Numbers 31:18 and the Importance of Preserving Literal Language in Descriptive Ethical Texts

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Introduction: The Moral Gravity and Translation Responsibility

Numbers 31:18 stands within a profoundly sobering context: the divine directive to execute judgment upon the Midianites following their seduction of Israel into idolatry and immorality (Numbers 25:1–9; 31:1–2). The verse contains explicit language that is morally and theologically weighty. It demands not only careful interpretation but, more importantly for the translator, strict literal fidelity.

The passage deals with war, execution, and the sparing of certain individuals. The command to keep alive “all the young girls who have not known man by lying with him” is often softened or paraphrased in modern versions, likely due to the discomfort translators feel in conveying the full weight of the text. Yet softening is not the translator’s role. Faithful translation conveys the words as written, even when they are culturally or emotionally challenging.

Text of Numbers 31:18 (UASV)

“But all the young girls who have not known man by lying with him keep alive for yourselves.”

This is a literal and faithful rendering of the Hebrew text, maintaining the descriptive force and clarity of the original phrasing.

Hebrew Text and Analysis

The Hebrew of Numbers 31:18 reads:

וְכֹל֙ הַטַּ֣ף בַּנָּשִׁ֔ים אֲשֶׁ֣ר לֹֽא־יָדְע֔וּ מִשְׁכַּ֖ב זָכָ֑ר הַחֲי֥וּ לָכֶ֖ם

Let us break this down into its key components:

1. אֲשֶׁר לֹא־יָדְעוּ מִשְׁכַּב זָכָר — “who have not known the lying of a male”

אֲשֶׁר (ʾăšer) – Relative pronoun: “who”
לֹא (lōʾ) – Negation: “not”
יָדְעוּ (yāḏəʿû) – Qal perfect 3rd person common plural from יָדַע (yāḏaʿ): “to know”
מִשְׁכַּב (miškaḇ) – noun: “lying” (sexual intercourse); derived from שָׁכַב (šāḵaḇ): “to lie down”
זָכָר (zāḵār) – noun: “male, man”

This phrase explicitly and descriptively refers to sexual intercourse with a male, not merely to a status label such as “virgin.” The form מִשְׁכַּב זָכָר (“lying of a male”) occurs also in Leviticus 18:22 and 20:13, where it refers to prohibited homosexual acts. The same level of specificity and seriousness should be preserved here.

Translating this as simply “virgins” strips the phrase of its linguistic precision and its ethical and moral force.

2. הַחֲיוּ לָכֶם — “keep alive for yourselves”

הַחֲיוּ (haḥăyû) – Hiphil imperative plural from חָיָה (ḥāyāh): “to live, to keep alive”
לָכֶם (lākem) – preposition + pronoun: “for yourselves”

This is a direct command, preserving the grammatical imperative mood. The intent here was not mere identification, but a directive to act, consistent with the narrative flow and God’s instructions to Moses.

Translation Issues: Dynamic Paraphrase vs. Literal Fidelity

Modern translations often show discomfort with this passage, leading to the use of interpretive or softened renderings.

Correct Literal Translations

UASV: “have not known man by lying with him” — Retains literal language, descriptive specificity.
NASB: “have not known man by lying with him” — Accurately reflects the Hebrew.
ESV: “have not known man by lying with him” — Faithful and precise.

These renderings are textually and ethically responsible. They neither embellish nor soften. They preserve both the grammatical construction and the moral seriousness of the original.

Interpretive or Softened Translations

NIV: “who have never slept with a man” — This is euphemistic and interpretive. The term “slept with” may be colloquially understood today, but it does not reflect the solemn, formal structure of מִשְׁכַּב זָכָר.
NLT: “who are still virgins” — This is inaccurate. The Hebrew text does not use בְּתוּלָה (bəṯûlāh), the standard word for virgin. Instead, it describes behavior, not status.
GNT: “who are not married” — Completely inaccurate. Marital status is not the criterion; sexual experience is.

Softened translations obscure the raw and direct nature of the command and mislead the reader about the basis on which the individuals are spared. This not only blunts the gravity of the judgment being enacted but introduces theological and moral confusion by euphemizing God’s words.

Why “Virgin” Is Not an Accurate Translation Here

Though these girls are presumably virgins, the Hebrew text does not use the common term בְּתוּלָה, and for good reason. The inspired text is not referring to a legal or ceremonial status, but to an observable reality of sexual inexperience, confirmed by the phrase “not known man by lying with him.” This is a direct, descriptive condition for being spared—not a technical label.

To render this as merely “virgins” assumes the translator knows what the author intended and adds interpretive bias by flattening rich, descriptive terminology into a simplified category.

Handling Difficult Passages: Translator vs. Interpreter

Passages like Numbers 31:18 are often subject to theological and moral controversy. The translator, however, must not reshape the passage to avoid controversy. The goal is fidelity, not diplomacy. Interpretation of God’s commands is the job of the expositor or theologian. The translator’s task is to ensure that the exact words and grammatical structure of the inspired text are carried over into English with as little mediation as possible.

Attempts to obscure, paraphrase, or euphemize God’s language do a disservice to the text and to the reader.

Manuscript and Textual Evidence

There is no major textual variant for Numbers 31:18. The Masoretic Text is well preserved and undisputed in this section. The Septuagint renders it:

πᾶσαν δὲ γυναῖκα παιδίσκην, ἥτις οὐκ ἐγνώρισεν κοίτην ἄρσενος, διασώσατε ὑμῖν.

This Greek translation is consistent with the Hebrew: “every young female who has not known the bed of a male, keep alive for yourselves.”

The LXX supports the literal reading with κοίτην ἄρσενος (“bed of a male”), a phrase closely mirroring מִשְׁכַּב זָכָר. The Greek translators here rightly avoided softening the language.

Moral Considerations and the Nature of the Command

This passage reflects the judicial actions in a unique historical and theocratic context under direct divine command. The girls spared were not to be taken as spoils of war in a manner comparable to other ancient Near Eastern practices, but were subject to Israelite law and moral structure (Deuteronomy 21:10–14 outlines how captured women were to be treated, requiring time, mourning, and protection).

It is imperative not to impose modern assumptions about consent, warfare, or gender into the interpretation, and even more so not into the translation. The text must speak in its own words, as given by the Spirit through Moses.

Conclusion: Truth Matters, Even in Difficult Texts

The UASV preserves the literal form and semantic content of Numbers 31:18. The phrase “have not known man by lying with him” is not only a direct grammatical rendering of the Hebrew text, but it also preserves the moral intensity and clarity of the passage. Any softening through euphemism, interpretive gloss, or substitution of technical terms (like “virgins”) reduces the precision and theological intent of the text.

Literal translation here is not a matter of style; it is a matter of fidelity to divine speech. The UASV, like the ASV and a few others, fulfills the translator’s calling to present what God said—not what we would prefer Him to have said.

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About the Author

EDWARD D. ANDREWS (AS in Criminal Justice, BS in Religion, MA in Biblical Studies, and MDiv in Theology) is CEO and President of Christian Publishing House. He has authored over 220+ books. In addition, Andrews is the Chief Translator of the Updated American Standard Version (UASV).