do anything. They would have matured and then would have been fit for marriage. Unlike the grown women in Numbers 25:1-3, 6. Video explanation and Islam Critiqued.
RELATED ARTICLES
Slave-girls as sexual property in the Quran
MUHAMMAD AND THE FEMALE CAPTIVES
Does the Quran permit sexual relations outside of marriage?
