In Numbers 31 we have god speaking to Moses:
"Numbers 31 . . .
1 "The Lord said to Moses, 2 “Get even with the Midianites for what they did to the Israelites. After that you will join your ancestors in death” 3 So Moses spoke to the people."
1 "The Lord said to Moses, 2 “Get even with the Midianites for what they did to the Israelites. After that you will join your ancestors in death” 3 So Moses spoke to the people."
and sent 12,000 off to war. (The carnage takes place between verses 7 and 12.) After killing the Midianite solders the Israelite army took the Midianite women and children as prisoners, which was against Moses's instructions. When Moses found out about this he was. . .
14. . .very angry with the officers of the army, the commanders of the companies and battalions, who were returning from battle. 15 “Why did you let all the women live?” he asked them. 16 “Remember, they were the ones who followed Balaam’s advice and caused the Israelites to be unfaithful to the Lord in the incident that took place at Peor. The Lord’s community experienced a plague at that time. 17 So kill all the Midianite boys and every Midianite woman who has gone to bed with a man. 18 But save for yourselves every girl who has never gone to bed with a man. 19 “Everyone who killed a person or touched a dead body must stay outside the camp seven days. You and your prisoners of war must use the ritual water on the third and seventh days in order to take away your sin. 20 Do the same for all the clothes and everything made of leather, goats’ hair, or wood.”
That god found the foregoing acceptable is borne out by his lack of any comment about it, and by pressing on to further issues, such as how the spoils of the war were to be divvied up.
25 The Lord said to Moses, 26 “You, the priest Eleazar, and the heads of the families of the community need to count all the loot, including the people and animals you captured. 27 Divide the loot between the soldiers who served in the war and the rest of the community. 28 Collect a tax for the Lord. From the soldiers who served in the war collect one out of every 500 things. This includes people, cattle, donkeys, sheep, and goats.
My concern here is verse 18 where Moses tells the conquering soldiers "18 But save for yourselves every girl who has never gone to bed with a man."
In effect, god is saying:"You have my permission to rape them." I say this because there is no mention or even implication that the soldiers need first marry the girls, or even marry them at all. Plus a women's consent is never mentioned. Like it or not, a soldier could take what ever virgin girl he desired, to which the girl is never given the option to decline. Pretty much a matter of rape as I see it.
The verse from other translations.
VOICE
As for the virgins, you can take them, as you desire.
MEV
But keep alive for yourselves all the young girls who have not known a man by lying with him.
GW
But save for yourselves every girl who has never gone to bed with a man.
CJB
But the young girls who have never slept with a man, keep alive for yourselves.
GNV
But all the women-children that have not known carnal copulation, keep alive for yourselves.
NKJV
But keep alive for yourselves all the young girls who have not known a man intimately.
ISV
You are to allow the young women who haven’t yet had sexual relations with a man to live for yourselves.”
As for the virgins, you can take them, as you desire.
MEV
But keep alive for yourselves all the young girls who have not known a man by lying with him.
GW
But save for yourselves every girl who has never gone to bed with a man.
CJB
But the young girls who have never slept with a man, keep alive for yourselves.
GNV
But all the women-children that have not known carnal copulation, keep alive for yourselves.
NKJV
But keep alive for yourselves all the young girls who have not known a man intimately.
ISV
You are to allow the young women who haven’t yet had sexual relations with a man to live for yourselves.”
So, hasn't god aided and perhaps even abetted rape? If not, hasn't he at least condoned it? I say, he most certainly has.
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